Before our home purchase, my boyfriend secretly sent 100,000 RMB to his ex.

1

Tiffany, a 28-year-old lady, had experienced two failed relationships before finding happiness with Daniel. The first boyfriend, a college classmate, promised to stay in Shanghai together after graduation. However, shortly after receiving their diplomas, he unexpectedly returned to his hometown, ending their four-year relationship with a simple text message, lacking the courage for a face-to-face farewell.

The second boyfriend, a local in Shanghai, faced challenges when their families clashed over regional marriage customs. The disagreement escalated during a heated argument at the dinner table, leading to a declaration of cutting ties. Tiffany’s father brought her back home, restricting her freedom for over half a month. When she sneaked back to Shanghai, she discovered that the man who had sworn not to marry anyone else had eagerly started arranged dating.

Heartbroken, Tiffany indulged in a dessert called “Mother Pig on the Tree” at a restaurant, cursing herself with each bite and shedding tears. So, when she learned that Daniel, also from her hometown, had been working in Shanghai for years, her feelings for him rose by three points.

Considering his looks, two points; his job, another two points; and now, adding these three points, he passed the test! On the day Tiffany officially confirmed her relationship with Daniel, she posted a photo on her social media — their hands entwined, accompanied by a concise yet profound caption: “Miss the wrong person, meet the right one.”

Though not one to be extravagant, Tiffany’s post held a hint of defiance, intended for her ex. “You were in a hurry to go on arranged dates, right? Well, I found someone even faster. How about that, impressed?”

While Daniel might have initially become Tiffany’s boyfriend as a result of a spur-of-the-moment arranged date, it had to be acknowledged that he fulfilled his role diligently, leaving no room for criticism. He picked her up and dropped her off punctually every day, prepared breakfast in creative ways, peeled shrimp, deboned fish, and even took care of every detail. He willingly shared all social media and bank account passwords, and entrusted her with his salary card.

One evening, while delivering some documents, Daniel noticed a pile of greasy dishes in the sink. Tiffany was embarrassed, but before she could come up with an excuse, Daniel silently rolled up his sleeves and earnestly started washing them. When he left, he also took out the trash.

Tiffany was completely captivated. Having faced betrayal in two previous relationships, she never thought she would easily fall for another man. Yet, Daniel’s tenderness and consideration won her over.

She believed he was her silver lining, the sweet reward after enduring hardships, the redemption she had been waiting for.

That night, Tiffany posted another social media update, this time without any emotion other than happiness, with a concise yet profound caption: “Finally found you, glad I didn’t give up.”

This time, the post featured a close-up photo of her and Daniel, their foreheads touching.

Her post received blessings from many, including her ex. Just as she was enveloped in bliss, a call from her childhood friend Sophia cast a shadow over her happiness.

“Darling, please don’t tell me your new boyfriend is named Daniel?”

“Indeed, do you know him?”

Sophia exclaimed, “Oh my, what did I miss? Daniel was my high school classmate. Didn’t he have a girlfriend? He pursued her since high school, and they finally got together in college. It caused quite a stir in our class group at the time. How did you two end up together?”

2

The next day, as usual, Daniel came to pick up Tiffany after work. Tiffany sat in the passenger seat, hesitating several times before deciding to ask for clarification.

While it’s true that everyone has a past, a good current relationship shouldn’t be overshadowed by lingering issues from the past. Tiffany needed to ensure that, in Daniel’s heart, the deep-rooted feelings for his ex-girlfriend were truly a thing of the past before she could fully trust.

“I heard that you spared no expense to win back your ex-girlfriend. How come, in the end, you couldn’t bring the beauty back?” Tiffany asked, trying to address the issue delicately.

Daniel paused, tugging at the corner of his mouth, “Heard? From whom did you hear that?”

Tiffany decided not to conceal anything, “My childhood friend, Sophia, your high school classmate. Do you remember her?”

Daniel nodded at the mention of Sophia, his expression remaining calm and unruffled. As they approached a turn, he neither signaled nor changed lanes, following the car in front of them. It was only after making the turn at the next intersection and returning to the main road that he self-mockingly remarked, “Driving really requires unwavering focus.”

Tiffany, displeased, retorted, “Did I distract you, or was it my words that distracted you?”

3

Daniel could sense the underlying meaning in Tiffany’s words. He glanced at her through the rearview mirror, observing her tightly pursed lips and the restrained discontent evident in her furrowed brows.

As the traffic light turned red, he skillfully brought the car to a stop and reached out to hold Tiffany’s hand.

