Chapter 1: Seven Years of Dating, Four Years of Infidelity

When she was eighteen, I sat in the last row of the university auditorium, watching her stand on tiptoe and write down her future dreams on the freshman wall.

When she was twenty-one, I sat in her usual coffee shop and watched her rush under another man's umbrella with a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

When she was twenty-seven, I personally sent her a video of her fiancé cheating on her to her email. I watched as she walked into my arms in a bridal shop, her eyes red with tears.

It's okay that she's loved someone else.

It's okay that she forgot me.

After ten years of planning, in the end she will only be my wife.

———

When Qu He discovered Qian Zhaoye's infidelity, he was using his phone to reply to work messages.

With a swipe of the finger, a hidden icon was accidentally touched, and the screen instantly changed, displaying an intimate photo of Qian Zhaoye and another woman as the wallpaper.

Qu He was no stranger to this woman; she was Qiao Mian, who had been transferred to the General Manager's Office three months prior.

The way Qian Zhaoye kisses the woman's forehead in the photo is so devout and tender.

After seven years of dating, he readily handed over his phone password, saying "feel free to check," because the phone had a dual operating system.

Qu He flipped through the chat history with trembling hands. The earliest chat between the two was four years ago, and the latest chat was half an hour ago:

Qiao Mian: [Darling, do you think she looks better in her wedding dress, or am I sexier in my red dress?]

Qian Zhaoye: [Wear that red dress tonight and show it to me.]

Qiao Mian: [Hmph. I'm not wearing it for you to see. This is punishment for kissing that old woman this morning.]

Qian Zhaoye: [What are you comparing yourself to her for? She always has a stern face, she's rigid and boring, any man would be sexually apathetic upon seeing her, otherwise I wouldn't have gone seven years without touching her once.]

Qiao Mian: [You smooth talker, then you're not allowed to go with her to try on wedding dresses tomorrow!]

Qian Zhaoye: [I'll do whatever you say.]

Qu He's vision blurred for a moment. The words on the screen seemed to transform into eerie characters, gripping her throat tightly.

The cold porridge I drank this morning was churning in my stomach, rising upwards.

"Old woman..."

"Stiff and boring..."

"I haven't touched her even once in seven years..."

Every word was like a sharp knife, stabbing cruelly into her heart, twisting and tearing it apart...

Qu He's nose stung with tears; they were supposed to get married soon...

Five years ago, she was brought to the company by Qian Zhaoye right after graduating from university.

He kissed her fingertips and said, "Ahe, the company is just starting out. You can be my secretary first, and we can continue creating when things are more stable. That way, we can be together every day."

Qu He had just graduated from the ceramic art department, and her skirt was still covered with wet clay, but she nodded without hesitation.

But five years passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past five years, she has put away all her bright dresses, put on dull black business suits, and meticulously styled her long hair.

She began to learn how to fend off drinks at the dinner table, how to read the expressions of her business partners, and how to swallow her grievances, all for the sake of that one sentence: "Ahe, you won't let me down."

Finally, she achieved her dream of becoming a "professional" secretary in everyone's eyes.

However, it also became a byproduct of what he called "rigid and boring".

She thought her efforts would earn Qian Zhaoye's appreciation, and that she would soon find happiness upon entering the hall of marriage. But it turns out, in his eyes, she was nothing more than a dull, uninteresting old woman...

From age 20 to 27, from sophomore year of college to the workplace, what she thought was a seven-year deep affection turned out to be nothing more than a joke hidden under a dual system.

Seven years...the best seven years...

However, Qian Zhaoye's words nailed him to the pillar of shame.

"Secretary Qu?"

The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached.

Qu He swiped her finger to exit all background processes and immediately switched back to the original system.

She turned around and saw Qian Zhaoye walking towards her, surrounded by several managers. When he got close, he said a few words to the people next to him, and then the crowd dispersed.

Qu He gripped her phone tightly, her fingers turning white from the force.

"What's up?"

"Um."

"Come in and speak."

The two entered the office, and as soon as they closed the door, Qian Zhaoye placed his hand on theirs.

"What's wrong? You don't look well."

Qu He subtly avoided his touch and looked up at him.

The man was impeccably dressed in a suit, his eyes crinkling with a smile, still possessing that gentle and tender demeanor.

