01

In the coming days, I found myself almost constantly troubled, unable to focus in class and barely able to eat. In stark contrast to my dismal state, Shen Xiaoyu's joy was unmistakable; no matter when, a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth. Compared to her previous listlessness last month, she seemed like a completely different person, brimming with vitality

I have always believed that ten years from now, I will become Jichuan's wife, and we will have a happy and warm home, with a lovely son or daughter. Every day, we will take our child to school together, and then go to work together. Jichuan will pick me up from work every day, and we will go to the supermarket to buy some groceries, then return home to cook together. At the dining table, we will discuss some amusing stories from work. After dinner, Jichuan and I will compete to wash the dishes. I will snuggle in his arms while watching my favorite Korean dramas, and he will indulge me, always telling jokes to make me laugh. This is the life I dream of.

I let out a cold snort, gritting my teeth, and said with indignation: "Whether she comes back or not is none of my business, it has nothing to do with me at all!"

Listening to the comforting words of Ji Chuan's friends, my heart ached even more. This is what they call the speaker being indifferent while the listener is affected, isn't it? Perhaps for others, it is merely casual talk, but for me, it feels heavier than a thousand mountains pressing down. After all, I am the one who knows Ji Chuan the best; his expression has completely betrayed him. Regardless of the reason or the matter at hand, he ultimately has something to hide from me, and there are indeed things he does not want me to know.

I leaned closer and whispered in Yao Yizhou's ear: "Yizhou, I can only help you this far; the rest is up to you."

Suddenly, a hand reached out and snatched the cup from my hand

I know that Ji Chuan's friends always love to joke around, so I smiled at Ji Chuan, waiting for his response. However, Ji Chuan's gaze flickered; he merely smiled awkwardly and said, "Xiao Ya is here, don't joke around."

I remember I once asked Jichuan what we would be like in ten years. At that time, Jichuan simply pinched my nose and affectionately smiled, saying: "Silly little thing, how can we accurately predict what will happen in ten years?"

Upon my further inquiry, Ji Chuan finally revealed to me that at that time, a younger female student had confessed her feelings to him and wanted to invite him to watch a movie together. On that day, that female student was sitting in front of us with another girl

I hung up the phone, shook my mobile phone at Xiaoyu, and made a victory gesture: "Done! This weekend, I will book a private room at the karaoke hall by the school gate. You must dress up beautifully; as soon as you enter, you should captivate Yao Yizhou, seize his heart in an instant, and make him unable to take his eyes off you, so that in his heart and eyes, there is only you."

In my bad mood, the words I spoke were naturally unpleasant, while Little Fish anxiously apologized on my behalf and comforted me to sit down

Later, I inquired about that girl everywhere and finally found out which class she was in. At that time, I neither hit that girl nor embarrassed her; instead, I quietly opened my phone and showed her the photo of me kissing Jichuan. Then, that girl ran out of the classroom in tears

Little Fish understands me and knows the significance of this matter to me. She was clearly shocked by the news and took a long time to regain her composure, finally exclaiming: "Your mother really came back?"

In my visions of the future, there is always Jichuan

This time, Ji Chuan unexpectedly displayed such an expression again, and I could not help but begin to doubt the authenticity of the joke made by that male classmate. The scene of Ji Chuan walking on the street with another girl involuntarily surfaced in my mind. As I thought of this, my heart sank, and I released my hand that was linked to his arm, softly asking him: "Ji Chuan, are you hiding something from me?"

I have been with Ji Chuan for several years, and I am acutely aware of every little gesture he makes. His expressions and actions when he is in a bad mood, his expressions and actions when he wants to escape, and his expressions and actions when he does not want to speak—all of these are deeply etched in my memory.

I remember one Valentine's Day, I went to the movies with Jichuan. Although the cinema was somewhat dim, I could still see the sparkle in his eyes. After all, he has always been the only one I could see in my eyes and in my heart.

On the anniversary of my one-year relationship with Jichuan, we went to a Western restaurant for dinner, and he took the stage to sing a song for me, which was the song "Ten Years".

I will invite some friends later to avoid any awkwardness between you and Yao Yizhou. Rest assured, I will definitely not make the situation awkward or put you in an uncomfortable position; it is best if everything unfolds naturally and smoothly.

I furrowed my brow, fell silent for a moment, and slowly said: "She has returned!"

I am truly exasperated with them; this entire arrangement was completely made for their benefit. They actually had the leisure to attend class before coming, while Ji Chuan and I arrived two hours in advance.

