Accidentally Calling My Ex

By Simba32 min read7,837 words
Romance#romance#second chance#humor#contemporary#misunderstanding

When a writer's niece accidentally FaceTimes her ex-boyfriend during his blind date, a hilarious second-chance romance unfolds filled with fake parenthood claims, mutual sabotage, and unexpected emotional revelations.

Accidentally Calling My Ex

My one-and-a-half-year-old niece was playing with my phone when she accidentally FaceTimed my ex-boyfriend. Looking at the man on screen who was clearly on a date, she sweetly chirped: "Daddy!"

"Whose kid is this?"

Hunter remained unusually calm.

I replied without missing a beat:

"Naturally... yours."

He laughed from the other end:

"Long-distance conception? Delayed germination?"

After a moment, he added:

"The grass outside looks particularly green today."

Chapter 1

God help me.

Other people's Manhattan penthouses are bought or earned. Mine is conjured up by my curling toes of embarrassment.

My brother asked me to babysit, so I let the kid play with my phone. Then little Emma unlocked it, and her tiny fingers just happened to press the video call button for my ex-boyfriend.

Sometimes I think most of life's troubles could be solved if we just had no shame. Like right now, for instance.

Here I am, face-to-face on video call with my ex-boyfriend of a year and a half.

He's impeccably dressed, devastatingly handsome, even more gorgeous than before. Meanwhile, I've gained ten pounds, look like I haven't showered in days, and still have chili flakes from my street food stuck to the corner of my mouth.

If we were going to meet again after all these years, I imagined we'd be toasting with wine glasses. I never thought it would be through a misdial.

Hunter appeared unusually calm as he spoke:

"Whose kid is this?"

My toes were ready for action.

What kind of question is that? We broke up a year and a half ago—no matter how you calculate it, this kid can't be his.

"Mr. Chen, about today's date, I really think you're—"

A gentle female voice came from his end.

Hunter raised his finger in a shushing gesture.

I froze, retracted my toes, sat up straight, and replied without batting an eye:

"The kid is naturally yours."

I pulled over my niece, who looks about seventy percent like me, lifting her by her armpits with tears welling in my eyes:

"Sweetheart, say... daddy."

Hunter smiled and said leisurely:

"Which number daddy am I to her?"

Seeing a woman's coat in the corner of his video frame, I cleared my throat nervously:

"This really is your biological daughter. Don't you dare deny her."

Hunter loosened his collar on screen:

"Long-distance conception? Delayed germination?"

Before I could answer, he added with amusement:

"The grass outside looks particularly green today."

Me: ...

Hunter was still the same Hunter—looking like a gentleman on the surface but still a complete scoundrel underneath.

I stared blankly at the screen, speechless.

After a while, the woman's voice came through weakly:

"Mr. Chen, may I ask whose... child this is?"

Hunter smiled faintly, restraining his other expressions:

"No worries, just a neighbor lady who dialed the wrong number."

He was still holding the phone and hadn't hung up.

"You wanted fruit juice, right? This place doesn't have any. I'll take you to the fifth floor for some in a bit."

The woman nodded with a smile:

"Mr. Chen is so thoughtful."

As an ex-girlfriend, I thought I had pretty good character. When Hunter didn't love me and even broke up through cold treatment, I didn't cry or make a scene when I left, giving him all the dignity he needed.

But... neighbor lady?

Neighbor lady?

Ha, fine.

Who was rolling around in bed with this "neighbor lady"?

Hunter was becoming more and more classless.

I remembered when I used to have cramps and asked Hunter to buy me some fruit juice, he'd dismiss it saying juice was bad for my health.

And now he's taking her to the fifth floor for juice? So he was just messing with me, wasn't he?

Perfect—today I'll settle old scores!

Hunter was saying on the phone:

"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. As you can see, I'm currently—"

"Hunter."

I cleared my throat to interrupt him.

On the video screen, Hunter and I locked eyes.

"I know you don't love our daughter and only wanted a son, but you're just... not up to it. Our daughter only exists because we did IVF, and now you're abandoning me and our baby girl..."

As I spoke, my crying grew louder. Seeing me cry, little Emma started wailing too. For a moment, we made it look completely real.

After crying for a while, Hunter still hadn't moved, just watching me with an inscrutable smile at the corners of his eyes.

But the woman on his end couldn't sit still:

"Mr... Mr. Chen, I have something to take care of. I'll go first."

Hunter paused. He didn't explain or try to keep her, just politely said:

"I'm sorry for the embarrassment today. I'll come apologize to you and your father properly another day."

After she left,

I wiped my tears and collapsed contentedly onto my cushions.

I picked up my unfinished street food and continued eating.

Little Emma was still holding the phone, calling "daddy, daddy" at Hunter.

I thought to myself that my brother raised an ungrateful little thing—she gets distracted by any handsome face and doesn't even recognize her real dad.

After a while, Hunter asked me:

"Is it good?"

I nodded:

"Not bad."

He said:

"Then eat more."

His tone was quite gentle, even fond.

No, too fond.

My back went cold. Just as I was about to hang up, I heard Hunter's steady voice:

"I'll come pick you and our daughter up after you finish eating."

