In the last week of the year before, Su Man was on a business trip in S City. When she learned the news of Gu Jingbei's sudden engagement, she hurriedly returned to Jiang City.
The heavy snow enveloped the whole of Jiang City. Despite the spring-like warmth inside the hotel, Su Man felt as if she had plunged into an icehouse.
She stood in the corner, blankly lowering her head to look at the ring on her left finger.
A huge photo on the adjacent wall showed Gu Jingbei and Su Shan cuddling, seemingly sweet and happy.
"I'm sorry, Man."
The man smoking silently in front of her finally spoke, his voice sounding so distant and unreal.
Su Man trembled, raising her head, her face as pale as paper.
"Have you already decided?"
The smoke from the cigarette hung in the air between them, making it hard to read Gu Jingbei's expression. Seeing him not respond, Su Man laughed sadly, "If it weren't for Jiang Xia telling me, I would have been the last fool to know about your engagement! Gu Jingbei, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
Outside, a commotion could be heard as a group of people were looking for Gu Jingbei.
He smoked one cigarette after another, his face expressionless very much akin to indifference.
Su Man wanted to laugh, but tears came out instead, she couldn't help but yell at him, "Gu Jingbei, we agreed that as long as the Jinse Years project was launched, we would get married. The project application just began, are you going to back out now? Do I truly exist in your heart?"
His cold eyes swept across the hysteria on her face, he furrowed his brows slightly and finally spoke, "Man, you..."
"Don't call me that!"
Su Man clenched both her hands, her tear-blurred face looked even paler, she suddenly raised her right hand, on it was a diamond ring that sparkled under the lounge light.
"What was the meaning of this which you gave me two weeks ago?"
Gu Jingbei looked at the diamond ring with a heavy expression on his face.
"I thought you were proposing to me. Gu Jingbei, we've been together for three years! Three years... I thought we could keep going like this. But... you've gotten engaged to Su Shan..."
Tears broke free, and Su Man stared at the silent man, harshly wiping away her tears, she took off the ring, threw it at the man in front of her, and said, "I wish you and Su Shan a lifetime of happiness together!"
The ring hit the floor with a "clack," sounding like a broken heart. Su Man turned around without looking at him further, running towards the door.
…
Outside the large snowflakes were falling thickly, sounds of a crackling fire from the fireplace in the break room came over, making the silence in the room eerily quieter.
Under the dim yellow light, Gu Jingbei's face was cold and stiff.
He was turning a simple ring in his hand that he had made himself, but Su Man didn't know.
"Jingbei…"
The door was pushed open to reveal Su Shan with a moved expression on her face, she ran over and nestled into his arms, "I knew you loved me. You should rest assured, as my parents said, after we get engaged today, the matters of the Gu family will be the matters of our Su family!"
Happiness filled her face.
Gu Jingbei lowered his head, looking at the face in front of him that was strikingly similar to Su Man's. In a daze, it seemed as if Su Man was the one nestled into his arms, her tear-filled eyes accusing him of why he was engaged to another woman.
His eyes clouded over, opening his mouth in a low voice, "Don’t harm her."
Su Shan was taken aback, her face buried in the man's chest twisted slightly.
Gu Jingbei directly pushed her away and disappeared out the door.
