“Bro, I’ve agreed to the family’s arrangement for my marriage.” Anya’s soft voice cut through the silent night, clearer than usual. Liam, on the other end of the line, finally let out a sigh of relief. “So, you’re finally giving up on that guy? You’ve been together for years, and he never even agreed to come home and meet Mom, Dad, and me. I always knew you two wouldn’t last.” Hearing her brother’s absolute certainty, Anya lowered her gaze, letting out a quiet “Mm-hmm.” “I was wrong before. I’ll take care of things here as soon as possible. As for the wedding, I’ll leave it to you guys to arrange. Just give me about half a month.” “Don’t worry about the wedding; we’ll handle all the preparations. You just need to be back on time. Your fiancé for this arrangement was carefully chosen by Mom, Dad, and me. He’s perfect in family background, personality, and looks. You’ll definitely approve.” “Oh, and when you come back for the wedding, remember to invite someone for me. My best friend, Jax. You know, when you went to Silverwood City for college, you even stayed at his place for a while. He really looked after you back then. Make sure to invite him to the wedding.” Anya didn’t know how to respond to that. After a long silence, she quietly replied. “He can’t make it.” Before she could finish, the door swung open. Anya quickly hung up the phone, looking up at Jax, who had just returned. He raised an eyebrow, a confident, almost cocky smile spreading across his face. “I can’t make it? Can’t make it where?” *My wedding.* Anya answered him in her head. But her face remained calm, her tone flat. “Nothing.” Jax didn’t dwell on it, casually unbuttoning his black shirt. “Were you just on the phone with your brother?” Anya hummed, getting up to go back to the bedroom, but he pulled her hand, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. His warm breath ghosted over her ear, and a charged intimacy pulsed between them. “So, did you tell him what we are?” Anya gave a faint smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Didn’t you not want him to know?” “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I *can’t*. Given your brother’s temper, if he knew his best friend and his most cherished sister were together, he’d probably fly to Silverwood City overnight and beat me to a pulp.” Listening to his joking tone, Anya’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her voice still quiet. “So, in your heart, am I your girlfriend?” Hearing her suddenly ask such a question, Jax raised an eyebrow. “Not my girlfriend? I’ve lived with you for six years? Not my girlfriend? I come home and the first thing I do is hug you? Not my girlfriend, and I do *this* to you?” As he spoke, his warm lips brushed against her neck. Anya’s body tensed instantly, and she quickly turned her head, dodging the kiss. “I… I don’t feel well today.” Jax thought she was just shy and couldn’t help but chuckle. “My little girlfriend, we’ve been together so long, why are you still so bashful?” He ruffled her hair, then turned and walked into the bathroom. Listening to his footsteps fade, Anya murmured the question again. *Girlfriend?* *Shouldn’t it be… a replacement?* Anya first met Jax eight years ago. He and Liam were college roommates. Because they were close, Liam often brought him home to play games. It was her first crush, her first stirrings of love, and almost from the first glance, she fell for this cool, nonchalant older boy whose handsomeness made her heart skip a beat. Later, after she graduated high school, Jax also graduated and returned to his hometown, Silverwood City. Yearning for him, she ignored her family’s objections and secretly applied to a university in his city. Because she was so pretty, there were always troublemakers hanging around her in high school. Liam, worried about her being alone in a different city, entrusted her to his best friend, Jax, and even arranged for her to live in his apartment. Initially, they didn’t interact much. She was busy with school, and Jax was busy with racing, busy with dating—he seemed to have a new girlfriend almost every other week. It wasn’t until the second semester of her freshman year when Jax came home completely drunk. She clumsily took care of him. Late at night, looking at the man seemingly asleep on the sofa, she involuntarily reached out, wanting to smooth away the frown etched between his brows. As her skin touched his, his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. Jax casually peeled back his eyelids, his voice lazy and husky. “You like me?” Caught off guard, Anya jumped up. “N-no…” The man smiled lazily. “Don’t like me? Then why does your