Chapter 2

The street food in my mouth plopped back into the bowl.

The person on video smiled warmly:

"Is one serving enough? Want another? What flavor? Still spicy?"

He seemed extremely patient, following up with:

"What does our daughter want to eat?"

Me: .........

Little Emma was hugging the phone with drool streaming down.

"Ah... da..."

I quickly covered her mouth.

She can't keep calling him daddy.

Each "daddy" is just your aunt's worthless dignity going down the drain.

Hunter was still looking at me through the video, his gaze full of amusement.

A chill ran down my back. Why don't I ever learn? I should have known Hunter wasn't some upright gentleman but a dog you can't afford to provoke. Two bites of street food and I got carried away?

"Um... Mr. Chen."

I wiped the grease from my mouth with the back of my hand, trying to look somewhat formal.

"Sorry, the kid isn't yours. I was lying just now because you—"

Halfway through, I suddenly met Hunter's cold gaze and my heart jumped.

"Anyway. Um."

When confronted directly, I actually got a bit scared.

"Let's call it even. Didn't you also ruin one of my dates?"

He acted as if he hadn't heard what I just said:

"Why call me Mr. Chen? I heard you call me 'Hunter' earlier. It sounded nice."

His persistent shamelessness made my teeth itch with hatred. I smiled:

"I already told you the kid isn't yours."

Hunter ignored this, snapping his fingers at little Emma, making her giggle.

"She called me daddy just now."

Looking at this hopeless little flirt, I took a deep breath:

"Kids say the darndest things."

Hunter stood up and started putting on his clothes, smiling at me casually:

"I'll be there in half an hour."

After he hung up, I was stunned for a second, then frantically grabbed little Emma to dress her.

My dad came out of the bedroom with the remote control:

"Where are you going?"

"Running for my life."

I said.

The old man was shocked.

"What kind of trouble did you get into?"

"Mad dog."

My dad is timid and started shaking with fear.

"Does he know where we live? Should I run too?"

"Huh?"

I was confused. When Hunter and I were dating, I was pretty wild—he doesn't know where I live.

Little Emma tugged at my clothes: "Hug..."

I took off her clothes, beaming:

"Good girl, auntie will take you for street food."

After lying in bed for two minutes, I dug out my old phone. Hey, it still turned on when charged.

In WeChat, looking at my chat history with Hunter, I inexplicably fell into deep thought.

【Baby, you there?】

【Baby, I was wrong.】

【Baby, I got hurt, having some heart problems, but don't worry baby, it's from missing you.】

【Baby, street food is delicious, but not as sweet as you.】

【Baby, I really was wrong.】

【Baby?】

Hunter never replied—just a bunch of red exclamation marks.

Chapter 3

God help me.

My toes...

Just as I was about to start my toe-curling exercise, I was interrupted by knocking.

My mom was banging on the door outside:

"Lily! You little brat, open the door for your mother right now!"

Damn! I quickly jumped out of bed. I'd been so absorbed in reading chat history that I forgot to go downstairs to meet my mom.

"Coming!"

Little Emma followed behind me, babbling.

"Relying on you would kill me from exhaustion."

I guiltily took her things, blurting out a tried-and-true excuse:

"I was just on the phone with my date."

A somewhat deep footstep behind me suddenly stopped.

My mom pressed:

"Which date?"

"The one from last month—six-foot-two, broad shoulders, narrow hips, widowed young."

After putting things down, little Emma tugged at my pants:

"Da... ah... da..."

I was wondering what was wrong with this little girl when I looked up and saw a devastatingly handsome face appear in my field of vision.

—Hunter.

My heart skipped a beat.

Little Emma showed her tiny teeth and stumbled over to grab Hunter's pants:

"Da... ah da, daddy..."

The man put down what he was carrying, smiled, and crouched down to pick up the little girl.

What a picture of paternal love (not).

I was left barefoot, disheveled, and dumbstruck.

"Oh dear, Lily, how were you watching the kid?"

Mrs. Johnson ran out from the kitchen to rescue little Emma.

"Mr. Chen isn't married yet—she can't call him that randomly."

Hunter smiled warmly:

"No problem, the child and I seem to have a connection. She's affectionate."

Me: ???

This is cursed.

Hunter the passive-aggressive was definitely here for revenge.

Seeing me looking sloppy as a wooden block, my mom urged me with disgust: "Go change your clothes and get Mr. Chen some water. I just fell at the community gate, and thankfully Mr. Chen helped me home."

I opened my mouth stiffly:

"Mr... Chen?"

Mr. Chen himself nodded at me, looking refined:

"Hello Miss Johnson. I'm Chen, twenty-seven. I should be older than you, so you can call me big brother."

Big brother Chen.

What a joke.

I glared at him and turned around.

Hunter's slightly amused voice came from behind:

"Miss Johnson, put on slippers."

After changing clothes in my room, when I came back out, little Emma had already wrapped herself around his neck and wouldn't let go.

I wasn't pleased.

Little ungrateful thing, smitten after just one meeting?

My mom was beaming beside them:

"Mr. Chen, sorry for the embarrassment. Usually Lily takes care of this child herself. The kid probably misses having a father."

