Chapter 19: The Joke Was on Me All Along

After putting on her sunglasses and mask, Zhou Tianhou got into her inconspicuous little Beetle and headed toward the address she had deduced. In twenty minutes at most, she would find the Postman.

The thought made her a little excited. In her mind, she recalled what Shen Xian had said before.

“I’m not married, and I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Was he hinting at something? With her beauty and stardom, surely the Postman must like her? He must be fond of her, otherwise, why would he treat her so well? Ever since her very first livestream, he had been guiding her selflessly, never once asking for anything in return, even writing her new songs without ever requesting payment.

If this wasn’t love, then what was?

But then, why wouldn’t he meet her? He must think himself too unattractive for her, mustn’t he?

But, Postman, do you know? I don’t care about looks; I only like people who make me feel comfortable. You’re the only one who’s ever given me that feeling after all these years.

What should I say when I finally meet him?

As she waited at a traffic light, Zhou Wan’s imagination ran wild, conjuring up all kinds of dramatic scenarios.

Meanwhile, Shen Xian could never have guessed that the renowned queen of love songs would be driving out alone in the dead of night to track him down, just to see what he looked like. If he knew, he’d be utterly dumbfounded.

“I’m going home,” Xiao Yang said, having finally pulled himself together and stumbling to his feet.

Shen Xian frowned. “You’re drunk. Don’t go home tonight. Stay at my place.”

Xiao Yang sneered at Shen Xian. “Why would I want to sleep at your place? What’s so great about sleeping with a guy?”

As he spoke, he waved to someone in the distance. “Over here, over here!”

Shen Xian turned and saw a car with its high beams on parked at the roadside—a volcano gray Panamera. Then, out stepped a stunning woman with a voluptuous figure and captivating charm. Her hair was styled in loose waves, her legs long and shapely, her figure curvy and alluring, wrapped in a tight-fitting, bright red dress.

Shen Xian stared, stunned. “Who… who is that?”

“My girlfriend,” Xiao Yang replied.

Shen Xian’s eyes widened. “Isn’t your girlfriend Zhang Doudou?”

Xiao Yang’s sneer deepened. “Who says I can only have one girlfriend?”

“Darling, let’s go.” The enchanting woman walked over and gracefully took Xiao Yang’s arm, tossing Shen Xian a flirtatious glance as she did.

Shen Xian was dumbfounded.

From the look of it, this wasn’t some fleeting affair.

Xiao Yang patted Shen Xian on the shoulder. “I’m off to sleep. Have fun on your own tonight.”

Shen Xian was left speechless.

“True love? To hell with true love. Who even cares about that anymore? Only kids believe in that stuff.” Xiao Yang slapped Shen Xian on the shoulder again in his annoying way, then climbed into the car with the girl.

“Honey, I brought new clothes tonight.”

“Even if I have to pop pills, I’ll keep up with you tonight.”

“Oh, you’re terrible.”

Their laughter echoed from afar.

Shen Xian stood there like a stray dog, watching their retreating figures.

A long time passed.

“Damn it!”

“What a joke!”

“And to think I tried to talk sense into you, worried you wouldn’t recover, trying to comfort you!”

Shen Xian downed a large glass of beer in one gulp. “Boss, check please!”

The barbecue stall owner bustled over.

Shen Xian handed him cash.

“Boss, do you believe in true love?” Shen Xian asked.

The owner, counting the money without looking up, replied, “How much is true love worth? If a woman wants to talk about true love and won’t pay up, I’d call the cops if she ate even one of my skewers!”

Shen Xian felt utterly defeated. “Turns out the clown was me all along!”

“I’m so pathetic!”

Tonight, both Zhang Doudou and Xiao Yang had taught him a lesson:

The lovesick fool is always doomed, but the heartless player lives forever.

A gentle breeze brought a hint of chill. Summer had passed; autumn was setting in.

Zhou Wan was already nearby. She opened the photo and quickly identified a barbecue stall, then used the angle in the picture to pinpoint its exact location.

Her gaze fixed on one particular table.

The owner was clearing the dishes, with a few plates still left on the table.

Zhou Wan opened the photo again. The dishes matched exactly. She was finally certain—this was the table where the Postman had just sat.

“Boss.” Zhou Wan walked up to the owner.

He looked up and was instantly stunned by the sight of the sunglass-and-mask-clad diva. Even though her face was hidden, her aura and elegance were unmistakable. She wore a long black dress, her hair cascading in waves over her shoulders, exuding a mysterious allure like a spirit of the night.

For a moment, the owner was entranced.

“Boss,” Zhou Wan called again, snapping him out of his reverie.

“What would you like?” he asked, flustered.

“I’m not here to eat. May I ask, where did the customer at this table go?”

“He left. About ten minutes ago.”

Zhou Wan pointed to the seat where Shen Xian had been. “What did the man sitting here look like?”

The owner paused, puzzled by the question. He eyed her warily. “Who are you? Why are you asking?”

Zhou Wan took out her phone and showed the photo Shen Xian had sent her. “We’re dating online. He says he really likes me, but claims he’s too ugly and unworthy, so he never dares meet me.”

The owner suddenly understood, his curiosity piqued. “The guy who sat here wasn’t ugly at all—he was actually quite handsome, though I thought he looked a bit like a duck.”

Behind her sunglasses, Zhou Wan glared at him, silently thinking, You’re the duck!

“What did he talk about tonight?” she asked.

The owner tilted his head. “Can’t remember.”

Zhou Wan pulled a hundred yuan from her purse.

The owner immediately perked up. “He asked me if I believed in true love. He looked really upset—must’ve had his heart broken.”

“Did he have a woman with him?” she pressed.

The owner pretended to think hard.

Zhou Wan gave him another hundred.

“No, but his friend brought a real knockout of a woman,” the owner replied.

“And?” Zhou Wan handed over another hundred.

The owner genuinely couldn’t recall much more, but tried his best to remember. What was the last thing Shen Xian said?

Was it, “I deserve to die,” or “I’m going to die”?

“Got it!” the owner said solemnly. “He said he was going to die.”

Zhou Wan was startled. “What?”

The owner replied earnestly, “Absolutely true. The reason he won’t meet you is because he has a terminal illness, doesn’t have long to live, and doesn’t want to drag you down. He probably wants to bury this love deep in his heart.”

In the owner’s mind, a melodramatic TV drama had already played out.

Zhou Wan thought it made sense. There was only one thought in her mind: He loves me so much!

“Which way did he go?” Zhou Wan asked, her heart fluttering with anxiety.

The owner pointed in the direction Shen Xian had gone.

Zhou Wan hurried off, her eyes scanning the surroundings anxiously. By chance, she collided headlong with Shen Xian, who was just coming out of a convenience store.

“I’m so sorry, so sorry…” Zhou Wan quickly looked up to apologize.

Shen Xian recognized her instantly, despite her disguise. “Miss Zhou… what are you doing here?”

Zhou Wan looked up, stunned to see Shen Xian. Her face turned pale in shock. Fortunately, the sunglasses and mask concealed her reaction.

“M-Mr. Shen,” Zhou Wan stammered, “Oh, I just came out to buy something.”

Shen Xian didn’t suspect a thing and nodded. “Alright, be careful on your way back.”

“Goodbye!” Zhou Wan fled in panic, hurrying to her car and gasping for air.

She pounded the steering wheel. “Damn you, Shen Xian! Can you just leave me alone? Why are you everywhere?”