The living room of the Jinling City apartment glowed with golden light. A soft breeze slipped in through the open balcony, stirring the sheer white curtains like whispers of joy waiting to be heard.
On the table sat a birthday cake topped with twenty-five pink candles, still unlit. The aroma of freshly prepared dishes filled the air—each one her favorite, cooked with love.
Li Chengyan glanced at the clock.
7:48 PM.
She was late.
But he didn't mind. Su Yiran had always been a somewhat careless with time. He loved that about her:her spontaneity, her imperfections. He had fought through the odds just to stay by her side.
A soft smile curved his lips as he picked up the final wedding invitation from the table. It was meant for his old high school mentor. Every invitation had been handwritten, stamped, and sealed by him.
Then, the sound of the door unlocking echoed through the apartment.
His eyes lit up.
She stepped inside—heels clicking, makeup flawless, but her face was cold. Her usual tension showed in her eyes, stiffness gripped her shoulders.
She didn't smile.
Li Chengyan's smile faded.
"You're home. I made your favorite dishes. And… happy birthday."
He gestured toward the cake.
She didn't even glance at it.
"Li Chengyan," she said flatly. "Let's call off the wedding."
It was like being struck by lightning on a clear day.
Ten days before the wedding… and she wanted to end it.
Li Chengyan had been preparing for this wedding for a long time. Every single one of the hundreds of invitations had been written by him personally. He wanted to give her a romantic and unforgettable wedding ceremony.
After three years of love, they had finally come to this point. He had been expectant, excited.
The moment Su Yiran proposed to cancel the engagement, he was stunned!
He had poured all his energy and financial resources into Su Yiran over the past three years. He treated her father's illness, supported her brother's schooling, even helped build a house for her family…
He spent almost all his savings—contributing both money and effort—without hesitation.
"Li Chengyan, you're a good person," she said coldly, "but I don't want to continue with you. Gu Zeyan is back, and I don't want to leave any regrets in my life."
Gu Zeyan?
Li Chengyan chuckled softly. He knew Su Yiran had a first love. He had believed that if he was good enough to her, he could win her heart.
Turns out… even three years of love couldn't resist the allure of a gift from heaven.
Li Chengyan's heart ached with dense memories. The past three years—day and night—they had been together, leaving traces of love in every corner of their home.
If you raise an animal for three years, you'd develop feelings for it. Let alone a human being.
Li Chengyan was upset, but remained calm on the surface.
He wouldn't try to keep her. In his heart, a woman who had changed her mind was like a rag—not worth it!
But his silence made Su Yiran mistakenly believe that he couldn't bear the blow. She was afraid he'd come to pester her again.
"Li Chengyan, I'm really sorry," she said, frowning. "I admit that you took good care of me in life, but marriage is not a joke. Love cannot be satisfied with just water."
She looked at the table full of dishes Li Chengyan had prepared for her, at the birthday cake with candles waiting to be lit, and added with a resolute heart—
"After today I'll be 25. An age where I can have whatever I want. I don't want to live an ordinary life with you."
"Gu Zeyan bought a large flat in the CBD business district as soon as he returned to China. That's a height you can hardly reach, even if you type on the keyboard for a lifetime and write code until you're bald."
"Between a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment in a residential area and a large flat in the city center, I chose the latter."
"So let's part ways amicably. To avoid misunderstandings, let's not contact each other in the future."
She had made it clear: blunt and realistic. She just disliked his poverty and wanted to find someone better.
Li Chengyan laughed softly.
"Then… goodbye."
He turned and walked to the entrance to change his shoes. But just as he reached for the door—
"Li Chengyan, don't you have anything to say or ask me?" Su Yiran called from behind him.
Li Chengyan paused. Then he said only two words:
"Happy birthday."
He opened the door and left—cleanly, decisively.
Su Yiran sat in silence in the empty living room for a long time, feeling annoyed.
He's leaving now?