Mr. Chen's eyes trembled violently at these words.

Not just Mr. Chen—my spine went rigid too.

My mom, perfectly normal person with one flaw—she has a mouth that can talk, and she's too good at hitting the nail on the head.

"She... takes care of her... alone?"

Hunter enunciated each word.

"Well..."

Regarding my brother's failed marriage, my mom suddenly didn't want to continue.

"Never mind, never mind. That child's father, sigh, can't count on him. Forget it, I'll cut some watermelon. Let Lily keep you company."

The living room fell silent again.

Parched, I reached for water on the coffee table.

Hunter blocked me with his hand, his tone restrained:

"Let me."

Drinking water, I was slow to realize.

Turning my head to see the man's deep gaze fixed on me, I was speechless:

"You're not seriously thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

Hunter silently hugged the child tighter:

"Is the kid really mine?"

I wanted to cry but had no tears, staring wide-eyed:

"Please, this kid is my brother's. I'm her aunt."

Someone: fell into deep thought

I guess he was calculating how many times we were together before we separated, and little Emma's age.

After a while, he suddenly looked at me seriously:

"Lily, actually I—"

Chapter 4

His words were interrupted by my mom:

"Come, come, Mr. Chen, have some watermelon."

Little Emma didn't want to get down from Hunter's lap, so she sat there while he carefully fed her watermelon, looking at me with something unsaid.

Looking at how clingy she was, she really did seem like his biological daughter.

My mom was grinning from ear to ear when she suddenly turned:

"Mr. Chen, twenty-seven and not married yet?"

I tensed up pathetically, then heard the man's voice, cool as water:

"No, but I had a date this morning."

"Ah... I see."

I don't know why my mom wouldn't give up.

"So... how did it go? Did you like her?"

Hunter predictably met my eyes, lips curving up:

"My ex-girlfriend sabotaged it."

My own mother slapped her thigh:

"Oh my, how could that girl be so inconsiderate?"

She sounded regretful, but I clearly saw her face radiating barely suppressed joy.

"If my daughter did something like that, I'd definitely have words with her. What kind of behavior is that?"

Looking at my own mother, my mouth twitched and my back broke out in cold sweat.

"The... street food isn't finished and it's getting cold. I'll go back to my room first."

Leaving the three of them, I fled to my room.

My mom paused, then covered for me:

"My daughter is used to being wild and doesn't know manners. Don't mind her."

Before closing the door, I heard Hunter laugh and say: "No problem, she's always been like this."

Sitting on my bed, my heart was still pounding.

Hunter, Hunter.

What a troublemaker.

Flipping through my chat history with Hunter, I zoned out.

Hunter and I didn't have much else, but we had the most chat history.

It's kind of funny when you think about it.

We started as... an online relationship.

Hilarious.

I don't know when, but Hunter came in carrying little Emma and opened my door.

I looked up suddenly and—crack.

I pulled a muscle in my neck.

Talk about embarrassing myself completely.

Hunter put down little Emma and came over to touch my neck.

"Don't move."

His voice was always pleasant—low and deep, able to penetrate eardrums and hit your heart.

I grabbed his collar in an extremely unnatural posture, rigid.

Though Hunter wasn't a doctor, he said he'd learned a lot of martial arts as a kid, so he could handle these little sprains and strains.

"What's the rush?"

He massaged my neck while talking.

"Your jumpy personality hasn't changed. If I wasn't here today, you'd be walking around like a zombie."

I was frustrated by my repeated embarrassments in front of him, my teeth itching with hatred.

"I'd bite you first if I became a zombie."

With his warm palms and just the right pressure, my neck seemed to relax.

"Bite away."

Hunter was nonchalant, his tone taking a turn:

"Bite anywhere you want."

Me: ...

Little Emma was holding the doorframe, giggling: "Bite, bite... bite."

Damn it!

This useless little thing.

"Move around a bit."

Hunter straightened up, looking down at me.

I turned my head back and forth.

I had to admit, the guy had skills.

I was afraid to move before, but now I could move freely.

"All better."

I cleared my throat:

"You two go play."

Hunter crossed his arms, leaning back against the cabinet, suddenly smiling.

He stared at me intently:

"Use me and lose me? Not even a thank you?"

I ignored him, suddenly remembering something else.

I asked coldly:

"What are you doing at my house? Looking to settle scores? How did you know where I live?"

He avoided eye contact, naturally skipping the earlier questions to answer only the last:

"I didn't know. Just a coincidence."

"Oh."

I don't know why my heart was beating irregularly.

"You're really good at coincidences."

Hunter's gaze fell playfully on the phone in my hand:

"Not as good as you at coincidences."

Me: ???

He doesn't think I still have feelings for him and deliberately misdailed, does he?

Then he said:

"Still looking at our chat history?"

I hid the old phone behind me, shaking my head seriously:

"No."

Hunter nodded, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

Soon my toes started curling again in the awkwardness.

"Um..."

"Um..."

We spoke in unison, looking at each other.

He didn't yield, jumping straight ahead:

"The kid is mine. I'll take responsibility for you and our daughter. Actually I..."

Me: ???

