Chapter 5

Julian entered an exclusive club. The security guards at the door bowed and fawning over him; he was clearly a regular.

I followed him in.

Standing in the shadows of the hallway, I peeked through the half-open private room door.

Inside, the lights were dim, and liquor bottles were piled on the table.

The moment Julian walked in, someone on the sofa immediately started teasing:

“Well, well, Julian, not with your older sister tonight?”

He scoffed, loosened his tie, and tilted his head back, guzzling half a glass of wine.

“I’ve been with her too much lately. She’s forgotten who she is.”

The girl I'd seen in the photo, Amber, leaned closer, her fingers ambiguously tracing his collarbone.

“Julian, do you have something for me?”

Julian pulled out a gift box from his pocket.

“Here, have it. Something to play with.”

Amber opened it, pouting slightly, clearly not thrilled.

“Isn’t this last year’s style?”

Julian glanced at it.

“Yeah, I was going to give it to *her*.”

“What? What? I thought you only gave her dollar-store junk?”

The group of rich kids quickly crowded around.

“Julian, you didn’t develop feelings after sleeping with her, did you?”

I stood in the shadows by the door, clenching my trembling fists.

Julian was silent for a moment, then slowly blew out a smoke ring.

“What are you talking about? An old-fashioned, stingy old woman like her? Do you think I'd be interested?”

“I was just thinking, I’m tired of playing anyway, the reveal will happen in a few days.”

“To be fair, she wasn’t bad to me, so I’ll just fob her off with this outdated piece.”

Another round of mocking whispers and jeers erupted from the crowd.

I was meters away, yet it felt like I was plunged into a bottomless abyss.

“Julian, actually, that girl isn’t ugly, she’s quite delicate-looking. After you break up, if I comfort her while she’s heartbroken, I might be able to win her over, right?”

Amber slapped Chad, the guy with the bleached hair who spoke.

“No way, that girl looks sickly. What’s your taste?”

Chad chuckled.

“I just like delicate beauties… Julian, does she actually have an illness?”

Julian swirled his wine glass.

“What illness could she have? Just a little anemia, she’s just being dramatic.”

Amber covered her mouth, giggling.

“Exactly! Julian, you swapped her medicine on her nightstand a while ago, and she still hasn’t noticed, has she?”

Her sweet, mocking laughter, like a nightingale’s song, pierced my ears like needles.

No wonder my disease progression had accelerated.

It was because Julian had swapped the expensive specialized medicine I’d scrimped and saved to buy!

A wave of metallic heat surged in my throat.

I covered my mouth, desperately swallowing it down.

Inside the private room, Julian seemed agitated, checking his phone repeatedly.

Amber leaned onto him.

“Julian, why aren’t you paying attention to me?”

Julian pinched her chin, laughing flirtatiously.

“What’s the rush? I’m just waiting to see when Lena gives in. Are you jealous?”

“Don’t worry, she’s about to be history.”

He finished, then leaned down and kissed her.

A burst of whistles and laughter erupted in the private room.

I stood outside the door, my fingers digging hard into my palms, yet I felt no pain.

I slowly took out my phone and sent him a message:

*I’ll take you all skiing this weekend.*

Almost immediately, a deafening cheer erupted from the private room.

“Damn! She replied!”

“Julian, you won again!”

Julian lazily held up his phone, the screen light reflecting his triumphant smile.

He waved it at everyone in the room and said:

“See? What did I tell you? She can’t live without me.”

Amber giggled, collapsing into his arms.

“You promised, Julian. After skiing, you’ll take her to my family’s hotel for my birthday party, then announce your identity, and then announce our relationship.”

Julian paused, then bit her ear.

“Of course.”

After they finished their intimate moment, he bent down and tapped on his phone.

Soon, I received a reply:

“Okay. I’m busy with classes these next few days, so I won’t be back. See you at the ski resort this weekend.”

I replied with a single “Okay.”

Then I turned and left.

The club hallway was long, and my shadow stretched long and thin, profoundly lonely.

The night wind was still cold, but this time, I didn't cry.