"Qiyue is rarely back in the country, so if you don't have time, just forget it."
Lin Yi had just finished a day of work when he received a voice message from his girlfriend, Jiang Manni.
"Didn't we already agree on this? Can't you see him tomorrow instead?" Lin Yi frowned.
"Can't you stop being so petty? He's only back for a few days this time. Fine, let's leave it at that for now."
"But—"
Before Lin Yi could finish, the voice message cut off. He immediately called back, but it kept ringing without an answer.
Jiang Manni was never without her phone; she even took it with her when she showered. This could only mean one thing: she didn't want to answer him right now.
If he guessed correctly, Jiang Manni must have gone to pick up Qiyue. At the thought of Qiyue, a wave of irritation welled up in Lin Yi's chest.
Lin Yi and Jiang Manni had grown up together, much like childhood sweethearts. Because they were so close, they had often been teased by their classmates, and their junior high school teacher had even called in both sets of parents to have a talk with them.
This dynamic continued until Qiyue appeared. Qiyue transferred in during the second semester of high school, and because of his handsome looks and a certain melancholic aura about him, it wasn't long before he was voted the school hunk.
Perhaps because they lived in the same residential complex, Qiyue and Jiang Manni quickly got to know each other.
One morning, as Lin Yi and Jiang Manni were walking to school, they happened to run into Qiyue. From then on, the three of them frequently walked to and from school together.
Qiyue's appearance certainly made Lin Yi feel threatened. In Lin Yi's eyes, Jiang Manni was undoubtedly his best friend, and he didn't want his best friend to be stolen away.
Other than that, there was nothing else to it. Perhaps he was just a bit slow on the uptake; compared to romantic entanglements between men and women, he still preferred playing basketball.
From the second semester of high school until graduation, thanks to Jiang Manni, the relationship among the three of them remained passable.
After the national college entrance examination, Qiyue went abroad.
Lin Yi still remembered that after Qiyue left, Jiang Manni seemed to have been upset for a long time.
If the story had ended there, it wouldn't have been so full of melodramatic clichés, but life has a way of playing tricks on people.
The university Lin Yi attended wasn't far from Jiang Manni's, and the two of them quickly reconnected.
Perhaps because she had a hard time adjusting to university life, Jiang Manni often came to his campus to find him. They ate together, hung out at the library, and occasionally watched movies together.
Once, while eating in the cafeteria, they ran into a classmate from their class who asked Lin Yi, "Is this your girlfriend?"
Lin Yi shook his head. Perhaps it was from that exact moment that he began to harbor romantic feelings for Jiang Manni.
As they spent more and more time together, the two of them naturally became a couple. After graduation, Jiang Manni wanted to stay in Yanjing, so Lin Yi had his family buy an apartment there.
In truth, Lin Yi knew that Jiang Manni and Qiyue had kept in touch all along.
At first, he hadn't cared, until he noticed that the relationship between Jiang Manni and Qiyue clearly exceeded the boundaries of friendship and even bordered on ambiguous.
Jiang Manni would walk all over the streets and alleys of Yanjing just to take pictures of various delicacies for Qiyue, and she would often stay up late waiting for Qiyue's messages...
There were many instances like this. Lin Yi had told her more than once to pay attention to boundaries.
Jiang Manni's excuse was always: Qiyue is all alone abroad without even a single friend. Can't you just stop being so petty?
Since talking to her was useless, Lin Yi couldn't be bothered to bring it up anymore.
Three years passed quickly, and the two of them reached the age of marriage.
They had planned to have dinner together today, and Lin Yi had intended to propose to Jiang Manni. He had even bought the ring.
Yet Qiyue's return threw all his plans into disarray.
An indescribable sense of oppression suddenly weighed down on Lin Yi. He pushed the window open a crack, and as the cold wind rushed in, he felt slightly better.
Perhaps to Jiang Manni, Qiyue was more important than him.
Thinking of all the things Jiang Manni had done for Qiyue, Lin Yi suddenly felt like a clown. Damn it, a relationship like this wasn't worth having anyway.
"Let's break up."
Lin Yi drafted the message and sent it directly to Jiang Manni. A long time passed after the message was sent, but Jiang Manni never replied. Lin Yi's mood slowly sank to rock bottom.
It seemed to be snowing outside. The drifting snowflakes blanketed the earth in silver-white.
Lin Yi put on his coat and went downstairs to buy a pack of cigarettes. He had rarely smoked after getting together with Jiang Manni.
Before long, a smoke-exhaling "snowman" appeared on the roadside bench.
There was nothing he couldn't let go of; he had given this relationship his all.
Since Jiang Manni had abandoned him for the sake of Qiyue, he would just let them be.
It wasn't until he had smoked the entire pack of cigarettes that Lin Yi brushed the snow off his shoulders and headed toward the parking lot.
The air was dead silent, save for the sound of falling snow.
It was the first time Lin Yi realized that falling snow actually made a sound. The biting wind seeped through every pore, chilling him to the bone. Even though the parking lot wasn't far away, it felt as though he had been walking for a very long time.
The snow grew heavier, and the accumulation quickly caused a traffic jam. Lin Yi picked up his phone and checked it—Jiang Manni still hadn't replied.
A trace of sneering mockery appeared at the corner of Lin Yi's mouth. He had guessed this outcome long ago.
After an unknown length of time, the car in front of him finally moved. Lin Yi gently pressed the accelerator, creeping forward slowly with the flow of traffic.
There was an intersection ahead; once he crossed it, he would be home. Yet Lin Yi didn't dare let down his guard in the slightest. The roads were slippery in the snow, and he had to drive carefully.
The traffic light turned from red to green. Lin Yi started the car, but to his utter shock, a large freight truck suddenly lunged out from the left.
Bang!
Before Lin Yi could even react, the world began to spin wildly.
After smashing Lin Yi's car into the air, the freight truck showed no signs of slowing down at all.
Collisions, gasps, screams, and curses rang out one after another.
Lin Yi felt his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. He could feel warm liquid trickling down from his forehead.
Was he going to die?
He was only twenty-five! Could his life possibly end just like this?
He still had so many unfulfilled wishes. He was truly unwilling to accept this.
"According to our station reports, a severe traffic accident occurred on Jingsui Road tonight, resulting in one death and three injuries. The hit-and-run driver, surnamed Yan, was captured by the police after fleeing and will undoubtedly face severe punishment under the law. A single drop of alcohol for the driver brings two lines of tears for family members. Our station reminds the general public..."
...
In a daze, Lin Yi seemed to hear someone calling his name.
"Lin Yi, wake up! Old Hu is glaring at you from the back door."
Lin Yi thought he was dreaming, but a moment later, he felt a sharp pinch on his thigh.
"Let me sleep a little longer..." Lin Yi mumbled incoherently.
"It's over, Old Hu has come inside. Lin Yi, you're dead meat this time."
Drooling in his sleep, Lin Yi soon felt a sharp pain in his ear, followed immediately by a burst of uproarious laughter.
Lin Yi rubbed his eyes. What came into view was a stern, unsmiling middle-aged man who was glaring at him with furious eyes.
This is... Old Hu?
Lin Yi gave a start and instantly woke up.