I jumped up and patted his shoulder:

"Why don't you get a paternity test first? Men, too much confidence isn't a good thing."

Hunter froze, his face starting to look ugly. He frowned, seeming incredulous.

"The kid isn't mine?"

This guy is pretty smart and high-achieving, but sometimes when he gets stubborn, ten oxen couldn't pull him back.

I slumped down helplessly.

"I was wrong, I was wrong. I never should have played this joke on you. The kid really is my brother's, not yours."

Perhaps my tone was too serious this time.

We stared at each other in long silence. Hunter kept looking at me without moving.

When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse:

"We dated for two years and you never told me you had a brother, Lily."

I lowered my eyes, secretly clenching my fists.

This awkwardness and silence suddenly felt like the days when Hunter and I were together.

Silent, oppressive fights.

After a while, Hunter took a strand of hair from little Emma and carefully wrapped it in tissue.

When he reached my door carrying her, he suddenly turned back.

Seeing his face rapidly approaching mine, I held my breath, not knowing how to let it out, nearly suffocating.

While my eyes were closed, he yanked a hair from the top of my head.

It hurt.

I glared at Hunter until he disappeared from the doorway.

After playing in the living room for a while, my mom saw Hunter to the door.

Little Emma was reluctant to part, crying with snot and tears. I came out and took the child from Hunter's arms:

"He's not even your real dad—look at yourself, so pathetic."

Hunter said without showing emotion:

"She's just young."

Tch. Really thinks he's a loving father?

"Oh, Mr. Chen."

My mom quickly stepped forward to hold Hunter's hand.

"Thank you so much today. Without you, I would have ended up in the hospital."

Mr. Chen smiled politely.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Come visit often! Do you live far?"

Hunter nodded: "I'll come when I have time. I'm actually planning to buy a house in this area."

This made my mom ecstatic.

Only I was secretly curling my toes.

I never imagined that one day Hunter could win so much of my mom's affection as my ex-boyfriend.

Finally seeing Hunter off, I breathed a long sigh of relief. My mom said I didn't know how to behave and would never get married. I said fine, I won't get married then. She said that Hunter seemed like a good kid, which made my scalp tingle. I replied "you never really know someone."

My mom muttered: "As if you know him so well."

I secretly thought, we've slept in the same bed many times—I wonder if that counts as knowing him well.

Chapter 5

That evening.

Watching little Emma run around in front of me, my thoughts drifted.

Those red exclamation marks on WeChat were the end of Hunter and me a year and a half ago, though I don't know when Hunter quietly added me back.

"Hunter, Hunter," I silently repeated this name, feeling warmth in my chest.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

Looking at it, I nearly threw the phone away in shock.

Hunter had sent me a heart emoji on screen.

I tentatively replied with a question mark.

Hunter: 【Accidental tap.】

Me: 【The emoji is cute, I'm stealing it.】

Hunter: 【Whatever.】

Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at that cold attitude. Typical Capricorn Hunter.

I didn't see Hunter for the next three days.

I figured the paternity test results were probably in, and that would be the end of Hunter and me.

One misunderstanding wouldn't change anything.

That evening, another message popped up on my phone.

Jake: 【Lily, free to come downstairs? My mom wants me to give your mom some local specialties I brought back from my trip.】

After much hesitation, I went downstairs.

Under the dim streetlights, Jake immediately put a coat over my shoulders when he saw me.

I felt awkward.

My mom had previously arranged a half-hearted date between Jake and me.

But I felt he was too good for me and had refused several times, directly and indirectly.

Now I could see he still hadn't given up.

"Take the specialties back to your mom. I prepared this other gift for you."

I took the specialties but didn't touch the rest.

Jake smiled cooperatively: "Lily..."

"Jake."

I interrupted him.

"Thank you, but this is too expensive. I can't accept it."

"Don't feel burdened. Friends bring each other gifts when they travel."

I frowned, about to refuse.

A slender hand took the gift, and a slightly amused, husky voice silenced everything:

"She said friends bring each other gifts. Take it—I'll return the favor for you next time."

My stiff neck looked up to meet Hunter's downward gaze.

Hunter, whom I hadn't seen for three days.

He was smiling, completely at ease.

Jake's face couldn't hide his discomfort, looking between me and Hunter:

"Lily, do you have a boyfriend?"

I was momentarily stunned.

"This..."

Hunter took out cigarettes from his pocket and lit one, speaking first:

"I'm not her boyfriend."

I sighed with relief, then heard the crisp sound of the lighter followed by Hunter's voice:

"I'm her baby daddy."

Jake's handsome face immediately looked like a color palette had been spilled on it.

He stammered:

"Lily, you... have a child?"

I glared fiercely at Hunter through gritted teeth:

"No."

Hunter laughed, took a deep drag, and naturally came to pat my head,

like he used to when he was slightly helpless but soothing:

"No, no, just kidding. She doesn't have children."

Seeing Hunter's insufferable attitude, I thought darkly, here we go.

I quickly glanced at Jake:

"Jake, I'll explain this to you another day. Can you give me some time to handle personal grudges today?"

Jake hesitated but nodded:

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

After he left, Hunter sat on the roadside planter.

This wasn't like Hunter.

