1 While we were eating takeout, Owen Hale suddenly picked up a shrimp and expertly removed the vein. I smiled and reached out. “Don’t you usually say that’s too much trouble? Why so careful today?” Without looking up, he moved past my hand and placed the peeled shrimp neatly into the food container. “Because Lina’s back.” My hand froze in midair. Right. Only when he was with Lina Ward did he suddenly learn these “details.” Removing veins from shrimp, peeling grapes, picking seeds from watermelon. Always twisting open a bottle cap before handing her water. With me, he only ever said one thing. “Skye’s rough. She doesn’t care about stuff like that.” But for some reason, looking at that shrimp today, I suddenly cared. “If she’s back, then we should end this too.” Calmly, I removed the engagement ring from my finger. Who doesn’t like silk and satin? This love, rough as burlap, should have been thrown away long ago. Owen’s hands didn’t stop. He finished peeling the last shrimp and said casually, “What nonsense are you saying now?” I opened my mouth, but before I could make a sound, he stood and cut me off. “She should be arriving soon. I’m going to wait for her at the airport.” He placed an insulated food container on the table, one I had never seen before, and put all the shrimp and pastries inside. “She’s been on a plane for more than ten hours. She must be hungry. Let her eat something first.” “She loves this place’s braised shrimp.” I looked at the container and said nothing. I suddenly remembered one winter, when I had such bad cramps that I asked Owen to bring me brown sugar water. He brought it in a plastic bottle, already completely cold. “A thermos? Sorry, I didn’t know we had one at home.” “I didn’t think it would cool that fast.” So it wasn’t that he hadn’t thought of it. He simply never thought that carefully for me. “I already booked dinner tonight,” Owen said, picking up his keys, speaking quickly. “Go to the restaurant early and wait for us.” “Remember to tell them again that Lina hates the smell of sesame oil. None of the dishes can have any.” “Also no onion or celery. Absolutely none.” “I’m not going,” I said calmly. “You two can eat. I’m going home.” Owen finally stopped. “What is wrong with you?” He frowned. “Lina is your friend, and you’re my partner. Is it appropriate not to welcome her back?” I tugged the corner of my mouth into a self-mocking smile. He didn’t actually want to bring me. He just thought that if I didn’t go, Lina might feel awkward and overthink. What a thoughtful man. But I no longer wanted to be the fool who helped decorate his thoughtfulness. “There’s nothing inappropriate about it. We haven’t seen each other in years. We’re not that close anymore.” “And we’ve broken up, so I’m not your partner either.” Owen’s face sank completely. “Skye Hart, I’m tired. I don’t have the energy to guess your thoughts every second.” “If you want to make a scene, suit yourself.” He slammed the door and didn’t look back. Every fight between us basically ended this way. He never wondered why I was upset. As long as he gave me the cold shoulder for a while, I would come back to him on my own. But not this time. After cleaning up the takeout trash, I went home alone. Owen didn’t come back. Two hours later, he appeared in Lina’s social media photos. Thank you, Designer Owen, for the welcome dinner. The gift is beautiful. I love it so much~ Someone quickly commented: “Isn’t that the bracelet you liked a month ago that sold out? Owen made you an identical one?” “That’s basically a custom piece. That’s so thoughtful.” “Lina, when are you going to lock down such a good man?” More teasing comments followed. Lina soon replied: “Don’t talk nonsense. He’s already taken. Don’t make my friend misunderstand!” I unconsciously zoomed in on the photo, staring at that delicate bracelet. It was as if it had wrapped around my heart and tightened. No wonder his fingers had been covered in cuts lately. No wonder he had been locking himself in the study day and night and refusing to let me near. So he had been busy with this. He was a jewelry designer. As long as Lina wanted something, he could give it to her. But when choosing my engagement ring, he walked into a store and said only one sentence. “Which one sells best? That one.” The wrong size, the wrong style, slipped carelessly onto my finger. Fortunately, I had finally thrown it in the trash. “Didn’t you once say you wanted to marry me?” I opened my phone and sent a wedding ring design draft to an unfamiliar number. “Then make me an identical ring.” “When it’s done, I’ll say yes.” The reply came quickly and simply. Okay. I let out a long breath and put down my phone. Three hours later, I received a message from one of Owen’s childhood friends. “Skye, Owen drank too much tonight because he was happy. He’s sleeping at my place.” “I know you don’t mind this stuff, but I figured I’d tell you anyway.” I looked down and didn’t reply. Owen never reported small things like this to me, and he never cared whether I would worry. The time I remembered most clearly was when his phone went dead and I saw news of a major car accident downstairs from his company. I panicked so badly I almost fainted. In the end, I found him at a bar. “Owen, you’re really not going to tell Skye?” “No need.” Drunk, he waved a hand. “She’s careless, like one of the guys. She doesn’t care about this