The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

Chen Zhi lay on his bed in room 404 for about half an hour, becoming more and more bored and irritable.

So he turned over and faced the wall.

Not right.

He took out his phone again and read the three conversations once more.

This time, he didn't look at the content, but at the timeline.

Pei Ningxue's reply - 5:17 PM.

Li Zhiyi's reply – 5:23 PM.

Lin Wanwan's reply - 5:31 PM.

Three people rejected him in turn within fourteen minutes.

coincidence?

Chen Zhi narrowed his eyes.

If it's a coincidence, then it's too neat.

But if it's not a coincidence...

He sat up abruptly, an even more outrageous thought flashing through his mind.

Could it be that these three women really created a group chat behind his back?

"What is Chen Zhi's Scumbag Men's Mutual Aid Association?"

"Victims' Alliance"?

Chen Zhi shuddered and quickly suppressed the terrifying thought.

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

He took two deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"Guo Yang."

"Um?"

What do you think could be the reason why three girls are ignoring one boy at the same time?

Guo Yang replied without hesitation, "You offended them, didn't you?"

"No."

"That means you've done something stupid without even realizing it."

"No, not either."

"That is—" Guo Yang finally raised his head, looking at him with a deep expression, "You haven't forgotten some important day, have you?"

Chen Zhi was stunned for a moment.

An important day?

He counted on his fingers.

It wasn't Valentine's Day, it wasn't Qixi Festival, and it wasn't any girlfriend's birthday.

They are all far from good enough.

What day was that?

"It's not a special day." Chen Zhi shook his head.

Guo Yang rolled his eyes and went back to playing his game: "Then you deserve it."

Chen Zhi lay back down and stared blankly at the ceiling.

at the same time.

A high-rise office building in Beijing's CBD.

Pei Ningxue sat in a makeshift conference room, with a long table in front of her covered with various samples, brochures, and price lists.

She wore a black suit dress, her hair neatly styled in a bun, exuding a powerful aura.

But what she is doing right now has absolutely nothing to do with Deep Space Technology's financial statements.

"This watch, with a dial half a millimeter smaller, and a dark brown alligator leather strap," Pei Ningxue said, pointing to the design drawings in front of her, her tone leaving no room for argument. "The back will be engraved with just two letters."

Sitting opposite me is Patek Philippe's private bespoke consultant for the Asia Pacific region.

A well-dressed, middle-aged Swiss man, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, smiled professionally.

"Ms. Pei, this timeframe is indeed very tight. Following normal procedures, a custom-made item typically takes at least three to six months—"

"I don't care about the process." Pei Ningxue pushed a black card to the center of the table. "Double the rush fee. I need the finished product before May 20th."

The consultant glanced at the black card, then at Pei Ningxue's unyielding face, and wisely put the black card away.

"I did my best to coordinate with the Geneva workshops."

"It's not just about trying my best." Pei Ningxue picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. "It's definitely about doing my best."

After the consultant left, Pei Ningxue leaned back in her chair and took out her phone.

The screen displayed a message sent by Chen Zhi ten minutes ago.

Did you and Old Deng trick me together today?

She looked at the message, a slight smirk playing on her lips, before resuming her indifferent expression.

Are you trying to scam me?

Did you know that I've been secretly preparing for your birthday since last week?

A watch is a...

There are two other items, one in Shanghai and one in Switzerland, both being rushed to completion.

Pei Ningxue scrolled up Chen Zhi's WeChat chat window and stopped at a sentence he had casually mentioned a month ago.

"I feel like I've never had a proper birthday celebration."

At that time, Pei Ningxue didn't say anything, she just hummed in response.

But that night, she typed a line into her memo:

Give this bastard a birthday he'll never forget.

She opened another dialog box.

Have you ordered everything?

The other party replied instantly.

【It's booked with Mr. Pei! I've already checked out the venue; that loft in Sanlitun is perfect, we can decorate it in his preferred style.】

Pei Ningxue frowned.

What style does he like?

The other side remained silent for a few seconds.

"...Mr. Pei, I really don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

Asking him would just expose him, wouldn't it? Are you an idiot?

[I'm sorry, Mr. Pei! I'll go ask Mr. Dai! Mr. Dai should know!]

Pei Ningxue put down her phone and rubbed her temples.

The CFO of Deep Space Technology, the second-in-command of a company valued at tens of billions, is currently racking his brains over what flavor his 19-year-old son's birthday cake should be.