face get so red every time you see me?” Anya hadn’t realized he’d noticed her every stolen glance. Before she could figure out what to do, he chuckled, cupped the back of her head, and pulled her into a soft kiss. She was lost in that tender, lingering kiss, unable to pull away. After a night of passion, Anya’s once-calm life was turned upside down. Jax, who had been a notorious playboy, seemed to settle down, dedicating himself to a relationship with her. She, in turn, repeatedly rejected her parents’ and brother’s demands for her to return home for a strategic marriage, stubbornly staying in Silverwood City, by his side. Every time, her brother would ask her, “Who’s keeping you in Silverwood City for six years that you refuse to come back?” She always wanted to spill everything about Jax, to tell everyone she was with her brother’s best friend. But Jax always stopped her. She never understood why until a few days ago, when Jax got drunk at a party. When she went to pick him up, one of his friends, also drunk, pointed at her and lamented: “How could such a beautiful girl also get entangled with old Jax?” “Listen, little sister, you really shouldn’t fall for old Jax. That guy has no heart. You, and all his ex-girlfriends before you, were just replacements for Seraphina.” That was the first time Anya had heard the name Seraphina. After that, she couldn’t forget it. After much discreet inquiry, she finally learned the truth. Jax and Seraphina were each other’s first loves. In the year he loved her most deeply, Seraphina broke up with him and resolutely moved abroad. He couldn’t get over the past, so he indulged himself, becoming a serial dater. And every girlfriend he had, more or less, bore a resemblance to Seraphina. That included her. After graduation, he refused to inherit the family business, insisting on becoming a race car driver. That too was because of Seraphina’s childhood remark: “Guys who race cars are so cool! My future husband has to be a racer.” Six years of youth and genuine affection, all just a fleeting dream. At that moment, Anya decided to accept the family’s marriage arrangement. She no longer wanted Jax. And she would never love him again. The next day, at seven AM, Anya’s internal clock woke her up promptly. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Jax in front of the mirror, adjusting his shirt. His routine was usually erratic, so getting up this early was, to Anya’s knowledge, a first. Hearing footsteps, he turned, saw her, and asked, “Does big brother look handsome in this outfit today?” He was a natural clothes-horse; even a casual black shirt looked good on him. Today, specially dressed up, he was undeniably stunning, capable of making countless girls swoon with just a lazy glance. She didn’t know why he was suddenly paying so much attention to his appearance. In the past, she would have been utterly smitten, her heart pounding. Now, she just calmly nodded. “Mm, very handsome.” Jax didn’t notice her unusual demeanor. He curled his lips. “I have a get-together today. You be good at home. I’ll bring you dessert when I get back.” With that, he turned and left. After his back disappeared, Anya went to pour herself a glass of water, but saw his phone lying on the table. As she picked it up, she accidentally hit the power button. The screen lit up, revealing a new message. From someone saved as “Seraphina.” “Jax, eight years. I’m really looking forward to today’s reunion. How about you?” Seeing the message, Anya’s steps faltered. So, his first love was returning today. No wonder he was up so early, dressed so meticulously, with joy sparkling in his eyes. The next second, the front door swung open. Jax, who had turned back midway, suddenly re-entered, grabbing his phone. Before leaving again, he quickly scanned the screen’s content. His steps paused slightly, and he couldn’t help but glance at Anya, who was eating breakfast. “Did you just look at my phone?” Anya subtly raised her eyes, her gaze calm. “No, why?” He then smiled, as if relieved, said “Nothing,” and turned to leave. This was the first time Anya found him somewhat inscrutable. His heart belonged to his first love, and all his girlfriends were just Seraphina’s replacements. Logically, he shouldn’t care if she discovered the truth. So why did he care if she saw it? Was he afraid of losing her? Anya didn’t want to flatter herself. Besides, she knew that the loss was already a foregone conclusion. After breakfast, Anya sat down at her computer and opened her drawing software. She was a comic artist. Once she went home to get married, she probably wouldn’t be able to work for a long time. While she