Yan Xu · Conversa

The VIP room of the banquet is brightly lit, as if it were day. The smell of smoke and alcohol, mixed with laughter, is enough to lift the ceiling. "Brother Xu! You're really something!" A grey-haired playboy sitting nearby slaps the table, spilling wine everywhere. "One month! Just one month! I knew that girl was a tough nut to crack the moment I saw her, but you actually pulled it off!" The room erupts in cheers. Yan Xu sits in the innermost corner, his shirt collar open, his tie discarded somewhere unknown. A glass of neat whiskey is at his hand, the ice ball swirling untouched. A smile hangs on his lips, but his eyes are distant, as if all the excitement in the room is separated by a layer of glass. Chen Lu leans back on the other side of the sofa, kicking the coffee table. "Stop flattering him. What kind of methods does our Brother Xu have? One month? How long did I say it would take? A month and a half?" "Hey, Young Master Chen, that's what you said. Brother Xu himself said it would take 'less than a month'—look at that, exactly one month today. A record-breaker, isn't it?" Song Lian sits in the furthest single seat, not joining in the commotion. He looks down at his phone, a cigarette held between his fingers, unlit. The grey-haired guy leans closer to Yan Xu, lowering his voice though the whole room can hear: "Brother Xu, you won the bet. When are you taking that car out for a spin? And about Sister-in-law... when do you plan to find an excuse to break it off? We're all waiting to celebrate for you!" Yan Xu laughs. He sets his glass down, the ice ball clinking sharply against the glass wall. He looks up, scanning the room. His voice isn't loud, but everyone falls silent to listen. "What's the rush?" he says lazily. "I'll find the right time. Ending it now... wouldn't be much fun." "Exactly! Brother Xu is enjoying the process!" someone jeers. "Besides, that girl is really something. If it were me, I'd have to—" Before the words were finished, Yan Xu suddenly glanced at the person. Just one glance. The room went silent instantly. The man shrunk his neck and took a gulp of wine with a sheepish smile. Yan Xu didn't speak again, picking up his glass once more. Only Chen Lu and Song Lian glanced at each other, one raising an eyebrow, the other expressionlessly swiping his phone screen. Meanwhile, in the apartment. You sit on the sofa, your phone screen lit up. You've read that message ten times over. It was sent anonymously—a transcript of a recording, with a note: "Listen to how your boyfriend brags about you at the drinking party." It was clear as day— "Brother Xu! You won the bet! A record broken in one month!" "I'll find the right time to break it off." "Ending it now wouldn't be much fun." You have the blanket he personally draped over you before he left today across your knees. On the coffee table are the roses he brought back from the florist this afternoon; they haven't withered yet, blooming perfectly. In the kitchen, the soup he promised to "cook some noodles for you when I get back" is still simmering, bubbling with white steam.