A toast to the past, no matter how much I love, I will never look back.

 　　I.

　　We all thought Xiao Qian would be the first among our friends to get married.

　　We all called her Xiao Qian, but actually, her surname isn't Qian.

　　Her name is Qi An'an, which is originally a very nice name, but when pronounced quickly, it becomes "Qi Yi An—Qian~". To show everyone's affection for her, the name Xiao Qian stuck. She herself likes this name very much because her boyfriend's surname is Jin.

　　"Look, I'm Xiao Qian, and he's Jin. It's destined that we'll be together!" Every time she talks about this, she blinks her big eyes, her round little face full of excitement.

　　In our eyes, finding Xiao Qian's boyfriend, Mr. Jin, is a blessing from several lifetimes.

　　Because Xiao Qian is so capable and considerate. When we go out to eat, she sits gently next to Mr. Jin, pouring water and wine, setting the table, handing him tissues and ashtrays...

　　Mr. Jin is practically waiting to eat.

　　The key is that Xiao Qian isn't the type to just sit there and take care of her boyfriend; she can take care of everyone at the table without even trying.

　　For example, once a group of us were eating at a large round table. Speaking of round tables, everyone probably knows the feeling: when you really want a dish, it's often turned away before you can even pick it up. That's what happened to me. I wanted a bullfrog, and every time I reached for it, it was turned away by some clueless person (not intentionally, but many people don't have the habit of checking before turning the table). Just as I was secretly bumming myself out, I realized the bullfrog had been turned to my table. I looked up and saw Xiaoqian across from me, one hand on the glass tabletop, the other smiling at me with crescent-shaped eyes.

　　Of course, I didn't like her because she turned the bullfrog to me (though that was still a big part of it...). Mainly, this girl's kindness to everyone was natural, sincere, and a little playful, making you like her effortlessly.

　　Secondly,

　　speaking of how good Xiaoqian is to her boyfriend, it's truly a guidebook. Whenever we're together, she doesn't care whether we want to hear it or not; she blatantly shows off their affection.

　　Mr. Jin looks very serious on the outside, but he's actually quite boyish at heart. Xiao Qian takes care of all the little things in his daily life, and it's common for them to act cute and have tantrums together. Whenever Xiao Qian talks to me about it, she doesn't think her boyfriend is childish at all; on the contrary, she looks very proud.

　　"You see, he treats me like family, that's why he's so unguarded and acts all sulky, how adorable...

　　For example, a while ago, I was traveling a lot for work, and we checked our schedules. He was also traveling to several different places during that time, so we didn't see each other for three weeks. Although there was a weekend in between, it was quite a hassle to fly back from Guangzhou.

　　My Mr. Jin is a romantic Pisces at heart but a bit arrogant on the surface, so I suggested we go on vacation to Sanya.

　　When we got to Sanya, we just relaxed by the hotel pool. He read his book, and I read mine. We didn't talk to each other, but it didn't feel awkward. Sometimes when I got tired of reading, I would get up and find something else to do, like washing my clothes, pouring him an iced Coke and putting it next to him, or peeling a few lychees and feeding him some. Everything was pretty peaceful and beautiful.

　　Then, I don't know why, we had a little argument. The cause was so trivial that I really can't remember it. Anyway, he turned his back on me angrily and played on his iPad, ignoring me, while secretly glancing at me to see if I had given in to him." I didn't really care about any of that; I figured

　　it'd be fine in a bit. Just then, I happened to see some cotton swabs in the bathroom, so I said, "Let me clean your ears."

　　I didn't really think much of it; I just figured even guys who shower frequently might not be thorough. But when he rested his head on my lap, I realized it was a very intimate gesture.

　　This guy, who's usually so arrogant and sulky, was sitting there obediently like a little kid, which made me want to laugh.

　　His fluffy head tickled my thigh, and my heart softened. I realized that no matter how big a temper or how capable a man is, deep down he's still a little boy, and a little coaxing and stroking makes him much better.

　　So, whenever I'm angry or sulky, I treat him like a little boy, and thinking of his fluffy head on my lap makes me not want to argue with him anymore.