I waved my hand menacingly, asking:

"What's the meaning of this? What kind of tantrum? How old are you? Addicted to causing trouble? Just because I ruined one of your dates, is it worth it?"

He smoked leisurely, looked up at me, and smiled:

"You're wronging me. I saw you didn't like him but couldn't shake him off, so I helped.

"As for last time..."

He paused, changing his approach:

"You said it yourself—you ruined my date too. We're even."

That was when Hunter and I broke up. My mom tricked me into going on a date. I was indifferent, trying to drive away my date, not knowing Hunter was sitting behind me, chatting and laughing with classmates.

That day, Hunter had given me the silent treatment for two whole months.

He casually walked out from behind and said by the table:

"Such poor taste now? I don't know how you used to see in people."

When Hunter said this, he was looking at me.

I got a little excited, thinking he had some intention of reconciliation.

But within two seconds, the guy across from me got up and patted Hunter's shoulder, looking somewhat embarrassed:

"Hunter, you're here too."

Hunter didn't respond, just said flatly, "Let's go."

Turns out they knew each other.

Later that evening, my date texted me:

【Miss Johnson, Hunter said...】

He didn't finish typing the rest.

Seeing this, I knew Hunter had badmouthed me.

I didn't really want to date anyway.

I just brushed it off with a few words.

Actually, I understood perfectly well. After two years with Hunter, he wasn't usually so classless.

But...

So...

After a while.

Having thought through all this.

My feelings were complicated.

Hunter, cunning as he was, picked the perfect moment to smile at me with gentle grievance:

"I've been standing downstairs at your place for hours. I'm tired."

I rolled my eyes:

"What are you standing here for? Who told you to stand here?"

He was brazenly direct:

"Missing you."

My temples throbbed.

Looking away, my voice was weak:

"Did you get the paternity test results?"

"Mm."

"Then what are you still doing here? Get lost."

No response.

Hunter smiled helplessly:

"Lily, why are you so mean to me?"

I only answered:

"You know what you did."

Long silence.

I secretly glanced at Hunter's face and saw him looking up at the moon.

"Lily."

He suddenly called my name.

I turned at the sound, seeing his dark eyes.

"Lily—"

He said:

"In this year and a half, was there ever a moment when you thought of me?"

I stared at him steadily, unable to speak for a long time.

Chapter 6

Later, when I thought of those words again, I had already been staring blankly in my room for half an hour.

Opening Hunter's chat window, I hesitated for a long time, wanting to send something but not wanting to, wanting just to look but not wanting just to look.

Finally, I opened Hunter's social media.

December 25th last year.

His only post was a movie ticket for a re-release of "Love Letter."

The day Hunter and I officially became a couple, we watched the re-release of "Love Letter."

I closed my phone and buried myself in my pillow, recalling all the moments with Hunter.

One was a high achiever, the other just hugged her computer writing novels; one ate street food, the other avoided it; when I was watching mindless soap operas, he was reading English literature. Even our basic daily routines were out of sync—he got up early to exercise while I was just falling asleep after writing all night.

Looking back, it seems incredible that two such different people could be together.

We did eventually fall into pointless, frequent arguments.

I say arguments, but we never even had heated words. Hunter was overly rational, I was overly restrained, so most of the time we ended up in cold wars.

The last time, Hunter blocked me and cut contact for two months.

When we met again, he ruined the date my mom had arranged for me.

That day, we still parted unhappily.

Finally, Hunter went abroad for further study, and I immersed myself in my new book.

Between us, it froze there.

A week later.

I came out of my room looking disheveled.

My mom seemed particularly happy.

There were piles of groceries on the kitchen counter.

I asked: "What's the special occasion today?"

She said: "A good day I prayed to Buddha for."

She urged me: "Go get dressed and put on makeup. Hunter's coming for dinner soon."

I nodded drowsily: "Oh."

Halfway there, I suddenly turned back:

"Who?"

My mom: "Hunter."

I nodded calmly again:

"Oh. I have some urgent business. Going out first."

Time to escape!

I quickly threw on clothes and quietly opened the living room door, ready to make my getaway.

Hunter's handsome face appeared in my vision with a smile, startling me.

"Where to?"

I pulled up my mask, lacking confidence as I smiled:

"Want some street food. Going to buy street food."

He raised what was in his hand:

"Extra scallions and cilantro, extra spicy."

I tried again:

"Going to pick up Emma."

Emma came running out of my room toward Hunter:

"Ah... da... daddy."

Hunter smiled and pushed me: "Inside."

Me: Just let the world end. I'm done.

Once I opened the door to freeloading meals, Hunter started coming over to mooch food more and more often.

He appeared around me more and more frequently.

We would occasionally go for walks after dinner like before, enjoying the evening breeze, though it was all forced by my mom—we weren't allowed back for at least an hour.

Emma was super clingy with Hunter. Video calling had become routine, and when she showed her little teeth calling Hunter "daddy," I'd always zone out.

Hunter and I seemed to have an understanding to play dumb, neither bringing up the past, though occasionally we'd talk about before—the parts unrelated to romance.

I'd call this relationship "Cosmic Super Invincible Ex-Lovers Mutually Scheming Ultimate Back-and-Forth."

