Xia Zhi met Jiang Zhiyan, a strange boy, on a rainy day in the middle of summer in Jiangcheng. The other party handed her a plain handkerchief and gently escorted her to the bus stop. A few polite words of "live nearby" and "drop by" became the beginning of Xia Zhi's heartbeat. She didn't know that this was just Jiang Zhiyan's general way of treating others, but she was willing to indulge in his seemingly unique tenderness. After that, Jiang Zhiyan frequently appeared in Cheng You's life: visiting used bookstores together, sharing ideas for solving problems, sending iced orange soda... He remembered her preferences and silently accompanied her when she was sad. Xia Zhi was convinced that this tenderness was exclusive and she was looking forward to his confession. But she never realized that those "you're cute" compliments and just-right appearances were all tricks he used on others. As autumn turned to winter, Jiang Zhiyan suddenly packed his luggage and told him that he was going abroad for further study. He also tenderly promised to "get married when I come back." Xia Zhi believed it to be true, prepared a bag for him, and cooked a farewell meal for him, filled with anticipation of seeing him again. The night before leaving, Jiang Zhiyan sent a message saying "I like you". Cheng You was completely devastated and treasured this message as a redemption. However, half a year later, Xia Zhi learned the truth from Jiang Zhiyan's friends: He had no plans to study abroad at all, and the so-called "leaving" and "returning" were just lies to escape; that belated confession did not belong to her alone. Cheng You's world collapsed instantly, and she finally understood that all the heartbeat and sweetness in the past were based on false lies. In order to forget him, Xia Zhi began to look for someone like Lin Rang to be a substitute. They have similar appearance and preferences, but they are not the same person after all, and every short relationship ends in failure. For three years, she pretended to be calm on the surface, but the obsession in her heart never dissipated. She always inadvertently thought of that midsummer rainy day and the gentle lies. At a class reunion five years later, Cheng You reunited with Lin Rang, who was now in a suit. He took the initiative to strike up a conversation, brought up the past, and tried to justify his thoughts back then. But Xia Zhi had already let go. When faced with his explanation and redemption, she simply responded, "It's all just lies." She deleted the screenshots of her confession that she had saved for many years, let go of her years-long obsession, completely reconciled with the past, and decided to live for herself in the future.
The idea: not "how painful it is to be lied to", but "knowing it is a lie, but still putting your heart into it".
