Chapter 1: Your ex-girlfriend got married

Having returned to Nancheng less than a month ago, Xia Xi heard a rumor: the Xu family's second young master had declared that if he ever saw that woman Xia Xi again, he would surely kill her!

It shows how deeply he hates this woman, unable to forget her even after many years.

Xia Xi thought, is it still possible for her to change her name now? Surely it's too late……

Actually, upon reflection, it's understandable that the Xu family's second young master would say such a thing. Who let her, back then, painstakingly pursue him, win him over, then discard him like worn-out shoes? If she were Xu Yanfeng, she too would hate to cut into pieces the person who toyed with her feelings.

Nancheng isn't huge, nor is it tiny; her circle doesn't overlap with Xu Yanfeng's, so she shouldn't be so unlucky as to run into him.

Xia Xi admitted she harbored a sliver of hopeful thinking.

Today is a joyous occasion; she couldn't afford to slip up. Standing before the hotel's floor-to-ceiling glass window, she patted her cheeks, dispelling distracting thoughts.

But the next second, she couldn't help but think of that man.

Probably because the Prosperous Courtyard Hotel she is currently in is somewhat special—this is where she and Xu Yanfeng first shared a bed. Closing her eyes, the scene appears clear in her mind: a white large bed, walnut-colored floor, clothes scattered on the floor—his and hers—entangling ambiguously, just like their two bodies.

Back then she exhausted all her efforts to win that lofty flower, wanting only to make him exclusively hers, to hide him away so no one could covet him; she became utterly infatuated, seizing any opportunity to be intimate with him.

Like a female sprite, she would surround and intercept scholars rushing to the capital for exams, tempting them to indulge in worldly pleasures.

But Xu Yanfeng wasn't a scholar; he was the male idol of all the female students, setting aside the school's scope, he was a heaven-sent prodigy, a dazzling sun, unattainable.

That night it rained heavily; she pretended to fear thunder, refusing to stay in the neighboring room, she knocked on his door, leapt onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and refusing to get down.

He was a gentleman, proactively asking to sleep on the sofa, yielding the large bed to her.

She wasn't that innocent; taking advantage of his inattention, she squeezed onto the sofa, hid in his embrace and kissed him. That boldness, even when she later recalled it, would startle her, prompting her to sigh: 'How could you be so thick-skinned, Xia Xi?'

Xu Yanfeng also liked her back then, naturally unable to withstand her repeated teasing; he broke through his defenses, and thereafter things spiraled out of control.

Thinking of these, Xia Xi's eyes dimmed a bit, holding both nostalgia for the past and helplessness about the present.

"Knock knock—"

The door to the hotel suite was lightly knocked twice; a hotel attendant came to remind her: "Miss Xia, the wedding ceremony is about to begin."

"Alright, I'll be right there."

Having her thoughts interrupted, Xia Xi slowly exhaled, turned around, slightly adjusted her expression in the mirror, and walked out in her high heels.

*Tang Yizhou's cousin today at the Prosperous Courtyard Hotel is holding a full-month celebration for her child; Tang Yizhou called Xu Yanfeng to ask if he would come, Xu Yanfeng refused, and gave him a monetary gift.

This was within Tang Yizhou's expectations.

If it weren't for his cousin's affair, he wouldn't be keen to attend such an occasion even for another relative; he'd rather hang out with his close buddies, as places with elders always involve lectures.

Just thinking of a group of elders pressing for marriage made Tang Yizhou's head swell; he continued to persuade Xu Yanfeng: 'Are you busy today? If not, come over for a meal; my cousin mentioned you a couple of days ago. By the way, Ling Yan will also attend.'

The other party hung up directly.

"Beep," Tang Yizhou twitched the corner of his mouth, took off the phone at his ear, glanced at the call-ended interface, and shook his head with a wry laugh.

Indeed, that's Xu Yanfeng's style—if he says he won't come, he won't; no amount of persuasion helps.

Tang Yizhou slipped his phone into his pocket, humming a tune as he entered the elevator, he pressed the button for the 28th floor; the blue number keys kept flashing, stopping at 26.

Shortly after, the elevator doors slid open, and a woman wearing a light-pink strapless dress with her hair coiled walked in.

Because the woman was looking down at her phone, Tang Yizhou couldn't see her face clearly; judging by his years of experience flirting with women, he was certain she was an absolute beauty.

The beauty's dress was adorned with three-dimensional floral beadwork scattered tastefully, sparkling with points of light under the lamps; on her slender swan neck she wore two pearl necklaces, one a fine string of seed pearls, the other a strand of round, lustrous large pearls.