still had free time, she planned to finish all her remaining drafts. After working all morning, she packaged up her half-day’s work and sent it to her editor, then had lunch. In the afternoon, taking advantage of the nice weather, she cleared out a lot of things. Matching couple’s mugs, keychains, scarves, jackets… These were all things she had bought little by little over the years, filling a large box. Every time she saw them, she remembered the helpless look on Jax’s face whenever she would get a new item and insist he wear or use it. “These are all just girly things. Do you really want your big brother to wear them out and be laughed at by his friends?” Remembering those words, Anya dragged the box downstairs, tossing both the items and the box into the trash can. Now it was done. No one would laugh anymore. Having dealt with it decisively, Anya was about to go back inside when she turned around and bumped into a cool, firm embrace. Jax, who had returned at some point, had one arm around her shoulder and was using his other hand to push back her sweat-dampened bangs. “What did you throw away? Why are you all sweaty?” “Useless junk.” Anya found an excuse without batting an eye. Jax didn’t suspect a thing and led her back upstairs. The moment the elevator doors opened, a sanitation truck rolled up, rumbling loudly. Watching the box of things being carried away by the truck, Anya finally averted her gaze. *Junk. How could there be so much junk?* *He could have easily noticed something if he’d just looked. But he didn’t ask a single thing.* *It’s simply because he doesn’t care.* A hint of self-mockery flickered in Anya’s eyes. Her peripheral vision caught the persistent smile on his face, and she paused slightly. Jax had a pair of incredibly captivating, charming eyes. When he smiled, it was hard to look away. Perhaps knowing this, he almost always had a smile on his face. Others thought he had a good temperament, but only Anya knew that his smile was superficial, never reaching his eyes. Yet, all day today, when he smiled, his eyes held genuine joy. *He must have seen Seraphina. He must be really happy.* The moment they entered the apartment, Jax noticed how much emptier it felt. He looked around, a surprised expression on his face. “Did we get robbed? It feels like a lot of things are missing. Where are the mugs? The throw pillows are gone too?” Anya was about to answer when Jax’s phone pinged several times. He glanced at the messages, quickly forgot about the missing items, and walked towards the study. Before closing the door, he called out, “Anya, I have something to do. You go to bed first. Don’t wait up for me.” Anya didn’t ask anything. She went back to her bedroom alone. The hour hand on the wall clock passed twelve. Her phone, tucked under her pillow, vibrated frantically. “Anya, Happy Birthday!” “Happy 23rd birthday, Anya baby! Don’t forget to eat cake!” Scrolling down, it was a stream of birthday wishes. Dad, Mom, Liam, friends, classmates—everyone, even those thousands of miles away, had sent their greetings. Only her boyfriend, who was right there in the city, seemed to have completely forgotten. Because he had more important things to do. Anya closed the half-watched movie on her laptop and used the mouse to click on the constantly popping-up SnapChat icon in the bottom right corner. It was Jax chatting with Seraphina. He didn’t know that his SnapChat was logged in on her laptop, and she could see all their conversations. She watched, wide-eyed, as the two talked from their past to their present, and then to their future. In the dense, long string of messages, Jax never once mentioned her. *Right. After all, she was just a replacement, a mere comfort. Why would he mention her?* She watched the rapidly refreshing dialogue, then pressed the power-off button. A night without dreams. The next day, Anya was woken by the doorbell. Rubbing her eyes, she walked into the living room and saw Jax, who had woken up at some point, holding a bouquet of flowers and a birthday cake, turning around. “Anya, did you order a cake? Why the sudden craving for cake?” A few seconds of silence filled the room before Anya slowly spoke. “It’s my birthday. It must be my friends who arranged for it to be sent.” At her words, Jax froze. He instinctively glanced at the wall calendar and realized it was July 12th. He had forgotten her birthday! A flicker of guilt crossed Jax’s eyes. He quickly put down the items in his hands and gently guided Anya back to the bedroom. “It’s your birthday today. Let’s go out on a date. What do you want to eat?” “No, it’s fine. Let’s just celebrate at home.” Anya declined the