She suddenly felt like she was a complete failure.

But after thinking about it, I felt—

Fine, just this once.

I will never do it again.

Pei Ningxue locked her phone, stood up, straightened her skirt, and walked out of the conference room in her high heels.

At the entrance, her personal driver, Lao Zhao, was waiting by the car.

"Mr. Pei, where's our next stop?"

"Wanliu Academy." Pei Ningxue opened the car door. "Get out that kitchen set from home; I want to try making something tomorrow."

Old Zhao was taken aback for a moment: "What are you making?"

Pei Ningxue got into the back seat and fastened her seatbelt.

"Longevity noodles."

At the same time.

A five-star hotel in Hangzhou.

Lin Wanwan wrapped herself in the blanket, the light from her phone screen reflecting on her face.

She was having a video call with Su Man.

"Sister Man, I'm telling you, he absolutely mustn't know about this!"

Su Man sat in another hotel room, a pile of documents spread out in front of her, and replied without looking up, "You've said it eight hundred times."

"But I really want to tell him!" Lin Wanwan rolled around in the blanket. "I almost let it slip just now, he asked me out to dinner, and I really want to go!"

"If you go, the surprise the day after tomorrow will be ruined." Su Man finally looked up. "Have you finished recording that song?"

Lin Wanwan poked her head out from under the covers, her eyes sparkling.

"Recording is finished! Post-production mixing was just completed this afternoon! Sister Man, listen to it!"

She held her phone up to the Bluetooth speaker and pressed play.

A soft intro came from the speaker, with gentle strumming of guitar arpeggios, followed by Lin Wanwan's clear voice:

The March wind rustled past your collar.

The way you look down at your phone.

He looks just like the boy I secretly drew in my notebook…

Su Man listened for about ten seconds, then stopped moving.

She took off her glasses and looked at the face on her phone screen, slightly flushed with nervousness.

"Did you write this yourself?"

"Yes!" Lin Wanwan nodded vigorously, "I wrote both the lyrics and the music myself!"

"How long did you write?"

"Two weeks." Lin Wanwan's voice suddenly softened. "Every day after recording, I would go back to the hotel and write in my room. Sister Man, what do you think... does it sound good?"

Su Man remained silent for a few seconds.

"It sounds nice."

"Really!"

"However," Su Man put her glasses back on, her manager's serious expression returning,

"You can only sing this song to him on his birthday, and absolutely cannot post it on any platform. Given your current situation, if you were photographed singing a love song to a man, the trending topics would explode tomorrow."

"I know, I know!" Lin Wanwan nodded repeatedly from under the covers. "I'll only sing it for him! I won't let anyone else hear it!"

Su Man looked at the lovestruck girl on the screen and sighed helplessly.

Two weeks. I stayed up all night writing songs after each day's schedule.

Just to sing a three-minute song on that man's birthday.

Su Man lowered her head and continued reading the documents.

"By the way, the thing you asked me to order for you has arrived."

"We're here!" Lin Wanwan jumped out of bed. "Let me see!"

Su Man picked up a delicate little box from the table and opened it to show it to her.

Inside the box was a hand-woven red rope bracelet, almost identical to the one Chen Zhi had given her before, but with an extra tiny red gemstone embedded in the very center of the woven pattern.

"Is it good?" Lin Wanwan leaned over the screen, her eyes shining like two stars.

Su Man looked at the ruby, which was the size of a fingernail, and silently calculated its price in her mind.

"……nice."

"I told my master I wanted the same braiding pattern as the one he gave me before, but with an added ruby, to represent—" Lin Wanwan blushed, her voice trailing off, "that he is the most precious person in my heart."

Su Man put down the box.

"Lin Wanwan, can you please stop blushing like a monkey's bottom every time you say something like that? You're the champion of 'Singer,' have some self-respect, okay?"

"But Sister Man, I was telling the truth!"

Su Man took a deep breath, deciding to stop arguing with a love-struck person, and instead pulled out another message on her phone.

"I've cancelled all your appearances on the 20th. I told the production team you had a sore throat and needed to rest for a day."

"Okay, Sister Man!"

"Also, I'll take care of your makeup. Don't try to do it yourself. Last time you drew your own eyeliner, it was so crooked I thought you had a stroke."

"Sister Man!"

Su Man hung up the video call.

The hotel room returned to quiet.

