"Fang Jueyu, after we argued that day, I got drunk by myself in the school park. A friend carried me back and took care of me all night. We didn't do anything inappropriate, but his attentive care made me develop feelings. Later, he pursued me fiercely, and yesterday we got together. So now I have a boyfriend again. You don't need to come looking for me in the future."
Fang Jueyu finished reading the text message and felt a deep sadness in his heart. He couldn't believe that over such a small matter, his girlfriend of two years had found someone new so seamlessly.
"Hehehe, is this your explanation?" Fang Jueyu sneered. For the first time, he felt like his intelligence was being ground into the dirt by a woman. How could any man with a normal brain believe this?
Fang Jueyu and his girlfriend, Jiang Yuan, were both juniors at Jiangnan University. They met at a school event and quickly developed mutual feelings, becoming a couple that many envied.
Not long ago, Jiang Yuan lost her temper because they couldn't get tickets to a concert. It was a concert by a top-tier singer, Su Lun, whose shows always sold out in seconds, even crashing the ticketing system.
Jiang Yuan had always had a big temper, but Fang Jueyu doted on her. This time, however, Jiang Yuan went overboard, and in anger, Fang Jueyu sulked away.
The next day, Jiang Yuan texted that she wanted to break up. Fang Jueyu thought she was just having a tantrum and tried to coax her for a long time, but he didn't even get to see her face.
He didn't expect to receive such a text less than a week later.
"Hey, guys, come out and drink with me!" Alcohol wasn't a good thing, but it was the best remedy for a troubled mind. Thankfully, over the past two years, he had made quite a few good friends, and even though the holiday was approaching, everyone hadn't gone home yet.
They found the nearest bar, ordered a heap of drinks, and let the alcohol loosen their tongues until everything came spilling out.
"Fang Jueyu, you rascal, you're born with the magnetic pull of a scum girl curse!" said a slightly chubby guy pointing at him. This was Fu Jun, Fang Jueyu's high school and college classmate. Since high school, he had almost witnessed all of Fang Jueyu's romantic history.
Fang Jueyu was of average height and somewhat above-average looks. His family was decently well-off, but he had learned both the violin and piano since elementary school. By all accounts, he shouldn't have been lacking in girlfriends.
But whether it was a vision problem or unique taste, he'd never liked a normal girl.
The first time he developed feelings for a girl was in his freshman year of high school. They were together for only two days before she backed out, claiming she was afraid it would affect her studies. The funniest thing was, Fang Jueyu got into a prestigious university, while the girl ended up at an average college.
Getting dumped after two days became Fang Jueyu's biggest joke. His deskmate, Jiang Yi, mocked him for three years straight, even left him with harsh words: "Fang Jueyu, don't be too upset. You'll meet someone who'll back out in a day, or even three days!"
It was as if a magic spell, Jiang Yi's words really came true, and the reasons the girls backed out had him both crying and laughing.
One girl agreed to be with him and the next day got back with her ex-boyfriend. Another claimed Fang Jueyu was too nice, making dating him boring.
Back then, Fang Jueyu was left scratching his head in disbelief, even beginning to doubt his life. Had he been some notorious womanizer in a past life, now cursed with these bizarre women?
Until he met Jiang Yuan, he thought he'd finally found true love. For two years, he gave his heart and soul to Jiang Yuan, showered her with love, even becoming the boyfriend her roommates envied.
Yet faced with this situation, he felt like half his world had collapsed. He imagined a bright green hat shining atop his head—not very exquisite, but perfectly sized.
"Old Fang, there's something I think I should tell you." After hesitating for a long time, his roommate Ding Minghui finally decided to say it.
"Go ahead, at this point, what's left to hide!" Fang Jueyu said, then gulped down half a bottle of beer.
"That guy Jiang Yuan is with, I've heard of him. His name is Wang Xuan, and he's a well-known rich kid at our school. His dad is apparently a high-ranking official at Daogu Ticketing Network," Ding Minghui said. "I saw them eating together two weeks ago, but I wasn't sure, so I didn't dare tell you."
"Daogu Ticketing?" Something suddenly clicked for Fang Jueyu. "Hahaha, I get it now, so that's how it is."
Daogu Ticketing is the largest ticketing center in the country, with over 80% of performance tickets sold through this channel. As the son of a senior leader, getting a few tickets to a Su Lun concert would have been a breeze for Wang Xuan.
Whether it was just for concert tickets or to cozy up to this rich guy, Fang Jueyu lost all interest in knowing more.
"Jueyu, you don't have to be too upset about a woman like that. With your qualifications, finding a good girl will be a piece of cake, won't it?" Another friend, Cheng Kai, tried to lighten the mood and grinned slyly. "I hear there are still many beauties on the campus flower list who are single. Want to check them out? I've got insider info."
Drinking until midnight, Fang Jueyu stumbled back to his dorm and fell asleep as if waking up would wash away all his troubles.
The next day, a ringing phone woke him from his sleep. With his eyes closed, he answered, "Hello? Who is this?"
"I'm your mother!" a voice came from the other end—it was Fang Jueyu's mother. "You little brat, when exactly are you coming home? The neighbor's kid who studies in Yanjing University has already come back, and you're not even that far away. You don't want to come home, do you?"
"I'll come, I'll come, I'll come back this afternoon!" In his mind, Fang Jueyu pictured his mother, Cao Lan's exquisite face—a woman who didn't look forty or fifty at all, not just because she was his mother, but because Cao Lan's beauty was indescribable.
But her fiery temper hardly fit that stunning appearance.
Not just Cao Lan, his father, Fang Huai, also looked like he was in his twenties. It seemed since he could remember, time had never left a mark on his parents' faces, and the odd part was, his parents never used any skincare products. Even Cao Lan's dressing table only held a few lipsticks.
"Okay, come back soon. Your dad and I have something to tell you tonight!" With that, Cao Lan hung up the phone.