suggestion. But Jax insisted on going out to celebrate and even pulled a dress from the closet, handing it to her. She couldn’t argue with him, so she washed up and went out with him. They went to their favorite restaurant for brunch, then watched the latest movie, and browsed through the mall. Midway, Anya went to the restroom. When she returned, she saw him on the phone, asking his family to order a very expensive necklace. This necklace was one she had admired in a magazine just half a month ago. Watching his eagerness, Anya’s heart was a mix of emotions. She couldn’t quite understand what was going on in his mind. He remembered the necklace she had looked at a few times, but he completely forgot her most important day, her birthday. Did he really not know what was more important? Thinking it through, perhaps he *did* know. Before Seraphina returned, he treated her, his replacement, as a stand-in for his affections, so he cared about everything concerning her. But now that Seraphina was back, he had shifted all his attention to Seraphina. So everything related to her had been pushed aside. All morning, Anya couldn’t muster much energy; she was uninterested in everything. Jax noticed her absentmindedness and ruffled her hair. “What’s wrong, little birthday girl? You don’t seem very happy. Are you not satisfied with my plans today?” Now that she thought about it, he always loved ruffling her hair. Subconsciously, he probably always treated her like a little sister, not a lover. Anya shook her head, about to say she was tired and wanted to go home, but Jax hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of a mountain resort. Facing her surprised look, he raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to meet my friends? Everyone’s free today, so I’m taking you to meet them. Will that cheer you up?” This unexpected change of plans left Anya slightly stunned. In the past, Jax had been unwilling to meet her family or friends, so she had tried to meet his. But each time, he would come up with various excuses to refuse. After a while, she stopped bringing it up. Now that she was about to leave Silverwood City, he was taking her because of a flicker of guilt. *Life really is full of ironic twists.* She quietly watched the fleeting scenery outside the window, ultimately saying nothing. The taxi stopped halfway up the mountain. Jax took her hand and led her into the resort, pushing open the heavy double doors. *Pop, pop, pop!* Confetti and streamers rained down from above. A crowd of people rushed out, shouting “Happy Birthday!” with beaming smiles. Seeing the commotion, Jax quickly pulled Anya into his arms, brushing confetti from her hair while shooing away the friends who crowded around. “Watch it, don’t scare my girl. She’s a bit…” His words trailed off abruptly. He stared at a familiar face in the crowd, his expression suddenly changing. Seraphina, however, looked completely at ease, smiling as she walked towards them. “Jax, it’s been so many years since I moved abroad, I haven’t been to a group event in ages. I heard this morning you were celebrating your girlfriend’s birthday, so I thought I’d crash the party. You don’t mind, do you?” Jax’s cold eyes swept across the room. Everyone avoided his gaze, pretending to be unconcerned. As the atmosphere threatened to turn frosty, Anya politely extended her hand, taking the initiative to greet her. “Welcome. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Anya.” Seraphina stared at her for a moment, then seemed to understand something, gripping her hand with a knowing smile. “Hello. I’m Seraphina. I’m Jax’s… friend.” “Anya, has anyone ever told you we look a little alike?” At her words, Jax’s hand, which was gripping Anya’s arm, tightened abruptly. Anya’s face remained calm. “Really? Then we must be very fated.” Seeing the tension, the people around them immediately started to liven up the atmosphere. A group of acquaintances gathered, drinking and playing games, making a joyful racket. Anya didn’t know anyone and wasn’t keen on joining the fun, so she sat on a sofa. Jax stayed by her side, but his eyes kept drifting to a table on the left. She followed his gaze and saw Seraphina, the liveliest among them, causing a stir. At first, he restrained himself, but when Seraphina picked up the drink in front of her, he couldn’t sit still any longer. He abruptly stood up, rushed over, snatched the drink, his voice laced with annoyance. “You’re allergic to alcohol, and you’re still drinking? Are you insane?” His voice was so agitated that the entire hall fell silent. Everyone turned their attention to them. Seraphina fiddled with the dice in