I ignored Jiang Yan’s friend request. It was the only proper way to honor the golden rule: Exes belong in the trash can of memory. But what actually drove me crazy was the fact that… Lu Cheng hadn’t texted me back.

Fine. If I wasn’t getting any of his home-cooked meals, I’d just have to feed myself. When I went downstairs to grab my food delivery, Lu Cheng’s apartment door happened to be wide open. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him standing right there. But just as I was about to step forward, I caught sight of a drop-dead gorgeous woman lounging on his couch.

Oh, game over. I spun around on my heel, bolted back inside, and slammed my door shut. A wave of bitter frustration washed over me. I felt terrible. But really, what right did I even have to ask? We were just flirting in some ambiguous grey zone.

A second later, Lu Cheng was pounding furiously on my door from the hallway. “Ninh Ninh! Let me explain! That’s my sister! My actual, biological sister! Same parents, same family tree! Please trust me!”

“For real?” I opened the door a crack, squinting suspiciously at him.

“I swear! If I’m lying, may every pot of ribs I cook for the rest of my life turn out tough and chewy!”

Damn. That was a lethal oath. I believed him.

Naturally, I ended up getting dragged right back into his apartment. His sister, Lu Ying, looked at me with an amused glint in her eyes. “Lu Cheng, is this your neighbor? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Lu Cheng looked at me with absolute seriousness. “Sis, this is my neighbor. And also my future girlfriend, the one I’m currently working overtime to win over.”

My face instantly flushed bright red. Sensing the vibe, Lu Ying tactfully slipped away, leaving the two of us alone.

Lu Cheng took a step closer, his eyes locked on mine. “Ninh Ninh. I’m not playing around. I really like you. It’s your turn to give me an answer.”

My mind completely short-circuited. I froze, totally paralyzed. Seeing me hesitate, he casually tossed in another sweetener: “Ah, right. I still have a pot of ribs simmering in the kitchen. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, you can go back first and give me your answer tomorrow…”

“I’ve made up my mind!” My eyes lit up like fireworks, and I lunged forward, grabbing his shirt. “Lu Cheng, I like you too. Let’s be together!”

He let out a low chuckle, his lips curving up. “Do you actually like me… or are you just in love with my ribs?”

Now that… was a tough question.

Three days after we officially made it title-official, a friend texted to let me know that Jiang Yan had broken up with his girlfriend—and that he wanted me at his birthday party. I immediately screenshot the text and sent it to Lu Cheng. Less than ten seconds later, my phone rang.

“Go,” he declared the second I picked up. “We’re definitely going. I want to see what kind of circus act this guy is trying to pull.”

I teased him softly. “Are you jealous?”

“Jiang Yan doesn’t even qualify as your ex. What is there for me to be jealous of?” He paused, his voice dropping an octave, slick with danger. “But listen to me carefully, Xu Ning. If you dare to have a change of heart tonight, I’m tying you to the bed. Try me.”

I nearly dropped my phone. The nerve of this man, saying things like that in broad daylight!

The moment we stepped into the party, I spotted Jiang Yan looking noticeably thinner, radiating a distinct “just got wrecked by love” aura. His younger sister, Jiang Yao, sat down next to me with a sugary smile.

“Ninh Ninh, don’t be mad at him. My brother just went through a breakup, so he’s in a terrible mood. That’s the only reason he’s acting so cold.”

“Oh.” My dry, one-word response made her smile freeze instantly.

Later, during a round of Truth or Dare, Jiang Yao turned to me with a loaded look. “Ninh Ninh, your status update says, ‘Enduring hardship to win over my beloved.’ So tell us… did you actually win him over?”

Every eye in the room snapped to Jiang Yan. A smug, icy smirk touched his lips, oozing confidence.

I just nodded, perfectly calm. “I did.”

Jiang Yan’s brows knitted together. “Xu Ning. Is lying really that fun? I’ve never…”

I cut him off smoothly. “Huh? Who said it was about you? Does every lock in the world have to fit your specific key? Exactly how many duplicate keys have you handed out?”

The entire room went dead silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

I stood up, looking him dead in the eye. “I used to like you, yeah. But now… I have a boyfriend. So stop flattering yourself.”

I turned to leave, but a hand violently clamped down on my wrist. Jiang Yan’s voice was raspy, trembling slightly. “You have a boyfriend? How come I didn’t know? Come outside and make this clear!”

He tightened his grip on my wrist, his voice breaking. “Xu Ning, don’t lie to me. How could you possibly have a boyfriend? Haven’t you always been in love with me?”

I let out a soft laugh, a laugh tinged with years of quiet irony. “Oh. So you did know I liked you.”

Three years, more than enough time for a fool like me to snap out of a bad dream. I looked straight into his eyes and asked one final question: “If you never liked me, why didn’t you just give me a straight-up no?”

“I…”

“Because he loved the high of having someone endlessly chasing after him,” a deep, smooth voice cut in.

Lu Cheng stepped up beside me, wrapping a protective arm around my waist and pulling me flush against his side. Jiang Yan’s face darkened instantly. He stared at me, dropping a line straight out of some cringe-worthy, outdated romance novel:

“Xu Ning. Break up with him right now, and I’ll be with you.”

I froze for three whole seconds purely from the secondhand embarrassment. Beside me, Lu Cheng was grinding his teeth so hard I thought they’d shatter, subtly pinching my waist as a stern reminder.

I shook my head like a bobblehead doll. “Not happening. Did you really call me all the way over here just to deliver a cheesy alpha-male monologue?”

Lu Cheng took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine, and pulled me away, not forgetting to drop one last triumphant parting shot over his shoulder.

“Sorry, pal. My Ninh Ninh says no. You’re too late.”

The drive home was eerily quiet. The second we stepped through my apartment door and it clicked shut, Lu Cheng pinned me against the wooden panel, his dark eyes brooding and deep.

“Ninh Ninh. I’m really angry right now.”

I blinked up at him in panic. “Huh? Then… what should we do?”

Lu Cheng casually reached over to the coat rack, grabbing a silk scarf and dangling it lightly between his fingers. “Mind if I borrow this for a bit?”

My brain immediately flashed a red-alert warning, but before I could even process a reaction, he scooped me up into his arms.