Such refined taste made Tang Yizhou ever more curious about the beauty's appearance; he stared at her face for a long while, and she seemed to sense it, glancing in his direction.

Their eyes met, and both froze simultaneously.

Tang Yizhou stared wide-eyed in astonishment, 'This… this… this… isn't this Xu Yanfeng's ex-girlfriend?'

Even if she turned to ash, he would still recognize her.

Xia Xi's heart gave a "thud," like a drumbeat striking down—who would have thought the world so small! She had just been thinking she shouldn't run into Xu Yanfeng again, yet in the blink of an eye she met his friend.

"Ding," the elevator arrived.

Xia Xi hurriedly glanced at the floor number, confirmed it was her destination, and quickly stepped out of the elevator.

Her fleeing figure could truly be described as a panicked escape.

Six years have passed; compared to six years ago, she has changed greatly. She hoped Tang Yizhou hadn't recognized her… no, no, she couldn't deceive herself—Tang Yizhou's ghost‑struck expression made it impossible he hadn't recognized her!

Xia Xi's heart pounded wildly, as if it might burst from her throat; she was utterly panicked, her fingertips going numb.

How could it be such a coincidence!

As the elevator doors were about to close, Tang Yizhou finally snapped out of his daze, hurriedly pressed the door‑open button, and chased after her, looking in the direction she had gone; all he saw was her entering the banquet hall, her silhouette vanishing from sight.

Tang Yizhou rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't mistaken—it was indeed Xia Xi.

The corridor was carpeted thickly, making no sound underfoot; Tang Yizhou, compelled by some unseen force, walked toward the banquet hall, stopped at the doorway, and his gaze fell on a display rack at one side of the door, where a huge poster hung. The woman on the poster was Xia Xi, wearing a pristine white wedding gown; the man beside her he did not know, dressed in a black suit with a bow tie.

The man and woman both wore happy smiles.

Having attended many weddings, Tang Yizhou was familiar with such posters; this is the welcome photo of the bride and groom, essentially giving arriving guests a direction, informing them that the couple is holding their wedding banquet in this hall.

Moving his gaze downward, sure enough, beneath the bride and groom's photo were the eight characters written in artistic script: 'United in matrimony, may you enjoy a hundred years of harmony.'

And the names of the bride and groom were rendered in English‑letter abbreviations—CSB&XXXX—surely that was Xia Xi? Xu Yanfeng's ex‑girlfriend was getting married? For a moment, Tang Yizhou felt a mix of emotions, unable to tell whether he felt sorrow for his good brother, anger, or both.

He immediately pulled out his phone and called Xu Yanfeng.

There was no answer.

That damned Xu Yanfeng actually didn't pick up; he couldn't possibly think he still needed to persuade him to attend his cousin's child's full‑month celebration, could he?

Tang Yizhou refused to give up; after the 'beep' tone ended, he immediately dialed again. After a long wait, the call finally connected, and the first words were a refusal: 'I said I'm not going, I'm drinking with camels in the Four Seasons Star Sea.'

"You're drinking in broad daylight and still won't come to the full‑month celebration—my cousin treats you like a younger brother and pampers you, are you even human?" Tang Yizhou couldn't help but blurt out, then, recalling the purpose of his call, he pinched his brow and said, "Hold on, I'm not here to talk about that. Guess who I saw? Your ex‑girlfriend! The woman who toyed with your feelings! She's holding her wedding today at the Prosperous Courtyard Hotel—you're not coming to crash it?"

On the other end of the line, silence stretched for a long while, perhaps because he thought he was dreaming.

What had he heard? In his lifetime, he actually could hear the two words 'Xia Xi' appear in his life.

Tang Yizhou still thought he had been disconnected; he glanced at the screen: 'Hello, Xu Yanfeng? Xu Yanfeng? Did you hear me speaking? I saw Xia Xi in the hotel!'

He mentioned 'Xia Xi' again; Xu Yanfeng snapped awake—this was no dream. He spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: 'Which hotel?'

"Prosperous Courtyard." Tang Yizhou said, then realized that Prosperous Courtyard was a chain hotel with many branches in Nancheng, and quickly added, "The one on Huaiqing Road."

He paused, then tentatively asked, "You... want to come over?"

This person got drunk at the Four Seasons Star Sea last month, and kept muttering about wanting to kill that woman Xia Xi.

Now the opportunity has come.

(End of chapter)