Lin Wanwan held her phone and listened to the song again from beginning to end.

Then she opened Chen Zhi's WeChat chat and looked at the last message.

Okay then, remember to get plenty of rest and don't overwork yourself.

Lin Wanwan bit her lip, her fingers hesitating on the screen for a long time.

She typed a line, then deleted it.

I typed a line, then deleted it.

After repeating it five or six times, she sent a message.

Goodnight, honey! Sweet dreams! Dream of me!

After sending the message, Lin Wanwan buried her face in the pillow.

Just five more days.

Just five days.

You'll find out in five days.

Beijing.

Renmin University campus.

When Li Zhiyi walked out of the library, it was already completely dark.

She was wearing a long dress, carrying two textbooks in her arms, and walking at a moderate pace.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she took it out to look at it.

It was Chen Zhi who sent the message, "It's okay, then you go ahead and do your work."

She stared at it for a long time, then finally locked the screen and put the phone back in her pocket.

I lied just now.

She did not go out with her advisor.

Her supervisor didn't schedule a date with her today.

Li Zhiyi walked to a bench under a ginkgo tree on campus and sat down, then opened a hidden photo album on her phone.

There are only three photos in the album.

The first one is an unfinished sketch.

The painting depicts Chen Zhi.

In the picture, Chen Zhi is tilting his head, as if looking at something, with a slight smile between his eyebrows and eyes.

This was drawn by Li Zhiyi over a whole week, every night after the library closed, hiding under the desk lamp in her dormitory.

She has never studied painting.

A law student, using a 2B pencil and an eraser, meticulously drew from a photo he had secretly taken in his phone's album, stroke by stroke.

Three erasers have been used.

Two pencils were broken.

But she didn't want to use AI to generate the image, nor did she want to ask someone to help her draw it.

She wanted to draw it herself.

Because she had so little to give him.

She didn't have Pei Ningxue's family background, which allowed her to give him an expensive watch.

She didn't have Lin Wanwan's talent to write a song for him.

She was just an ordinary law student who saved up for two months to buy him a cell phone.

Add another letter.

That was all she could offer.

Li Zhiyi pulled a brown paper envelope from the bottom of her schoolbag.

Inside the envelope was a folded piece of paper. She had already written it, but felt it wasn't good enough and wanted to revise it.

She took out the letter and read it by the light of the street lamp.

Chen Zhi:

This is the first time I've ever written a letter to someone.

I've thought about this for a long time, but I don't know how to begin. Having written so many legal documents, I always feel like I can't speak like a normal person.

But I still want to tell you—

Since I met you, I feel like a different person.

I used to think that living was simply about studying hard, doing well on exams, and getting through each day.

I only realized what it feels like to be cherished by someone after meeting you.

Sometimes when you text me "Have you eaten?", it makes me happy all day.

You think this is pathetic?

Happy birthday, Chen Zhi.

I hope you can have a proper birthday every year.

If I could, I would like to spend every year with you.

—Li Zhiyi

She folded the letter again and put it back in the envelope.

Then he lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together.

She was very nervous.

What should I do if I'm not good at drawing?

What should I do if the letter I wrote was too cheesy?

The gifts Pei Ningxue and Lin Wanwan gave her were definitely better, more expensive, and more thoughtful than hers.

but……

Li Zhiyi looked up at the ginkgo branches above her that hadn't yet sprouted new leaves.

"I can't worry about that anymore."

She whispered to herself.

"These are all I have anyway."

If he dislikes it...

She thought about it.

"He shouldn't mind, right?"

Peking University, dormitory 404.

Chen Zhi lay alone in bed, tossing and turning.

Moonlight streamed in through the slightly open curtains, casting a thin white line on the ceiling.

Chen Zhi turned over and pulled the blanket over his head.

May 20th.

His own birthday.

He even forgot about the date.

In his previous life, Chen Zhi never had a proper birthday.

Later, when we went to college, my roommates were all busy with their own things, and no one remembered anyone's birthday.

Needless to say, after starting work, I would work overtime until the early hours of the morning, then check the date on my phone and realize, "Oh, it's my birthday today."

Then I went straight to sleep.

That's why he casually said that to Pei Ningxue one night.

"I feel like I've never had a proper birthday celebration."

He forgot about it after he said it.

What he didn't know was that someone remembered it.

It wasn't just one person.

There are three people.

Chen Zhi turned over one last time, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.