Chapter 58: The Greatest Lie in the World: Friendship Lasts Forever

“What happens when an ambiguous friendship drags on without turning into a romantic relationship?”

“Strangers.”

“What do you think it feels like after climaxing?”

“Tinnitus.”

“Oh?”

After replying with those two words, Ou Jing He disappeared from the chat. Her body felt like it had tides—surging, overwhelming, waves crashing and receding. She hadn’t seen Zheng Ze Yan recently, yet her mood was surprisingly good, and her skin seemed to have regained its youthful glow. She paid for another round of tuition at the drift track and specifically requested Yu Zhi Mei as her coach. When she was in a good mood, she was unusually generous. If someone was going to earn money off her, she preferred it go to a friend’s pocket rather than some rough-edged man driving an M3 who stared at her all the time—dusty-faced, with slightly graying temples, acting like nobility just because he was a coach, but still speaking like a barbarian. Before meeting Zheng Ze Yan, she didn’t think herself much better than them, but now she no longer gave them a second glance or cared about their advances. Giving her body to someone who criticized others while being overweight? No way. But with men who demanded much of themselves and were keen to please her, even being used felt meaningful.

Applying lipstick in the driver’s seat, she saw Yu Zhi Mei walk in wearing a black tank top. Ou Jing He instinctively furrowed her brows: “You’re not wearing sunscreen? You’ve already darkened noticeably.”

“It’s fine.”

“What’s wrong? Isn’t getting tanned normal?”

“Getting tanned makes you age faster.”

“But you’ll age either way.”

In front of Yu Zhi Mei, all warnings about aging seemed irrelevant. Pressing the gas pedal into a turn, the car slightly lost control, and before exiting the curve, she floored the accelerator again, leaving the inner wheels still hovering in the air. She enjoyed this feeling of losing control, knowing she wouldn’t crash or get hurt, only experiencing the tightening of her heart within safe limits—like riding a roller coaster or… climaxing. Without a seatbelt, Yu Zhi Mei could have flown out the window. Once the car stopped, she started lecturing Sister He about how fancy cars spoiled her, always relying on the car’s power and tuning, slacking off on technique.

“Should we switch places so you can show me?”

“No, step on the gas and try again.”

Yu Zhi Mei was more troubled than she let on. Watching her furrowed brows, Sister He knew exactly what was bothering her—a few evenings ago, on a work night, Jian Zhao Wen was still working overtime at the company while Yu Zhi Mei and Brother Ma came to the dessert shop for drinks. Zheng Ze Yan had arranged to come up to the third floor but arrived early. While Yu Zhi Mei went to the restroom, he followed her. From behind the cash register, pretending to count inventory, Ou Jing He witnessed everything clearly: Zheng Ze Yan gripped Yu Zhi Mei’s neck and thrust his tongue into her mouth, as if trying to scramble her thoughts and tear her apart. Before he could fully succeed, Yu Zhi Mei countered by gripping his neck and slamming him against the opposite wall.

“You don’t like it?”

“Don’t go too far.”

“I don’t understand. Isn’t it normal for people to like two people at once? You must admit you feel something for me. When I caught your tongue, you didn’t resist at first.”

“Do you know the difference between humans and animals? Affection should be restrained by propriety.”

“I’m doing this because I like you.”

“This is harassment.” Yu Zhi Mei gently pushed him away: “I’ve told you many times—I like Jian Zhao Wen. Stop pursuing me. The flowers and gifts you send to my company, your so-called compensation for regrets from university—I threw them all away. If you keep this up, I’ll have to move. We won’t even be friends anymore. We’re adults—don’t make this ugly.”

“Why don’t you like me?”

Yu Zhi Mei almost couldn’t believe it: “Do I really have to say it?”

With that, Yu Zhi Mei walked out of the narrow corridor. Ou Jing He stood there holding a bottle of soju, face-to-face with Zheng Ze Yan. His expressionless face masked the turbulent emotions beneath—defeat, anger, and unwillingness to concede. Seeing Ou Jing He’s knowing look only made him angrier: “What gives you the right to look down on me?”

