"The two of you should stop chatting with each other. This guy looks so awkward here," the driver said.

I was grateful that the driver had made a fair point.

Rosalie and the man, who were chatting away just now, fell silent.

The smile on Rosalie's face vanished. It seemed like she wasn't going to say anything.

But the man beside her chuckled. "I'm sorry for neglecting you. I'm Rosalie's senior, Ethan Grant, and I'm one year ahead of her.

"We're in the same thesis group. If things go well, we'll pursue a PhD together."

After saying that, he patted my shoulder. "Are you Rosalie's older or younger brother? Why haven't I heard about you from her?"

His tone was calm, but his words were laced with mockery.

So he was Ethan Grant, another prodigy from Baston College.

This might sound absurd, but I knew this college better than the students here did, all because I wanted something in common to talk about with Rosalie.

Ethan's name always appeared on their college forum. He was really popular among the students.

The other students called Rosalie and Ethan the campus' perfect duo.

I clicked into the forum, and the latest post was a photo of Rosalie and Ethan.

They stood on the stage, and Ethan wrapped his arm around Rosalie's waist. They were smiling brightly as if nothing in the world mattered to them.

The audience was shipping the two as a couple. I had to admit that I was jealous.

Rosalie remained silent all the time. I figured she could sense the sarcasm in Ethan's words, but she didn't speak up for me.

"I'm her boyfriend." I grinned. I didn't plan to keep our relationship a secret.

Ethan's smile froze, and he quietly withdrew his hand.

…

When I arrived at the cinema, I realized it was a high-end, private cinema.

The price of the alcohol listed on the menu was enough to make me wince.

Ethan seemed very familiar with everything here. After placing his order, he handed me the menu. "I've ordered Rosalie's favorite dishes. Have a look at the menu and order something for yourself."

This place served Welean cuisine. Even the cheapest steak cost 300 dollars per serving.

Rosalie actually enjoyed eating all this?

Before she became known as a prodigy, she came from an ordinary family, just like me.

When we went on dates, we usually ordered set meals from a roadside stall.

Sometimes, we would also splurge on barbecues. We would go for a cheap buffet even if we wanted to have Welean cuisine.

Seeing I was in a difficult situation, Rosalie finally said, "One serving of pork chop, please."

Ethan took a sip of the coffee and flashed a sarcastic grin. "Pork chop stinks."

Rosalie shook her head. "He doesn't like to eat beef."

It wasn't that I didn't like beef, but that I thought it was expensive.

A surge of bitterness rose within me when Rosalie suddenly acted so caring toward me.

She knew how to have me wrapped around her finger. She would do something to hurt me, then comfort me the very next instant.

Whenever I felt like giving up, she would give me hope to keep going.

Rosalie and Ethan chatted away while watching the movie, whereas I didn't know the name of the movie even after it ended.

I had traveled 14 hours by train and only had some instant food. I didn't have an appetite when I was completely exhausted.

Once the movie was over, Ethan suddenly stood up and ordered, "Come in now."

As soon as he said that, a few workers came into the room, holding LED signs and wheeling in a cake.

The cake was about half a person's height. It looked just like one from the movie, exquisite and delicate.

Chocolate figurines were placed on each layer. The chocolate figurines were miniature versions of Ethan and Rosalie.

On top of the cake, the two figurines were hugging and looking at each other affectionately.

"Rosalie, happy birthday," Ethan said gently. It was so gentle that it felt unreal.

I looked at Rosalie eagerly, hoping that she would reject Ethan or consider my feelings.

But she blushed and thanked Ethan softly. Then, she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, looking sincere.

The faint glow of the candlelight made her cold face appear softer than before.

A tender smile tugged at her lips.

It had only been half a day, but she was smiling more than I had ever seen in the past few years. I couldn't help but think if I was part of the wishes she made.

Then, I glanced at Ethan, who stood next to me.

Both of them were prodigies, and they were perfect for each other.

Meanwhile, I was just an ordinary, poor student.

I had been holding on to an unrealistic dream before this, but when I saw the cake, I finally realized the vast gap between Ethan and me.

It was a huge gap that I could never cross. One slip-up, and everything would be over for me.

Rosalie opened her eyes. As she blew out the candles, my feelings for her faded into nothing.

Ethan clapped gently. I pulled myself together and clapped too.

He stepped forward and touched the cake with a finger. Then, he tapped Rosalie's forehead. "This is a blessing for you."

Rosalie didn't dodge him. Grinning, she took a piece of cake and smudged the cream on his cheek.

The two kept teasing each other while ignoring me.

I desperately hoped I could disappear on the spot.

"Alright. It's time to check out your gift." Ethan took a box out of the chest pocket.

My chest tightened when he opened it up.

It was a necklace, and the diamond on the pendant sparkled in the light.

It was much better than the gift I had prepared.

"Rosalie, I always think you need something around your neck. I had someone customize this, and I hope you'll like it."

A shy smile crossed his face. "I thought it wouldn't look nice if the diamond was too big. This is a three-carat diamond. I hope you don't mind it."

I had no idea how much a three-carat diamond necklace cost, but he made it sound as though he had randomly picked up a stone from the roadside.

I clutched the gift box in my pocket.

I had worked as a deliveryman for half a year just to buy this gift. I delivered food after class every day. Sometimes, I even worked past midnight.

Something I valued so much seemed like an embarrassment now.

"Oh, right. Where is your gift for Rosalie? Show it to us." Ethan suddenly grabbed my arm.

I was caught off guard, and the box slipped out of my pocket. The gold necklace I had bought after deliberating for a long time fell to the ground like a piece of trash.

I was stunned, and the air around us went still.

I took a deep breath, bent over, and put the necklace into the box without saying a word.

It was unusual to see Rosalie looking nervous. She strode toward me and called out, "Henry…"

She sounded like she had done something wrong.

I straightened my back and met Ethan's eyes.

He arched a brow and said, "I'm sorry. I'll pay you back. It's just a gold necklace."

Although he was apologizing, he didn't seem sorry at all.

Expressionless, I glanced at Rosalie, who was next to him.

Then, I turned around and left.

"Henry!" Rosalie followed me to the door and grabbed my arm. "I'm sorry."

Her breathing was slightly rapid, and her hand on my arm felt cold.

I turned around and saw the surprised look in her eyes. It seemed like she hadn't expected me to act like this.

She took a step forward and slowly leaned against my chest. "I'm sorry. Don't be mad."

There was a tinge of nervousness in her usual calm tone.

I suddenly felt like tearing up. So, that was what a hug felt like.

It turned out that I could also be her exception. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only exception.

Judging from her interaction with Ethan, I knew that behind my back, she had gone beyond her own limits again and again because of him.

I sniffed, trying to calm myself down.

In an apathetic voice, I said, "Rosalie, let's break up."

Rosalie's hand froze. She looked up at me and frowned, baffled. "Just because of something minor? Is it really that serious?"

As though she had thought of something, she sighed and let go of me.

She took a step backward and asked, "Are you expecting me to comfort you? You're a grown man. Can you stop being so childish?"