Basically, I didn't know what Hunter wanted.

One evening, I jokingly asked Hunter if he was coming to get revenge because I ruined his date.

Hunter didn't deny it, but didn't say another word either.

Hunter stopped coming after that day.

On April 11th, my birthday, my mom urged me five times to call Hunter.

Finally, on the sixth urging, I couldn't help but call Hunter.

The call connected.

It was a female voice, very gentle. I recognized this voice—it was very distinctive.

My niece's misdial that day—Hunter's date.

She asked: "Who is this?"

I paused, then smiled: "The neighbor lady from downstairs."

She asked again: "What's the matter?"

I shook my head: "Nothing."

I hung up.

My mom asked: "Where's Hunter?"

"He's not coming."

I said.

Whatever. I don't care if he comes or not.

I had a great birthday. My mom made lots of dishes. Even my brother, who's never home, came back. He wasn't too happy seeing Emma's evasive actions.

I joked with him that if he didn't come home more to spend time with his daughter, she'd start calling someone else daddy.

After saying it, I felt inexplicably empty inside.

That evening I went downstairs for my usual evening breeze.

Walking around the corner, someone grabbed my hand.

I looked up to see Hunter, whom I hadn't seen in a week.

He was holding half a cigarette in his other hand, glowing red in the wind.

"You called me?"

He asked.

I nodded:

"Misdial."

I tried to leave, but he wouldn't let go.

I said flatly:

"Let go."

Hunter suddenly took a deep drag, his voice hoarse from the smoke, as if he was bitter-smiling:

"Lily, you were cuter that day when Emma misdailed."

Then he explained:

"I was visiting the Chen family with my mom. She answered my phone without my knowledge."

I asked back: "What does that have to do with me?"

He was silent for a while, then stubbed out his cigarette:

"Happy birthday, Lily."

Long silence.

"Hunter."

I looked up at him:

"I really can't figure you out. What exactly do you want? You gave me the cold shoulder a year ago, and now you're hanging around me again? What's the point? Playing games?"

We stared at each other like this. Hunter's lips parted slightly, but he never made a sound.

This reaction was interesting. I laughed, my eyes getting hot.

I said:

"I thought you loved me deeply and wanted to rekindle things. If not, let's just drop it. It's boring."

After saying this, I gave him a decisive turn and walked away.

Playing cold treatment two years ago, and now still pulling this back-and-forth crap with me?

Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere.

Hunter is just a bit more handsome, a bit taller, and makes a bit more money.

After I'd walked a few steps,

Hunter's voice rang out behind me:

"Lily."

He called to me, his tone so deep it was moving:

"You clearly didn't love me. You clearly loved me less."

Chapter 7

Back home, I scrolled up through the chat history on my phone at high speed.

After the red exclamation marks, my finger stopped on the last few messages Hunter and I exchanged a year ago.

That was two days after our cold war.

【Let's break up.】

【All you seem to see are novels, plots, characters, storylines.】

【You were writing on Valentine's Day, on my birthday, on our anniversary. Always, I came after your novels.】

【Lily, do you actually love me as a person, or do you love me because I'm similar to your novel characters?】

Me: 【Writing a novel, talk later.】

Looking at it now, it's almost laughable.

I remembered that during the two years Hunter and I dated, every time we fought, it was because I felt he didn't understand me enough, and he felt I didn't love him enough.

The days with Hunter were actually quite happy, but I still felt that love was ultimately somewhat hollow.

I wasn't used to depending on anyone, and didn't really know how to. Hunter was exceptionally outstanding—perhaps sometimes I secretly thought we had no future together.

I really did put Hunter last in my heart.

Later this became a cycle that even rational people like us couldn't break out of.

We wore down each other's passion more and more.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by my mom pushing open the door.

She saw me sprawled on the daybed and asked:

"Did you fight with Hunter?"

I shook my head:

"No, it's late. Go to sleep."

My mom hesitated:

"Lily..."

She was rarely this serious.

"What's wrong?"

Sighing, she sat beside me.

My body stiffened a bit. This kind of close, serious heart-to-heart hadn't happened in years.

"Hunter might have seen that... miscarriage receipt on your bookshelf. He's probably upset that you didn't tell him back then, which is why he hasn't come over this week."

That was two months after Hunter and I broke up. I discovered I had an ectopic pregnancy. I couldn't reach Hunter, and we were still fighting, so I handled it myself.

After a while, my fingers moved stiffly:

"You knew all along that I used to be with him?"

My mom nodded:

"The first time I met him, he was pacing downstairs. He said he wanted to win you back and asked if I could help him."

As if I hadn't heard clearly, I repeated:

"What?"

My mom nodded:

"He said he wanted to win you back."

My brain went blank for a moment.

"Lily, I can see he really cares about you. You two just have some misunderstandings."

She sighed deeply, her voice choking:

"I know that after you came with me into this marriage, to be a good stepmother, I gave more love to your brother. You've always been sensitive..."

I looked away, my nose stinging:

"Why bring this up suddenly?"

After my mom remarried and brought me along, she was afraid of being a bad stepmother, so she favored my brother in everything, inevitably neglecting me many times. I used to blame her as a child, but I can't blame her now.