She simply smiled victoriously, quietly walking out. For someone like Zheng Ze Yan, she seemed to have found a way to drive him mad—for instance, silence was the highest form of disdain.

After the drifting lesson ended, Yu Zhi Mei prepared to go home, take a shower, and rest, but Sister He dragged her straight to the dessert shop. In the voice call, she shouted dramatically: “Jian Zhao Wen, Shi Rui, Ma Minmin, what’s going on? Why aren’t you coming to support my business? If you don’t come this weekend, don’t bother coming back!”

Before hearing Brother Ma respond first, Shi Rui’s message arrived: “Sister He, you couldn’t have timed this better. I actually have something to discuss with you—I’m getting married!”

Jian Zhao Wen still hadn’t shown up. Gossip-loving Brother Ma was the first to arrive. By the time Sister He and Yu Zhi Mei parked their cars and returned to the shop, Shi Rui had already finished discussing lease termination matters with Brother Ma—the first big event of 2018: Shi Rui, just as summer approached and her lease was expiring, had finally found a boyfriend and gotten engaged. Brother Ma was still excitedly talking: “Do you know how clever Shi Rui is? She personally persuaded her useless boyfriend to return to his hometown and hooked up with another Jian Zhao Wen!”

This story naturally sparked rounds of questioning from Sister He and Brother Ma. Shi Rui wore a black lace undershirt with a T-shirt over it and a black fisherman’s hat, looking just like Yu Zhi Mei. Brother Ma began analyzing Shi Rui’s outfit: “Does dressing like this help you find new wealthy partners? Look at Yu Zhi Mei, then look at yourself.”

Just imitation. Shi Rui evaded the question: “He’s not some new entrepreneur—just a guy working in foreign exchange trading at a bank…”

“But he’s at least a master’s graduate from a prestigious school! How did you manage that?”

“We met on DayNight six months ago. We were just friends at first, but recently I’ve been taking the high-speed train to see him every week. Now he’s moved to Shanghai, found a place, and we’re seriously talking about marriage.” Shi Rui shyly passed around photos on her phone: “I guess you could say I shamelessly pursued him and secured him with gentleness and virtue. This battle—I’ve burned my boats.”

The man in the photo was named Jiang Lei. His appearance bore some resemblance to Jian Zhao Wen—he had a face girls adored, dressed in simple basics, clean and fresh, yet exuded ambition. Originally working in foreign exchange trading at a bank in Lujiazui, he’d transferred to Shenzhen a year ago. Shi Rui met Jiang Lei during a dinner with friends from DayNight. On weekends, he traveled back to Shanghai for work. Encouraged by friends, he registered on DayNight shortly before catching a flight. Shi Rui discreetly noted his account and, forgetting about the online acquaintance she was supposed to meet for dinner, flew to Shenzhen the next week to meet Jiang Lei.

The subsequent story could easily be called a tragic romance. Though they agreed to remain friends, Shi Rui became deeply entangled in Jiang Lei’s charm. He took her drinking with his young friends in Shenzhen, reminiscing about his unforgettable first love—the girlfriend he gave all his savings to, even selling his cheap keyboard to compete in internet cafes for better gear. After their heart-wrenching breakup, he remained haunted, treating other women as fleeting distractions. Shi Rui confessed her feelings but was rejected. Still, she persisted, bringing gifts every time, determined to marry no one else. Yet Jiang Lei barely gave her a second thought—they met, ate, slept together, and he sent her to the train station. There were several such women in his phone. Shi Rui kept buying train tickets, tidying his rental apartment, arranging his slippers neatly, and sending thoughtful gifts to his parents for holidays and birthdays, nearly depleting her savings. Six months later, Jiang Lei finally surrendered, formally requesting a transfer back to Shanghai with two suitcases in tow.

“I know he transferred back from Shenzhen for work—and also to cut ties with other women. He probably had three or four women in Shenzhen who were smarter and prettier than me—but…I won.”

Sister He raised an eyebrow, probing further: “What about your artist boyfriend?”

“I convinced him to return to his hometown, carefully calculating the cost of pursuing art in Shanghai and encouraging him to rely on his family while focusing on his craft.”

