The next morning, I drove to Gui Gui's apartment as promised. When I turned into the parking lot, I saw that Gui Gui was sitting on the steps outside of her apartment building with her luggage next to her. She had her arms wrapped around herself, staring out into the distance as the winter wind blew at her face. She appeared to be deep in thought as she didn't seem to notice my car when I arrived. Only until I stood in right in front of her did she realize that I was here. She raised her head toward me. Her eyes were teary and tired, most likely from hurrying to pack up her belongings last night. A slight smile briefly appeared on her face as she quietly said, "You're here."

"Mm-hmm," I responded with a nod. I held out my hand to help her up, but Gui Gui just turned to grab her luggage and stood up on her own. My open hand slowly became a fist as she walked toward my car behind me.

I picked up my pace and went to open the trunk for her. She mumbled a simple "thanks" as she placed her stuff in inside. As I closed the trunk, I watched as she made her way to the front passenger seat, sat down, and buckled her seatbelt, all in silence. I followed suit and started my car engine. I looked at her once again, but she seemed to feel my curious gaze this time. She turned and our eyes met, but she quickly averted hers and said, "Let's go."

The drive to my place was quiet. I glanced at Gui Gui several times, but she was fixated on the passing scenery as she leaned on the window. She was unanimated, disinterested, and aloof... Just not like her usual self.

I felt a strange sensation in my chest, a sense of heaviness overcoming me. I took a deep breath, hoping it would make me feel better, but to no avail. I took a glimpse at the despondent Gui Gui, but the uneasiness that I felt only worsened. What I was feeling, it was regret and guilt.

When we reached my apartment complex, I quickly found an empty spot and parked my car in the underground parking deck. Gui Gui continued to stare outside as if she hadn't realized that we had already arrived. While unbuckling my seatbelt, I watched as she sat unmoved. I called her name several times, but there was no response. I then poked her shoulder and she expectedly jumped in surprise. She glanced at me and then turned her attention out the window. She unbuckled her seatbelt and said with a small, awkward smile, "We're here? Oh, I'm... I'm sorry."

Gui Gui reached for the car door handle, but she stopped when I called her name once again. She gradually lowered her hand and her fingers formed a loose fist. She bit her lip as she nervously peered elsewhere.

"Gui Gui," I repeated. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I... I shouldn't have used that tone with you. I'm sorry."

She turned toward me, and her eyes widened. She seemed to be shocked by my words.

"I trust you, Gui. I really do," I continued. "Those fangirls of mine, I don't like them and I don't trust them. I don't know why I let them get to me. I don't know why I decided to listen to them. I... I just don't know what came over me yesterday. I'm really sorry."

I didn’t take my eyes off her as I earnestly hoped for her to accept my apology. Gui Gui looked down and was silent for a moment. The weight on my chest grew heavier with every second and seemed to suffocate me. I closed my eyes and took a breath to calm myself down. But when I reopened my eyes, I saw that she had softened her gaze. She slightly pursed her lips and then said, "I forgive you."

As if a large load had been lifted off of me, I instinctively smiled after hearing her answer. I wanted to thank her, but she suddenly let out a small laugh, a laugh that had notes of weariness and relief in it.

"Wang Zi, I should actually apologize to you too. Thinking about it, I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. Maybe... Maybe just hearing how you called me 'your girlfriend', feeling your tight grip as you grabbed my wrist, I felt like I was just object that you owned."

A feeling of urgency tugged at me. I immediately explained, "That's not what I think. I—"

"I know that's not what you think of me," Gui Gui said, cutting me off. "But what I said about us pretending to be a couple was serious. I'm not comfortable with continuing.” She turned toward me and added, “And... It's tiring to pretend to be someone that I'm not."

My mind suddenly went blank. She clearly had said the same words to me last night, but I was still stunned by them. As her words resonated in my mind, I intently gazed into her eyes, almost like I was searching for something. I felt a shiver overcome me and a tightness in my throat, and I gripped my hands into fists to fight off the pain. I forcefully made a smile at Gui Gui and finally said, "Okay. Let's call it off.” I quickly darted my eyes around as I felt a wetness building in them. I looked at her once again and said, “But there needs to be a good reason for us breaking up."