Ji Chuan turned around, picked up his wine glass, and went to drink with his classmates. In response, I could only manage a forced smile. The gathering continued as usual, but I had already lost my mood.

Jichuan knows my temperament. I have already apologized like this, which can be considered as giving him a way out. He tapped my nose lightly and said softly, "You tend to overthink when nothing is wrong."

I want to be with him always; I have never imagined a day without Ji Chuan, as that would be nothing short of a nightmare for me

I cleared my throat a few times, and after my mood settled a bit, I quietly said: "Yizhou, are you free this weekend?"

Today, the little fish is wearing a pure white dress, looking exceptionally charming. Upon seeing Yao Yizhou sit down beside her, she shyly lowers her head.

Then, everything went dark before my eyes, and I lost consciousness

Am I really overthinking this?

I drank one cup after another, unaware of how much I had consumed. After finishing one bottle of beer, I took a few more bottles from the table and placed them beside me, filled my cup, and then brought the cup directly to my lips

The waiter brought over the coffee. Xiaoyu took the coffee, stirred it, and after a long pause, finally said softly: "Xiaoya, you ... ... "

The welcome party organized specifically for me cannot proceed without my presence! No problem, I will definitely arrive on time.

I really like every line of the lyrics from "Ten Years", but I do not want our ending to be as sorrowful as sung in "Ten Years"

I lowered my head, picked up the wine glass on the table, and downed the drink in one go. After a considerable pause, I managed to force out a faint smile and said: "Jichuan, what happened today was my fault. I spoke too hastily, so please don't take it to heart or let it bother you."

There is nothing particularly significant, but Xiao Yu and I would like to host a welcome party for you. We are unsure if you would be willing to grace us with your presence at the event

"Go ahead, I will follow your arrangements." Yao Yizhou had no objections to my plans

The little fish sighed helplessly and softly advised me, "Xiaoya, don't push yourself too hard, let go a little; after all, she carried you for ten months before giving birth to you"

Jichuan sings quite well; I enjoy listening to him the most. Seeing him sitting alone and drinking quietly, I encouraged him to show off his skills a bit. Unable to resist my persuasion, Jichuan took the microphone from a boy and got up to choose a song.

After class in the afternoon, I went to a café with Shen Xiaoyu. As usual, we ordered two cups of coffee, but unexpectedly, the staff slipped and spilled the coffee on the floor, splattering quite a bit on Xiaoyu as well

I then slammed the table and exclaimed: "What is wrong with you? Are you doing this on purpose?"

I kept staring into Jichuan's eyes, and when he looked back at me, I suddenly noticed that there seemed to be something fleeting in his gaze. In that brief moment, I felt a chill wash over my heart

The weekend is approaching quickly, and Ji Chuan and I arrived at the karaoke hall early

Yao Yizhou and Xiao Yu remained silent for a while, and the atmosphere between them became somewhat tense. I stepped forward and placed a glass of beer beside Yao Yizhou, then casually poured a drink for Xiao Yu.

I always hear others say that love is a protracted battle, and in this war, the one who invests more emotions becomes the loser, while the one who cares more for the other gets hurt more. I do not know who the loser is between Ji Chuan and me in this prolonged struggle; I only know that I feel very hurt right now

In the face of my enthusiastic matchmaking, Yao Yizhou's expression was somewhat complicated, yet he remained silent.

I am already somewhat confused, unable to see who that person is, I can only see a figure raising a wine glass and drinking it in one gulp

After returning home, I went straight to my room, lying on the bed without saying a word, trying to force myself to fall asleep, but my mind was in turmoil, leaving no trace of drowsiness.

"My mother," I said, feigning calmness

I pointed at the late-arriving Yao Yizhou and said loudly into the microphone: "Yao Yizhou, you have arrived quite late. Since both you and Xiao Yu are the last to arrive, you may sit together."

Xiao Yu glanced at the waiter, turned her head, and asked me: "Xiao Ya, what is wrong with you? Your condition hasn't been particularly good lately. What has happened?"

Seeing her like this, I immediately felt a bit anxious, so I continued to fan the flames from the side: "Yizhou, I must say, you really are something. Since high school, Xiaoyu has been recognized as the class beauty, she is a goddess after all. How can you remain so calm sitting next to the goddess?"

A war between women, and I won everything without saying a word. I went to find that girl to show her the photo of me kissing Ji Chuan, something Ji Chuan is still unaware of. Of course, I cannot let him know. I simply exerted all my efforts to defend my love. Moreover, I neither insulted that girl, nor did I hit her, and I certainly did not make her feelings for Ji Chuan known to everyone.