How ironic!

Just half an hour ago, he was flirting with Qiao Mian on his phone, but now he can talk and laugh with her without batting an eye.

Qu He let out a soft breath, trying to make her voice sound natural, "Your phone, I just replied to a few work messages for you."

Qian Zhaoye: "Is that all? The company has been a bit busy lately. How about I take you on vacation after this period is over?"

He approached, naturally reaching out to take the phone, his fingertips intentionally or unintentionally brushing against the back of her hand, carrying a certain intimate implication.

Qu He felt a churning in her stomach and almost vomited on the spot.

She forced a smile, saying stiffly, "Aren't you going to check? Aren't you afraid I'll see your little secret?"

Qian Zhaoye chuckled softly, his eyes filled with affection: "Ahe, I told you, you can check my phone whenever you want."

Just search anywhere?

Qu He stared into his eyes, finding it utterly absurd!

How could he be so shameless?

How could he pretend to be so affectionate after betraying her?

That's absolutely shameless and disgusting!

Qu He wished she could slap him right now and ask him if he had a heart at all!

Seeing that she didn't speak, Qian Zhaoye reached out and hugged her waist, then lowered his head to kiss her.

Qu He suddenly dodged to the side, her nails digging fiercely into her palm, using the pain to barely calm herself down.

"You're going to try on wedding dresses tomorrow at five o'clock, don't forget." Qu He could hear her own voice, which trembled almost imperceptibly.

Qian Zhaoye's expression stiffened slightly for a moment, then he quickly smiled and said, "Of course I won't forget. It's just that I have some things to take care of tomorrow. You go try on the wedding dress first, and I'll be right there."

After saying that, he added, "There's a saying these days called 'first look,' and I want to save your most beautiful side for the wedding."

Qu He stared intently at his face, trying to find a trace of guilt in him.

But can every cheating man lie with a clear conscience?

She asked softly, "But Ah Ye, what could be more important than our wedding?"

Aye.

She hadn't used that title in a long time.

Over the past five years, an invisible chasm seems to have gradually grown between them.

She called him "President Qian," and he called her "Secretary Qu." Only on rare occasions when he needed her would Qian Zhaoye gently call her "Ahe," just like before.

A hint of hesitation flashed in Qian Zhaoye's eyes.

But soon, his expression turned cold, and his tone became indifferent: "You can handle projects worth tens of millions, so a mere wedding is nothing. Ah He, you won't let me down, will you?"

"Ahe, you won't let me down."

These words were like a resounding slap across Qu He's face.

"Ahe, I need you."

"Ahe, you won't let me down."

"Qu He, can you please stop being so boring?"

"Qu He, can't you learn from others and be a little gentler?"

"Quhe...."

Every single derogatory or negative word from the past five years exploded in my mind at this moment.

Qu He's eyes were red and sore, and her heart was throbbing with pain.

What is she still hoping for?

Do we hope he'll turn over a new leaf? Or do we hope he'll suddenly realize his mistakes?

Qu He felt like a clown, a pathetic clown who was also deceiving himself.

"Of course, Mr. Qian, I won't let you down."

"Okay. If there's nothing else, you can go out."

Qu He nodded slightly, turned and left, her steps unsteady as if she were walking on cotton, and she held onto the doorknob to keep herself from showing her fear.

As soon as she rushed into the bathroom, Qu He bent over and began to dry heave.

The cold porridge I drank this morning, mixed with stomach acid, surged up my throat, leaving my esophagus feeling like it was being burned—a mixture of acid and pain...

She gripped the edge of the sink tightly and looked up at the mirror.

The woman in the mirror was deathly pale. The dark circles under her eyes, which she had covered with foundation before going out, reappeared. Her black business suit made her look like a soulless shell.

This is her.

The stereotypical, boring old woman in Qian Zhaoye's words...

"Qu He, how did you end up like this?"

My phone vibrated; it was a confirmation text message from the wedding dress shop.

Qu He replied: 【I will arrive on time tomorrow.】

She reached up and loosened her hair, unbuttoning the top button of her shirt one by one, revealing her delicate collarbone. As if freed from some kind of constraint, she gasped for breath...

Five years have passed, and this is the first time she has violated the "professional requirements" that Qian Zhaoye mentioned.