As Jiang Chen looked at Su Zhi, a trace of irritation surfaced across his brow.
Su Zhi's actions had already made him feel displeased, and now more than ever.
"We've already broken up, haven't we?" he asked.
"I didn't! I never agreed to that."
Hearing Jiang Chen's words, Su Zhi grew somewhat furious.
Whether it was because Jiang Chen had taken the initiative to propose a breakup, making her feel that her dignity had been trampled upon, or simply out of reluctance to let go.
A bitter laugh escaped Jiang Chen. "Su Zhi, we're both adults here, can you stop being so childish? You've stood me up twice in a row, didn't send a single message, and even posted pictures showing off your romance on social media."
"What, do you take me for some doormat who couldn't possibly live without you?"
"What on earth did I do to give you that kind of misconception?"
He simply didn't understand.
When he was dating Su Zhi, he had always maintained a certain propriety; never once did he compromise his dignity for her.
Of course, during the relationship, he certainly was devoted heart and soul, but that was only out of respect for what they shared.
So what on earth had he done to make Su Zhi show him such utter disrespect?
Jiang Chen's words caused Su Zhi's face to turn slightly pale.
She instinctively retorted, "I didn't mean it like that! Just let me explain, I went to pick someone up, and that person—"
"That person is your true love."
Jiang Chen rudely cut Su Zhi off, causing her to fall somewhat silent in response.
Her emotions abruptly shifted from agitation to calm as she looked at Jiang Chen. "You knew all along?"
"You made it so obvious," Jiang Chen replied, "how could I not know?"
"Your social media," he continued, "has never contained a single trace of me. Isn't that because of him?"
And it was true—Su Zhi's social media had never featured Jiang Chen.
According to Su Zhi's explanation back then, it was because Jiang Chen's career wasn't established enough yet, so she had to keep him hidden to prevent anyone from the Su Family from giving him trouble.
Yet, thinking about it now, his very existence had simply been an inconvenience, hadn't it?
He demanded of Su Zhi, "Just because I look a little bit like him, you toyed with my feelings like this?"
"Su Zhi, the only reason I'm peacefully talking to you about breaking up right now is because I have basic decency, not because I'm easy to push around."
"Get out of here, or else I'll go straight to your precious lover and confront him myself. Let's see how you plan to clean up this mess."
With that, he yanked the door open and refused to look at Su Zhi ever again.
And the very instant the door slammed shut, Su Zhi cried out, "Fine, a break-up it is! I've had enough of you anyway!"
***
The abrupt end of a relationship did not disrupt the reality of everyday life.
Reality was no adolescent tragedy novel; at least for Jiang Chen, matters of the heart did not interfere with the practical flow of his life.
As someone capable of making a fortune in the crypto market, he had long since cast off the weakness of emotional impulsivity.
Whether cutting ties for the sake of emotional well-being or material interest, he was always able to make the right choice at the right time.
The very next day, he went ahead and deleted everything related to Su Zhi.
When friends and clients asked what was going on, he simply told them: "We've broken up."
Almost instantly, his phone began to buzz incessantly with notifications.
"I have a cousin," a friend wrote, "want to take a look? She's only nineteen, but she's at a top-tier university."
"Any interest in grabbing some tea?" a client offered. "My daughter happens to be around."
"Come out and hang out with us, I've got plenty of girls in my circle."
"..."
Though Jiang Chen didn't come from some grand dynasty, his personal achievements were by no means low.
In the market, he was the ultimate catch.
If he so desired, he could snap his fingers right now and dive straight into his next romance.
Yet, Jiang Chen had no desire to do any of that.
"The market is in a lull right now, so company decisions will be temporarily handled by the vice president and my secretary. I'm heading back to my hometown to take a break for a while."
After sending out this notice within the company, he decided to clear his head by returning home.
To say he felt no pain from this relationship would be a lie.
More than anything, however, simply felt exhausted.
Being with Su Zhi was exhausting.
Working overtime every day at the office to make decisions was exhausting.
Striving to push forward and carve out an empire was exhausting.
Ever since breaking up with Su Zhi, he had lost the drive to lead the company onward and upward.
Since this state of mind was hardly ideal, he discussed it with the shareholders and decided to take a temporary leave of absence.
His vice president was a junior from his university days and one of the original co-founders, so he could leave things in his hands with complete peace of mind.
Besides, with a nine-figure sum of his own stashed away in crypto, he wouldn't care even if the company went under.
In short, he needed to put down his burdens for a while.
As it happened, it had been many days since he last visited his family.
***
[The bullet train 1984 you are boarding is now departing...]
Settling into the long-familiar bullet train, Jiang Chen finally allowed his body and mind to truly relax.
Jiang Chen was not a native of Tianhai City; he hailed from Baihe County, a small county town in the Northwest.
It wasn't a particularly impoverished place, but neither was it especially developed.
His family wasn't a source of worldly leverage for Jiang Chen, but rather a harbor where he could retreat from reality.
His grandparents were still alive and well, his parents farmed the land back in the countryside, and he had two younger sisters currently still in school.
Because of his career, he hadn't been home in two years.
Originally, he had thought about driving back, but his mind was simply too exhausted, so he decided to take the bullet train once again.
No matter how much Tianhai City felt like an inescapable prison, the moment the train pulled away from the station, the restlessness in his chest suddenly began to subside.
As he closed his eyes to rest, he caught sight of a familiar figure.
It was the female singer from the pub the previous night.
With a guitar slung across her back and a suitcase in hand, she stood in the aisle looking somewhat helpless.
"Let me."
He reached out and lifted her suitcase onto the overhead rack.
"Thank you."
Her voice sounded different from when she was singing—soft and frail, making her look like an adorable kitten needing protection.
Jiang Chen merely gave a brief nod in response and said nothing more.
The girl was indeed beautiful, with bright features and a gentle temperament that easily drew a man's attention.
Even so, he had seen plenty of beautiful girls.
Even Su Zhi herself was an exceptionally attractive person.
Consequently, Jiang Chen didn't pay her much mind.
His seat was by the window. He put on an eye mask and settled in for a nap.
The girl was likewise exhausted. Her seat happened to be right beside Jiang Chen's, and she soon drifted off to sleep.
The train sped onward.
And by this time, very few people knew that Jiang Chen had already left.
At the very least, Su Zhi had no idea.
"That jerk Jiang Chen."
Following their breakup, Su Zhi had returned to her residence in a rage.
Some of Jiang Chen's things were still here, and the sight of them made her blood boil.
Clutching her phone, she glared venomously at Jiang Chen's chat window. "You'd better apologize to me soon, or else I'm never forgiving you."
Even now, she stubbornly believed that Jiang Chen would eventually come back to win her back.
After all, throughout this relationship, while she might have been the one to make the first move, Jiang Chen was the one who had invested the most.
Yet, time ticked away until the following day.
Until she had already spent an entire day processing documents at the office.
Jiang Chen still hadn't sent a single message.