"Stop, stop, stop, stop!" Her head was spinning. Why was he throwing all these labels at her? "That's not what I meant…"

He instantly dropped his indignant expression, switching back to his wronged-wife tone, solicitous as if expecting a foot rub and shoulder massage. "I knew you didn't mean that."

Qiao Li gave up. She needed an extra-strong coffee to process this.

After her coffee and a quick shower and change of clothes, she dragged Feng Yi, who had been lingering in the living room, out the door. "I have to go now."

Feng Yi nodded, hopping up from the sofa to put on his shoes. "I should go home too. I haven't had breakfast yet."

Qiao Li refused to engage, following him downstairs.

The silence was excruciating. "Are you a freshman in college?" she asked to fill the void.

"No, I just finished the Gaokao*," Feng Yi replied, nervously fiddling with his shirt.

*T/N: Chinese University entrance exam.

"Oh… how did you do?" Qiao Li was close to tears.

"663."

She continued in her parental tone. "What's the cutoff for first-tier universities?"

"540."

"Well, that's excellent." 

They finally reached the second floor. Almost there.

"Yeah, I'm planning to apply to Nanda University. It's not far, just a two-hour train ride."

Finally, the first floor. Qiao Li breathed a sigh of relief. "I won't see you out. Go home."

Feng Yi, sensing the parental dismissal, agreed glumly and finally left.

Over the next few days, Qiao Li was busy with work. When she finally had a free afternoon, she drove to Zhou Zhe's company. She still wasn't over him and wanted to see his new girlfriend.

She and Zhou Zhe had been high school classmates. He had been the handsome, academically gifted heartthrob, while she was just an ordinary girl. For three years, she had only admired him from afar. The feeling of unrequited longing had been painful, fueling her desire to improve herself. When they met again at a high school reunion after college, she finally caught his eye.

She entered the company's lobby and chose a seat in a corner where she could observe Zhou Zhe's current girlfriend, Feng Sisi. Qiao Li had spoken to her before on previous visits, but she hadn't left much of an impression. She was utterly unremarkable.

Feng Sisi was just as plain as Qiao Li remembered, so ordinary that she fumbled through conversations with clients, lacking poise and coherence. In contrast, Qiao Li, impeccably dressed and poised, was flawless. Even tucked away in the corner, she attracted admiring glances.

But the more she observed, the more uncomfortable she became. She fled. She’d thought seeing his new girlfriend, confirming she was less than herself, would bring closure. Instead, it had the opposite effect. She felt utterly defeated, like she’d lost everything.

Her car was parked two blocks away. Just after crossing the street, she ran into Zhou Zhe.

She tried to avoid him, but he called out, "Qiao Li."

He approached, tall and handsome in his suit, his posture impeccable. She saw young women whispering and giggling as they passed.

Qiao Li nodded.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gently, not at all like someone who had dumped her.

"I had some business nearby," she replied vaguely.

Zhou Zhe, seeing her coldness, chuckled. "Don't tell me you came to see Sisi?"

Qiao Li froze, feeling exposed.

He shook his head and sighed. "You're always like this, so competitive, never admitting defeat."

The harsh sunlight highlighted her embarrassment.

She felt like that insecure, ordinary girl from high school again. No matter how beautiful or successful she became, she couldn't escape the shadow of her past self.

She wanted to run, but her feet were rooted to the spot.

"Qiao Li!"

A cheerful voice called out from behind Zhou Zhe.

She saw a figure running towards her.

Feng Yi, grinning, his eyes bright with excitement and warmth, sprinted over in his basketball jersey, completely ignoring Zhou Zhe. "Qiao Li! Qiao Li! Qiao Li!"

He was practically vibrating with enthusiasm, looking like he wanted to transform into a golden retriever and jump all over her.