Reflecting on the Reality of Love
My girlfriend Qianqian was sent by her workplace to a major city in the south for a six-month training program. After she had been gone for a month, I missed her terribly. It was the weekend, so I called her, wanting to visit her. Qianqian laughed, “It’s such a long trip for just two days.
Hang in there, darling. Just pretend I’m on another planet!” “But you’re not on another planet. Besides, if two days isn’t enough, I can take leave,” I said. Upon hearing that, Qianqian’s tone changed, “Oh, come on! A man should prioritize his career. If you keep being so sentimental, I won’t talk to you anymore!”
Two months later, I had a business trip to the south and could take a detour to see her. I called her again, but Qianqian resolutely refused, “No, no, you mustn’t come!” “Why not?” “I’m… I’m too busy with my studies. Your visit would be a distraction.” Her words annoyed me. It was just a short training course, not the final push before a college entrance exam. I laughed coldly, “Fine, Miss Scholar. Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you. Focus on your studies!” I hung up the phone before she could say anything else.
I suspected that Qianqian might be having an affair. I stubbornly decided not to contact her, hoping she would call to explain and apologize. But she never did. Even when her training ended, I hadn’t heard a word from her. It seemed I had been right to be suspicious. All our vows of eternal love had turned me into a pitiful “Qin Xianglian” (a symbol of a betrayed woman in Chinese opera).
Just when I had given up hope, I suddenly received a call from Qianqian, asking me to pick her up at the provincial capital’s airport at 8 PM. I suppressed my joy and pretended to be annoyed, “It’s only about 50 kilometers from the capital to our place. There are plenty of buses. Just take one.” “No, I want you to pick me up! I have a surprise for you.” Reluctantly, I agreed. After hanging up, I joyfully got ready and cleaned my beloved car. As evening approached, I left home, humming a tune.
Just as I drove out of the city, I saw a pretty girl waving at me by the roadside. I stopped, and before I could say anything, she pleaded sweetly, “Big brother, it’s so late. Could you give me a ride?” “Where to?” “To the provincial capital.” I hesitated briefly, then reassured myself—if a pretty girl wasn’t afraid, why should I be? So, I agreed.
With the girl in the car, my heart raced. Even someone as virtuous as Liu Xia Hui (a historical figure known for his virtue) would find it hard to stay calm in such a situation. I stole a glance at her. She wore a small pair of glasses and looked both beautiful and gentle.
Strikingly, she resembled Qianqian, though she was younger and prettier. She was also quite chatty, making sure I wasn’t bored with our conversation. Before long, I felt as if I had known her forever.
“Big brother, you’re so young and successful, and you’re so handsome. Your girlfriend must be so envious!” Her sincere praise made me beam with pride. “Girlfriend? I don’t even have a date yet,” I lied, feeling smug.
She looked at me in surprise and sighed, “You must be too picky.” “Not picky. In our small city, there’s no one as elegant and beautiful as you. They say the environment shapes the person. Our place…” I couldn’t help but flatter her in return.
The trip, which usually took an hour, lasted over two hours. When we finally arrived, she said, “Thank you for the ride, big brother. Why not come to my place for a while?” Seeing her affectionate eyes, I suddenly remembered Qianqian and quickly said, “Sorry, I have to pick up a colleague.” “A female colleague?” “No, it’s our boss, a man.” I chuckled inwardly and added, “We just met, so you might not know me well.
But you’ll find I’m a genuine person over time.” “Really?” She gave me a meaningful smile. Before she got off, she handed me her phone number, smiling shyly, “I’m Xiaoqian. Let’s stay in touch, okay?” “Sure, sure!” I was flattered and gave her my name and number.
Watching her walk away, I felt proud of my performance. Remembering Qianqian’s cold tone on the phone, I got annoyed again: What arrogance! I’m a desirable guy too!
When I arrived at the airport, it was the time Qianqian had mentioned, but she was nowhere to be found. I checked with the information desk and found out her flight had arrived three hours ago.
My anger flared up. If she wanted to break up, why not just say so instead of playing games? I suddenly thought of Xiaoqian and called her number, but each time, I got an “invalid number” message. Could she have… Just then, my phone rang. It was Qianqian’s number. I angrily demanded, “What’s going on? If you don’t want to see me, just say so! Why play games? And what’s with the surprise?”
Qianqian calmly replied, “I had some cosmetic work done and got glasses that suit me. I wanted to surprise you. But it seems you gave me a surprise instead.” I was taken aback and quickly asked, “Then who was just now…?” Qianqian laughed coldly, “After all this time, I never realized you were such a ‘genuine’ person!”
Short stories shared for free on our ” Sitestorys “. Thank you for reading!