stuff.” “Oh, then Skye is really easy. You’re lucky, man.” Actually, back then, I had wondered. Was I easy? Or did he simply not care about me? Now, I finally had my answer. I closed my eyes and let the sour tears spill over. I didn’t sleep all night. The next morning, as soon as I opened the door, someone threw herself into my arms. “Skye, I’m back!” “Owen said you weren’t feeling well yesterday. How are you today?” The girl in front of me smiled like a flower. The perfume on her body smelled exactly like the scent Owen had been using recently. I forced a smile and said I was fine. Then I listened as she chattered on. “I heard you two are getting engaged next week. If there’s anything you need help with, just tell me.” “All right, stop fussing. Does your head still hurt?” Owen pulled her to sit down. “I’ll make you some honey water for the hangover.” He walked into the kitchen and found a jar of honey with practiced ease. But the last time I had asked him to get it for me, he said he had no idea where it was. “No need,” I said, suddenly exhausted. “We’ve already broken up. Don’t trouble yourself.” In the kitchen, the sound of the spoon stirring suddenly stopped. Lina shot to her feet too. “Skye, don’t say something stupid.” She hovered around me, eyes full of concern, trying to persuade me not to be impulsive. But Owen soon came out and took her hand, leading her to the balcony. “If you’re really upset and anxious, don’t force a smile. Let her calm down on her own.” I heard his low voice. “Huh? How did you tell?” “Because when you get anxious, you unconsciously pinch the middle finger of your right hand.” Such a tiny movement, and Owen could see it clearly. Yet when I cried in front of him until my face was soaked, he never wiped away even one tear. “Her? She’s rough. She’ll forget after a few days. No need to coax her.” “Don’t talk about me first. Why did Skye suddenly break up with you? Did you do something wrong to her?” Lina huffed. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask her myself.” She ran out of the balcony straight toward the bedroom. But the moment she opened the door, she nearly ran into the broken-glass wind chime hanging there. “Why would you hang something this sharp by the door?” Owen hurriedly pulled Lina into his arms and checked whether her face had been scratched. I watched them in silence. That wind chime was Lina’s handmade project from years ago. I had been cut by the glass countless times. My face, my arms, all had bled because of it. But Owen had never agreed to take it down. He said he wanted to keep it as a memory. “It’s been so long. Why keep this broken thing?” Lina complained sweetly. Owen immediately took it down and threw it into the trash. And my heart felt as if it had been tossed in along with it. “Skye, don’t overthink.” Lina held my hand and comforted me. “In my heart, you’ve always been like a towering tree, unlike me, just a spoiled little blade of grass that needs someone to shelter her.” She smiled. “Don’t you remember? Your story with Owen began because you saved him back then.” It was an unintentional remark. But Owen and I both froze. Yes. Back then. The first time I met him, it was in a filthy alley full of dirty rainwater. He was thin and weak, cornered and beaten bloody. I stepped forward, chased all the bullies away, and dragged him to the hospital. “Little stick, how are you so weak? Even I’m stronger than you.” At that time, I was already famous as a tomboy. But I had no choice. To protect my mother from my father’s abuse, I had to grow up fast. I had to learn to speak with my fists and protect myself. I remembered that night. Owen lay in the hospital bed, his eyes shining as he looked at me. He followed me for six full years. It wasn’t until we got into the same college that I agreed to be with him. After we got together, sometimes I felt different from those delicate, pretty women. Too rough. Too hard. And Owen told me again and again that in his heart, I was the light that pulled him out of the abyss. No matter what I was like, I was the best. Until Lina, that timid transfer student, joined us. Everything changed. Because I was independent and strong and lived roughly, I didn’t need care. Lina was fragile, so she needed careful protection and thoughtful attention. He gave Lina everything he decided I “didn’t care about.” But he never asked whether I truly didn’t care. “Even the tallest tree needs sunlight and rain.” I smiled in relief and let go of Lina’s hand. “But he can’t give me that.” “So we were never meant to keep walking together.” I returned to the bedroom, took my suitcase, and pushed open the front door. “Skye Hart!” Owen finally chased after me and snapped, “What exactly are you making a scene about? Lina comes back, and you want to break up with me?” “How do you think that makes her feel?” A dull pain spread through my heart. “Then why don’t you ask how I feel?” Even now, the thing you care about most is still her mood? “So what is it because of?” he demanded again and again. “Because of that shrimp? Because I went to pick her up?” He suddenly grabbed my hand and sneered. “Or because of that ring you didn’t like?” I looked at him in a daze. So you knew. “None of those,” I shook my head. “It’s because I don’t like you anymore.” Evening wind swept through the corridor. Everything fell so quiet it made the heart panic. “How is