The year I graduated, my two childhood friends-turned-business partners seized the short video trend and launched a channel called A Plum Spoiled by Two Bamboo Horses. It brought them fame and fortune.
Since the account's inception, they’ve used countless ways to publicly "spoil" me, creating a perfect facade for the internet. They were hailed online as the two most devoted men.
But behind the scenes, the one they truly spoiled was the wealthy investor who funded their project in the first place. I was nothing more than a convenient tool—a mere prop in their performance.
I lived a life better described as a glorified nanny.
Once my heart finally broke beyond repair, I made the decision to cancel my ID and disappear from their world forever. I wanted to escape.
But to my surprise, my attempt to leave sent them spiraling.
——
“Hannah, this is for you. Isn’t it romantic?”
Gerald gently covered my eyes with his hand before pulling it away, revealing a sky lit with dazzling fireworks. The colorful bursts painted the night in vivid hues, the spectacle so grand it seemed to light up the entire world.
In the past, I might have been moved to tears by such beauty.
Now, though, all I could feel was a biting, hollow coldness.
Dressed in nothing but a strapless gown on a freezing night that hovered around zero degrees, I stood there. They wanted me to look beautiful on camera, no matter the cost.
So I numbly endured the chill, watching the fireworks that had been "carefully prepared"—not for me, but for their next viral video.
“Click!”
I forced a smile for the camera. Before I could utter even a fake “I love it,” Daniel’s irritated voice cut through the night like a blade.
“Hannah, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you at least try to act more dedicated?”
“Do you think you’re the only one suffering in the cold? Everyone here is freezing just to get this video done!”
I bit back my frustration, wrapped myself in resignation and agreed to reshoot.
Only after filming the scene five times did Daniel and Gerald finally declare their satisfaction. And as if on cue, they both rushed over to Nora.
“Freezing, right? All because of Hannah!”
Daniel grabbed the staff member’s down jacket—originally meant for me—and draped it over Nora’s shoulders without hesitation.
Gerald, meanwhile, took her hands in his, blowing warm air onto her chilled fingers with care.
From my seat off to the side, I watched them fuss over Nora with tender affection and a bitter ache welled up in my chest.
These days, their attention toward me was a performance for the camera—nothing more than a shallow facade. But their care for her? That was real.
I couldn’t help but wonder: where did I lose to her? How did the two boys who swore as children that they would never marry anyone but me turn into this?
But ultimately, none of it mattered anymore.
I had already applied to cancel my ID and once the process was complete, I planned to leave this place for good. I’d go somewhere they could never find me.
Sitting in the car, I finally felt some warmth seep back into my frozen body. The numbness in my lips faded and the pale purple tinge gave way to a healthier color.
Just then, Daniel climbed into the car with his arm around Nora. His eyes flicked toward me, narrowing in annoyance when he saw me sitting in the front seat.
“Move to the back! Who said you could sit here?”
Before I could respond, he pulled me out of the seat and pushed me toward the narrow, cramped third row. He then carefully helped Nora settle into the seat I had just vacated, turning on the heater for her comfort.
“Hannah, are you cold?” Nora asked sweetly, glancing at me in my thin coat. Her voice dripped with concern as she extended the down jacket toward me. “Here, you can have this.”
Her eyes betrayed a hint of smugness. She wasn’t worried about me freezing—she simply found the thick jacket too warm and inconvenient.
“Look how considerate Nora is!” Daniel chimed in. “Hurry up and put it on, or you’ll catch a cold and delay the next few days of shooting.”
With that, he turned his attention back to Nora, chatting with her and making her laugh.
I sat silently in the back row, watching them through the rearview mirror. I said nothing.
I had no words left to say.
