The Returning Ex: A Post-Breakup Love Story

Three years ago, because of one sentence from Johnny:

"She was too clingy, I had no choice but to be with her."

I deleted his contact information, threw away the gifts, and walked away.

Later, when we met again, he had become a top celebrity.

And I was still living a simple life in the countryside.

Someone mentioned me and asked:

"Do you still keep in touch?"

Johnny looked down at me as I lay on the ground:

"No contact, not familiar."

It was only later that I realized he had come for me from the very beginning.

1.

Three months after I quit my job to write novels in the countryside, I didn't expect to see Johnny at the village entrance.

When our eyes met, I was lying on the ground, tightly holding onto a goose's leg.

He was more mature and composed than four years ago, giving off a vibe that kept people away.

In my panic, I lowered my gaze.

"This is so embarrassing." My bangs covered most of my face, and the atmosphere was tense for a few seconds.

Suddenly, someone started laughing.

A girl standing next to Johnny laughed and asked him:

"Johnny, are all the girls in the countryside this interesting?"

Johnny ignored the girl, who felt a bit awkward and continued to ask:

"I heard you dated a girl from the countryside in college. Do you still keep in touch?"

The girl didn't know that the countryside girl she was talking about was me.

Johnny's expression grew even more serious. He turned and left, leaving behind a casual remark:

"We haven't been in touch for a long time, not familiar."

While doing laundry at the village entrance and chatting with the local women, I finally understood why Johnny appeared here.

It turned out that our village, with its scenic beauty, had been chosen as the filming location for a dating reality show.

The production team would be stationed in the village for a month, recording the show live.

But I never expected that Johnny, who had already become a renowned actor, would participate. I heard that countless actresses in the entertainment industry were pursuing him, each more beautiful and charming than the last.

Even if he agreed to date one of those actresses, it would seem more reliable than coming on a reality show to find love.

Could it be that as people get older, their desire to find a partner grows stronger?

Carrying my freshly washed clothes, I headed home, only to encounter Johnny and his entourage halfway.

I kept my head down and tried to hurry through the crowd, but accidentally overheard their conversation.

They were talking about first loves and high school memories.

The host then asked Johnny, "Alright, it's time for the next segment.

Mr. Hughes, if your first love were here right now, what would you say to her?"

Johnny, sitting casually with his long legs crossed, replied, "I would tell her: Remember to watch your step and not trip so often."

Everyone was puzzled, and the host quickly tried to smooth things over, "Haha, it seems Mr. Hughes is advising his first love to stay grounded and not get ahead of herself, right?"

I was so focused on pondering the meaning of Johnny's words that I didn't notice the large stone in front of me and tripped over it with a loud "thud."

My freshly washed clothes got dirty again. As I hurriedly picked them up, I suddenly saw a slender, well-defined hand. It was Johnny's.

I jerked back as if shocked, my face uncontrollably flushing, "Th-thank you... Thank you."

When I blushed and took the last piece of clothing Johnny handed me, a girl suddenly ran up to me, blocking Johnny's curious gaze.

The girl had a sweet appearance, with two adorable dimples when she smiled. She was the same girl who had been standing next to Johnny earlier.

She extended her hand to me with a smile:

"Hi, I'm Olivia. We met just now.

I think you're really interesting. Can we get to know each other?"

I was a bit flattered and quickly freed up a hand to shake hers. "Hi, I... I'm Aimee."

"Wow, your name also has a cute repeating pattern. That's such a coincidence."

She naturally linked her arm with mine and quickly said:

"Since that's the case, that's wonderful. Our show has a task later. Can you help us complete it?" "We need to go to a local's house and ask to use their kitchen to cook a meal.

Is that okay?"

I was still a bit dazed, but Olivia took my silence as agreement.

She turned to the back and said:

"Johnny, we've got dinner sorted for tonight. Let's go!" Johnny leaned against a wooden post with his arms crossed. His gaze swept over me lightly, and his thin lips parted slightly:

"Let's go."