“Was he okay with you being with someone else?”

“No, but he didn’t know. I told him the lease wasn’t up yet and promised to break it before returning to our hometown to marry him. As soon as the train left, I blocked him. Even if he finds out I live here, I’m moving at the end of the month. Besides…” Shi Rui wiped her mouth with a wet wipe, carefully reapplied her lipstick: “I’ve already registered with someone else.”

Unbelievable. Amid applause, Zheng Ze Yan walked in and sat at a nearby table, playing with his phone. Yu Zhi Mei immediately grew uncomfortable, which Ou Jing He noticed. Brother Ma kept chatting: “I always thought Yu Zhi Mei was the happiest, but she’s still not Jian Zhao Wen’s girlfriend. Meanwhile, Shi Rui is about to get married. Shi Rui, did you dress like this on purpose to chase boys?”

“No, I just threw something on.” Shi Rui rarely dressed stylishly, shyly greeting Zheng Ze Yan. Her smile was meticulously calculated, sweet even at the corners of her eyes and lips, like a victorious general.

“Such a great occasion calls for a toast.” Ou Jing He suddenly started recording a video, interrogating Shi Rui while pointing the camera at her: “Life winner, tell me—what happens when an ambiguous friendship drags on without turning into a romantic relationship?”

“Strangers.”

“Why?”

“Timing matters in love. Even if two close friends live together, if one suddenly develops feelings for someone else, they’ll start fawning over them, distracted and forgetful. The friend left behind remains just that—a friend. After a passionate romance ends, the friend is still there. But breaking up after dating consumes time and breeds estrangement and betrayal. So, lasting friendships are all lies. Once past their expiration date, they won’t evolve into romantic relationships. It’s best to pursue love while the feelings are mutual.”

“Well said.” In the final seconds, Ou Jing He captured Zheng Ze Yan in the frame, saved the video, and sent it to Jian Zhao Wen, glancing meaningfully at Yu Zhi Mei: “Some people need to figure things out.”

Jian Zhao Wen and Lei Zheng had pulled three consecutive weeks of all-nighters, leaving Jian Zhao Wen on the verge of palpitations. Finally, Lei Zheng allowed him to go home and rest. Xu Heng, who had taken on outsourcing work, accompanied them through twenty days of product development—only because Jian Zhao Wen’s project was promising and he wanted to climb Lei Zheng’s network. Jian Zhao Wen liked to organize all information on a whiteboard, which resembled a continental map, filling and emptying sections until only the most critical product details remained. The three of them worked tirelessly in the office. DayNight had transformed significantly—its daytime interface was now vibrant (even button colors were handpicked by Lei Zheng), with matching, square, and chat functions for both day and night modes each having their own ecosystems. Emotional counseling and sharing entries were prominently placed in the menu bar, with chat rooms as the main feature encouraging sharing. Jian Zhao Wen also tightened the anti-harassment mechanisms—Lei Zheng convinced himself that these sacrifices were necessary for early users.

At 2 a.m., Xu Heng collapsed into Jian Zhao Wen’s backseat, muttering angrily, “Next time Lei Zheng has outsourcing work, don’t involve me,” before falling asleep. Glancing at the time, Jian Zhao Wen realized driving him back to Songjiang was impractical, so he carried Xu Heng to his place and unrolled a sleeping bag for himself. The following week, he would officially resign from the tech giant. Six to seven months wasn’t long, but Jian Zhao Wen felt that if he weren’t set on entrepreneurship, being a cog in a big company would have been quite comfortable. After a busy day, he finally had time to check messages. Seeing the celebratory video from the dessert shop and Sister He’s closing line paired with Zheng Ze Yan’s predatory gaze at Yu Zhi Mei, Jian Zhao Wen nearly smashed his phone. After brushing his teeth and stretching on the balcony, he coincidentally saw Yu Zhi Mei in pajamas stepping onto her balcony. A sudden surge of unnamed anger overtook him. Without a word, he climbed onto the air conditioning unit and jumped over.

P.S.: The next chapter finally brings the long-awaited… Welcome to add this to your favorites, vote for recommendations, and join the comments section~ Waiting for everyone today too!