The Fake First Love

Later, whenever I picked Felix up after class, the campus belle’s expression was indescribable.

Once, she even handed me a psychiatrist’s business card.

“This is a relative of mine. He has a good reputation treating… this sort of thing.”

“You can take him to have a look.”

I stared.

“Thank you.”

One morning, my mother-in-law sent many messages asking Felix and me to return to the family manor for Grandpa’s ninetieth birthday.

I had not seen them.

Felix dragged me out of bed.

“Let’s go.”

In the car, I was so sleepy I could barely open my eyes.

I heard the driver whisper,

“Young Madam stayed up writing again?”

Felix must have nodded.

A warm palm covered my eyes.

“Although our family is well-off, this is her passion and work. There’s nothing bad about it.”

Just after entering the old manor, I felt an unfriendly gaze.

I followed it.

A young girl stood nearby, glaring at me with jealousy.

“Brother Fangshi!”

She flew over like a butterfly.

Fast.

As if planning to throw herself into Felix’s arms.

Just before she reached him, Felix carried me and dodged.

“My wife is mine. No one is allowed to touch her.”

The girl could not stop.

Splash.

She fell into the pond behind us.

I woke fully.

“Be careful!”

Servants soon pulled her out.

Her makeup and clothes were ruined.

Very miserable.

Inside, I gave Grandpa my carefully prepared gift.

He smiled so widely his wrinkles deepened.

When I came out, the girl had changed clothes and redone her makeup.

“Don’t think Brother Fangshi likes you just because you can act however you want.”

“Let me tell you, he doesn’t like you at all.”

“You’re just a substitute.”

“You know why he married you?”

“He was only angry at his first love.”

“When the real one returns, you’ll still have to leave.”

She took out an old photo.

I looked.

The woman in the photo did resemble me slightly.

But…

I touched my hair and blinked at her.

“Don’t you think I’m prettier?”

No matter how I looked at it, I clearly won.

“Also, do you think your brother is an earth-shattering idiot? Using me as a substitute?”

I think you look like the idiot.

I did not take the so-called first love seriously.

Who doesn’t have an unforgettable first love?

Some similarities were normal.

Maybe he simply liked that type.

Like me.

Face control.

Voice control.

Hand control.

CP shipper.

I shipped all sorts of chaotic pairings.

If one collapsed, I switched to another.

No big deal.

Because I could not refuse Grandpa’s kindness, Felix and I stayed at the manor for a while.

Grandpa was strong and liked opera.

So he woke at five every morning to practice his voice.

I sometimes stayed up late looking for writing inspiration.

Conflict arose.

At dawn, Grandpa began again.

“Yi yi yi yi…”

“Ya ya ya ya…”

I, who had just slept, shot up in bed and looked at Felix as if about to cry.

“Husband, save me.”

Now forget inspiration.

Every time I slept, my dreams were filled with faceless people in opera costumes chasing me while singing yi yi ya ya.

I was going neurasthenic.

Felix sat up and held me, covering my ears.

“Okay, okay. Now you can’t hear.”

I looked at him accusingly.

Did he think I was stupid?

Seeing my eyes, Felix smiled somewhat wickedly.

“How about… we do something to divert attention?”

My brain was still foggy.

“What?”

He carried me to the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the faucet.

“Now you can’t hear.”

His gaze made me uneasy.

The cold tile beneath me also made me feel danger.

I tried to jump down and escape.

His hands pinned me.

“Cold,” I said pitifully.

“It won’t be cold soon.”

Before I could react, his kiss covered me.

Three days later, under Felix’s watchful gaze, I packed my things and ran.

Halfway home, Felix was called away by company business, leaving me to return alone.

Just after getting out of the car, I saw a woman in a white dress standing at my door in a daze.

She held a bottle of red wine.

She seemed drunk.

I walked over with a head full of question marks.

“Hello? Do you need help? Who are you looking for?”

The woman lifted hazy drunken eyes.

Then smashed the wine bottle to the ground.

Tears came instantly.

“I’m looking for Felix Cheng.”

“Where is Felix Cheng?”

Then she rushed into my arms like a baby bird returning to the forest.

Unconscious.

I looked at her face.

A little familiar.

Not sure.

Let me look again.