The dinner was scheduled for 7:30 pm, so I showed up at the restaurant at 7:00 pm.

But by 8:00 pm, Vivian still hadn’t arrived.

I tried calling her, but the line was busy.

By 9:00 pm, I still hadn’t heard from her. M

y stomach was growling, so I decided to stop waiting and just ordered the food.

I enjoyed a quiet meal on my own.

After dinner, I wandered around a big supermarket in the city, picking up a bunch of fruits and vegetables I liked.

When I was leaving, I saw a post from Howard on social media.

[With you by my side, everything is great.]

The photo showed a delicate, pale hand with a small rose tattoo on the webbing between the thumb and index finger.

It was Vivian’s hand.

Normally, seeing something like this would have made me furious and jealous, leading to a big fight with Vivian.

But this time, I felt nothing.

It was as if Vivian and Howard were completely irrelevant, like strangers to me.

When I got home, I took a shower and then settled in with a plate of fruit while binge-watching a show.

I used to handle all the housework, including cooking, laundry, and cleaning, so I barely had time to watch TV.

It had been a long time since I’d enjoyed TV like this.

After finishing two episodes, I was drowsy and fell asleep in bed.

Half-asleep, I heard the door open and footsteps, followed by her calling my name.

“David?”

Seeing me deep in sleep, she slapped my face lightly.

I rubbed my eyes and looked up. “You’re back?”

She looked momentarily surprised, frowning at me with what seemed like irritation.

I couldn’t figure out why she was upset. Was she annoyed that I didn’t interrogate her about why she stood me up or why she was with Howard? Was she expecting me to doubt their relationship and start another endless argument?

It was a joke.

In the past, when I was hysterically upset, she would criticize me for being petty, looking at me like I was a clown. Now that I wasn’t upset anymore, why was she the one getting mad?

“I’m sorry. Howard had a depressive episode, and I was afraid he might do something drastic, so I had to cancel on you,” she said.

I waved my hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Get some rest. You have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

I waved my hand dismissively.

She said anxiously, “He’s really in a dangerous state. I couldn’t get away…”

I glanced at the time.

Without letting her finish, I interrupted.

“It’s fine. Get some rest. You have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

Without waiting for her to finish, I interrupted and buried my head under the covers, going back to sleep.

I needed to get enough rest to recover quickly.

Seeing my reaction, she paused briefly, sighed, and then went to the bathroom to wash up.

I quickly fell into a deep sleep. It was the best sleep I’d had in years, and I didn’t even notice when she finally got into bed.

The next morning, I made myself some plain congee for breakfast and headed to work.

While waiting for the bus at the entrance of my apartment complex, Vivian drove by and rolled down her window. “I saw there’s food in the fridge. Why didn’t you make me a lunchbox?”

I used to prepare her lunch every day at the office, making each meal with care and her favorite ingredients.

She loved spicy food, so even though it made my stomach hurt, I always added chili to everything.

She’s allergic to seafood, and even though I grew up by the sea and love seafood, I haven’t had it in seven years just to avoid upsetting her.

Despite all my efforts to please her, she only seemed to grow more indifferent and open about her relationship with Howard.

I smiled faintly. “Making lunchboxes is too much trouble. I’d have to get up at five in the morning, and it really cuts into my sleep. I’m not doing it anymore. You said the cafeteria food at your company is better than mine. Anyway, so just eat there.”

Vivian stared at me, clearly taken aback, then said quickly, “You have to believe me, there’s nothing between Howard and me. He had a depressive episode yesterday… I really couldn’t get away… His family was there too, so don’t overthink it.”

I looked at her with a smile in my eyes.

If his family was there, why were you still hanging around?

Not wanting to get into an argument, I said calmly, “I get it. Howard’s your old friend, and he’s dealing with depression. It makes sense you’d help him out.”

She fell silent for a moment before saying with a hint of sadness, “You’re still upset with me.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. Anyway, the bus is here, and I have to go to work. See you.”

I gave her a polite wave and walked away, treating her like any casual acquaintance.