Ji Chuan's evasiveness made me increasingly believe what that male classmate had said. I shook my head and relentlessly continued to press for answers: "Ji Chuan, I ask you, are you hiding something from me or not?"

Jichuan's eyes flickered, and an awkward smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Xiaoya, don't overthink it. Didn't you realize he was joking? His nickname is 'Hushuo', and he loves to talk nonsense all day long. Can you really believe what he says?"

Jichuan's voice is quite unique, seemingly possessing a strange kind of magic that causes anyone who hears him sing to fall silent. I enjoy listening to him sing; each time I do, my heart becomes very tranquil. His voice, along with his entire being, brings me an inexplicable sense of security

I made an OK gesture towards Xiao Yu and calmly said, "Alright, then let's meet at the karaoke hall by the school gate. We can eat and sing together, so we won't have to change venues. How does that sound?"

Wen Ya, he talks nonsense all day long, you must not believe him. Do not let his unpleasantness with Ji Chuan affect you, it is not worth it

I absolutely cannot bear the thought of losing him, nor can I tolerate the possibility of losing him. For me, the love with Jichuan will inevitably transform into marriage.

Hearing the little fish say this only made me angrier: "Women like her simply do not deserve to have children"

The song that Jichuan likes is Eason Chan's "Ten Years". This song is his favorite, and it is also my favorite. I remember that once at the school's New Year party, Jichuan sang this song "Ten Years".

As soon as I finished speaking, the little fish lowered its head even further, almost burying it in its knees

The song "Ten Years" by Ji Chuan won the applause of the audience, and I clapped my hands joyfully, feeling extremely excited

The café waiter quickly said "I apologize" and hurriedly picked up the cup and left

Yao Yizhou seemed to understand my intentions, but he appeared to be feigning ignorance while secretly comprehending. He merely smiled at my teasing without offering any response

My persistent questioning made Ji Chuan somewhat impatient; he frowned and said in a displeased tone: "Wen Ya, don't be so neurotic, do you believe everything others say?"

"Who?" Little Fish was completely puzzled

I cannot fathom what Yao Yizhou is truly thinking, but as the matchmaker connecting them, I cannot say another word. If I say more, it would seem too deliberate, and I estimate that both of them would turn and leave. Therefore, I can only turn back to Ji Chuan's side.

Little Fish listened to me and buried her head, smiling shyly without making a sound. I understood that her silence meant she agreed to my proposal. I am an absolute doer, so I immediately dialed Yao Yizhou's number

I am well aware that whenever Ji Chuan has something he does not wish to say, it is this expression that he wears now

Regarding my arrangements, Xiao Yu merely smiled quietly to the side

Yao Yizhou answered the phone quickly; before the phone rang more than a few times, his voice came through from the other end: "Xiao Ya, what is it that you need from me?"

Let us not discuss this any further; instead, let us talk about Yao Yizhou. Since his return from France, we have not had a proper gathering with him. Therefore, how about we organize a welcome party for him? This way, you can take the opportunity to have a good conversation and cultivate your relationship. What do you think?

He placed the microphone on the table and sat down beside me. Just as he picked up the wine glass from the table, the male classmate next to him jokingly said, "Jichuan, you lucky guy, just a couple of days ago I saw you on the street with a beautiful girl. So, are you not planning to explain this to our Xiaoya?"

"Are you free this weekend? Is there anything you need my help with?" Yao Yizhou responded quite readily

Before long, the friends I invited to liven up the atmosphere began to arrive one after another, while the main guests, Yao Yizhou and Xiao Yu, arrived fashionably late

Yes, every day when I wake up, he and the sunlight are both present; that is the happiness I desire, that is the future I want, that is the life I wish to live. Whenever I think this way, my mood inexplicably improves.

Although Ji Chuan's voice was not loud, it made the male classmates around him feel tense. Realizing that the situation was not right, they also began to persuade him from the side

Wen Ya, I owe you an apology. I believe I must have misunderstood, so please do not take it too seriously.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of people pursuing Xiao Yu this month, and certain individuals should seize the opportunity

I gritted my teeth and kept telling myself that I must endure, I must hold back my anger, and I absolutely cannot fall out with Ji Chuan at this moment

Seeing that Xiaoyu had no particular objections, I began to plan the weekend gathering

I do not like Jichuan's answer

I took a bottle of beer, poured myself a glass, and tilted my head back to drink it all in one go. A young man was singing Li Jiu-zhe's "Thinking Too Much" loudly into the microphone, and as I listened, I felt increasingly uncomfortable.

Yao Yizhou shrugged his shoulders and helplessly sat down beside Xiao Yu