“Silly, are you really feeling jealous? I admit, I liked her a lot back then and pursued her for many years. But later, she changed. With a monthly salary of 3,500, she insisted on buying a 15,000-yuan bag, not just one but two. I couldn’t afford it, and she found someone who could. So, breaking up was a relief for both of us.”

“Do you still love her?” Tiffany inquired.

Daniel playfully flicked Tiffany’s nose, “Silly, jealous! Now, the one I love is you. Don’t tell me you don’t feel it?”

Tiffany’s frustration eased considerably, but she remained firm, “Yes, I just don’t feel it!”

As the green light illuminated, Daniel pressed the gas pedal. A mischievous smile played on his lips as he nodded repeatedly at Tiffany, saying, “Alright then, didn’t feel it? I’ll make sure you feel it tonight.”

When Tiffany discussed this with Sophia, her childhood friend sighed repeatedly, expressing regret. Tiffany was infuriated, nearly ending their friendship. How could Sophia, her supposed childhood friend, not only fail to bless her relationship but also lament for someone else?

“Well, I didn’t react quickly enough! You don’t know, back then, Daniel was deeply in love with that ‘White Moonlight.’ Unexpectedly, after all these years, they still broke up.”

“I’m just reminding you. Now that you’re together, keep a close eye on your man. First love is a man’s entanglement, a knot that can’t be untied or forgotten for a lifetime. Especially considering Daniel’s ‘White Moonlight,’ which crossed his entire youth. You better be more cautious.”

After hanging up the phone, Tiffany’s heart felt tangled again. Just then, Daniel called to inform her that he was entering international waters and might lose signal soon. He reassured her not to worry if she couldn’t reach him.

Tiffany felt a sense of relief. Whenever there were social events or business trips, Daniel habitually sent her a location update and a short video, keeping her at ease. Before his phone ran out of battery or lost signal, he would always give her a call in advance.

As Daniel once told her, having experienced loss makes him cherish the present. In the days they spent together, Tiffany could feel Daniel putting in his utmost effort to maintain their relationship, and that was enough for her.

At times, she even thought Daniel’s ex-girlfriend was foolish. To lose such a caring and considerate man for a few designer bags, could bags cook for you, wash dishes, or warm your blanket?

But later, she realized that only true fools treat others as fools. Those who are treated as fools by fools are often the shrewdest of them all.

4

Just when Tiffany had almost forgotten about the deeply rooted past between Daniel and his ‘White Moonlight,’ a beam of moonlight from that very past shone into their present.

One day, Daniel sat at the computer playing games while Tiffany’s phone was charging. She decided to browse Taobao on Daniel’s phone.

Suddenly, a WeChat message from someone named “Alice baby” popped up: “Heard you have a new girlfriend, congratulations!”

A new girlfriend? They had been together for over a year, making Tiffany suspicious. She checked their chat history, only to find it completely blank. Clicking on Alice baby’s profile picture, she discovered that it wasn’t the original WeChat name but a special remark by Daniel.

In that moment, Tiffany understood everything. After a brief thought, she replied with a simple “Thanks.”

Alice baby quickly sent another message: “Can you still be my male bestie?”

Followed by a cute kitten emoji. Tiffany felt as if a cat’s claws had suddenly appeared, scratching and teasing her, causing her whole body to heat up.

Fuming, she angrily threw the phone in front of Daniel, who was deeply engrossed in his game. Clearly startled, he was about to reproach her when he encountered Tiffany’s fiery gaze. Suppressing his dissatisfaction, he hesitantly picked up the phone.

After a quick glance, a fleeting glimmer of understanding passed through his eyes. Then, he smiled at Tiffany, “What am I thinking! It’s just an old joke from before I met you. As you can see, we haven’t been in contact for a long time, and she only found out about us now.”

“Delete her.”

Tiffany wasn’t usually so petty, but the fact that he had specifically noted “Alice baby” as a remark for her bothered her. They had been together for over a year, and he still used her full name — Tiffany.

It wasn’t that he lacked a sense of humor or romantic gestures; he just gave those to someone else.

Daniel tried to say something to defend himself, but seeing Tiffany’s displeased expression, he sighed helplessly and, in the end, deleted Alice baby’s WeChat in front of her.

From then on, Tiffany became like a startled bird. Whenever she saw Daniel constantly texting, she would intentionally or unintentionally find a chance to sneak a glance.

Before, she would only play with Daniel’s phone when her own battery died. Now, she occasionally sought opportunities to thoroughly inspect Daniel’s phone.

