I hate myself for still loving you.

"You always make yourself so thin. You would look better if you were a little chubby."

On the day her mother was discharged from the hospital, she reached out and touched Lin Zhen'er's bony shoulder, and scolded her with a hint of heartache.

"So lately, I've been bringing her back for meals more often. This girl always skips meals when she's on set, and the lunchbox she brings is still full when she comes back in the afternoon."

The journey back to their new home wasn't far, and the man naturally picked up where his mother left off. He even reached out and pinched her cheek. Feeling a little uncomfortable with this warm atmosphere, he licked his lips, unsure of what to say, and finally took out his phone, pretending to be busy with work.

Once inside, she followed her husband and meticulously introduced the appliances and layout of the house to her uneasy mother. The elderly teacher, standing at the bedroom door, looked at the clean and warmly decorated furnishings, and touched her hem with a mixture of happiness and shyness, before stepping inside.

"Come in quickly, Mom. Look what's on the bedside table!"

Lin Zhen'er led her mother inside, holding her thin, bony hand. The photo that had been hidden in the closet and wrapped in a scarf was now framed in a specially bought frame. Her radiant smile from her moment of glory was finally displayed openly beside her mother.

The family enjoyed a pleasant meal and chatted for a long time before heading out when it was time for their afternoon nap.

Aren't you going home?

The woman looked at her husband, who had turned left, with some surprise.

"No, Jin Chaosheng is getting married. We're going to try on our wedding dresses this afternoon."

She had already seen the news about that playboy marrying a local real estate heiress a couple of days ago. The name was so annoying, she felt nothing, and forgot about it as soon as she saw it. Hearing the news again now, she couldn't be bothered to react.

But the man who had a violent fight with his mother at home not long ago, and the way he begged her for resources in the tea house that afternoon, still make me feel nauseous.

"I don't want to go. What's so great about his wedding that we should attend?"

The woman adjusted the back of her chair and simply lay down. What was the point of going out in a situation like this? Trying on a dress? Meeting her ex-boyfriend? She wouldn't even want to wear slippers to get her feet dirty.

"Why don't you want to go? Can't you let him go?"

Mr. Jin appeared to be focused on driving, but the corners of his mouth were noticeably downturned, and his face was filled with displeasure. His mind was filled with the image of their first meeting, of the woman beside him walking in arm-in-arm with her notoriously spendthrift nephew.

The scene that day was lavish, and the most striking detail amidst my nephew's smugness was the woman now lazily sunbathing in the passenger seat.

Later, their engagement was not a pleasant affair, and they didn't have time to observe the boy's expression during the wedding. His wife, unable to bear the public opinion, ran away abroad for half a year, and the two of them seemed to have no chance to be seen together in public.

Ever since his father's incident, which resulted in his treacherous cousin being imprisoned, the entire family has hoped they could reconcile. However, fearing that Jin Chaosheng might still harbor feelings for his wife, he has been ignoring all the messages of reconciliation and goodwill these past few days.

Finally, the other party was getting married, and he wanted a chance to show off their perfect couple, but that clueless guy rejected him again. He was unwilling to give up.

What is there that I can't let go of?

If the Jin family needs me, I'd even be their best man at their wedding.

Knowing that if she didn't go to try on the dress today, the woman next to her would become extremely jealous and would require more time to coax her, she painfully held her forehead.

"Okay, then we'll be the witnesses at the wedding."

Jin Yanzhi's reply was also quick, and for a moment Lin Zhen'er couldn't tell whether he was joking or making a serious decision. Looking at the three-story dress shop in front of her and the angry face reflected in the glass window, she could only grit her teeth, reach out and pull her husband, and take the initiative to walk inside.

I don't know if the man next to me is addicted to making a fool of myself and making the news, but if I don't cooperate with him now, I'm afraid I'll be burdened with the burden of not being able to forget my old flame again.

Every dress the dressmaker prepared was gorgeous. She twirled in front of the mirror for ages, trying on all the glittering sequins and various embroideries. Suddenly, she felt like teasing the man on the sofa. Either way, she'd embarrass herself at her ex-boyfriend's wedding, so she might as well make a big one.

"I like all of these dresses, but I don't like them all the time."

"Do you have anything even more extravagant for me to choose from? I want gowns with really big skirts and super long trains, like ten-meter-long ones. If you have any, bring them out so I can try them on."

The manager, who had initially looked surprised, quickly composed himself and began ordering people to fetch even more extravagant dresses. Everyone present should know what kind of occasion it was in a few days. This was the best dress shop in all of Pingyang; even the bride's wedding dress was probably altered here.

Now, this newly appointed Mrs. Kim is actually going to wear a long train dress to compete in beauty contests, which is really hard not to take notice.

“I think that purple one is very nice, and it matches my clothes.”

The silent man finally spoke, pointing to a purple cheongsam beside him. The dress, with its shimmering fabric adorned with tiny, delicate beads, was elegant and unique, and very beautiful.

The woman nodded repeatedly, indicating that she would listen to her husband's decision. She quickly changed into her own clothes and rushed off the fitting table as if afraid that he would change his mind.

