Jian Ran had never imagined that the word "break up" would first come out of her mouth. Perhaps when you've been persistent about something for too long, you subconsciously forget that giving up is an option. But when she actually said "break up," she was unexpectedly calm.
At that moment, the past flashed before her eyes like a slideshow—six years of persistence, only to end with less than a year of fulfillment. Even if that so-called "fulfillment" was merely her own one-woman show, it still left her feeling melancholy at its end.
It was only then that Zhou Yu's expression finally changed. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
Jian Ran didn't speak, but her silence conveyed her stance.
Zhou Yu's face instantly darkened, his voice icy with obvious anger. "You're going to break up over something this trivial?"
Jian Ran looked at him, his expression screaming "What are you even upset about?" and felt nothing but irony. He considered it trivial to have his ex as his assistant and to show up at the alumni gathering arm-in-arm with her. She had always known that their relationship had never been equal.
For the past six years, whether before or after they got together, she had always been the active one. Everyone had grown accustomed to her revolving around him, accustomed to her compromises and concessions—including themselves. This imbalance was doomed to be unhealthy. Even without Su Yan, they probably wouldn't have lasted. She had just been deliberately ignoring it.
"Zhou Yu, have you ever taken the initiative to get to know me all these years?" Jian Ran asked calmly.
Zhou Yu was taken aback, as if unsure how to answer.
So Jian Ran changed her approach: "What job do I have now?"
Zhou Yu frowned slightly, baffled. "You have that voice acting studio in the east part of the city. What else could you be doing?"
A trace of mockery flashed in Jian Ran's eyes. Just as she thought. No wonder he could casually blurt out that work was just a pastime for her—he had no idea what she actually did now. The voice acting studio she opened in college was just for fun, but she didn't go there after graduation. Yes, she didn't have to worry about making a living, but her current job was definitely not a pastime.
Though she had anticipated this outcome, Jian Ran still felt a sting of humiliation.
Zhou Yu finally realized Jian Ran was serious. He looked at her in disbelief, his expression stiffening. He clenched his fists tightly, then released them. A hint of sardonic smile crossed his face. "So I was right after all."
Jian Ran was startled. She didn't understand what he meant, but she caught the sarcasm.
"Are you tired of this? Want to break up?" The veins on Zhou Yu's forehead pulsed, his breath rapid with anger. "I told you, just say it directly. Why make up so many excuses?"
Jian Ran's eyes widened in disbelief. The next second, grievance surged within her. He was still the same. He had never believed her. All these years, the most common thing she heard from Zhou Yu was that her feelings for him were just a whim, that she'd get bored sooner or later, and he wasn't interested in playing along.
She thought six years would prove everything. And they were actually together now. But in the end, he still saw her that way.
Jian Ran's eyes grew increasingly sore. The bitterness in her chest flooded like a burst dam, swallowing her whole. But her pride wouldn't allow her to cry at a moment like this. It was just a breakup. Crying and whimpering wasn't like her at all.
Zhou Yu's heart tightened. He had never seen Jian Ran like this. In his memory, she was always so bold and bright. But now, her eyes were red, her chin stubbornly lifted, struggling to hold back tears.
He subconsciously stepped forward, reaching out to comfort her. But just then, his phone rang.
It was Su Yan's call.
The atmosphere instantly cooled. They stood staring at each other as the ringing stopped, then started again—showing how persistent the caller was.
Helpless, Zhou Yu turned aside to a nearby plane tree, his back to Jian Ran, and answered the phone.
Jian Ran watched his receding figure a few steps away, feeling a wave of exhaustion she hadn't felt in a long time.
She didn't hesitate anymore. She turned and walked away resolutely.
Let it end here.
She was really tired.
Zhou Yu, while on the phone, turned and caught sight of Jian Ran leaving. He frowned and started to chase after her. But something the person on the phone said made him stop after just a few steps.
In that moment of hesitation, Jian Ran had already reached the parking lot. The car started and merged into traffic.
Watching her car disappear from sight, Zhou Yu felt a sudden sharp pain in his chest. He unconsciously pressed his hand to his heart, but the pain vanished as quickly as it came, as if nothing had happened.
Only much later would Zhou Yu understand that this moment of hesitation had made him lose everything.
—
Those who didn't know Jian Ran well, based on her appearance and daily demeanor, usually assumed she was a capricious, reckless rich girl. But the truth was quite the opposite—in certain matters, she was incredibly principled.
For example, now. After her heartbreak, she didn't go to a bar to drown her sorrows or speed down the road. Instead, she obediently went home.
She had barely dragged her tired body through the door and taken off her shoes when her bestie Lu Chuchu called.
"I heard about today's A University alumni gathering! So, sis, after finally being official this year, did you go with your head held high?"
Jian Ran paused mid-motion of taking off her shoes, a hint of helplessness on her face. She had chased after Zhou Yu so publicly that she herself didn't think much of it, but Lu Chuchu had always felt aggrieved on her behalf. She had even used the phrase "with your head held high."
"Aren't you out of town? How are you so well-informed?"
Lu Chuchu said proudly, "I saw it on the A University forum, of course. I've formed a habit over the years—I browse it whenever I'm free."
Jian Ran thought, no wonder. Although they weren't A University students, because of Zhou Yu, she had dragged Lu Chuchu along to lurk on the forum for information all those years. It must have been exhausting for her.
"I didn't go in," Jian Ran said, a bit deflated.
As for holding her head high, she probably wouldn't have that chance now.
Lu Chuchu clearly didn't understand. What did she mean she didn't go in? "What's going on? Did you and Zhou Yu have a fight?" And from the sound of it, they fought at the alumni gathering door—otherwise, why would she arrive and not go in?
Jian Ran rubbed her temples and said flatly, "No fight. We broke up."
"Oh, good, no fight. Breakup isn't a big—what?!" Lu Chuchu's voice cracked. "Zhou Yu actually dared to break up with you!!"
Hearing this, Jian Ran sighed. It wasn't surprising that Lu Chuchu thought that—she had been too stubborn over the years. Anyone else would probably think the same.
"Chuchu, I was the one who initiated the breakup. Not Zhou Yu."
Lu Chuchu gasped and jumped up from her chair. But she knew Jian Ran—she wasn't the type to throw around "break up" as an empty threat during a fight. She immediately realized it was serious. "What happened? Is it because of Su Yan?"
Jian Ran hummed in affirmation. She knew she couldn't hide it from Lu Chuchu, and she didn't intend to. So she told her about how Zhou Yu had brought Su Yan to the alumni gathering that night.