　　Listening to this, I didn't know whether to despise her for being clueless or envy her gentleness and generosity. I sighed and said, "You even clean my ears?"

　　"It's not just about cleaning his ears!" Xiao Qian perked up as she talked about it. "I also trim his toenails. Every day when he comes home, he takes a shower, lounges on the sofa watching TV and playing on his phone, and I wash his fruit, pour him an iced cola, and then go to the kitchen to cook..."

　　However,

　　despite all this, Xiao Qian and Mr. Jin's relationship wasn't smooth sailing. The main reason was that Mr. Jin's mother didn't like Xiao Qian.

　　The difficult mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship is an age-old problem. It's nothing new for mothers-in-law to think their sons are bewitched by their wives, who are like little vixens, and aren't close enough to their mothers anymore. But Mr. Jin's mother—let's call her Grandma Jin—didn't like Xiao Qian because of ten yuan.

　　Here's what happened:

　　One day, Xiao Qian, Mr. Jin, and Grandma Jin went shopping together. Mr. Jin, spoiled since childhood, was very filial, but he couldn't help being a little temperamental at times. That day, for some reason, Mr. Jin and Grandma Jin started arguing.

　　At that time, Xiao Qian had only recently been introduced to her parents. Faced with the argument between her future mother-in-law and future husband, she didn't know what to do and could only silently drive (Mr. Jin had drunk some alcohol at dinner and couldn't drive). Then, Mr. Jin, enraged by the argument, grabbed the ten yuan change he had just received after paying the parking fee, tore it to pieces, and threw it out the window. Ignoring Xiao Qian, who had just started the car, he pushed open the door and drove off.

　　Without saying a word, Xiao Qian immediately stopped the car, unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and got out, leaving Mrs. Jin, her face ashen, sitting alone in the back seat.

　　A little while later, Xiao Qian returned to the car. Although Mrs. Jin was angry, she couldn't help but ask with concern, "What happened? Didn't you catch up?"

　　"I caught up, I caught up," Xiao Qian said happily, panting. "The wind scattered it a bit, but I still caught it all!"

　　Grandma Jin was taken aback: "What did you catch?"

　　"The ten yuan I threw out earlier! I picked it all up!"

　　Grandma Jin's face turned green with anger: "Why didn't you chase after my son when he ran away!"

　　"Ah..." Seeing Grandma Jin's anger, Xiao Qian said a little scaredly: "I thought Xiao Jin would know to come back after running away for a while... He's such a grown man... If the money had been blown away or someone else had picked it up, it wouldn't have come back..."

　　From then on, Grandma Jin clearly opposed her son being with Xiao Qian, for a very clear reason:

　　This girl only cares about money, not you! One day when you have no money, she will definitely leave you. A girl like that is unacceptable!

　　Fourth,

　　as friends, we were both amused and annoyed when we heard this story. I couldn't help but tap Xiaoqian on the head: "If you're going to pretend in front of your future mother-in-law, at least pretend to be convincing!"

　　Although Xiaoqian often makes silly mistakes, she's not stupid. She looked at me helplessly and said, "But then it wouldn't be me. Can I pretend for a while, or for a lifetime?"

　　But to be fair, we all felt that Grandma Jin was overthinking it.

　　Mr. Jin is certainly a good catch, but Xiao Qian isn't bad either. The key is that the two of them are truly in love. As someone who has known Mr. Jin for seven or eight years, I've clearly noticed the changes in him over the past three or four years with Xiao Qian.

　　On one hand, he's become more ambitious in his career; on the other hand, I can sense that he's become increasingly considerate of those around him. Take his girlfriend, for example. Before, when he brought girls over, he would always give them the cold shoulder. Mr. Jin would chat and laugh with his friends, never caring where his female companions were.

　　But Xiao Qian, through her scolding and even a bit of playful discipline, has transformed him into a seemingly gentlemanly figure. He'll open doors and press elevator buttons for girls beforehand, open car doors for them first, and especially when walking on the street, if he's chatting happily with his buddies and walks a little faster, he'll turn around and see Xiao Qian standing there pouting: "Don't you want a wife anymore?!" Ignoring his friends' teasing, he'll always run back to Xiao Qian and take her hand.

