Chapter 1: The End of a Four-Year Puppet Show

A summer night, filled with the incessant chirping of cicadas, found Zhou Ruoyu seated in a quiet corner of the busiest coffee shop on the bustling commercial street.

He gazed out the window, observing the countless couples strolling hand-in-hand, yet his heart was consumed by an unusual sense of despondency.

He shouldn’t have felt this way, especially since the young woman seated across from him possessed a beauty and elegance that far surpassed anyone else on the street.

Her long brown hair cascaded gracefully over her shoulders. Her vibrant, beautiful eyes were artfully enhanced by delicate makeup, while a refined, light blue Lolita dress accentuated her pristine shoulders and the gentle curve of her chest.

Beneath the hem of her dress, a pair of slender, beautiful legs, adorned in shimmering black stockings, rested languidly upon Zhou Ruoyu’s calf. Her petite, delicate feet were neatly tucked into small black leather shoes.

This was Gu Xue, his girlfriend of four years, a relationship that had blossomed during their university days.

Any patron in the coffee shop, upon catching sight of her captivating presence, would feel an immediate stir in their heart. Invariably, their gazes would then shift to Zhou Ruoyu, seated opposite her, filled with a potent mixture of envy, jealousy, and disdain.

Zhou Ruoyu himself had felt the exact same way when they first began dating in their freshman year.

Yet, regrettably…

His relationship with Gu Xue, it seemed, was not as idyllic as it appeared on the surface.

Zhou Ruoyu cast his mind back through the years. No, to be precise, throughout their four-year relationship, he couldn’t recall a single moment of genuine happiness, save for the very day she accepted his confession.

The reason for this pervasive unhappiness, he mused, was likely due to…

“Hey, Zhou Ruoyu, can you put that phone down? As my boyfriend, you’re actually thinking about relaxing and having fun? If you don’t rank in the top ten for the next exam, just watch me dump you!”

“My girlfriends’ boyfriends are either student council presidents or tall, handsome rich second-generation heirs. They’re all going abroad together next year, yet your spoken English still isn’t at a native level?”

“What do you have to be annoyed about? Why are you playing dumb when I talk to you? I’m only doing this for your own good! I speak my mind; can’t you even listen to a little bit of reason?”

“Hmph, you’ve finally achieved a small milestone! What, you want a reward? Heh heh, you’re still far from deserving one. We can only hold hands, but after that, the next goal I set for you will have to be even higher.”

“What? You said you want to work after graduating with your master’s? Absolutely not! My boyfriend *must* pursue a doctorate!”

As he gazed at the elegant young woman before him, Zhou Ruoyu found his mind replaying nothing but these utterly suffocating words.

Indeed, for the past four years, Zhou Ruoyu had felt like nothing more than a puppet on strings. Gu Xue, convinced of her own unparalleled excellence, had constantly ordered him to achieve various milestones and fulfill every one of her demands.

Initially, Zhou Ruoyu had genuinely believed Gu Xue’s actions were for his own benefit. After all, thanks to her persistent prodding, he had indeed been compelled, or rather, motivated, to accomplish a great deal. His English proficiency was now excellent, his academic performance consistently ranked among the best, and he had even successfully gained admission to a prestigious 985 university for his postgraduate studies.

Consequently, despite having long sensed the distorted, oppressive nature of their relationship—a dynamic utterly unlike that of normal couples—he had gritted his teeth and endured, holding on steadfastly.

That steadfastness had shattered just a few days prior. Zhou Ruoyu had witnessed it firsthand: Gu Xue, on the street, arm-in-arm with a handsome man in a suit. She had flashed a dazzling smile, one he had never once seen directed at him, before climbing into a luxury car with the man. Even more jarring, she had affectionately called him, “Daddy~”

‘Daddy’?!

Zhou Ruoyu felt something within him irrevocably shatter. It was abundantly clear that the man, who exuded the aura of a powerful CEO, was still quite young and certainly couldn’t be Gu Xue’s biological father. Could this, then, be the fabled ‘sugar daddy’?

A kept woman…

Witnessing this scene had twisted Zhou Ruoyu’s heart into knots. He hadn’t even entertained the thought of pursuing them, instead returning home in a daze, utterly crestfallen. There, he sat, staring blankly at the business card the man had inadvertently dropped.