She kept sighing.

"Lily, love means first completely breaking yourself apart, then fusing together to form a complete new self."

Worried I wouldn't understand, she explained:

"You should learn to depend on him instead of putting him completely behind everything else. Love isn't something scary. It's my fault for making you unable to love others or be loved openly."

Sniffling, I wiped my tears frantically:

"You're here as his advocate."

My mom also wiped her tears:

"He naturally has his faults in this relationship too, but I don't just want you to reconcile with him. It doesn't matter who it is—Mom just wants you to be happy."

My voice was thick with emotion:

"Stop being so sentimental."

But my mom suddenly hugged me.

After being stunned for a while, my tears dripped onto her shoulder.

That night I tossed and turned, thinking about many things.

All of Hunter's good qualities.

I remembered he was a high achiever who read newspapers I couldn't understand, but he was always the first to comment on my novels. He didn't eat street food but knew all my favorite flavors. Sometimes when he was reading English literature, he'd ask about my soap opera plots. When I fell asleep at dawn, Hunter would kiss my forehead before getting up.

On this night of scattered starlight, I suddenly seemed to understand.

I didn't really understand love. I wrote romance, but I didn't really believe in love. I was stingy with my security and my love.

When Hunter was with me, he truly suffered some grievances.

But then I remembered his two months of cold treatment and him ruining my date, and my blood pressure spiked again.

Chapter 8

Two days later, in the evening.

I opened the chat box, and then... my toes started their exercise under the covers.

Should I just confront him directly?

Or be friendly first?

Lost in thought, a sudden phone vibration interrupted my train of thought.

Hunter had sent two question marks on the lock screen.

I sat up abruptly in bed.

After unlocking, there was a big heart emoji in my chat with Hunter.

I had sent it.

I frantically tried to cover:

【Would you believe me if I said that was totally an accident?】

Hunter: 【Testing me?】

Me: 【I swear it was absolutely accidental. I stole your emoji and accidentally pressed it.】

Hunter: 【Playing hard to get?】

Me: 【What can I say to make you believe me?】

Hunter: 【Nothing you say would make me believe you.】

Me: 【❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️】

Hunter: 【???】

Me: 【❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️】

【😘😘😘😘😘】

Hunter: 【Stop.】【I believe you.】

He added:

【It would be stranger if it wasn't an accident.】

The chat fell silent again.

My heart tingling, I put down my phone.

On the second vibration, I saw that Hunter had retracted a message.

Me: 【What unseemly message did you retract?】

Hunter: 【Indeed unseemly, so I won't let you see it.】

Me: 【Oh.】

He said: 【Really nothing to say?】

Two minutes passed. I stared at this message, my hands floating uselessly in the air.

He: 【Say something, princess.】

I was still shaking.

He: 【Come downstairs.】

I scrambled out of bed: 【This late and you're still downstairs?】

Hunter: 【I'll be there in two minutes.】

Right, he moved nearby.

While getting dressed, he sent another message:

【What can I do? One emoji from you and I'm restless.】

I went downstairs after getting dressed, hands still shaking. Seeing Hunter made them shake even more.

He had a cigarette in his mouth.

He put his coat over me:

"It's so cold, why are you wearing so little?"

"You wear it, your hands are shaking."

I said.

Hunter looked at me and rubbed his fingers:

"You're shaking too. Let's go to the car, it's warmer."

I followed Hunter to the car, and my phone indicated it had connected to Bluetooth.

Hunter and I both froze for a moment.

To break the silence, I scrolled through my phone:

"Want to play a song?"

Hunter nodded.

I played that song we used to play often, "Natalie."

...

"I never meant to hurt you
Please never go away
I drove all night to tell you
I wish that you would stay"

...

The second Hunter and I made eye contact, he kissed me, and I closed my eyes.

After the kiss, Hunter buried his head in my hair.

He asked me with a slight choke in his voice:

"Lily, I can't let you go. Do you still want to be with me?"

My eyes were moist:

"What's good about me?"

He was quiet for a while:

"Can't think of anything. Just feel like everything about you is good."

I wiped my tears and asked again:

"You want to be with me, how do we do this?"

He paused, then asked tentatively: "Keep you company while you eat street food?"

Me: Really touching, he's still such a high achiever.

I said again:

"We still have some issues to resolve."

At this, Hunter's stubborn streak kicked in, and he suddenly became serious:

"I think so too. We need to resolve the issues."

He jumped in first:

"You had an ectopic pregnancy and still didn't contact me. Why?"

I straightened up, not to be outdone:

"Weren't you the one who blocked me first?"

Hunter looked away: "I was angry then and wanted to block you, but finally decided not to, but I accidentally touched it..."

He tried to explain:

"Three days later I realized I had blocked you and unblocked you, but you never messaged me."

Me: ...

Mouth dry, I reached for water beside me.

"But when I went to your lab to find you, you wouldn't see me."

Hunter frowned while opening my water:

"When did you ever come looking for me?"

Me: "I told your receptionist, went several times. She said you kept refusing to see me. I even waited outside your lab and never saw you."