her hand, a playful smile on her lips. “All these years, and you still remember that?” Before Jax could respond, a few of his drunk friends staggered over, shouting loudly: “How could Jax forget? When you two were dating, that lovesick fool only had eyes for you!” Hearing this, Jax instinctively glanced back at Anya. His face instantly darkened, and he snapped, “If you’re drunk, go sober up! What nonsense are you spouting here?” The men turned pale at his sharp tone, finally realizing Anya was present, and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Drink less, the game’s not over yet!” “Come on, next round!” The frozen atmosphere slowly returned to normal. After suppressing the emotions swirling in his chest, Jax returned to the sofa, picked up a glass of juice from the table, and handed it to Anya. Anya said nothing, asked nothing. She took the glass and sipped a few times. Her calm demeanor, however, made Jax feel uneasy. He was about to offer an explanation when more cheers erupted from behind them. “Seraphina lost! My turn to pick, my turn!” “Let’s see… you drew ‘Truth or Dare.’ The question is: if there was a chance, would you get back with your ex-boyfriend?” In the sudden silence, Seraphina’s gaze fell on Jax, and she curled her lips. “Nev-er.” As those four words came out, the atmosphere in the entire room dropped to freezing point. No one dared to speak. Seraphina, seemingly unaffected, playfully insisted on starting a new game. Everyone tried to humor her while secretly glancing at Jax, whose face was so grim he looked ready to flip the entire place over. They didn’t dare breathe loudly. In the very next round, Seraphina lost again. Just as she was about to accept her punishment, Jax couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed her hand and stormed out the door. The people present seemed to have anticipated this scene; no one inquired, they just went back to their own activities. But Anya could see, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, two figures arguing fiercely in the distance, and their indistinct, passionate voices from outside. Watching this scene, complex emotions flickered in Anya’s eyes. In her memory, Jax never seemed to care about anything, his face always adorned with a nonchalant, lazy smile. In the eight years she had known him, this was the first time she had seen him so utterly lose control. And it was all because of Seraphina’s one word: *Never.* *Turns out, when you’re not loved, everyone is equally pathetic.* When the argument finally ended, Jax seemed beyond furious, leaving without looking back. Seeing Seraphina re-enter alone, everyone realized the party was likely to fizzle out and began to make excuses to leave. Anya, the forgotten birthday girl of the party, also rose amidst the chaos. Before leaving, she went to the restroom. Through the door, she heard footsteps outside. A moment later, the voice of one of the girls who had been most boisterous at the table suddenly spoke. “Seraphina, you clearly still like Jax, and you came back to the country for him. Why did you say something like that just now? You totally pissed him off. How are you going to get back together now?” After a flush of water, Seraphina chuckled as she replied. “If we don’t have a fight, how will I make him remember what happened eight years ago? I want him to recall that heartbreaking, unrequited love he felt when we broke up. That’s the only way he’ll keep thinking about me.” “No, it’s been eight years! How much more ‘thinking about you’ does he need? Look at all the girlfriends he’s had; every single one looks like you. This one he brought today, even though they’ve been together for a long time, it clearly looks like he’s just playing around. I mean, it’s her birthday today, and Jax’s eyes and mind were completely focused on you. The birthday girl ended up looking like a ghost. I swear, I almost died laughing.” Listening to her friend’s teasing, Seraphina also let out a low laugh before speaking softly. “You don’t understand. The Kingsley family is an elite family in Silverwood City. Jax’s temperament and looks are top-notch, but his family wouldn’t approve of my ordinary background. They’ll eventually find him a wife who matches him in every way. I can only use this method to make sure his heart truly belongs to me. We fought today, but in a few days, when his anger cools down, I’ll just give him an easy way back, and he’ll definitely forget everything and come running back.” The words had barely faded when the restroom door suddenly swung open. Anya stood not far away, meeting their gazes!
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