Without any hesitation, she said, "Let's say that… We just felt that we weren't right for each other." She then opened the door and left me in my car alone.

I stared at the closed door to my bedroom as I stood at the kitchen counter and waited for a kettle of water to boil. Two hours had passed since Gui Gui had entered my room to place her things down, but she still hadn’t left. I had debated on whether to go and check up on her and had even stood at my door several times, but every time, my hand stopped short of knocking on the door. Even if I knocked, what would I say? After much indecision, I finally decided to order a lunch delivery for us; when Gui Gui gets hungry, she will surely open the door. But what would I say to her then? Would I just say, “Gui Gui, are you hungry? Let’s eat!” with a grin, just as though our whole conversation from earlier had never happened? Her voice was still playing on loop in my head, and I had not gotten over it at all.

“This boyfriend and girlfriend thing was just a game that you pulled me into…”

Yes, all of this was just a game that I had made her play, but it was to protect her from those crazy fangirls! If I hadn’t done this, they would have continued to bother her every day!

“…and I've just realized how tired I am of playing it.”

But in the end, it was all a game in which I had forced her to participate. Of course, it would make her feel uneasy. Of course, it would make her feel uncomfortable. Of course, it would make her feel... Tired. Yet during all this time, I didn’t feel anything like she did. Having a girl by my side and claiming her as my own, it felt good to me. This feeling of dating someone, Gui Gui wasn’t enjoying it at all, but I was. My selfishness was wearing her down, however I was caught up in this false sense of happiness.

The sudden whistle of the water kettle broke me away from my thoughts. I took the kettle and quickly poured boiling water into a mug with tea leaves, but I had underestimated my strength and poured too much, spilling hot water all over the counter. I cursed under my breath as I placed the kettle back. I found a kitchen towel to wipe the counter, but some water had also dripped onto the floor. I kneeled and patted the water away, but I was stopped by the sound of a knock at my front door. “It must be lunch,” I mumbled.

I got back onto my feet and headed to my front door with my wallet. I opened the door and was about to ask what the total price was, but seeing the person in front of me, my mind went completely blank.

“M-M-Mom?!”

Unsure of what to do, I just stared at my mother. The nicely dressed middle-aged woman was holding two large tote bags filled with groceries, and she had her handbag slung over her shoulder. She appeared to be tired as she took a breath and wiped her brow.

“Mom, w-what are you doing here? How did you get my address?” I asked.

She gave me a frown and said, “I came all the way from Taipei to see my precious son and this is the welcome that I get? Qui Sheng Yi, I am your mother!”

“Okay, okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry, Mom,” I quickly replied, hoping to calm her down. When my mother gets worked up, there’s no telling what damage she can do. I took the grocery bags from her hands.

“That’s more like it,” my mother said as the frown on her face disappeared. She sighed and smiled. “I missed you, Sheng Yi.”

“I missed you too, Mom.”

“Now let me cook a homecooked meal for my handsome son!” she said, full of energy, and pinched my cheek. She turned to enter my apartment, but remembering that Gui Gui was in there, that a girl was staying at my place, I immediately stepped in front of my mother to block her way. She looked at me, waiting for me to move, but I stood firmly in place.

“Mom, you must be really tired from your trip over here. How about we do it a different day so that you can take a rest?” I sputtered. I awkwardly grinned, desperately hoping that she would take my suggestion. “Okay?” I added with a slightly pleading tone.

I saw my mother’s smile slowly fade away. But before she could respond, I heard a cute voice sound off from inside my apartment.

“Wang Zi, who is it?”

My mother’s eyes widened as she glared at me in a combination of shock and curiosity. In my mind, I could imagine her voice bombarding me with questions. I closed my eyes and lowered my head in defeat. When I heard Gui Gui coming closer, I opened my eyes and stepped to the side to allow my mother to enter. She rushed up to Gui Gui and immediately held her hand. “Hello! What’s your name?” my mother asked enthusiastically.

