Gu Manqing had always been a smart woman.
Lin Wan'er thought she wouldn't notice. After that night, she deliberately kept her distance from Shen Ze, even going out of her way to avoid seeing him. But the more deliberate she was, the more obvious it became.
That afternoon, sunlight streamed diagonally through the café's glass windows.
Gu Manqing took off her sunglasses and looked at Wan'er quietly.
"There's something… off about you lately."
Lin Wan'er froze, her fingers stirring the coffee.
"What do you mean by 'off'?"
"The light in your eyes." Manqing leaned in slightly, her voice calm. "It's different. You used to look people in the eye without hesitation. Now, you can't even look at Shen Ze directly."
Wan'er's hand paused. A bit of coffee spilled, scalding her skin—but she didn't even flinch.
"What are you imagining?" she tried to steady her voice.
Manqing didn't answer. Instead, she took out her phone and placed a photo on the table.
It was a candid shot taken on the street one rainy evening—Lin Wan'er and Shen Ze in an embrace. Her face nestled against his chest, his head bowed, kissing the top of her hair.
Wan'er's face turned pale instantly.
"I didn't want to see this," Manqing's voice was cold as ice.
"A friend sent it to me the week before I got engaged. I deleted it. I told myself it was a misunderstanding. I told myself you wouldn't betray me."
Wan'er opened her mouth, but no words came out. Tears welled in her eyes.
"When did it start?" Manqing suddenly gave a bitter smile. "You and him… you had a story long ago, didn't you? Were you just putting on a show from the very beginning?"
"No…" Wan'er finally spoke, her voice nearly shattering. "I didn't mean for it to happen… he came to me first, I never wanted—"
"You didn't want it?" Manqing cut her off sharply. "And yet you still slept with him."
Her gaze sliced through Wan'er's mask, cold and precise.
"You think I couldn't smell it? The mix of your scent on him? The perfume on his clothes? His excuses for coming home late… the way he started smiling differently—everything changed after you came back."
The air froze.
Wan'er stood up. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you…"
"Then why did you keep going?" Manqing asked softly.
"You still love him, don't you?"
Wan'er didn't answer. She simply turned and walked away, her back trembling as she left.
After she was gone, Manqing remained seated, her fists clenched.
In her eyes, something dark flickered—hurt, resentment, and cold resolve.
"Lin Wan'er," she whispered,
"I won't let you walk away so easily."