Chapter 1: Breaking Up

My name is Ye Chen, and I am currently 17 years old. Since my childhood, I have resided in a secluded village with my grandfather. My life was typical of most boys until my grandfather passed away, and I was left to fend for myself. To sustain myself, I began working and managed to secure a scholarship to study at Hexing School in the city, where I could receive a more refined education.

Currently, I am in a relationship with my girlfriend, Yu Ting, whom I met three months after starting my studies at Hexing School. Yu Ting is an attractive woman, standing at approximately 155cm with a slim build, a cute face, and shoulder-length hair. Although she may not be the most beautiful woman in the school, Yu Ting is considered the ideal woman by most men.

We have been dating for nine months now, but after being placed in different classes in our second year, Yu Ting's attitude towards me has made a complete one-eighty degree. Nevertheless, today being a Sunday, and with both my school and workplace on break, I plan on inviting Yu Ting to have lunch with me at Starbucks.

The salary from Ye Chen's part-time job was not high enough. He had to settle for ordinary food and sometimes even leftovers from work, just so he could afford to take Yu Ting to Starbucks at the end of the month. However, all of Ye Chen's calls and messages were ignored by Yu Ting, which upset him greatly. He wondered where she could be and why she wouldn't answer his calls, especially since she had been ignoring him lately.

Looking at his cellphone clock, which was barely usable, Ye Chen noticed that it was already noon. He decided to go look for food and drinks. Leaving his rented house, he went to a nearby shopping center and found a simple-looking food stall where he ordered some fried noodles and soda.

While waiting for his food to arrive, Ye Chen observed the busy street scene. Suddenly, a loud "Rommm!" sound caught his attention. It was the sound of a luxury BMW car engine, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, passing through his view. Even the people who were eating stopped to notice the arrival of the car.

As the BMW pulled over to the side of the road, a familiar figure stepped out of the car - it was Ye Chen's girlfriend, Yu Ting. Accompanying her was a young man with a stylish appearance and a cool hairstyle. It was obvious to anyone that they were romantically involved.

Upon seeing them, Ye Chen felt a surge of anger in his heart. He quickly got up from his seat and approached Yu Ting and her companion. "Ting Ting!" he called out to her. Yu Ting turned around, visibly startled to see Ye Chen.

"Why are you here?" she asked nervously, immediately letting go of her companion's arm.

"Perhaps I should be asking who this guy is and why you're with him," Ye Chen replied, even though he was already aware of their relationship. He secretly hoped that he was mistaken.

Yu Ting looked visibly nervous and unsure how to respond. "H-he is..." she began, but couldn't seem to finish her sentence.

"Excuse me, who is this gentleman?" the man asked Yu Ting, referring to Ye Chen.

Yu Ting hesitated for a moment before responding, "He is my ex-boyfriend."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen felt a surge of anger inside him. The man next to Yu Ting sneered at Ye Chen and remarked, "Ah, so this is the poor man you often tell me about."

Ye Chen was so furious that he raised his hand, as if to strike Yu Ting. But upon seeing her frightened expression, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Why are you doing this to me, Yu Ting?" Ye Chen demanded. "Please tell me why you prefer him over me."

"If you really want to know," Yu Ting replied, "I'm tired of living in poverty with you. You can't afford to buy me expensive clothes, jewelry, or even a fancy phone. But he..." she gestured towards the man beside her, "he can give me everything that you cannot."

"Could my love for you not be enough, Tingting?" Ye Chen asked, his voice filled with emotion.

Yu Ting's response was cutting. "Nonsense. Can love buy me what I want? Can love put food on the table or buy me expensive clothes and jewelry?" Her words were like a knife, slicing through Ye Chen's heart. Though Ye Chen was poor, he always worked hard with the hope of building a better life.

"Very well, I will remember your words. I was blind to love a girl like you. Our relationship ends today, and you need never look for me again," Ye Chen said, before turning on his heel and leaving Yu Ting and her wealthy companion behind.

As Ye Chen's figure disappeared, Yu Ting felt a brief of loss before quickly recovering and placing her hand back on the arm of her companion. Together, they walked towards the shopping center.

After leaving the department store, Ye Chen made his way to an old bridge on the outskirts of town - his favorite place to go when feeling sad or troubled. The sound of the flowing river water had a calming effect on him.

Ye Chen began to reflect on what had happened that day. His first love had failed, and the woman he loved had chosen money over him. It was a painful realization.

Ye Chen woke up to find that it was already afternoon. He gradually came to terms with what had happened with Yu Ting and decided to forget their memories forever. As he reached into his shirt, he retrieved a jade necklace with intricate patterns and a blood-red hue. It was a family heirloom passed down from his grandfather, and Ye Chen was yet to discover its true significance. He put the necklace back into his shirt pocket.

Realizing that he hadn't visited his grandfather's grave in a while, Ye Chen decided to go back to his hometown to pay his respects and clear his mind. Luckily, the bus station was just five minutes away, and Ye Chen made his way there. However, his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since morning. He hurriedly bought some steamed buns and mineral water for the journey.

Ye Chen then messaged his homeroom teacher, requesting leave from school for the next few days.

Ye Chen arrived at the bus station just in time as the bus was about to depart. The bus was already filled with several passengers, and it was scheduled to make stops at different villages along the way. Ye Chen found the journey dull and occupied himself by playing an old school game on his cellphone. As they neared Ye Chen's village, he was the only remaining passenger on the bus.

However, their progress was unexpectedly disrupted when the bus suddenly went out of control. The driver had to pull over to assess the situation. Concerned, Ye Chen asked the driver what was wrong with the bus. The driver, unsure himself, got out to inspect the vehicle.

After a few moments, the driver returned with regretful news: "I'm sorry young man, the tires are flat, and we cannot continue the journey. We have to wait for someone to fix them, but it won't be until tomorrow morning." Ye Chen was disappointed, but he understood the situation.

The bus driver kindly offered Ye Chen a place to sleep for the night: "You can sleep on the bus tonight if you want."

Ye Chen thanked the bus driver for his offer and declined the invitation to sleep on the bus. He paid the fare and disembarked, beginning his walk towards the village where he lived. The road conditions were quite dark, and the lighting was minimal compared to the city where he had lived for the past year.

Fortunately, Ye Chen had not brought any luggage with him, allowing him to run without fear of exhaustion. After a few minutes of running, he suddenly saw an old man floating in the sky, dressed in all white with white hair.

Despite being a modern person and not believing in ghosts, the sight of the old man in the sky frightened Ye Chen. As the figure drew closer, Ye Chen ran away as fast as he could.