Chapter 131: The Ex’s Birthday Party

Qi Yan woke up early the next morning, not because he had naturally stirred, but because of a barrage of notifications.

"Tsk... who is it? Such poor timing!" At first, he assumed it was just some annoying social media vendor spamming advertisements. He picked up his phone to find it was just two minutes past eight.

The messages were from Xu Dan, asking if he was free today and, if he wasn't working, whether he’d like to grab a drink at the milk tea shop in the shopping center.

Still groggy, Qi Yan was confused. He wondered if that pair of lovebirds was bickering again. Usually, if one of them reached out to him alone, there was a seventy percent chance it meant trouble.

He habitually replied with a voice message: "You two aren't fighting again, are you?"

Xu Dan replied, "Why must you always expect the worst? Dong Ye and I are currently on very solid, sweet terms."

"I heard you went on a business trip recently. Are you back yet? If you are, clear your schedule for tonight." After a short pause, she added, "Today is Xiao Hui's birthday. She’s invited us to dinner, and that includes you. Surprised?"

"Xiao Hui" was Chen Huiting. Qi Yan was stunned for a moment, then checked the date. This was awkward. It had been quite a long time since they split, and he wouldn't have remembered if not for the reminder. No wonder Chen Huiting had proactively added him back on WeChat the night before he left for Hunan province. Was that why she did it?

On second thought, that didn't feel right. It was normal for her to invite Xu Dan, but what was her mindset in inviting him? They hadn't spoken since their breakup until their chance encounter at the Exhibition Center. Even if they were barely on speaking terms as acquaintances now, it wasn't common for young people to invite exes to their birthday celebrations.

Just as Qi Yan was pondering this, Xu Dan sent another intriguing voice message: "Note: You’re allowed to bring a guest..."

Qi Yan paused, then pressed for more: "I’m single, and you know that. Is there any point in saying that? Are you trying to get a rise out of me?"

"I’m not trying to provoke you. I just feel that Xiao Hui’s motive for insisting I act as a messenger to get you there isn’t entirely pure. She has a boyfriend who looks like a burgeoning celebrity now, and I suspect she wants to intentionally rub it in. She must still hold some resentment over what happened between you two back then."

Chen Huiting had a new boyfriend? And she was still inviting him to her birthday dinner? That made it even more bizarre. However, combined with Xu Dan’s analysis, Qi Yan understood immediately, and a sense of uncomfortable strangeness surged in his heart.

*Heh... how did this girl become so calculating?* On the surface, she acted harmonious, kind, and graceful, as if she had completely let go and the past was behind them. But in reality, she still harbored such petty intentions?

She’d found a seemingly decent boyfriend, saw that Qi Yan wasn't doing particularly well when they met at the Exhibition Center, and decided to play nice, invite him to her birthday, and then have the old and new boyfriends sit face-to-face... The contrast would be so stark it would be a slap in the face—the kind where you couldn't even fight back.

"This... this happened so long ago, and she’s still holding a grudge? She was acting so friendly before just to lower my guard, only to set up this little trap to inflict mental and emotional retaliation!"

Xu Dan quickly tried to soothe him on the other end. "Isn't that a bit extreme? I think... most people would feel that way. Besides, you weren't exactly a saint back then, were you? You admitted as much to me yourself when you were at the Jintang Cement Plant. Now that she’s seen you again, I think it’s normal for her to want a little revenge. But don't worry, even though she was my best friend, if I had to choose, I’d definitely stand by your side! That’s why I told you about this right away."

"Of course, you can choose not to go. But if you do, it’s best not to come alone. Why not find a girl she doesn't know to pretend for a bit? A lot of people do that, don't they?"

Qi Yan curled his lip and replied, "Since I’ve already guessed her motive, I’m not going. It’s not that I’m afraid of losing face; it’s just that I find it truly childish!"

"I think you’re just afraid of looking bad..."

"I’m not going! No matter what, I’m not going."

Forget it. He’d woken up in a foul mood, and after a quick wash, he headed out. Upon arriving at the studio, Li Ruoke pulled him aside before Li Lan was even awake to discuss the trip.

He had already recounted the events of his trip to Western Hunan over the phone the previous night. Li Ruoke had been astonished; she never expected that a simple search for someone in a mountain village could lead to such an unbelievable, bizarre tale.

"Describe it to me. What did that monster look like? Was it anything like what you see on TV?"

Qi Yan didn't know how to describe it. He didn't even want to recall the event; it was truly nauseating. As they were eating breakfast, Qi Yan’s WeChat chimed again. It wasn't Xu Dan, but Chen Huiting herself. She was indeed sending an invitation for dinner tonight. She didn't mention it was her birthday, just "dinner," but she was insistent.

Seeing his expression sour, Li Ruoke asked curiously, "What’s wrong? Another credit card overdue notice?"

Qi Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head. "No... it's my college girlfriend. We broke up ages ago. We ran into each other at the Exhibition Center and reconnected. Now she wants me to attend her birthday dinner."

He told her about his frustration. The "heroine" frowned and patted his shoulder. "Then go! Why not? It’s just an ex. Who doesn't have one or two?"

Qi Yan’s bitter smile deepened. "It’s obvious she wants to show off her new boyfriend in front of me. I already know the situation from my friend. Why should I go? To make myself miserable?"

"If you don't go, it proves you're feeling guilty. My friends have been through this too. It's fine. If nothing else, I'll go with you myself. I get a free meal out of it..."

Qi Yan panicked. "What are you going for?"

"To pose as your current girlfriend," Li Ruoke said deadpan. "Doesn't she want to prove she’s doing better than you? Every girl has a bit of that in her. If you bring me along, with my looks... heh, you’ll be the one shining. I’ll totally outshine her."

She was brimming with confidence, but Qi Yan still thought it sounded ridiculous. "Stop messing around, will you? You don't know the situation. Back then... I really did treat her poorly, but it’s been so long. I thought she had moved on, but I never expected this. It’s like something out of a melodramatic soap opera..."

"Besides, don't be so confident. My friend gave me the scoop this morning. This new boyfriend of hers seems to have graduated from an arts school. He spent the last few years doing odd gigs and even worked as a host at Music Radio 90.18 for a while... just a third-rate singer. But now, he’s just been scouted by Chuangxing Entertainment and is about to sign as a formal debut artist... Even if I let you pose as my girlfriend, do you really think you can outshine him?"