Chapter Two: The Past Is Like a Scar

The bridal suite had long since descended into chaos, everyone scrambling to help Hua Mei find her missing earrings—even the carpet was lifted in the search. Xiaoxiao glanced in from the doorway, then went straight to the washroom, and as expected, found the earrings beneath a limp towel.

She waited until the others had gone before mentioning she’d seen Lin Shuo. Hua Mei exhaled deeply, relieved. “Thank goodness there wasn’t a fight. I completely forgot—our original groomsman suddenly got sick and couldn’t make it. As luck would have it, Lin Shuo returned from America, and he’s friends with Ziyu, so we asked him to fill in at the last minute.”

Xiaoxiao suddenly felt exhausted, idly scrolling through her phone to check tomorrow’s work schedule. In this languid city, there were precious few who had to work on weekends, and she just happened to be one of them.

Hua Mei teased, “If your clients found out that the infallible matchmaking advisor has forsaken love for years, what would they think?”

“Who says so?” Xiaoxiao tried to cover her unease with a loud voice, but there was no fooling Hua Mei, who knew her through and through.

Hua Mei scoffed, “Don’t tell me that master counts. Spare me!”

Xiaoxiao had once tried to love someone; after much effort, she met a man, only for him to mysteriously vanish two months later. She traveled far to Mount Emei, seeking guidance from gods and fate. Perhaps it was Buddha's blessing, but after an exhausting climb, she found him at Ten-Thousand-Year Temple. He had already taken monastic vows, his mind clear and tranquil. He bowed to her, chanting difficult sutras, leaving her both amused and helpless. In that moment, before Buddha, she suddenly understood: she’d only been with him because his roguish manner so closely resembled someone else.

Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but mock herself, “When I write my memoirs, I can include ‘A Few Incidents with a High Monk.’ Truly, mercy, mercy!” She removed her hairpin and shook her head, letting her hair fall loose, then began to tidy her appearance from scratch. She put her hair up, applied makeup, changed shoes; it all took only fifteen minutes. For four years, she’d been preparing for battle every day at top speed, only to realize, at the moment before stepping onto the field, that there was never an opponent.

Suddenly, she caught sight of the scar on her ring finger—it was unsightly. Seeing unused white roses in the bridal suite, she tied one with a rubber band and wore it as a ring, lifting her hand to admire it repeatedly. It covered everything perfectly.

As the ceremony began, Xiaoxiao took the ring from the tray and handed it to Hua Mei. In that instant, she glimpsed Lin Shuo’s long-unseen left hand and was startled—the tattoo circling his ring finger had not faded at all, stabbing painfully at her eyes. She froze, while Lin Shuo clapped along with the crowd, seemingly indifferent to her presence. She too once had such a special ring, but lost it, leaving only a hideous scar.

Everyone carries a city of wounds within. After their breakup, Lin Shuo left the country, while Xiaoxiao chose to remain tucked away in a corner of this city. She barely scraped through her university diploma, then her family suffered a crisis, and overnight she became their pillar.

She’d read online that Kunming was a “sanctuary for healing,” so outsiders flocked here to escape the world—but where do those who live here go to hide?

The only conclusion was that she had nowhere to escape, and thus, today’s awkward reunion was inevitable.

Lonely Moments, Don’t Speak of Love 2_Chapter Two: The Past Is Like a Scar—updated!