Hunter thought:

"Which receptionist? A week after our fight, I was transferred to the neighboring city for research. I was gone for two months straight."

My blood pressure spiked:

"So she was lying to me?"

Angrily pulling out my phone, I showed Hunter:

"Look, I still have her WeChat. I asked her about you every day back then."

Hunter's face was iron-gray as he looked at me, his eyes full of disbelief:

"You asked her?"

I nodded:

"What about her?"

"You went to her with information? That girl was pursuing me. There was one time we ran into each other and I rejected her with you right there. You forgot?"

My voice suddenly became weak, my head foggy, as I mumbled: "I think there was something like that."

Hunter's face was dark:

"What were you thinking then?"

Me: "I was busy taking notes on that plot point... for my novel..."

Hunter was amused by my answer, but it was a cold laugh.

He said:

"Lily, just go live with your novels."

Knowing I was in the wrong, I put my arms around his neck, looking sheepish and ingratiating:

"I still want to live with you."

His body stiffened under my touch. He slowly turned his head, his eyes red as they met mine:

"You sure? No breaking up during fights, depending on me, loving me, living with me?"

I nodded, hugging him tight:

"I'm sure."

Love exists in daily life, not in some CEO's king-size bed. We first break apart, then grow.

Hunter has flaws, and so do I. In intimate relationships, we're both novice practitioners.

Everyone was excessive, no one was innocent.

I suddenly thought.

The days without Hunter were actually fine, just occasionally empty.

Some say lovers are missing souls. Right now, I deeply agree.

But fortunately, he's still here, I'm still here, and love is still here.

From now on, we'll write our love into the endless chaos of daily life.

【The End】

Epilogue: Yesterday's Clear Sky

At 21, I graduated from college and worked full-time at home writing novels.

I don't know where I got the courage—a total failure like me daring to go full-time.

When I was bored, I loved browsing social media and looking at handsome guys.

Social media had local news back then.

I was scrolling through posts when I saw a tech news item.

Praising a promising young graduate student who had made outstanding scientific achievements while still in school.

My fingertips started heating up when I clicked on the picture.

I thought he'd be some boring engineering guy.

But this guy was... way too handsome...

I shouted in the comments: "Husband! *10!"

After commenting, I started reading other comments and got furious—all sour grapes.

Digging into this handsome guy's family background, all academic bigshots, saying this award was undeserved, his family pulled strings, saying he was scheming and only knew how to steal others' achievements.

Not one bit of real evidence, all rumors. I thought, how is the academic world so messy too?

Immediately feeling righteous indignation, I wrote a thousand-word article denouncing these lemon-hearts.

Then...

It went viral.

Not my thousand-word article—but they saw I wrote a thousand words and saw my "husband *10"...

The little sisters commented:

【Send her up there to embarrass herself.】

Then this news spread at lightning speed.

By the time I opened social media again, it had thousands of likes.

So embarrassing.

I quickly deleted "husband *10," but couldn't help taking another look at the handsome guy's photo.

This one look was dangerous—he was exactly my type. I even shamefully saved the picture.

Closed social media.

That night, looking at the bad reviews on my novel's homepage, I fell into deep thought.

【This garbage is readable?】

【Wasted my membership】

【Does the author have brain problems?】

【What is this? Insulting my eyes.】

【Speechless, this author is only three years old, can't be more.】

My fingers were ready to fight back, but my brain advised me to let it go. Fight after fight, when does it end?

Thinking this, I cowardly backed down and stayed up all night studying to improve my skills.

The next morning, I saw a lengthy review.

I patiently read through it. He analyzed the story framework, character conflicts, emotional transitions, and even made... a chart.

Yes, a chart.

Then the conclusion said: "Though flawed, the future holds promise."

This phrase "the future holds promise" was deeply imprinted in my mind.

I privately messaged this big brother. Though grateful, I still thought he had some issues—who writes book reviews like academic papers, with introduction, conclusion, and charts?

Back and forth, the big brother and I went from discussing novels to science, from science back to novels.

Eventually we reached maximum level friendship status.

One day, big brother asked:

【Want to meet in person?】

At the time, I was still obsessing over that handsome guy's photo on my phone.

I replied in the chat: 【Never mind, online friends are fine.】

Then big brother sent a photo.

I nearly dropped my phone in shock.

【But I think face-to-face would be better.】

Right now, lying in Hunter's arms, remembering these things still makes me feel so cringey.

I laughed out loud from embarrassment.

Hunter pinched me: "You were just attracted to my looks."

"Not true."

I said: "I was won over by your talent."

He said again: "Do you know that the negative comments under my news back then were bought by your date?"

I sat up abruptly: "Huh?"

He continued: "We used to be in the same lab."

I had an epiphany.

He looked at me like I was an idiot:

"How could I be so classless as to badmouth my ex-girlfriend after breaking up?"

Seeing him anxious, I smiled teasingly: "Not necessarily."

Hunter got up with a cold laugh:

"Let me show you something really classless."

I pretended not to understand:

"What?"

He said: "You know. Stop pretending. You're seducing me."

I cried out shyly: "Damn, you're so smooth. I'm writing this part into my novel."

Hunter laughed in exasperation:

"Let me see how you write the next part."