Chapter 3

On that evening, I received a call from Melody.

However, it was Mason's voice that came through on the other end.

"What kind of boyfriend are you? Melody's in a terrible mood, she's had way too much to drink. You'd better..."

"What's there to worry about? She's got you, her best friend, right by her side."

Taking advantage of Mason's brief silence, I hung up the phone immediately.

On the third day of Melody's business trip, she suddenly started voluntarily reporting her schedule to me.

What time she did what, where she went, what she did.

Every little detail, all communicated.

I just casually swiped away the message notifications, letting my phone screen go dark.

In the past, whenever Melody went on business trips with Mason, I was always filled with worry,

Constantly sending messages and making calls, wanting to know her every move.

Melody would always accuse me of overthinking, being immature, and disturbing her work.

Now that I'm indifferent to everything about her, she's suddenly become proactive.

It's both absurd and laughable.

Coming back to my senses, I submitted my resignation through the office software.

Previously, to better care for and accompany Melody, I had taken a planning position at the company next to Melody's.

But in truth, I've always harbored a dream of being a photographer.I once shared my photography work on online platforms, gaining quite a following and fanbase.

But Melody said that a real man should have lofty ambitions, and shouldn't be limited to just photography.

She even said my photos were far worse than Mason's, telling me not to foolishly dream of becoming a photographer.

Being rejected by the one you love, that feeling of disappointment and sadness, is still fresh in my memory to this day.

Now, no longer wasting my energy on emotional entanglements, I'm solely focused on reclaiming my dream.

I reached out to the advertising company that had previously extended me a job offer.

They regretfully informed me that they had already found a suitable candidate.

At the same time, they recommended I sign up for an upcoming city-wide photography competition, saying it might lead to job opportunities.

To improve my photography skills quickly, I enrolled in a photography course and picked up my camera again.

A week later, Melody called asking me to pick her up from the airport.

"I'm busy right now, just take a cab back," I said, while concentrating on adjusting my camera settings.

Melody muttered something as she hung up, unaware of the painful memories the airport held for me.

Once, I had specially taken time off work to drive through heavy snow to pick her up at the airport.

Along the way, due to the terrible weather, traffic accidents were frequent and the roads were hopelessly congested.Hearing that she had been waiting for me at the airport, cold and hungry, I didn't hesitate to buy an electric scooter from a shop by the roadside.

When I finally arrived at the airport after a grueling two-hour ride through the snow and ice, looking like a snowman, there was no sign of her.

Melody's phone was unreachable no matter how many times I tried.

Frantic with worry, I dragged my numb legs around the vast airport for half the night,

Just as I was about to call the police, she finally returned my call.

It turned out Mason had already picked her up.

She had gone straight to bed as soon as she got home.

She hadn't even remembered to notify me.

I came down with a high fever after returning home that day.

Yet she scolded me, saying if a grown man like me couldn't take care of himself, how could she expect me to take care of her.

Then she promptly turned around with hot soup and fever medicine to look after Mason, who merely had a cold.

Waiting at the airport for a flight that never came.

I should have woken up sooner.

Those who refuse to see reason don't deserve sympathy.

I took a photo of the golden light spots filtered through the tree leaves with my camera,

And posted it in the training class group chat.

To my surprise, it received unanimous praise from both students and teachers.

Looking at comments like "Awesome," "Incredible," and "Brilliant," I couldn't help but smile.

It turns out that being acknowledged feels so wonderful.The sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the front door.

It was Melody coming home.