June in Changsha is as hot as a steamer.
Qiao Tan'er stood at the entrance to her flower shop, Summer Blooms, gazing at the flickering neon sign across the street: Lu's BBQ. She forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace.
It was her boyfriend Lu Minghe's restaurant.
More accurately, her ex-boyfriend's.
Her phone screen was still lit. In their WeChat chat, Yang Xia's profile picture was a heavily retouched selfie, with enough filter to scrape paint off a wall. The message was short, but every word cut like a knife:
“Tan'er, I'm sorry. I'm pregnant with Minghe's child. Three months along. We truly love each other. Please let us be together.”
Qiao Tan'er stared at the words “truly love each other” and suddenly laughed aloud.
Truly love each other.
