Jiang Hai was certain he didn't know this young man. And for someone to hate him this much, there was only one explanation—it had to do with Ai Xiaoxi. He had to admit, Ai Xiaoxi was very beautiful. Lately, she'd been eating Jiang Hai's beef every day and regularly attending body-shaping classes at the company, which had only made her more stunning. It wasn't surprising that she attracted envy.
"Is this the Liu-something guy?" Jiang Hai asked Ai Xiaoxi as he looked at the man in front of him.
"No, this is Yu Hongzhi, my college classmate," Ai Xiaoxi replied with a calm smile, shaking her head. It was clear that in her eyes, Yu Hongzhi was nothing more than an "acquaintance."
"College... classmate? Ha... I'm just a classmate now?" Yu Hongzhi murmured in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend that after everything, he was now reduced to just that—a classmate.
"If you want to go that far, we were also high school classmates," Ai Xiaoxi added after a moment's thought.
"Hmph... Let me introduce myself. I'm Yu Hongzhi—Ai Xiaoxi's boyfriend. I was, am, and will be her future husband. Only I can bring her happiness and walk into the palace of marriage with her. So, I ask you to leave her side—immediately," Yu Hongzhi said, taking a deep breath and staring at Jiang Hai seriously.
But Jiang Hai only smiled at his words. It seemed he had yet another rival in love.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think you're capable of making Ai Xiaoxi happy," Jiang Hai said calmly. "Ai Xiaoxi is my woman—she was, she is, and she will be. So, please save your misplaced confidence. It's you who needs to leave. Not me."
Jiang Hai's sharp rebuttal, mirroring Yu Hongzhi's words, made Yu Hongzhi seethe with anger.
Yu Hongzhi and Ai Xiaoxi were childhood sweethearts. They had been high school classmates. His grandparents were from the area, though not from the same village. Later, his father got into university and made something of himself, eventually moving to the capital for work, where he met Yu Hongzhi's mother. The two married and had children, but were too busy to raise them, so Yu Hongzhi was left in the care of his grandparents. Life in the countryside was tough, so the family eventually bought a house in Wei City and brought the grandparents and Yu Hongzhi over.
Yu Hongzhi fell for Ai Xiaoxi back in high school, but she was focused on her studies. Later, they both got into the same university in the capital and became classmates again. With four years of shared history and a solid family background, Yu Hongzhi finally won her over, and they began dating.
But not long after, Ai Xiaoxi's family ran into trouble, and she asked him for financial help. Unfortunately, Yu Hongzhi's family wasn't willing to lend the money. That was the end of their relationship.
It was simple. If it didn't work out, they broke up. The world would keep spinning.
As the saying goes: Broke up today, missed her the first day, missed her the second, missed her the third... then realized how fun League of Legends was on the fourth. That's real life. Everyone survives heartbreak.
But Yu Hongzhi was the sentimental type. The breakup hit him hard.
He searched for Ai Xiaoxi for days and finally found her—only to be dealt another blow by Qi Li. Since then, he'd been dazed, irritable, and distant at school. He avoided classmates, spent his days lying in bed, and worried his parents so much that they sent him to his grandfather's house for a change of scenery during the recent double holiday.
His grandparents had moved back to the countryside after he left for college. With nothing better to do, Yu Hongzhi wandered the area after dinner—and found himself in Ai Xiaoxi's hometown, which she had often mentioned.
Walking the paths she used to walk, breathing the air that once surrounded her, Yu Hongzhi's longing only deepened. And just as he was yearning to see her again—she appeared.
But standing next to her was Jiang Hai.
From Yu Hongzhi's point of view, Jiang Hai was the villain—the guy who stole Ai Xiaoxi with money while she and Yu were separated by temporary hardships.
He wanted to scream, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't underestimate the poor young man!"
But reality wasn't a novel, and he wasn't the protagonist.
This story wasn't about Yu Hongzhi. It belonged to Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi.
"Yu Hongzhi, stop causing trouble," Ai Xiaoxi said, stepping forward and taking Jiang Hai's arm. "Your mother was right from the start. We're not right for each other. We broke up. Let's just stay classmates. Clinging to these feelings will only hurt you in the end—because I really don't like you."
To her, what his mother said had sealed their fate. She never believed in dramatic TV-style reunions. As she spoke, Yu Hongzhi's face was plastered with disbelief, as if a giant "NPC" sign had been slapped across his forehead.
Seeing how dazed he looked, Jiang Hai sighed and walked past him, arm in arm with Ai Xiaoxi.
Sometimes, love isn't as romantic as you imagine. This was a painful lesson for Yu Hongzhi, courtesy of Jiang Hai.
Who knows—maybe Yu Hongzhi would write about his heartbreak on some website, turning his pain into fiction, casting Jiang Hai as the villain.
But for now, Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi strolled home together.
When they returned, Ai Xiaoxi's parents, who had been chatting, paused and smiled warmly at the two as they entered. They all sat together on the sofa to watch TV, as if nothing had happened.
Of course, while watching TV, they also handed out the gifts Jiang Hai had brought.
For Ai Xiaoxi's father—cigarettes and alcohol. Classic.
For her mother—a cashmere sweater.
And for Ai Xiaohui, her younger brother—a brand-new game console, an Aix-Baix with Kenekter, complete with several games. Jiang Hai had paid over 4,000 yuan for it.
Ai Xiaohui lit up when he saw the console.
Since falling ill, he hadn't been able to work or study, spending most of his time at home. Life was dull—until now. The game console brought some much-needed excitement.
He tried to hook it up right away but was stopped by their father, who still wanted to watch TV.
Even so, Ai Xiaohui was thrilled. He suddenly became a lot warmer toward Jiang Hai. He knew his sister wouldn't have bought it—so it must have been from Jiang Hai.
"Brother-in-law, we don't have much fun around here. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to catch seafood!"
A game console earned Jiang Hai the title of "brother-in-law" on the spot.
"Catch seafood?" Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"We live by the sea," Ai Xiaohui explained. "When the tide goes out, you can pick up all kinds of tasty stuff—clams, cockles, little shellfish, crabs. It's a lot of fun."
Seeing Jiang Hai interested, Ai Xiaoxi smiled. "You'll like it. You've been by the sea for a year but never gone out to explore it."
It was true. If he wanted seafood, Jiang Hai usually just fished from his boat. He'd never bothered with things like small shellfish. Besides, Westerners didn't usually eat those.
"Now's the season when crabs are the fattiest. Go tomorrow, catch a few, and I'll make crab sauce for you," Ai Xiaoxi's mother chimed in with a smile.
That reminded Jiang Hai—Mid-Autumn Festival was the best time for crabs.
When his father was alive, they'd always buy river crabs this time of year. Later, they switched to sea crabs—swimming crabs.
But he'd never tried crab sauce. Maybe he'd like it. If it turned out good, he could bring some back to Winthrop.
As the family chatted, night quietly fell. Around ten, everyone bathed and went to bed.
Whether it was because they'd accepted Jiang Hai as part of the family or simply because they were open-minded, Ai Xiaoxi's mother let the two share her room for the night.
Of course, nothing happened. The walls were thin.