Just Exes

[Major content warning: the male lead has had sex before, while the female lead is a virgin. Nine-year age gap. A clumsy work from last year, when I was getting back into writing.]

Wen Zihao couldn't help smiling as he watched Yin Ran sleep soundly once again. In public, he was a rising director surrounded by beautiful women. In private, no one knew how much he hated all the women who threw themselves at him. After all, he was handsome and rich, so no matter how much he insisted he wasn't a player, it wasn't very convincing. It was no wonder Yin Ran didn't believe him.

If this woman was so insecure, he might as well indulge her for once. What was so hard about making their relationship public?

Wen Zihao opened his social media feed and hammered out a simple, blunt post: "My girl."

The photo showed the two of them celebrating Christmas together, the picture Yin Ran had insisted on taking.

Wen Zihao thought that a reformed playboy was worth more than gold, and that Yin Ran had agreed to get back together with him.

Who knew the comments would blow up the next day?

"Bro, wake up. You're getting face-slapped!"

"My condolences. The lovelorn have gathered here!"

"Give it up. I feel so sorry for you!"

Wen Zihao stared in confusion as he opened Yin Ran's feed.

It was just one sentence:

"Don't gossip. We're just exes."

Wen Zihao's heart stopped.

His reflection wore a deathly smile.

He touched his handsome face, unable to believe it. Had he just been used for free?

[Love is a game of strategy, and every move must be made with care. I predicted the next twenty moves, yet one moment of carelessness was all it took for you to checkmate me. Later, I lost the game, but you said you were the one who had truly lost. You said you'd long prepared to roam the world alone, but then you met me, someone with the same chivalrous spirit as you. Suddenly, you no longer wanted to roam the world with a sword. You only wanted to be confined to day and night, the kitchen, and love.]

Theme: Neither the truth nor a sincere heart can ever be twisted.