After attempting several searches for chat records using keywords like “goodnight,” “miss you,” or “baby,” and finding no traces, she finally let go of her guarded feelings.

It seemed that she had indeed overthought things.

5

However, Tiffany didn’t anticipate that, while turning Daniel’s WeChat, messages, and call records upside down, she overlooked Alipay, where they were engaging in active conversations.

On that day, after handling her parents’ insurance premium at her aunt’s insurance company, Tiffany headed straight to Daniel’s office. Daniel ran a small travel agency, and Tiffany’s aunt entrusted him with all the company’s business after Tiffany and Daniel got together.

Throughout the journey, Tiffany was excited. Her aunt mentioned that their company would be sending three hundred valued customers to Phuket, Thailand, for their annual anniversary celebration. If everything went well, this business, combined with Tiffany’s year-end bonus and their savings, should be enough for the down payment on a small two-bedroom apartment.

With this plan, they could buy a house by the end of the year and perhaps even set a wedding date. After the New Year, Tiffany would turn thirty, entering a new stage of life, marked by resolving a significant aspect of it.

Thinking about it, Tiffany felt everything was progressing in a positive direction, with a promising future ahead.

When she pushed open the door to Daniel’s office, he was engrossed in his phone, fingers swiftly dancing across the screen. He wore a delighted smile, and Tiffany walked up to him unnoticed.

When he finally noticed her, Tiffany had already read through all the current chat records on the screen. The conversation wasn’t in WeChat but in Alipay, and the recipient was no longer Alice baby but someone with an English name.

The content of the conversation wasn’t overly affectionate, just casual greetings and trivial matters. However, Tiffany knew; this person was Daniel’s ex, Alice, the one he had dreamt of for years.

“Sure, Daniel, you deleted her on WeChat, but you’re continuing on Alipay, right?”

Daniel panicked, “Trust me, there’s nothing between us. It’s just that when you suddenly made me delete her on WeChat, she asked me through Alipay if you were angry. I just explained it to her.”

Tiffany was furious, “Who is she to you? Do you need to explain anything to her?”

“Regardless, we were friends once. I thought it’s better to clear things up, rather than silently deleting her, which could be considered impolite.”

The more Tiffany heard, the angrier she became. She turned and left, slamming the door loudly.

However, what seemed like a smoky war was reconciled into peace that very night. Tiffany sat on the sofa, sulking, and Daniel approached with eleven yellow roses, playfully rubbing against her legs like a submissive puppy. He even took out a Tiffany’s Smile necklace, trying to please her, “Darling, just give me a smile, like this necklace. I love seeing you smile.”

After saying that, he even made a funny face at Tiffany, who stubbornly ignored him.

Sighing, Daniel sat beside her, embraced her with one arm, and opened his phone’s photo album with the other. “Look, these are the real estate projects I’ve been checking out. I’ve been planning our future. Why would I do anything to hurt you? Alice and I are truly in the past. I have no lingering feelings for her. Can you believe me?”

“Well, then promise me not to have any contact with her again.”

“I’ve already clarified things with her this afternoon and deleted her from Alipay. Check if you don’t believe me.”

6

Since taking over her aunt’s company business, Daniel had been extremely busy, even planning to visit Phuket for site inspections during the National Day holiday. With nothing much to do, Tiffany decided to hold the fort at Daniel’s company.

Coincidentally, a colleague visited that day. During casual conversation, the colleague said, “By the way, sister-in-law, when Daniel returns, can you help me convey a message? Can we start handling the payments through the company account? Our new finance personnel are quite strict, and it’s hard to negotiate.”

Tiffany nodded repeatedly, not giving it much thought. Unexpectedly, the colleague continued, “If that’s not possible, using Daniel’s personal account is fine too. Or even using your personal account, sister-in-law, in case there are complications with the finance department.”

Tiffany’s heart sank, but she maintained a calm demeanor, seeing off the colleague. Internally, however, turmoil engulfed her, causing her heart to race.

Her personal account had never received any payments.

That night, Tiffany couldn’t sleep, recalling how she hesitated several times during the day to visit the finance department and request the company’s financial statements. She was torn between fearing that the accountant wouldn’t provide them and the dread of confirming her suspicions. What if it wasn’t just her imagination, but a painful reality? Where would she go from there?

After a sleepless night of contemplation, Tiffany decided that regardless of the outcome, she wanted to know. She didn’t want to live in uncertainty.

