CHAPTER 2: Help! Someone’s Tried to Kill Themselves!

Yue Yue’s sharp tongue was nothing new - Wu Qi Qiong had long since gotten used to it. He didn’t stoop to argue. Instead, he bent down, picked up her bag, and handed it back with an apologetic smile.

“If you don’t like me like this, I can lose weight for you.”

“Don’t bother. This isn’t about a few dozen pounds. Fat can be lost, but stinginess? That’s hopeless! Every time we go shopping, you only want discounted stuff. At the supermarket, you only grab sale items. Even when booking a hotel, you pick the ones with no internet and no AC! All my girlfriend have their own cars now. Me? I’m still crammed on buses and subways!”

Wu Qi Qiong tried to soothe her patiently.

“Beijing’s traffic is terrible and gas prices are sky-high. Driving’s just not cost-effective.”

Yue Yue snapped back in frustration.

“Right, your monthly salary is barely over two thousand. With how expensive everything is in Beijing, having a girlfriend must be such a bad deal, huh? To save you money, let’s just break up.”

“Don’t do this…”

Wu Qi qiong pleaded in a small voice.

“I don’t mind spending money on you.”

“Oh yeah, a whole two thousand yuan. What’s there to mind? Even if you want all out, you’d barely cover a bowl of fermented mung bean soup and two fried dough rings. You’re a graduate from a top university, stuck in a nine-to-fivejob, earning less than someone with a vocational degree. My childhood friend didn’t even finish high school, and she’s driving a BMW now. You can’t afford BMW, fine, but shouldn’t you at least be driving a Pass at?”

Wu Qi Qiong took out a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. In a few years, I’ll buy one.”

“A few years? With that measly salary of yours, and in that dump of a house your family lives in, you seriously brought me here for dinner? Wu Qi Qiong,Wu Desperately Poor - you really live up to your name. Face it, a guy namedlike you will never make it rich. Go on back inside. Just tell your mom we broke up.”

Yue Yue turned to leave. Wu Qi Qiong reached for her again, and the two Began tugging at each other. Even the neighbor’s dog started barking.

“Is there really no chance at all?”

Wu Qi Qiong’s eyes were rimmed with red.

To be honest, Yue Yue wasn’t truly heartless. If she were, she would’ve broken things off long ago. Seeing Wu Qi Qiong like this stirred up some guilt—but the feelings were gone. Sooner or later, she had to make a clean break. Dragging things out would only make it worse.

“Wu Qi Qiong, to be honest, it’s not just about money. I hate that you have no ambition. Since we got together, you’ve never done anything bold, not once. I mean, even if you got mad and yelled at me for once, that would at least be something! People say you’re steady and dependable, but the truth is, you’rejust spineless. You’re stuck.”

At the base of the utility pole behind Yue Yue sat a loose brick. Wu Qi Qiong stared at it blankly and suddenly remembered a short story from Zhao San Mu Si, where the male protagonist kept bashing his head with a brick to win back his lover, ultimately creating a touching tale of tragic romance.

“I’d die for you.”

Wu Qi Qiong suddenly blurted out.Yue Yue didn’t even blink. She laughed like it was a joke.

“Don’t die for me. Just slice your arm a bit, and I’ll call you ‘sir’.”

Wu Qi Qiong, shaking all over, slowly walked toward the utility pole. He bent down and picked up the chipped brick with trembling hands, like wind-blown bamboo. After managing to grip it steady, he turned to look at Yue Yue, his lips quivering.

“I… I really will do it. Don’t regret it.”

Yue Yue gave him a sideways glance, not taking him seriously at all. She turned and walked away. Bang!Yue Yue froze mid-step. She spun around - and her face went pale with shock. Wu Qi Qiong lay collapsed on the ground, body twitching, blood pouring from his forehead.

“Qi Qiong! Qi Qiong! Don’t scare me like this! Somebody help! Someone’s tried to kill themselves!”…

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