She suspected that Li Chengyan didn't love her at all. That everything he had done before was just an act. That's why when she proposed to break up, he could remain so calm—so different from what she had expected.
She had thought Li Chengyan would hug her, beg her with red eyes not to leave, even kneel down and plead for another chance. If that had happened… maybe she would have stayed for another day.
But he just left, without even trying to stop her.
Scumbag!
Su Yiran cursed inwardly and silently bet that within three days, he would come begging her.
After all, the invitations were already sent out. All their friends knew their wedding was in a week. Men valued their reputation most. Li Chengyan would surely be unable to stand being dumped before the wedding.
Feeling an indescribable discomfort, she picked up her phone and called her best friend.
"Baby, I broke up with Li Chengyan, but he just left without even trying to stop me…"
A roar came from the other end.
"What? Li Chengyan dares to break up with you? I told you, men are the most calculating creatures! You have to spend his money—spend a lot of it! The more he spends, the more he cherishes you."
"What are you saving for him?"
Su Yiran was choked for a moment.
Is that why he left so easily?
Because he hadn't spent enough? So he didn't feel reluctant?
Her best friend's words… seemed to make sense.
"In addition to asking him to hand over his salary, should I ask his family for dating expenses every month?"
Her friend cursed,
"Of course! He only gives you tens of thousands a month,and you feel bad for him? That's worse than being a prostitute, okay? Which man doesn't spend a penny on a relationship? He's just a freeloader!"
"How much did he give you as a breakup settlement? Is the house you live in now under your name?"
Su Yiran paused. She should've consulted her best friend before breaking up.
Is it too late to ask for a breakup fee now?
She was completely confused. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She had just wanted to break up quickly, afraid that Li Chengyan would cling to her.
"Stop scolding me. The house is in both our names. He said before it was just a transition house and that he'd buy a bigger one later. This one was for my brother to use as a wedding house."
Her friend sighed.
"Not too bad. But you're still stupid! You have to be realistic in love. Naive people like you will be cheated sooner or later!"
"But don't worry—Li Chengyan, that lick-the-dog type, will definitely come back begging within three days. When he does, take him to get notarization and remove his name from the property certificate. Keep it under yours!"
Su Yiran hung up and fell into deep thought.
She had to talk to Li Chengyan about the house!
---
On the other side of town, Li Chengyan called his friend Zhao Rui out for drinks.
He was a man who could take it or leave it. Since they had broken up, he'd make it clean. Any property he could take back—he would.
Li Chengyan worked as the technical director of a major Internet company. His income was considered upper-middle class.
But all the money he'd made in the past few years? Spent on Su Yiran.
His monthly salary, quarterly bonuses, year-end bonuses—gone in an instant.
Not to mention the three million he'd saved from selling his ancestral home—used to buy luxury bags, jewelry, high-end cosmetics for Su Yiran. And that was on top of paying her father's medical bills and building her family a house.
The only property he still had was the house they lived in now.
"I remember your aunt wants to buy a house in Cloudwater Garden," Li Chengyan said. "I'm planning to sell mine at 5% below market price. Can you take her to see it?"
Zhao Rui was shocked.
"You're changing your place? Weren't you keeping that house for your brother-in-law's wedding? Why the change?"
Li Chengyan's tone was cold.
"He doesn't deserve a damn thing. We're done."
Zhao Rui froze.
Everyone in their circle knew that Li Chengyan had treated Su Yiran like a treasure. And now… he broke up?
"Stop playing. Who knows if you'll be kneeling for the remote control in a week?"
But Li Chengyan wasn't joking. His serious expression made Zhao Rui sober up quickly.
"Really broke up? But wasn't Su Yiran's name on the property certificate?"
Li Chengyan downed his wine.
"It's under her name, but it's my pre-marital property. I have the proof. She didn't spend a dime. She has no share in it."
"That's easy," Zhao Rui said with a grin. "Just send me the floor plan."
He could already imagine it—Su Yiran must've thought the house was hers. Would she cry when she found out it wasn't?