Extra Story Four: Shen Mengxia & Ye Chen (4)

Although Shen Mengxia and Ye Chen attended the same university, their contact was infrequent, and it was usually Ye Chen who took the initiative to reach out.

Their relationship took a subtle turn during the second semester of their freshman year when Shen Mengxia began dating. Having entered university, Shen Mengxia had become more outgoing and vibrant than in high school. Having also learned to apply makeup, she was even more radiant and captivating. Her cheerful personality ensured she was popular on campus.

Because she had inadvertently helped a boy out of a tight spot, she found herself practically pursued by him. He launched a relentless campaign to win her over, showing up to walk her to class regardless of the weather, sending flowers on special occasions, and inviting her out to eat. The boy was handsome, with a sweet, gentle demeanor—exactly the type Shen Mengxia liked. Touched by his efforts, she agreed to be his girlfriend. He was so thrilled that he hugged her on the spot and posted the news on social media to make it official. When he pestered her to do the same, she eventually gave in.

Seeing Shen Mengxia’s post, Ye Chen felt a sudden chill run through his body. He forced a bitter smile, telling himself it was his own cowardice that had cost him the chance. During the time Shen Mengxia was in that relationship, the two did not speak.

As the relationship progressed, Shen Mengxia found herself increasingly moved by the boy's little gestures. That was until one evening when they stayed out too late and missed the university curfew. With the dorms strictly locked, they had no choice but to check into a hotel. Shen Mengxia handed their IDs to the receptionist and said, "Hello, two single rooms, please." The boy looked at her in disbelief but said nothing at the front desk.

Once they reached the door to their rooms, the boy looked aggrieved and accused her, "Xiaxia, are you pushing me away? You don't want to share a room with me?" Shen Mengxia felt a strange sensation in her heart but suppressed it, explaining patiently, "I just feel that our relationship hasn't reached that point yet. It’s better if we sleep separately." She didn't want to rush things; she knew that if she agreed to share a room, there was no telling what might happen, and she didn't feel their relationship was stable enough for intimacy.

The boy, looking reluctant, said, "But my friends all share rooms when they go out with their girlfriends." A spark of irritation flared in Shen Mengxia. "They are them, and you are you. Why do you have to compare yourself to your friends? I don't want to, and I’m not willing to—is that not enough?" Seeing that she was angry, the boy reverted to his usual clingy persona, apologizing and acting cute until he saw her to her room before heading to his own.

Although Shen Mengxia said she wasn't angry anymore, she felt even more clear-headed once she was alone, showered, and the lights were out. Those words had made her uncomfortable. After much effort to convince herself otherwise, she eventually fell asleep, still unsettled. The next day, after returning to campus, the boy acted as if nothing had happened, though he began texting her even more frequently, often sending long, continuous streams of messages. As a STEM major with many lab and practical classes, it was impossible for Shen Mengxia to be glued to her phone to reply instantly.

Seeing the long strings of accusatory messages, Shen Mengxia knew something had changed. One day, unable to bear it any longer, she confronted him: "Can you stop complaining every day that I don't reply? I’m not glued to my phone every second. I can't always reply immediately, but I always respond as soon as I see your messages." She found it strange that whenever she wasn't looking at her phone, the messages would pour in, but whenever she had a break, he wouldn't send anything. This gave him the opportunity to accuse her of ignoring him on purpose.

Unable to tolerate such unfairness, she retorted, "Are you doing this on purpose? Don't you get tired of acting like this every single day?" She was on the verge of a breakdown; the messages were supposedly expressions of concern, but they were always followed by accusations that she didn't care about him. Finally, after yet another barrage of texts, she reached her limit and broke up with him.

After the breakup, the boy posted countless status updates on social media about being heartbroken, leading everyone they knew to believe that Shen Mengxia was in the wrong and being unreasonable. Shen Mengxia didn't bother to explain; she simply blocked and deleted him on all platforms, feeling relieved that she had woken up in time and hadn't fallen too deep. Years later, she stumbled across a video and realized that this method of controlling someone through constant, "caring" messaging is actually a form of emotional abuse. Of course, that was later.

Half a semester after the breakup, a mutual acquaintance told her about the boy’s recent behavior. "Xiaxia, did you know? Your ex-boyfriend was recently exposed for cheating on multiple people. He was flirting with several girls while you were still together, and there are even chat logs of him making plans to take them to hotels. It's a good thing you two broke up."

Shen Mengxia felt a wave of nausea. She suddenly understood: he had used the constant messaging to pressure her into breaking up with him, all so he could play the victim and earn a reputation for being the "devoted" party. "It's a good thing I cut my losses," she thought. From then on, she subconsciously felt guarded against any boy who showed interest in her; after all, her ex had started out with that same sweet, gentle demeanor before showing his true colors.

In the second semester of her sophomore year, Ye Chen was a junior. Facing the choice between further studies or employment, he decisively chose to start his own business. Their communication resumed after Shen Mengxia posted on social media: "Really want to try this new restaurant, is anyone free to go with me? Just don't know if it'll be a disappointment." Attached was a picture of a newly opened restaurant near the university.

Ye Chen saw it and commented: "Let's go together." He knew she was single, but he had been waiting for a valid reason to ask her out. Seeing her post, he finally gathered the courage to comment. Shen Mengxia messaged him privately: "Senior, are you serious? Then we’re really going together!" Ye Chen replied: "Would I tease you? I'm free whenever you want to go."

They went to the restaurant at the agreed time. Although they hadn't seen or spoken to each other in a long time, their dynamic remained unchanged, even though Shen Mengxia knew he had kept his distance while she was in a relationship. Ye Chen had learned about the ex-boyfriend later, but since some time had passed, he didn't bring it up, fearing it would upset her. While he felt it was a shame she had gone through that, he was also relieved she had seen the jerk for who he really was.

They chatted about everything from daily life to their future goals. Ye Chen didn't hide anything, sharing his business plans and his vision for the company. Shen Mengxia laughed: "Senior, isn't that my field of study? If I can't find a job after graduation, I'll come to you!" She meant it as a joke, but Ye Chen said seriously: "It's a deal. I'll keep a spot open for you."

Shen Mengxia watched from the sidelines as Ye Chen balanced his graduation requirements with his startup, seeing how hard he worked. Fortunately, he succeeded. Within just two years, the company's momentum was undeniable. Before Shen Mengxia could even "come to him," Ye Chen invited her to join his team. After careful consideration, she accepted. She stayed there for several years.

Over those years, Shen Mengxia had other suitors, but she turned them all down. Ye Chen felt that maintaining their relationship as it was—as friends—was fine. He knew that if he confessed his feelings and she didn't reciprocate, she would quit the company without hesitation. So, he held back. He thought he was content being just her friend, but he soon realized he couldn't do it.

Finally, one night, Ye Chen confessed his heart. As expected, Shen Mengxia hesitated, wavered, and retreated. Just as Ye Chen thought their relationship had reached its end, she came back. To him, this was the greatest surprise. After they got together, Ye Chen often wondered if they could have been together sooner if he had been braver. But he soon realized that the time they spent as friends had laid a solid foundation for their relationship.

It wasn't too early, nor too late—it was just right. Everything was the best arrangement possible. Watching Shen Mengxia sleeping soundly in his arms, Ye Chen leaned down to kiss her forehead and pulled her close as he drifted off to sleep.

"Goodnight, my Xiaxia."