Su Xiaomo stood at the base of the apartment building, her gaze fixed on the illuminated window above, a sweet smile playing on her lips. Just yesterday, her hard work and dedication had earned her a promotion, a testament to her efforts. Eager to share this joyous news with her boyfriend, Yang Rui, she had flown halfway across the country from City S back to City T, hoping to surprise him.

With her heart brimming with happiness, Su Xiaomo made her way upstairs. However, as she pushed open the door to their apartment, a sense of unease crept over her. Faint, peculiar sounds, mingled with fragmented conversations between a man and a woman, drifted from the slightly ajar bedroom door, piercing her ears.

"Ah... be gentle..."

"You said to go fast... now you say be gentle... what do you really want?"

"You're so bad..."

"..."

Su Xiaomo was no naive girl; she knew exactly what such a conversation implied. Instantly, the world seemed to spin around her, and she staggered, struggling to keep her balance.

"No... it can't be!"

Su Xiaomo couldn't believe, or rather, she refused to believe what she had just heard. She and Yang Rui had been together since their sophomore year in college, their relationship strong and steady for three years. It was only due to job opportunities after graduation that she had reluctantly moved to City S.

"But I’ve only been gone for three months!"

Su Xiaomo couldn’t believe that Yang Rui had moved on so quickly in such a short time.

What’s more, she had just spoken to him on the phone last night. During the call, he had been as affectionate as ever, showering her with sweet words and endless warmth.

Summoning every ounce of strength, Su Xiaomo took one step after another toward the bedroom.

She slowly pushed the door open, desperately searching for excuses to comfort herself. "It can’t be Yang Rui in there… He must have lent the place to a friend temporarily… Yes, that’s it…"

But reality, cruel and unrelenting, shattered her last glimmer of hope.

There, on the bed, Yang Rui was sprawled over her best friend, Xu Huanyan. Both of them were completely naked, their bodies pressed tightly together. It was painfully obvious what they were doing.

"You two…"

Su Xiaomo stood pale-faced at the doorway, managing only two words.

She didn’t know what else to say.

One of them was her boyfriend, and the other was her closest friend.

Now, both had betrayed her at the same time.

"Xiaomo!"

Yang Rui scrambled off the bed in a panic, grabbing a piece of clothing from the floor to cover himself.

Guilt written all over his face, he stammered, "Xiaomo, let me explain… I was drunk, I didn’t know what I was doing… It was Xu Huanyan who started it… You have to believe me…"

"Are you drunk?" Su Xiaomo suddenly burst into laughter, turning her gaze towards her best friend, Xu Huanyan.

Xu Huanyan, upon meeting Su Xiaomo's fiery, angry eyes, felt a pang of fear. She wrapped herself tighter in her towel and shrank back, stammering, "Xiaomo... we..."

"Slap!" Without warning, Su Xiaomo lashed out, delivering a resounding slap across Yang Rui's left cheek. She shouted at him, "Are you drunk? Do you think I'm a fool or a three-year-old? Yang Rui, I'm telling you, we're through!"

Nothing is more heart-wrenching than the betrayal of a close friend!

Su Xiaomo laughed, as if she were genuinely happy. But the glimmer of tears at the corners of her eyes betrayed her true feelings.

She stared at Yang Rui, enunciating each word clearly, "Yang Rui, we've been together for three years, three whole years! No matter what you did, I always accommodated you. Even when you were intimate with other girls, I never doubted you. And this is how you repay me?"

Then, her gaze shifted to Xu Huanyan, "And you, Huanyan, I always considered you my best friend, like a sister. I never imagined you would betray me like this, with Yang Rui..."

"Enough!" Yang Rui suddenly shouted, cutting Su Xiaomo off.

As if transformed, Yang Rui glared at Su Xiaomo with a face ashen with anger, roaring, "Three years! You know we've been together for three years? In these three years, all we've done is hold hands and hug. You call that accommodating me? I'm a man, a normal man, not a monk!"

Su Xiaomo stared back at him, "So, that's your excuse for betraying me with her?"

Yang Rui snorted coldly, retorting sharply, "Exactly! Look at you, always plain-faced, never bothering to dress up, looking like a frumpy housewife. And you're so rigid and traditional, completely devoid of charm. If it weren't for a bet with some friends, do you think I would have pursued you?"

"So that's how it is!" Su Xiaomo forced a brave smile, masking the turmoil within her.

*Slap!*

Another sharp blow landed on Yang Rui's right cheek. Su Xiaomo slowly withdrew her hand, her gaze unwavering, fixed on Yang Rui who was momentarily stunned by the strike. Her voice was icy as she declared, "The first slap was the price for your betrayal of our love. This one is compensation for the three years you deceived me."

She paused, then continued with a steely resolve, "As you wished, we're breaking up. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. And I wish you both never find happiness together, ever!"

That breakup blessing... was something else!