She retrieved the business card given by the colleague and made a call, “Hello, Xiao Li, I’m Daniel’s fiancée. Yesterday, I told Daniel about what you mentioned. He’s currently overseas and inconvenient to talk, so he asked me to convey that you should send the receipts of the transfers made to the personal account last month. I’ll have our finance department record them for future reference. From now on, all transactions will go through the company account.”

Shortly after, the colleague sent several receipts totaling nearly a hundred thousand. As expected, all payments were made to Alice.

Tiffany, who knew every detail of his savings, salary card, and bank statements, once naively believed that no matter what, he would return home obediently every night. She thought his money was securely in her hands, and even if he occasionally spoke with an old love, it wasn’t necessary to break up over it.

But now she understood. She made him delete her on WeChat, and he found a way to contact her through Alipay. She controlled his money, yet he managed to secretly send it to her in this manner.

For her sake, he could be this meticulous and thoughtful.

Six days later, Daniel returned, bringing her an LV scarf. Tiffany forced a smile and accepted it. However, while helping him pack his luggage, she discovered another identical scarf in the suitcase.

Recalling similar instances with two identical bottles of perfume and two sets of the same lipstick, she questioned him. He explained that he didn’t understand these things and grabbed an extra set because they looked good.

At that time, Tiffany playfully scolded him as a stereotypical straight man, asking when he would need these items. Daniel smiled, saying he could use the spare set for a future gift to a client.

Tiffany sneered inwardly but pretended nothing was wrong as she asked, “You eternal straight man, buying two identical sets of cosmetics is one thing, but two identical scarves for me? Can’t you choose a different color for me?”

Daniel took the other scarf from her hands, “Oh, this one is for a client. I’ll give it to her another day.”

Tiffany nodded, not exposing him. She turned away to continue packing his luggage, but tears finally fell, and she couldn’t hold back her emotions.

7

In the evening, as they lay side by side in bed, Daniel was drifting off to sleep when Tiffany suddenly said, “By the way, when you weren’t around, a colleague came and asked if they could use the company account for future transactions.”

One sentence jolted Daniel awake, and even in the darkness, Tiffany could sense a hint of panic in his eyes. “What, what else did he say?” he asked.

Tiffany pretended to be nonchalant, saying, “Nothing much. Anything else?”

“No, nothing.”

“I accepted on your behalf.” With that, Tiffany turned away, her back facing him. “You really should stop with this private account stuff. It’s just causing trouble for others. Like people, accounts must be crystal clear. Once it’s not, problems arise.”

That night, Tiffany pretended to sleep, but she felt that Daniel wasn’t asleep either. Despite his increased caution, the frequent tossing and turning still revealed his inner turmoil.

How could a guilty person sleep soundly? Yet she, who wasn’t guilty, still found herself unable to sleep. In the darkness, she wiped her face, and her entire hand was damp.

In the following weeks, Tiffany considered confronting Daniel several times. However, everything seemed strangely settled. Those days, her parents would subtly remind Tiffany and Daniel to finalize their marriage plans. They even went as far as choosing an auspicious date for the wedding.

Tiffany tested the waters with her parents, saying she felt like she hadn’t had enough fun and wanted to play for another two years. Unexpectedly, her mother scolded her on the phone as if she were a dog.

“Haven’t had enough fun? Do you think you’re eighteen? You’re already thirty! All you know is to play, seeking your own happiness without a shred of responsibility. How can you not think about your father and me? We’re too embarrassed to go out; every time we step out, people ask if their daughter is married.”

As her mother scolded, her voice softened, revealing a hint of a sob. Tiffany hastily hung up the phone, startled.

In the end, she decided to compromise, becoming a deserter in the battlefield of emotions. Well, whose relationship doesn’t have flaws? She consoled herself in this way.

During dinner, Tiffany informed Daniel of the auspicious wedding date her parents had chosen. Daniel paused for a moment, nodded, and made no further comment.

When Tiffany thought he had silently agreed, he suddenly put down his chopsticks and solemnly said, “Tiffany, is March next year too rushed? Even if we buy a house at the end of this year, we probably won’t be able to move in by March. What do you think?”

“What do you mean?” Tiffany asked.

“No, don’t overthink it. I just want to be well-prepared. After all, marriage is a lifelong commitment. We haven’t prepared anything yet. I’m afraid of rushing and making you uncomfortable. How about the second half of next year, around Mid-Autumn Festival or National Day?”

After thinking for a while, Tiffany agreed.