Bewildered, Gui Gui stared at me, silently asking me for help. I sighed and said, “Gui Gui, this is my mom. She came all the way from Taipei to visit me.” I closed the door to my apartment and cursed at myself, wondering why I seemed to be caught up in some bad luck lately. I quietly begged that this day wouldn’t get any worse.

When I turned to look back at my mom, she was still happily grinning and holding onto Gui Gui’s hand, but Gui Gui seemed to be very nervous and unsure of what to do. She made a polite smile and replied to my mother, “Hello, Aunty. My name is Wu Ying Jie and I am a classmate of Sheng Yi.”

“Really? So, ‘Wang Zi’ and ‘Gui Gui’… Are they your pet names for each other?”

“No, no, no!” Gui Gui denied as she waved her free hand in innocence. “These are just nicknames that we’ve had since we were in high school.”

“High school?” my mother repeated as she glanced out into the distance, like she was trying to shuffle through her memory. “Ah, so you two were classmates in high school as well? Sheng Yi must have talked about you several times back then. That’s why your name sounds so familiar!”

“He mentioned me to you in the past?” Gui Gui mumbled. Her gaze turned toward me, confused, but also as if for me to corroborate my mother’s words.

I averted my eyes and walked toward the kitchen to place the groceries down. I cleared my throat and said over my shoulder, “Mom, didn’t you say that you were going to cook for me? I ordered some lunch, but when it arrives, I can stick it in the fridge and save it for later.”

“Sheng Yi, I traveled all the way from Taipei to come see you and I haven’t had the chance to take a rest yet. Let me chat with your girlfriend and you can make lunch.”

I turned around and looked at my mother. Gui Gui quickly corrected her, “Aunty, I’m not his girlfriend. I’m just a friend.”

“Oh, yes, yes. A girl who is a friend of Sheng Yi, not his girlfriend,” my mom said with a small chuckle. “Let’s sit down and chat while he prepares lunch for us.”

I sighed and returned to putting away the groceries.

Mom, please don’t embarrass me…

“It was nice meeting you, Gui Gui! We should meet up again this weekend!” my mother said as she put on her coat and picked up her handbag. With a wide grin, she added, “Oh, no. Not this weekend… I will be here for a week, so we can meet up again some time later.”

Gui Gui and I both followed my mother to the door. I glanced at Gui Gui who was smiling and had her hands behind her back. She said, “Aunty, it was nice meeting you too. As for meeting up again, I’ll see if I have time.”

“Ah, you both are graduating soon! How could I forget!” My mom poked the side of her own head as though she was punishing herself for forgetting such an important matter. “You two must be quite busy. If you don’t have the time, it’s fine. But when you’re back in Taipei, don’t forget to come visit me!”

“Mom, let me drive you back to your hotel,” I interjected as I put on my winter coat.

Ignoring my comment, my mom focused her eyes on Gui Gui. “Okay?” she said while eagerly making an okay sign with her fingers.

I watched Gui Gui slightly purse her lips as she made an okay sign back and replied, “Okay, Aunty. Bye bye.”

“Bye, Gui Gui!” my mother excitedly responded as I nudged her out my apartment, annoyed. Before closing the door behind me, I told Gui Gui that I would be back shortly. She just replied with a nod.

“Mom, call me if you want anything. I’ll be here in a flash whenever you need me,” I said as I set her handbag on the coffee table and she sat down on the sofa in her hotel room.

“I want a daughter-in-law. Can you fulfill that in a flash?”

“Mom…” I groaned. “I’ve already told you—”

“You told me that you would find yourself a girlfriend when you called me during the Spring Festival. Don’t you remember, Qiu Sheng Yi?” my mother said as she struck me with a stern gaze.

I silently swallowed as my memory rolled back to that phone call. How could I have forgotten saying something like that?

My mother got up and approached me. She slightly adjusted my winter coat and said, “Sheng Yi, I like Gui Gui. I think she would make a great daughter-in-law.”

“Mom, we aren’t a couple.”

