A seemingly teasing remark pierced Zhan Jingrui's heart like a needle.
Growing up, he had witnessed the affection between the adults around him. Although they had their occasional squabbles, they generally remained devoted to each other.
Even though he was still young and He Yao was his first love, from the moment he decided to be with her, he had already committed to her as his lifelong partner.
He couldn't believe that the woman he chose would be someone his uncle looked down upon, someone who was not as they appeared.
Thus, he was furious. He desperately wanted to find He Yao and understand what was going on.
"I only believe what I see with my own eyes. Excuse me, Uncle, I'm leaving."
With that, he no longer needed an excuse. He dashed to the garage as if he had nothing left to lose.
Hu Jiasheng watched him leave from the study window and called He Yao.
"Get ready, he's coming to find you."
The house lock hadn't been changed, and Zhan Jingrui unlocked it with his fingerprint.
The door beeped, and he pushed it open without hesitation.
The room was warm, with the air conditioning on.
On the sofa, He Yao was wearing only a black knit slip dress, her hair down, sitting comfortably cross-legged. She had a cigarette in her mouth and was on a video call.
Startled by the sound, she looked towards the door and saw him. Her eyes widened in panic as she abruptly ended the video call.
She then quickly put down the cigarette and stomped on it with her foot.
She slipped on her slippers, frantically stamping out the cigarette butt, her face plastered with a forced smile that masked her panic.
"You're here? Why did you come without even a call?"
The room was filled with the pungent smell of smoke. On the coffee table sat a glass ashtray, overflowing with haphazardly placed cigarette butts.
Zhan Jingrui could hardly believe his eyes.
The girl who had appeared so serene and reserved before him, who spoke little, who seemed to carry the weight of the world and made him ache with concern, actually had another side to her.
He closed his eyes and took a few seconds to compose himself. When he opened them again, He Yao had already hidden the ashtray.
She wore a placating smile, and though she was dressed in alluring silk, her movements were deliberately childlike.
She skipped towards him, reaching out to grab his arm.
"I missed you so much, you're finally back, hug me!"
Zhan Jingrui disliked this demeanor, disliked the smell of smoke on her, and instinctively recoiled.
He took a step back, evading her touch.
"What were you just doing?"
"What's wrong?"
He Yao blinked her large, watery eyes, looking at him with an innocent expression.
"I was just at home, waiting for school to start. I haven't done anything. Haven't I been diligently submitting my assignments to you every day?"
"Is that so?"
Looking at her now, stubbornly lying with her mouth shut tight, Zhan Jingrui felt as if he had been blind all this time, and it struck him as ironic.
"Didn't you say you had no friends? Who were you just talking to?"
"I..." He Yao faltered.
"I wasn't on the phone. I was just watching videos."
"Give me your phone to see."
"Mmm~" He Yao refused, acting spoiled for once.
In the past, when she was tired from her studies and acted playfully, snuggling into his arms like a soft, cute rabbit, Zhan Jingrui's heart would melt.
Now, it only felt jarring.
"Give it to me. I don't want to repeat myself."
His expression turned frighteningly grim. He Yao knew this was the moment, exactly as she had envisioned in her script.
Adding fuel to the fire, she said, "What's so interesting about a phone? We haven't seen each other for so long, don't you miss me? Why don't you look at me instead?"
She reached out to hug him again, but Zhan Jingrui sidestepped her and walked directly to the coffee table to pick up her phone.
They had previously agreed that there would be no secrets between them. He Yao's phone had no password, and neither did his.
But now, she had set one.
"Unlock it."
He handed the phone to He Yao.
He Yao's expression faltered. She tried to change the subject by reaching for his hand, wanting to act cute again, but was once more dodged.
Zhan Jingrui said, his voice devoid of emotion, "I told you to unlock your phone."
"What is it? You're acting like this the moment you get back. Did I do anything to betray you?"
The question, in its evasion, was an answer in itself.
Zhan Jingrui suddenly lost the desire to look.
He looked at her beautiful face, a face that had occupied his thoughts an hour ago, a face he believed he couldn't live without. Now, it resembled a fox in human skin.
He had always heard his parents, Tang Dad and Tang Mom, advise against revealing one's true heart, one's trump cards, and one's bottom line to someone too easily. Humans were the most adept at disguise; otherwise, they would be exploited and suffer greatly.
He had always believed he was exceptionally gifted, with superior intelligence, and that such a cliché story wouldn't happen to him.
It was only at this moment that he realized how arrogant and self-assured he had been.
"It must have been difficult for you, acting so well. Calling and texting me every day, pouring out your longing, all of it was just capital for your boasting."
"I never imagined that my feelings, Zhan Jingrui's feelings, were just a ridiculous game to you. You're truly amazing."
He Yao pretended not to understand his words, looking at him with a pitiable expression.
"What's wrong with you? What do you mean? I don't understand what you're saying."
"Stop pretending, He Yao. You're an intelligent person. In a way, you're much smarter than me. I admit I'm not as good as you, and I can't play your game. You win."
"...Win what? What did I win?"
Zhan Jingrui threw her phone onto the sofa and turned to survey the furnishings of the room.
Many of the items had been acquired gradually with He Yao in their spare time after he moved in.
For the first time in his life, he had fallen in love, so purely, even investing all his reasoned hopes for the future into it.
And this was the result?
"You have one hour to leave this place. From now on, you are not to mention my name, Zhan Jingrui, in front of anyone else. Otherwise, I'll show you what it means to turn ruthless."
With that, he walked past He Yao expressionlessly and stormed out.
It turned out that destroying someone's feelings was that simple.
All it took was for them to realize you weren't who they imagined you to be.
Fortunately, He Yao had already prepared herself mentally.
She had nothing left to lose, so she could face it with equanimity.
As Zhan Jingrui had said, within an hour, she had left the house.
After dinner, Hu Jiasheng knocked on Zhan Jingrui's door. Seeing his dejected expression, he went in to tease him.
"What's wrong? Heartbreak? Look at you, so pathetic."
"Who's heartbroken? I wasn't even dating anyone."
"Then why did you buy a house for that girl?"
"Who bought her a house? I just saw she was pitiful and had nowhere to stay, so I lent her a place for a couple of days. Who knew she'd use it for... I don't want the house anymore. Find someone to handle it for me."
"That's more like it, a true descendant of the Zhan family."