8

Tiffany had a thorn in her heart. Though this thorn occasionally stabbed her, causing unbearable pain, she had silently resolved to ignore it, bury it, and wait for time to erode, melt, and eventually make it disappear.

She believed that Daniel had heeded her subtle warnings that night. This belief was reinforced when he voluntarily suggested that she resign after marriage and join his company as a finance officer, stating, “Finance is the lifeline of a company, and I don’t trust outsiders with it.”

If that glimmer of moonlight named Alice hadn’t proactively approached, perhaps Tiffany would have continued to hypnotize herself into being a blindly ignorant ostrich, avoiding scrutiny or deeper investigation.

Alice was undeniably beautiful, at least Tiffany thought she was more attractive than herself. No wonder Daniel had been captivated for so many years — no, for so many long years.

Alice smiled radiantly at Tiffany. “I heard you’ve helped him a lot in his career. I should thank you for him.”

“You want to thank me for him?” Tiffany felt both irritated and amused. “Please get it straight — he is my fiancé, and we are a family.”

Alice elegantly stirred her coffee. “Maybe so. It’s just that you don’t know. The reason he started a travel company was because of my love for travel. In college, he used to say that after graduation, he would open a travel company and take me around the world.”

Tiffany crossed her arms, looking indifferent, but her nails were deeply embedded in her palms. It hurt in her palms and fingertips, but none of it compared to the pain in her heart. It felt like someone was using a blunt knife, repeatedly torturing her, wanting her dead but not allowing her a swift demise.

“So what? He can’t take you now.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Alice gave her a mischievous smile, stood up, walked to Tiffany’s side, and whispered in her ear, “Let me tell you a secret. We have a three-year agreement. If, after three years, he’s still unmarried, and I’m still unwed, we’ll get back together. The agreement expires next July, and I guess your wedding date is after July, right?”

In an instant, Tiffany heard a thunderous crash. She knew her painstakingly constructed emotional fortress had collapsed, shattered into fragments.

Daniel, I did my best.

9

In late December, Daniel received a message from Tiffany’s aunt canceling their travel plans. After that, he couldn’t reach Tiffany. When he rushed home, he found Tiffany sitting on the sofa, seemingly waiting for him, with a smile on her face. If it weren’t for the two suitcases beside her, he might have thought it was all a misunderstanding or a joke.

He scratched his head, trying to suppress the turmoil of emotions within him, and walked over to try to hold her hand, but she gently avoided it.

“Tiffany, listen, don’t play around, don’t joke with me. You know, because of the business your aunt introduced, I haven’t even collected the deposit. You have my bank statements; you saw that I’ve already paid the deposit for the flights and hotels. I’m flying next week, and I won’t be able to recover that money.”

Tiffany continued to smile. She knew that he wouldn’t be able to get that money back; otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked her aunt to cancel the trip today. She also knew the amount wasn’t much, just under six hundred thousand, but enough to leave him with nothing overnight.

He would have to start from scratch, and for a while, he probably wouldn’t be able to take his “White Moonlight” on a world tour. Or maybe, he wouldn’t remember their three-year agreement.

“Tiffany, tell your aunt that if they breach the contract, I can sue them. We’re all relatives; let’s not make it ugly in the end.”

“Sue? With what?” Tiffany laughed even more, “Forgot, didn’t you? There’s no official seal on the contract.”

Daniel slumped to the ground. He remembered that day when Tiffany accompanied him to sign the contract. She brought the seal, but it was the wrong one. They only realized it was the travel seal at the signing. Since they were family, Daniel didn’t pay much attention, thinking they could fix it whenever they had time.

Later, he got busy with the travel arrangements, sparing rare moments dealing with the two women in his life. When he finally remembered, Tiffany told him she had delivered the corrected document, and he didn’t think much of it.

Suddenly, Daniel stood up. “Tiffany, you plotted against me!”

“Yes, I did!” Tiffany stood up too, sharp eyes piercing him. “But didn’t you plot against me? I caught you communicating on Alipay. If your aunt hadn’t called mentioning this business, would you have apologized with yellow roses and given me a necklace as reconciliation?”

Daniel panicked, oscillating like someone with split personalities. Yet, with a sincere face, he begged her, “Yes, I would. Tiffany, believe me, I love you. I will marry you!”

Tiffany coldly sneered, “Really? When? After your three-year agreement with her is fulfilled?”

With that, Tiffany left without looking back, slamming the door loudly. However, unlike the last time she created such a commotion hoping to be retained, this time, it was to tell him, “Daniel, you’re finished.”