Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  “What’s wrong?” Lu Zhiyu asked.

  He had gone to the mall with Li Wei and was having lunch with her, when he noticed that she looked like she wanted to say something but was holding back. Therefore, he put down his chopsticks and looked at Li Wei.

  Li Wei shook her head. “Nothing,” she said. “It’s just that every time I see you, it always feels like you have become a bit distant and unfamiliar, even though we have just met up not long ago.” Lu Zhiyu knew that this was because he had been frequently entering the Scroll of the World, where he would spend a few months each time. Whenever he met up with Li Wei, only one day would have passed for her since their last date, but to Lu Zhiyu, it would be a reunion after parting for a long time.

  “Doesn’t that make me seem more mysterious? I feel different every time!” Lu Zhiyu remarked with a smile.

  Today, Li Wei seemed to have lost her usual queen-like temperament and was somewhat sentimental. “But I feel like you’re never really with me, you know? You always know what I am thinking about, what I like, and all my hobbies.”


  “But I realize that I don’t know anything about you. Sure, you are burly, good-looking, and sweet. You can give me the romantic love that I want and also give me all the fantasies I have about men. You’re perfect, but I can never tell what you’re thinking. I have thought through it carefully. I realize that I don’t understand you at all; I don’t know what you like, what you hate, and I don’t even know anything about your family, background, or past!”


  Lu Zhiyu looked her in the eyes and the two stared at each other. “Why are you suddenly thinking about such a serious topic today? What’s important is that we’re happy together, isn’t it?”


  Li Wei lowered her head. “My mom called me. She said that I have to get married this year. I’m not getting any younger, you know. I’ll be thirty in two years. You should know that women aren’t like men. Once I’m over thirty, I’ll really start to age. Plus, you’re younger than me.”


  Lu Zhiyu was momentarily stunned, after which he reached over and grabbed Li Wei’s hand. “Do you want to marry me?”


  Li Wei looked at him blankly, but she pulled her hand away from Lu Zhiyu for the first time. “I don’t know!” she admitted.

  Lu Zhiyu waved his hand. After paying the bill, he said, “Let’s go and walk around a bit. Didn’t you keep saying that you have no clothes to wear recently? I have also bought two movie tickets for your favorite action film. This evening, we can go and watch it together!”


  The two then went shopping. In a shoe store, Lu Zhiyu waited for Li Wei at the reception with many bags in his hand, when the few saleswomen there started gossiping about him. One of them even pretended to be playing her phone and was actually taking a picture of him discreetly, but she forgot to turn off the flash. As Lu Zhiyu turned to look at her, she immediately blushed with embarrassment.

  “Lu Zhiyu? What are you doing here?” Suddenly, Lu Zhiyu heard a clear voice behind him. He turned his head around and saw a familiar face.

  “Cai Jiajia?”


  Cai Jiajia was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a gym shirt at the moment. Paired with her glasses, she looked healthy and also somewhat playful. She pushed her glasses up and said, “I haven’t seen you at the gym lately. That membership you’ve gotten isn’t cheap. Do you plan not to go at all?”


  Lu Zhiyu shook his head and said, “I didn’t go because I don’t want to disturb your life. How are you doing? Still working there?”


  Cai Jiajia nodded, “Still there as an instructor. How about you?”


  Before Lu Zhiyu could say anything, Li Wei who had already finished trying the shoes walked out from behind. “Who’s this?” she asked when she saw Cai Jiajia.

  “I’m his friend,” Cai Jiajia explained before Lu Zhiyu could open his mouth. “You must be his girlfriend. Nice to meet you.”


  Cai Jiajia did not even say her name. After nodding, she said to Lu Zhiyu, “I won’t hold you any longer. See you!” Lu Zhiyu also nodded and Cai Jiajia turned around, leaving.

  However, Li Wei suddenly frowned. “Who is she?” she asked. “She’s not just your friend, is she?”


  “She is,” Lu Zhiyu said at once. “We didn’t even talk much. How can you tell that we’re not just normal friends?”


  Li Wei immediately said, “I can tell from the way she looked at you. Also, she looked at me with some hostility. Is she your ex?”


  Lu Zhiyu wanted to deny it, but when he looked at Li Wei’s eyes, he sighed. “Fine, I don’t want to lie to you. But we’ve never contacted each other since we broke up. Just now we only met by coincidence!”


  “How many exes do you have?” Li Wei demanded, suddenly angry. “You’ve never told me anything about your past. What are you trying to hide from me?”


  Lu Zhiyu was at a loss for what to reply. “I’m not hiding anything. At my age, what’s wrong with having a few exes?”


  “A few? There’s her, and that Xia Fan that goes to your shop every day to look for you. You even flirt with Xiao Le!”


  Li Wei was very emotional and started arguing with Lu Zhiyu on the street, attracting the eyes of many. Lu Zhiyu picked up the bags that she had thrown on the ground, after which he looked at Li Wei and said, “I have already said that I have never done anything unloyal to you. Please stop guessing randomly like this. We need to calm down and have a talk!” He tried to hold her hand, but she pulled her hand away again.

  The two walked along the road, with one of them in front and the other at the back. After a long while, Li Wei finally said, “Didn’t you say that we’re going for a movie?”


  The two watched the entire movie in silence. Despite it being a comedy and everyone else laughing, the two did not speak at all. Lu Zhiyu did not try to sense what Li Wei was thinking. Just like what Li Wei had said, he knew everything about her, but she knew nothing about him. This made Lu Zhiyu feel that he was very despicable.

  “Let’s break up.”


  “Why? There’s nothing wrong with our relationship, right?”


  “Maybe it’s been wrong since the beginning,” Li Wei said. “I was attracted by you, but we really do not suit each other. Moreover, you’re a few years younger than me.”


  “That’s it?”


  She remained silent for a long while. Then, she said what Lu Zhiyu had heard before, “I feel that you do not belong to me. You don’t love me!”


  Outside the theater, Li Wei wrapped her arms around Lu Zhiyu’s neck and kissed him for a long time to end their relationship. In the past, Lu Zhiyu would probably find it romantic, but now he only felt forlorn.

  As the night fell over the city, he sat in a square, looking at his phone. He realized that Cai Jiajia had sent him a few messages on WeChat, so he casually replied her.

  Ding Dong!

  Just after he sent the message, his phone rang again. Lu Zhiyu checked his phone and saw Cai Jiajia’s reply.

  Since you’re free, do you want to grab a drink with me?

  Soon, Lu Zhiyu was sitting in front of the counter of a casual bar with Cai Jiajia. There was some gentle and soft italian music, although Lu Zhiyu did not understand any of the lyrics.

  “You guys broke up? It isn’t because of me, is it?” Cai Jiajia was sitting beside Lu Zhiyu with her legs crossed. Under the light, the side view of her face was somewhat alluring.

  Lu Zhiyu shook his head. “It has nothing to do with you, but the reason is almost the same!”


  Cai Jiajia immediately giggled. Lu Zhiyu said resignedly, “What are you laughing at? Is it so funny?”


  Cai Jiajia covered her mouth and said, “Because it’s true. You’re unreliable!”


  After remaining in the bar for a while, Lu Zhiyu took his coat and stood up. “I’m leaving first. If you have anything……”


  Before he could finish, Cai Jiajia grabbed his hand and jumped into his arms. “You’re leaving? Just like that?”