Xie Jiayu always thought Meng Zhen loved him. Only later did he learn that she had been lying to him all along.
The day he discovered he'd been treated as a substitute all along, Xie Jiayu was angrier than ever. That night, he broke up with Meng Zhen and swore he never wanted to see her again.
But why wouldn't his heart let him go? Time passed, and three years went by, yet he still often thought of Meng Zhen.
When he thought of her, his hatred had faded. What remained was a love that went down to the bone.
*
She saw Xie Jiayu again three years later, during the Lantern Festival.
That night, she sat by the river watching the villagers set off lanterns. From far away, she seemed to feel someone watching her.
She turned and followed that gaze, and saw Xie Jiayu standing beneath the wishing tree by the river.
They looked at each other for a long time. At last, Xie Jiayu walked over to her, smiled, and said, "A Zhen, long time no see. I hope you've been well."
Rekindled love after a breakup / substitute trope / happy ending / sweet with a touch of angst
A Zhen, we haven't seen each other in three years. Have you missed me?
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