Three years after our breakup, you came back to China, and I'm just giving up. Why are you cryi

Time always slips away in the blink of an eye.

The enchanting and wild moments of that birthday night didn't seem to leave much of a mark on Lu Hao's life.

Life goes on as usual: eating, sleeping, working—a monotonous routine, as dull as a machine.

Under his leadership, the company has gotten back on track, two plans have been successfully approved, and the company's account has finally received its first payment.

Although it wasn't much, the income gave Lu Hao motivation.

Su Yu's words would always echo in his mind unintentionally.

Earning more money not only allows you to live a better life, but also helps more people.

Having grown up in an orphanage, he understands that feeling better than anyone else.

Hunger, cold, and the despair of being tormented by illness—these are all problems that can be solved with money.

All I can do is try my best to help.

That evening, after finishing the last document, Lu Hao stretched and his joints cracked.

He glanced at the still brightly lit office, where Li Xu and the others were all brimming with energy.

"Go home as soon as you're done with what you're doing. Don't ruin your health; you only have so much to lose," Lu Hao said softly.

"Alright, Brother Lu! I'll finish this up and then I'll get out of here!" Li Xu said without even looking up.

"Damn it, this client dares to play games with me. Today I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget!" Zhang Wei yelled.

Shi Lei sat silently in the corner, his fingers flying across the keyboard, striking the keys with a loud clatter.

"Brother Lu, do you want to go back and grab something to eat later?" He Shixin turned her office chair around and looked at him with a smile. "Jiawan is cooking for us today."

Lu Hao smiled and shook his head: "No, you guys can eat."

After saying that, he picked up his coat, turned around, and walked out of the company.

Downstairs, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire neighborhood in a warm orange-red hue.

In the center of the garden, those little kids were still gathered there, swinging their yo-yos and muttering to themselves; it was clear they were truly in love.

Over this period of time, although Lu Hao hadn't shown his skills, he had become quite familiar with these kids.

The one in charge is called Xiao Jiahe. He's the one who broke the other person's yo-yo last time and had to pay 100 yuan in compensation.

"Hey, Hao-ge, you're off work so early today?" Xiao Jiahe saw Lu Hao from afar and shouted.

"I'm taking a break today." Lu Hao strolled over, hands in his pockets, watching the plastic balls flying around in their hands. "Don't you guys get tired of playing this every day?"

Xiao Jiahe gave him a look that said, "You're too young": "Don't you get tired of playing games every day?"

Lu Hao was stumped by the question. He shrugged and was speechless.

"Brother Hao, stop just talking and never doing anything! You're always bragging about how great you are, show us what you can do!" Xiao Jiahe handed over his yo-yo with a provocative look on his face.

Lu Hao waved his hand dismissively: "You think I'd bother with this piece of junk? That's beneath you."

"Tch!" Xiao Jiahe retorted, pulling his hand back defiantly. "You just wait! When that pretty older sister comes next time, I'll have her show you around! Hers is the real deal!"

"Oh? A pretty older sister?" Lu Hao raised an eyebrow, showing some interest. "That's great. Remember to call me then."

A pretty older sister playing with a yo-yo—this combination is quite rare.

The image of the yo-yo he had seen on the TV cabinet in Xiao Xiyue's living room when he visited her home unconsciously came to mind.

It's been almost a month since we last contacted each other.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head.

Ha... just a passerby in life.

After chatting idly with Xiao Jiahe and the others for a few minutes, Lu Hao headed towards the parking lot.

He glanced at his phone; it was 5:30, and Lin Ran should be getting off work soon. He wanted to avoid running into her at the same time, otherwise it would be awkward.

Back at the rented apartment, Zhou Mengmeng wasn't there, and Ning Shu hadn't finished get off work yet.

The empty living room instantly engulfed him with that familiar sense of loneliness, making it hard to breathe.

Lu Hao didn't turn on the light. He groped his way to the sofa, sat down, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and skillfully flicked out a cigarette and lit it.

In the darkness, only that one crimson light flickered with his breath.

After finishing a cigarette, the numbing sensation from nicotine fades, and emptiness once again takes hold.

Lu Hao leaned back on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, like a sculpture whose soul had been taken away.

During this period, he was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even drink a drop of alcohol.

He wiped his face hard.

Tomorrow is Qin Shou's wedding.

As a groomsman, I have to go there tonight.

Lu Hao got up and went into the bathroom, turned on the shower and rinsed himself off, then went downstairs to the barbershop and had the barber give him a more presentable haircut.

The person in the mirror had a gaunt face and sunken eyes, but at least their gaze wasn't so listless anymore.

By the time he arrived at Qin Shou's villa area in his secondhand car, dusk had already sunk below the horizon, leaving only a few stubborn streaks of purple light.

Lu Hao parked his car in an open-air parking space and looked up at the brightly lit three-story villa in front of him. There were figures moving around in the yard, and he could vaguely hear lively laughter.

He smiled, it was hard to tell whether he was happy for his brother or something else.

"You've finally arrived! Come in quickly." Qin Shou had been waiting at the door for a while, and immediately came to greet Lu Hao when he got out of the car.

He was wearing a well-tailored casual suit, and his hair was styled with wax, making him look radiant.

"Congratulations, President Qin." Lu Hao stepped forward and punched him.

"Get lost, call me by my name," Qin Shou said with a laugh.

"So, what are you planning to do tonight? A final hurrah for bachelors?" Lu Hao teased, habitually pulling out a pack of twelve-yuan Zhenlong cigarettes from his pocket and handing one over.

Qin Shou waved his hand, then took out three packs of hard-pack Zhonghua cigarettes from the inside pocket of his suit and stuffed them into Lu Hao's pocket without saying a word.

"Put yours away and use mine."

Lu Hao frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You said it's bachelorette night. Tonight, it's mostly my buddies and the bride's relatives and friends who are here. Offering cigarettes like this is beneath you."

As Qin Shou spoke, he casually took the packet of Zhenlong from Lu Hao's hand and tossed it into the trash can by the door.

"Go in and offer them some cigarettes, chat with them, they're all connections, it'll be helpful for your company in the future."

Lu Hao frowned even more deeply.

He looked at the trash can next to him, and the bag of 12-yuan Zhenlong cigarettes there seemed to be a reflection of his own life that was being rejected.

"Qin Shou, when did you become so honest?" Lu Hao slowly turned his head, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

He remembered that back then, the two of them would stay in an internet cafe and share a pack of Hongmei cigarettes that cost five yuan a night.

"What is reality? This is what we call 'real'."

Qin Shou patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "With that cigarette you're carrying, people won't even give you a second glance. When you're out and about, cigarettes are a form of status, understand?"

Lu Hao's face was grim as he couldn't help but recall a sentence Zhang Xiang had said earlier.

"When your standard of living improves, you'll naturally look down on this kind of trashy cigarettes."

How is Qin Shou's current approach any different from Zhang Xiang's?

Lu Hao was somewhat confused. It seemed that once people became rich, they would forget their original aspirations.

He looked up at the brightly lit villa and the decadent laughter coming from inside, which filled him with fear.

"What are you standing there for? Go in," Qin Shou urged.

Lu Hao waved his hand, "You go in first, I'm a little dizzy from driving here, I'll just wander around outside."