that possible?” After a long while, I heard a scoff above my head. “We’re getting engaged next week. If you don’t marry me, who else can you marry?” “With that personality of yours.” My heart hurt so badly it felt like it might stop. But I didn’t answer. I kept dragging my suitcase forward. With a bang, Owen slammed the door behind me. Three days later, I went to my company and submitted my resignation. “Reason for resignation… not adapting to the climate here?” My manager looked at me in surprise. “But you’ve done very well all these years.” A bitter smile appeared on my lips. That was because I had been compromising for him. The climate of this city didn’t suit me. In spring, the damp, rainy weather always gave me rashes. They hurt and itched and could never be cured. But Owen always pretended not to see. He told me to endure it, and it would pass. Yet back in college, with Lina, even a tiny wound made him remind her not to touch water. At meals, he carefully picked the chilies out of her food. I had deceived myself for so many years. Now, it was time to wake up. “All right. I respect your decision.” My manager didn’t say more and quickly signed. When I returned to the hotel, I found two boxes outside my door. One was the wedding ring that man had made for me according to my design. The other was a new engagement ring from Owen. It cost twice as much as the one I had thrown away. “Skye Hart, are you satisfied now?” Owen’s call came quickly. “I’m helping Lina choose her bridesmaid dress. Next Wednesday, we’ll get our marriage license first, then hold the engagement party.” He spoke casually. In the background, I could faintly hear Lina laughing. I thought of my own engagement dress. Online search, filter by best sellers, place order, delivered. I smiled, said nothing, and hung up. Then I sent a message to another person. “I received the ring. Next Wednesday, see you at the courthouse.” No one stays in place forever. Now, I only wanted to move forward. But I didn’t expect that on Tuesday night, I would suddenly discover that something was missing from my suitcase. I hurried back to Owen’s apartment. The moment I pushed open the door, I saw the birthday party he had prepared for Lina. He was sitting at the dining table, focused on cracking crab for her. “Lina, when you get a boyfriend someday, you must find someone as attentive as Owen.” “Well, depends on who he’s with. I’ve never seen Owen crack crab for Skye.” “Of course not. With a tomboy like her, Owen’s thoughtfulness has nowhere to go.” Lina’s face flushed as she scolded them for talking nonsense. Owen smiled softly. Then he turned and met my eyes. The hall instantly fell silent. Without looking sideways, I walked straight into the bedroom and opened the drawer. Empty. My face changed instantly. “Owen Hale, where is the necklace I kept in here?” At the door, Owen stared at my calm face and suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation. “I gave it to Lina’s dog to play with,” he said lightly. “Her dog was in a bad mood, and Lina said it likes shiny things, so I found a necklace for it.” “Anyway, you never wear delicate things like that—” Before he finished, the little dog happened to jump onto a tall cabinet with the necklace in its mouth. “Give it back to me!” My whole body trembled as I shouted. The little dog tilted its head unconsciously and opened its mouth. I didn’t catch it in time. I watched as the jade necklace fell. Then shattered into pieces across the floor. “Skye, I’m sorry.” Lina hurried to her feet, eyes red. “Owen said it was some fake thing he bought casually. I thought it wasn’t worth much…” I dropped to my knees and burst into tears. It was my mother’s keepsake. The last thing she left me. “It’s just an object. You’ve never cared much about looks or accessories anyway. If it broke, it broke.” Seeing me sobbing, Owen’s eyes flashed with a trace of pity. “I’ll buy you a new one later.” “Today is Lina’s birthday. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood.” I knelt there in a daze. I heard my heart, like that jade, shatter piece by piece. I slowly picked up the fragments without speaking, until both my hands were soaked in blood. “You—” Owen panicked and reached for me. I avoided him. “I really don’t care,” I looked up and smiled at him. “From now on, I won’t care about anything.” Including you. Owen’s heart suddenly sank. He wanted to chase after me, but Lina’s crying stopped him. Forget it. After getting the license tomorrow, he would explain and apologize to me. Owen thought that with my personality, I probably didn’t even know how to spell sensitive. By tomorrow, I would likely forget. Besides, I had been looking forward to marrying him for so long. He forced down the unease in his chest and had pleasant dreams all night. The next morning, after waking, he changed clothes early. But he deliberately planned to arrive half an hour late. “Owen, aren’t you afraid Skye will really stand you up and cut ties?” “How could that happen? Look at Skye’s feed. She’s already at the courthouse and even posted a photo.” Owen paused, then smiled with certainty and opened my post. “Wait. Why did she post a marriage certificate? Owen hasn’t even gone yet.” “She… who did she marry?” The group chat exploded. The next second, the wedding photo popped up clearly in Owen’s eyes.
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