Chapter 4 — A Letter to the Snowy Day

From that point on, Cheng You and I completely lost contact. After graduation, he remained abroad, and I heard he was managing his company with great success, his wealth multiplying many times over. I often saw his picture in financial magazines—youthful, talented, and strikingly handsome. The distance between us grew ever wider, and our childhood friendship felt like a distant, faded dream. I had assumed I would never see him again in this lifetime, yet fate orchestrated a reunion under such unexpected circumstances.

Where do you live? Cheng You glanced at his watch. It is difficult to get a ride at this hour; let me take you home.

No, really, no need, I said, waving my hands in a hurry. It is too much trouble, you two go ahead.

Come with us, Teacher Ji, the little girl said, tugging at my skirt and acting spoiled. I want to go with my teacher!

I bit my lip, ultimately unable to refuse, and climbed into Cheng You’s car. The little girl sat in the back playing on her tablet, while Cheng You and I remained silent. I kept my head down, pretending to play with my phone to mask the awkwardness. I was terrified he would bring up my past with Shen Miao. He had warned me back then, but I had refused to listen, and now I had ended up in this sorry state. I feared he would mock me for it.

But Cheng You seemed to treat this as nothing more than a convenient favor. He asked only one thing: How have you been lately?

Oh, I am fine. How about you?

Not very good.

I asked, puzzled, I remember you listed on the Nasdaq, and your financial reports looked impressive. Why not good? Are you too busy?

Cheng You’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. How did you know that?

I read it in a financial magazine. I tucked my hair behind my ear, forcing a playful tone. There is so much news about you these days. They call you the most eligible bachelor. So, are you married yet?

Cheng You merely smiled, but the warmth did not reach his eyes, and he did not answer. I assumed he was still angry about the past. Now that the distance between us was so vast, I did not want to exploit our old connection, so when we arrived at my house, I quickly stepped out of the car.

Thank you for today. Drive safely.

Yes.

Just when I thought it was over, Cheng You pulled out his phone. My cousin has been a bit busy lately, so I will likely be picking the girl up often. Let us add each other on messaging, Teacher Ji, for the sake of convenience.

The request was perfectly reasonable, so I nodded.

Goodbye then, Teacher Ji. Before leaving, Cheng You looked at me. Through his rimless glasses, I saw those pale, amber eyes—impassive, just as they had always been.

True to his word, Cheng You showed up every day after that to pick up the girl. I have just returned to the country and do not know how to care for a child; Teacher Ji, come with me to grab a bite. I do not know what she likes; Teacher Ji, come with me to the mall. It is raining and hard to get a cab; Teacher Ji, get in, I will take you home.

Cheng You’s requests grew more frequent, and every time I intended to refuse, the little girl would cling to my leg and whine. At first, I was unaccustomed to it, but soon I realized that Cheng You never once mentioned the past, which spared me any embarrassment. Furthermore, since we had been friends for so many years, our personalities were still quite compatible. Over time, it felt as if we had returned to the days of old. I grew closer to Cheng You, to the point where we began making plans to eat out together on weekends. With him by my side, the number of times I thought of Shen Miao dwindled.

Just when I thought Shen Miao and I had severed all ties, a mutual friend reached out, inviting me to her birthday party. I hesitated. Will Shen Miao be there?

Master Shen never attends these kinds of things; feel free to come.

As it turned out, the moment I sat down, I looked up and met Shen Miao’s gaze as he pushed the door open and walked in. He froze, glanced at the girl beside him—Shen Nhung Nhung—calmly shifted his eyes, and sat down directly across from me, as if I were invisible.

The friend was a bit flustered. Master Shen has never attended my parties before; he suddenly said he wanted to come. I am so sorry, I truly did not know.

Since it was a birthday celebration, I did not want to ruin the atmosphere, so I pretended not to see him and remained in my seat. Throughout the dinner, however, Shen Miao was affectionate with Shen Nhung Nhung. He peeled shrimp for her, blocked drinks for her, and the two were inseparable, looking incredibly intimate.

A friend, having had too much to drink, could not help but slur, I have never seen Master Shen be this good to any woman. Back when he was with Ji Nhiem, it was always Ji Nhiem serving him. Tsk, tsk.

I gripped my chopsticks tightly.

Shen Miao laughed coldly. Of course. How could Nhung Nhung be compared to anyone else? He placed a piece of fish on her plate. You love fish the most, eat more.

Shen Nhung Nhung’s face darkened instantly. Master Shen, I am allergic to fish. Have you forgotten?

The drunken friend immediately patted Shen Miao on the shoulder, stumbling over his words. Wrong, wrong! The one who likes fish is Ji Nhiem!

The atmosphere plummeted so heavily one could hear a pin drop. Shen Miao’s expression turned grim, but instead of looking at Shen Nhung Nhung, he stared directly at me. I could not stand it any longer and stood up. I am sorry, I have something to attend to. I am leaving.

As soon as I stepped outside, I received a call from Cheng You. There is a good movie playing tonight. Are you free to see it with me?

Let’s do it another time. I am out right now.

Cheng You’s voice lost its playful edge instantly. What is wrong? Are you crying?

I was not crying, but my throat felt tight. Before I could speak, he asked again, Where are you? I will come to get you.

No need. I lowered my eyes.

Ji Nhiem, do you still consider me a friend?

I did not know how to hide anymore, so I gave him the address. Fine, I will wait for you.

As soon as I hung up, my phone was snatched away by a hand! I turned around to see Shen Miao glaring coldly at the screen. Who were you calling? You want him to come and pick you up?

I spoke in a cold, steady voice. That has nothing to do with you.

Is it that eldest son of the Cheng family who just returned? Shen Miao laughed. Truly impressive, Ji Nhiem. I actually thought you loved me deeply; it turns out you are no different from the others. No, wait—that is not right. Your standards are actually higher. You have only been broken up for a few days, and I hear you are already getting cozy with Cheng You. Not bad at all.

Shen Miao and Cheng You were both from the upper echelons of society, so it was no surprise they knew each other. I reached out to grab my phone back. It has nothing to do with you!

Shen Miao held the phone high, a cold smile on his face. Does he know you were once pregnant with my child? Or is young master Cheng prepared to raise someone else’s child for you? He scoffed, grabbing me by the arm, his eyes dark. Ji Nhiem, you aren’t planning on having my child and then running off with him, are you? Or perhaps, since he looks like me, you intend to use him as a replacement—

Slap!

Shen Miao’s head snapped to the side.