“Really? According to students at Zhejiang University, Qiu Sheng Yi and Wu Ying Jie are the most talked about couple on campus.”

“You went to my school?!” I could feel a small flame burning in me.

“No, it’s the twenty-first century! I checked your school’s student forum. You two are ranked number one for both ‘Most Popular Couple’ and ‘Most Unexpected Couple’, though I totally disagree with the second one. You’re clearly perfect for each other.”

“Mom… It isn’t like that. There are some girls at school who formed some fan club for me and they kept bothering Gui Gui. I thought of the idea of pretending to be a couple to stop them from harassing her.”

Unconvinced, my mother crossed her arms and said, “Your school life sure sounds like a TV drama.”

I grasped her by the arms and sincerely said, “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m seriously telling you the truth.”

“Okay, okay,” she said while swatting my hands away. “But if you are just putting on a show for your classmates to see, then why is she staying at your apartment?”

“Gui Gui explained it to you earlier. Her apartment building is being fumigated and she was given an extremely short notice.”

“You could have helped pay for her to stay at a hotel.”

“She doesn’t like staying in a hotel alone.”

“So, you care for her?”

“Of course, she is my—” I swiftly stopped myself as I realized what was coming out of my mouth. My mom earnestly waited for my response, but I didn’t want her to misunderstand. I said, “Of course I care for her. She is my friend.”

My mother looked at me and gave me a warm smile. After a moment of silence, she said, “Are you sure that you care for her and like her just as a friend?”

“I… I…” I muttered, my voice trailing away. “Our relationship is complicated.”

“How? Is there someone else in the picture?”

“It’s a long story, but Gui Gui used to have a crush on me in high school, a crush that really bothered me. I came to Zhejiang University because I wanted to try something new, to live a different life, but I didn’t expect that we would meet again and even become classmates. The fact that we’re able to push aside the past and to interact as normal human beings, I really cherish it.” My words were true, and I hoped that my mother could sense that.

“And?” she asked.

“As for your second question, I don’t know,” I replied with an instinctive sigh. “I don’t know if she likes someone else. Even if she does, I don’t care.”

“You don’t care that she likes someone else because it has nothing to do with you? Or you don’t care that she likes someone else because you only care that you like her?”

“Mom, it’s not like that,” I asserted.

“In the student forum, it also mentioned how you and a student named Li Xiang are rivals and that you get angry whenever you see him.”

“It was just once, and he was being too close to her.”

“So, you do admit to seeing him as a rival and being angry at him?”

“Mom…” I said, my eyes closing as I desperately wanted her to not continue questioning me. “Stop trying to twist my words.”

“Sheng Yi, I’m not twisting your words. I’m trying to understand what you mean. I’m trying to understand how you feel from the bottom of your heart,” she said, her finger poking me in my left pectoral.

“Well, I don’t know how I feel!” I exclaimed as I stumbled a few steps backward. “I don’t know… I don’t know how I feel toward Gui Gui, okay?!”

“Then say what you do know,” my mom calmly said.

“I… I just know that when she’s sad, I want to comfort her. When she feels vulnerable, I want to protect her from harm. And when I saw her with Li Xiang, I just wanted to keep her away from him, to keep her by my side.” I stepped back toward the wall and leaned against it. Suddenly feeling tears in my eyes, I tilted my head up to prevent them from falling. I took a breath and looked at my mother.

“Sheng Yi…” she uttered as she approached me. I could see a smile surfacing on her face.

“When she said that she wanted our fake relationship to really end today, I just felt heavy in my chest, almost like I was suffocating. Mom, what is it that I feel?”

She caressed my cheek and smiled even brighter, her eyes turning red as tears were building in them. “Since the day you two met in Hangzhou, you got caught playing a dangerous game of the heart, a game that you were winning.”

“But why does it hurt so much?”

“Because you didn’t realize until you almost lost everything. Sheng Yi, you’ve really fallen in love with Gui Gui.”

A/N: Gui Gui calls Wang Zi's mom "Aunty" because it is an honorific used for a woman who is of her parents' generation.