The name on the card read: Gu Jiachen. Chairman of Chensi Group, Lihua City’s leading enterprise. Representative of Lihua City’s outstanding young entrepreneurs. Fluent in four languages, a PhD graduate from a global Top 5 university, recipient of countless national awards, and Lihua City’s wealthiest individual.

Each accolade adorning this powerful young CEO seemed to stab at Zhou Ruoyu’s eyes, blinding him with its brilliance. So, he finally understood. All that Gu Xue had pushed him to achieve, all her incessant demands, had merely been an attempt to mold him into a shadow of her ‘white moonlight’?

Yet, Gu Xue had never seemed to interact with that man before. Could this truly be the classic trope: the ‘white moonlight’ returns, and the substitute is cast aside?

“Oh, Ruoyu, how are your preparations for the new semester coming along? You know, just a while ago, my best friend came to me for afternoon tea and actually advised me to break up with you. She said something about ‘the first blade after reaching shore should sever ties with your beloved.’

“Thankfully, you’ve also ‘reached shore’ with your admission, otherwise… I really would have had to break up with you. Don’t get complacent once school starts, though!

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? My boyfriend, Gu Xue’s boyfriend, absolutely *must* have a doctorate. I’m thinking of having you study at Harvard University then; domestic universities are still far too inferior.”

Just as Zhou Ruoyu was lost in his daze, Gu Xue’s words abruptly yanked him back to the harsh reality. Still, her every utterance was laced with the familiar blend of belittlement and stifling expectation. Zhou Ruoyu remained silent for a moment, then, with an unexpected calmness, he spoke.

“There’s no need, Xiaoxue. I’ve already applied to the university’s admissions office to relinquish my acceptance.”

“Relin— relinquish your admission?! Ruoyu, what kind of joke are you playing with me? Do you believe I’ll actually break up with you if you—”

A flicker of utter astonishment crossed Gu Xue’s face, quickly replaced by the natural assumption that Zhou Ruoyu was merely playing a cruel prank. She flared up, shouting in a fit of indignant rage.

Yet, in the very next moment, Zhou Ruoyu’s expression remained serenely sorrowful. He slowly shook his head, then spoke with a profound weariness.

“Let’s break up, Xiaoxue. I’m tired. I’m sorry, I’m simply not good enough for you; I can’t become the perfect man you envision. So, you’ve wanted to end things for a long time, haven’t you? I won’t make it difficult for you.”

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped him.

After uttering those words, Zhou Ruoyu exhaled a long breath, as if a monumental weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. Gu Xue, who had consistently wielded the threat of a breakup as a tool to ensure her boyfriend’s obedience, now stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded.

A long silence stretched between them, her expression growing increasingly mortified. Finally, the brown-haired girl abruptly stood, slamming her palm onto the table.

“Fine, break up then! Zhou Ruoyu, you! Ha… let’s see what kind of person you can find without me!”

“I wish you happiness…”

Zhou Ruoyu, his face impassive, turned and walked away in silence, leaving Gu Xue alone. After a long moment, she slowly sank back into her seat, acutely aware of the strange glances from those around her.

Her gaze fell upon the untouched, now cold, meal spread before her. Suddenly, a glimmer of tears welled in Gu Xue’s eyes.

Silently, she raised her phone and dialed Gu Jiachen, listed in her contacts as [Foster Father]. The moment he answered, Gu Xue immediately burst into uncontrollable sobs, speaking disjointedly into the phone.

–Dad… Daddy… he, he doesn’t want me anymore… Waaah—

****

Meanwhile, back at his own home, Zhou Ruoyu uncorked a bottle of beer and began to gulp it down, the bitter liquid burning its way down his throat.

The bitter alcohol stung his throat, mirroring the ache in his heart. ‘Hah,’ he thought. Gu Xue had said to see what kind of person he could find without her?

What a joke! He would certainly find a gentle, kind, soft, and adorable beautiful girl. He *would* have one, absolutely!

Thus, after a night of heavy drinking, Zhou Ruoyu silently emerged from his covers the following morning. Slowly, he reached out, his hand gently brushing against his pillow.

‘Hmm?’

‘So long… hair?!’