The car’s headlights tore a gap in the darkness, and my heart raced through it, catching up with the cold wind bathed in moonlight. I felt a chill!

Finally, I arrived at the edge of the city moat, where I saw Jian Wei’s red Cadillac CTS again. It was still as dazzling as ever, but it seemed somewhat lonely, submerged in the boundless night.

Walking down the steep slope, I saw Jian Wei sitting on the steps, wearing a red down jacket. Her back was to me, and I couldn’t see her face for the moment. But I knew she must be feeling lost, otherwise, she wouldn’t be here enduring the harsh cold wind.

I approached her and sat down next to her, following her gaze to the dark river surface. But neither of us spoke.

In the silence, I took out a cigarette from my pocket, but couldn’t find a lighter. Just as I was about to give up, Jian Wei took out a lighter from her bag. With a “click”, a flame that could fulfill my need sprang up.

I leaned the cigarette into the flame, and then smoke began to waft from between my fingers.

I took a deep drag on the cigarette, then looked at the lighter in Jian Wei’s hand…

It was a blue lighter that had lit my cigarettes countless times, but I had never owned it because it had always been kept by Jian Wei since the beginning of our relationship.

I would never forget her telling me that she liked lighting my cigarettes and watching me satisfied.

Phew! At that moment, I almost lost control, falling into the past… But I remained silent, unable to say anything, because between us was a thing called time and change.

……

Finally, I extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in my hand. To break the frozen atmosphere, I smiled and said, “We won’t just sit here from start to finish, will you say something to me, right?”

“I don’t want to say anything, just sit with me for a while.”

I took out my phone from my pocket and found the message Jian Wei had sent me again. Indeed, she only asked me to accompany her, without mentioning chatting.

I nodded, if she didn’t want to talk, then we wouldn’t. We could just be two strangers who happened to meet. Then I took the opportunity to freeze my pounding heart again.

But the wind-bewitched night seemed to have a kind of magic, pulling me back to those youthful years. So, I wandered in those years, threatened by the happiness of the past.

However, happiness and threat are clearly two opposing words. Why do they coexist so vividly in my mind? After a while, I understood. Because that was past happiness, and all beautiful things, if they involve the past, become a drug that brings enjoyment but also poisons the present.

Finally, I couldn’t bear it and asked Jian Wei next to me, “Did you have a fight with Xiang Chen?”

“We always have conflicts.”

“It’s normal for two people together to have some conflicts…”

Jian Wei finally looked up at me and said, “I know… I want to ask you a question. If your girlfriend wants to work, would you do everything to stop her?”

I thought for a moment and replied, “I wouldn’t… But you have to understand, I can’t afford a girlfriend who doesn’t work. That’s a fact. But Xiang Chen is different!”

“What if you could afford it?”

“I don’t know, because I haven’t reached that height. If I think about it from my current situation, the answer I give you might not be accurate.”

Jian Wei fell into a daze, and after a long time, she said to me, “You wouldn’t restrain, because you are a man who likes to pursue freedom and is not selfish. So you would definitely let your other half be free.”

Jian Wei’s evaluation of me left me stunned. Did she really know me better than I knew myself? Not only did she understand the past me, but also the future me who might achieve something.

After another long silence, Jian Wei seemed to be talking to me and also to herself, saying, “I will definitely start an advertising company, and it will be the top advertising company in China. This is my dream… No one can stop me.”

I advised, “Sometimes compromising for love is also a kind of gain. Being too stubborn will only hurt yourself in the end!”

Jian Wei looked at me with a complex expression, “Do you know? If I can’t realize this dream, I will feel that my life is completely worthless… Besides this dream, I really don’t know what else I have left!”

I was silent for a long time, but I could feel Jian Wei’s struggle and pain. I just didn’t understand why she was so pessimistic. She clearly had a lot now. As long as she wasn’t with me, her parents would definitely let go of her past with me and give her the warmth of a family. If not, there was still Xiang Chen’s love.

In the repeated silence, Jian Wei skipped the previous topic and asked me, “Do you want another cigarette?”

“Um.” I said, taking out another cigarette from the pack.

At the same time, Jian Wei took out the blue lighter again. In the flickering flame, smoke once again filled the air…However, before I could even enjoy the satisfaction of a cigarette, Jian Wei had already picked up her handbag. Before leaving, she said to me, “Zhao Yang, thank you for keeping me company. I feel better now. In the coming days, I will be preparing to set up an advertising company… Even if no one supports me, I will persist for this one dream.”

“You will definitely succeed,” I said. But this was not just a polite remark. After all, Jian Wei’s father is a leading figure in the advertising industry, owning a 4A-level advertising company in Shanghai. And Jian Wei is his only daughter, he would definitely support her wholeheartedly.

However, Jian Wei’s personality is too strong. If she were to inherit her father’s advertising company, it would be much easier than striving on her own. But everyone has their own ambitions. As her ex-boyfriend, I can only silently wish her well, hoping that she can realize her dream and even surpass her father in the advertising industry.

…

After Jian Wei left, I sat alone by the moat for a while. Now, Jian Wei and I are more and more like friends. Even when we meet, we don’t talk about the past. So, I somewhat believe in the idea that exes can still be friends. In fact, I don’t mind being friends, but I don’t actively pursue it either. I just let things take their natural course, because I don’t want to add unnecessary pain to myself. At least for now, I can’t completely sever ties with Jian Wei, especially since I still owe her a huge sum of 500,000.

When I returned home and opened the door, I instinctively looked at the shoe rack, but I didn’t see Mi Cai’s shoes. Then I looked at the food on the dining table, there were no signs of it being touched. This made me realize that Mi Cai might have left in a huff.

But I felt that it was unlikely, because she could have eaten the meal by herself without any problem. Besides, she had no reason to be angry with me, after all, I’m not her boyfriend.

Confused, I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed Mi Cai’s number. I wanted to ask her why she left without eating.