"Aren't you going to write the lines for the wedding ceremony in a couple of days, screenwriter Lin?"

Back home, the screenwriter, who had been lounging on the sofa in a daze, felt utterly exhausted upon hearing this. She rolled her eyes, a result of a day's suppressed frustration, amidst her husband's playful teasing. The crispy tortilla chips in her hand, the suspenseful plot on TV, the cheerful puppy at her feet—weren't all of these more appealing than that half-dead ex?

The man, who had buried his head in her arms, seemed to realize that his wife was about to get angry, so he didn't press her for more information. Instead, he skillfully slipped his large hand under the loose hem of her nightgown.

On the morning of her ex-boyfriend's wedding, the couple arrived at the door early. Amidst everyone's insincere politeness and forced smiles, they toasted and drank with various business partners. Before the ceremony even officially began, they were already exhausted.

When the bride walked out hand in hand with the groom amidst cheers, and the emcee called her name, Lin Zhen'er's heart finally stopped pounding.

So it turns out that they really were the ones officiating at today's wedding! What an unexpected turn of events! No wonder those local news channel reporters were lingering by the stage, reluctant to leave; they knew in advance about the exciting scene to come.

She steeled herself and helped her husband onto the stage, not even remembering how she managed to move her leaden legs up there and listen to her husband finish his congratulatory words. All she knew was that the bride's slender eyes kept scrutinizing them, making them feel like they were covered in a hundred mosquitoes, constantly wanting to reach out and scratch them.

When the banquet finally began, she lost interest in the seafood on the table. She made an excuse and slipped out. The atmosphere in the banquet hall was too lively, and she had drunk too much wine in the morning. Now she just wanted to take a nap in the car until the banquet was over.

"Auntie, where are you going? Today is my big day, aren't you going to eat?"

Jin Chaosheng's voice caught up with them, surprising those who were about to go out and slack off.

"Go back and get married properly. You finally found a good in-law family. Don't let your stupidity ruin it."

Not wanting to get entangled with the other person, she turned around and continued walking towards the parking lot.

"Lin Zhen'er, I often think that it would be better if I had never loved you, so that I wouldn't be so hung up on you."

He wouldn't have gone so far as to invite that married woman to your engagement party to disgust you, risking his own embarrassment just to make Jin Yanzhi swallow flies. Nor would he have genuinely hoped you and him would divorce after you stormed off abroad and returned, using it as an excuse to visit you at your home.

He wouldn't need to take advantage of a day like today to constantly observe you, like a maggot in a sewer watching you stay by his side.

The groom's suit was entirely gold-embroidered with full sleeves. Her face, bearing a striking resemblance to her husband's, was now etched with the lingering tenderness and reluctance often seen in romantic dramas, and her eyes were slightly red. How ridiculous! The woman, forced to stop to avoid making things worse, couldn't hide the cold smile playing on her lips.

The scumbags in this world use excuses and methods that seem to be mass-produced. Just like this man in front of me, who should have been inside marrying his bride, but inexplicably appeared here to confess his love to her. His clichéd words are so convincing, he acts more sincerely than anyone else, completely forgetting how disgusting the things he did when they broke up were.

Lin Zhen'er felt like throwing up when she thought about her not-so-long, not-so-short relationship with this man.

At that time, she was like a stray dog ​​hanging on the roadside, bowing and wagging its tail, forced to swallow the empty promises made by the other party, carefully trying to keep the job that barely provided enough to eat.

Aside from offering some perfunctory basic boyfriend care when he needed her, he spent almost all his time having affairs with various women. He watched her embarrass herself in front of her family, act subserviently in front of her colleagues, stay up all night writing articles and eating instant noodles in her small rented apartment, repeatedly flaunting her family's resources and her influential background at the company, coercing her to obediently attend various banquets and parties, vomiting until she saw stars in the toilet, and then taking a taxi home by herself.

Such an unbearable experience is actually love in Jin Chaosheng's eyes.

"In my eyes, you are nothing but a maggot in the gutter."

The greatest significance of you appearing in my life is that you allowed me to meet someone who truly loves me, reminding me that I should always love myself and not get entangled with fickle and promiscuous people.

"Get inside already! After all these years in the entertainment news, all that messy stuff in cars and under bridges—do you think someone's accusing you of something? Disgusting!"

Having finally spoken her mind, the woman felt much lighter. So much time had passed since the breakup, and she had never spoken ill of him directly. Today, he had finally come to her, giving her a chance. Fortunately, his car wasn't far away, and she could quickly escape and run home.

But before Xiao Xie could even start the car, the man who was supposed to be inside socializing suddenly appeared beside the car, opened the door, and got in.

"You heard everything just now, didn't you?"

His wife's voice betrayed no strong emotion, and the man nervously swallowed, even biting his lip guiltily as he looked out the window.

"It's my fault for inviting you to this kind of occasion."

Jin Yanzhi's voice sounded like a child who had made a mistake.

"No, it's my fault. I didn't make you feel safe enough."