After Lu Yanchen left, Lu Shiyan stood alone by the desolate riverside, staring at the phone in his hand.The screen lit up and went dark again, messages popping up one after another — none of them from me.
Perhaps he was thinking of the past.Back then, I had already sensed his attitude toward Su Ning'an changing. I would get upset, but then convince myself that I was being petty — after all, Ning'an was his stepsister. There was nothing wrong with him treating her kindly, was there?So I learned to lie to myself, to smooth away my own suspicions again and again, telling myself not to destroy the harmony between our two families.And once I "figured it out," I would always go to him, apologizing first.
Now, it's been twenty‑four hours since my last message.For an entire day, no one knows where I am.
Splash.He threw a stone into the river, his low voice breaking the silence."Fine. Let's see how long you can keep this up."
I smiled bitterly beside him.Yes… in the past, no matter how angry I was, I never stayed away for more than three days.He thought he had me all figured out — thought I could never make a real storm.
I watched his face, sharp with anger, and my mind drifted back to that summer camp when we were twelve.A torrential rain had trapped me in the mountains, and he risked a landslide to climb back up and find me.I threw myself into his muddy arms, crying, asking him why he'd been so foolish — what if he'd been hurt because of me?He smiled through the dirt, eyes bright."I just kept thinking of you up here alone, scared and crying. I couldn't stand it. I had to come."
I was too young then to understand love — I only knew that his embrace felt safe.If only he could have protected me for the rest of my life.
Now it was him who had betrayed me, yet he acted as though I was the unreasonable one.
When a person's heart changes, even your breathing becomes a mistake.
On the fourth day after my death, Lu Shiyan finally began to panic.
He opened our chat window again and again, staring at the last voice message he'd sent me.My phone was still turned off — cold and silent.
"Mr. Lu, your coffee."The assistant's voice pulled him back to reality. He realized he had been staring at the screen for half an hour.
Four days.Even the most stubborn woman would have come home by now, right?
He stood up, grabbed his coat, and left.
"Mr. Lu, you have an important meeting—""Reschedule it."
He drove straight to the city, to find Jiang Man.
"Teacher Jiang, someone's here to see you."
My best friend walked out of the office.When she saw him, her face immediately darkened."What are you doing here?"
"Su Wan's with you, isn't she? Tell her to stop. This is getting out of hand—"
Jiang Man cut him off, her voice sharp as glass."Lu Shiyan, are you insane? You left her alone at the wedding! What did she do wrong? There were hundreds of guests gossiping, and she still apologized to each of them. Tell me, who's really shameless here?"
Her words struck him straight in the chest. His expression hardened."I don't owe you an explanation. Just call her and tell her to come home."
Jiang Man froze."You mean… she hasn't been home?"
He scoffed. "Don't pretend. Every time we fight, she comes to you, doesn't she?"
It was true — whenever I was upset, I would go to Jiang Man.No wonder he never came looking for me; he thought I was safe with her.
But Jiang Man's face went pale."Come home? I was at my grandmother's bedside — she's dying. I left right after your damn wedding! I just got back today! Lu Shiyan, what did you do to her this time?"
Her bloodshot eyes, the cracked lips, the sleepless exhaustion — she wasn't lying.
So where had I been these four days?
He turned to leave. Behind him, Jiang Man shouted, voice breaking,"Lu Shiyan! If anything's happened to her, I'll never forgive you!"
I reached out, wanting to smooth the messy hair from her face — my hand passed right through her.I sighed softly."Manman, I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. Please… live well."
She couldn't hear me anymore.
Lu Shiyan's phone rang again. His expression changed as he answered."Check something for me. Find out where Su—"
I laughed bitterly.The man I'd loved for over a decade only thought to "check on me" on the fourth day after my death.By now, my body was probably already rotting.
Before he could finish his sentence, Su Ning'an opened the car door and threw herself at him."Brother, why have you been avoiding me these past two days?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, like honey soaked in poison.He didn't want anyone to see them together, so he hung up the call.
"I've got a meeting later, Ning'an. If it's nothing important—"
"Brother, today's the opening of my art exhibition. You promised you'd come!"
He paused, realizing he had forgotten completely.
"…You're right. Let's go."
The phone he'd just tossed aside lay forgotten on the seat.I stared at it and laughed bitterly.So many years of love, and in the end, I couldn't even compete with a single missed call.