After that day, Lara and I stopped talking to each other again.

Before, whenever we faced such a situation, I would become easily irritable and emotionally unstable.

I spent every day thinking about how to make up with Lara ASAP, and this seriously affected my work progress.

But now, I felt incredibly relaxed.

Finally, after I went home, I didn't have to act all hypocritical and take the initiative to talk to her.

Finally, I could sleep in the room alone without being disturbed at night.

Finally, I wouldn't be disturbed by her affair with the others.

Finally, I could do my own things without being disturbed.

After I let go of the obsession or care for Lara, life became much easier.

Now that she was no longer the center of my life, I suddenly felt much more relaxed.

I finished reading quite a lot of books in less than three days. In the past, it would take me more than a year.

When I was at work, I noticed that the girl at the next desk was preparing hard for the civil service exam.

The way she immersed herself in studying made me feel ashamed.

Even a girl who had just graduated knew that she should study hard. She shouldn't waste her prime years and should strive to improve herself.

On the contrary, I wasted my time in the entanglement with Lara, muddleheaded all day long.

For a while, I even thought that if I married Lara one day, we would have a child.

If Lara wanted me to stay at home full-time to take care of the child, that was OK.

The girl was studying hard at the desk, and on the contrary, I was dragged down by love and had achieved nothing.

I made up my mind to change myself.

I bought a set of study materials and made a corresponding plan for myself to be a civil servant every day.

After working overtime every day, I plunged into the study and frantically read books about the civil service exam.

I was glad that Lara and I weren't talking to each other these days. She would not come to disturb me in the study, making my efficiency even higher.

We didn't talk for almost a month.

In the early morning, I took my bag and was about to leave when Lara suddenly appeared and stopped me.

"I didn't come home last night. Aren't you worried about me, Danny?"

I was stunned. I didn't care about her whereabouts at all, so how could I know that she didn't come back all night last night?

"I drank too much last night. I was worried that if I came back, I might wake you up, so I asked Austin to send me to a nearby hotel..."

When she said that, she stared at me without blinking.

I knew she was trying to use Austin to provoke me.

What kind of expression on my face was she expecting to see?

Grievance? Anger? Or perhaps disappointment?

But she would be disappointed this time.

"You didn't come back last night?" My tone was indifferent, showing no emotion.

Lara's eyes turned red in an instant, and tears were welling up in her eyes.

Before, I was the one with the mood swings, while Lara always remained indifferent.

Now that our roles had reversed, I felt no pity for her. I was filled with indescribable restlessness.

She stared at me, her big eyes teary. It seemed she was waiting for me to admit I was wrong.

Unfortunately, I couldn't understand what she meant, and I didn't want to.

"I'll pick you up after work today!"

Instinctively, I wanted to say no.

"No need. I have to work overtime today."

"Till when?"

"Eight o'clock. It'll be late. You don't have to come pick me up. It's too troublesome."

"I'll wait for you downstairs at eight o'clock!" She quickly ran away as if afraid of being rejected by me.

In order to get my story straight, I took out the review materials and studied hard in the office after work.

I was so involved that I lost track of time.

"Hey, Danny, are you still busy? We're downstairs."

It was Austin. He always used his cleverness to subtly mock that I was inferior to him.

I went downstairs and naturally sat in the back seat after opening the car door.

As long as Austin was there, I'd never sit in the front passenger seat.

I did question Lara.

"Have you ever considered my feelings when you let your male best friend sit in the front passenger seat?"

"Danny, you're a grown man, OK? Stop being so petty. Austin gets carsick. Can't you humor him? There's nothing between me and him..."

I said nothing after I got in the car.

Austin said.

"Danny, why the silence? Please don't get us wrong. I drank today and couldn't drive. Lara was so worried about me that she insisted on picking me up."

I closed my eyes and rested. I was too tired after studying all day, so I really didn't have the energy to watch the clown performance in the passenger seat.

"The crabs at that restaurant today were delicious. Let's go again someday."

"Austin, thanks for peeling the crabs for me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to eat them at all."

"You silly girl..."

They in front were chatting casually.

I was dozing off in the back seat. They were so noisy!

Austin suddenly turned to me.

"Lara loves crabs but doesn't want to peel. Danny, you must have helped her peel at home a lot, right?"

Obviously, he was being sarcastic.

In the past, whenever we ordered crabs, I would pick up the special tools and start peeling them for here. I would carefully put the crab meat onto her plate.

I still remembered. She put down the fork and pushed the plate filled with crab meat a little further away.

"Are you deliberately trying to embarrass me in front of so many people? I have hands. I can peel them myself!"

She didn't love me, so everything I did was wrong.

After that, I never peeled crabs for her again.

Austin's eyes were so eager, making it impossible for me to ignore him.

He looked at me triumphantly, his eyes full of mockery.

It seemed he was saying, "So what if you're Lara's boyfriend? She loves me more."

In the past, I would have snapped when I saw this look in his eyes. Yet now, I simply found it boring. She was just a heartless woman. Whoever wanted her could have her.

When we got home, I put down my bag and was about to take a shower.

Lara stopped me.

"Danny, don't you have anything ... to ask me?"

She pinched the corner of her clothes as if she had made a great determination before asking me.

"What do you want me to ask?" I was impatient and just wanted her to leave me alone.

"Luna organized today's gathering. They are all my college classmates, and I figured that if I turned them down, I'd be rude... I didn't know they invited Austin, too..."

In the past, it was always me who mentioned Austin. I was jealous, angry, or aggrieved.

Now that I didn't care anymore, she took the initiative to explain.

"It is your business. No need to explain to me. You can call the shots."

"Danny, these days... You have been cold to me... I'm scared..."

I interrupted her before she finished speaking.

"You're overthinking. I'm too tired, so I'm going to sleep."

After saying that, I turned around without hesitation, leaving Lara behind.

The next night after work, I unexpectedly saw Lara's car downstairs again.

For some reason, I felt a little scared and annoyed. I wanted to return to the office building, but Lara stopped me.

"Danny, why do you run away when you see me? Am I some kind of ferocious monster?" She lowered her head, sobbing.

It was the same old trick. Before, she always manipulated me with such a look.

"No. I just forgot something..."

"It's Luna's birthday party. She invited both of us... Danny, you..."

"You may go. I'm not interested."

Luna Jordan was Lara's college roommate. When Lara pursued Austin back then, the group of people, including Luna, offered Lara lots of suggestions. They became close and had been friends till now.

"All of them will bring a date. Don't worry... It won't be late. I swear."

Perhaps not wanting to argue with her anymore, as she started the car, I said nothing, agreeing to go in silence.

As soon as we arrived at Luna's doorstep, a bunch of roses suddenly fell from the door frame, catching Lara and me off guard.

Before we could react, Austin jumped out from the corner.

"Flowers match beautiful women! Welcome, Lara."