　　Moreover, Mr. Jin, who used to be known as the "Prince of Nightclubs," has spent the last two years basically either taking his girlfriend to parties or going home to be with her after work. These two people, who weren't initially very grounded, have gradually developed a sense of commitment to a long-lasting relationship.

　　At that time, I thought, this is what a truly wonderful life is like.

　　V.

　　But things rarely go as planned. Without any major ups and downs or arguments, Mr. Jin's feelings for Xiao Qian gradually faded due to his mother's prolonged dislike. Many times, when Xiao Qian was absent from our gatherings, Mr. Jin would look pained: torn between his mother and the girl he loved, he couldn't give up one, and he didn't want to give up the other. He knew this couldn't continue, but he simply couldn't make a decision.

　　Xiao Qian, on the other hand, was much more open: "I don't think I have any conflicts with his mother. We just have misunderstandings. Life is long. Put yourself in her shoes, and his mother will definitely like me!" Xiao Qian's eyes were bright, showing no signs of being affected by this situation; she was simply more considerate of Mr. Jin than before. “He’s not the kind of person who can be ruthless, and he’s prone to overthinking. If I don’t understand him at times like this, who will?” Saying this, her eyes curved into crescent moons.

　　But often, at times like these, fate plays a cruel joke on us.

　　One day, Xiao Qian was having lunch with colleagues, including a new girl named Xiao Yu. Unlike Xiao Qian’s petite and cute appearance, Xiao Yu was tall, slender, and gentle, like Lin Chi-ling. From the moment she joined the company, she had been the object of desire for many male colleagues.

　　Xiao Qian was a very loyal friend, so at the dinner table, while setting the plates, she casually asked, seemingly unintentionally but actually quite deliberately, carrying the expectations of her colleagues: “Xiao Yu, do you have a boyfriend?”

　　Xiao Yu, the goddess, was taken aback, and lowered her head shyly: “Not really…”

　　The boys at the table were aroused by this answer, and various glances flew over, urging Xiao Qian to continue inquiring. Xiao Qian, of course, wouldn't disappoint everyone's expectations, and hurriedly pressed, "So, you think he's alright? Tell me, what's he like?"

　　"He's alright... After all, it was an introduction by our parents. His mom and my mom are colleagues, so we've only met a few times and had a few meals together." At this point, Xiao Yu's face unconsciously lit up with a smile. "He's the kind of person who's very considerate and caring. He'll open doors for me, press elevator buttons, and pull car doors for me. Maybe it's the romantic nature of a Pisces, but he also makes me feel very secure."

　　Seeing the expression on Xiao Yu's face, most of the surrounding men secretly sighed, but Xiao Qian persisted with her gossipy nature: "Pisces is great! My boyfriend is a Pisces! How old is he? Where does he work? What's his education? Is he reliable?..."

　　Xiao Yu blushed a little from the questions, but although they hadn't known each other long, she knew Xiao Qian's straightforward personality, so she didn't take offense and answered Xiao Qian's questions one by one. At this point, the male colleagues present, realizing their hopes were dashed, had already spontaneously begun discussing the stock market.

　　Xiaoyu didn't notice that Xiaoqian's expression gradually turned from an excited, gossipy grin to a cold one with each of Xiaoyu's answers.

　　Xiaoqian sat down next to Xiaoyu and whispered a question only the two of them could hear:

　　"What's that boy's name?"

　　"You have to be so gossipy about this," Xiaoyu said with a feigned reproach, giving Xiaoqian a glare. "His name is very special, it's Jin**."

　　Six,

　　it seemed all explanations were pale and powerless.

　　In the end, Xiaoqian didn't reveal the reason for the breakup. She simply packed all her belongings and said to Mr. Jin, "You don't have to be troubled anymore."

　　Mr. Jin didn't get back together with Xiaoyu. Perhaps for him, it was just to complete a task assigned by his mother, or perhaps it was just a typical male urge to seek novelty.

　　Afterwards, we saw him frantically begging for forgiveness every day outside Xiaoqian's house. For a long time, we believed that Xiaoqian loved Mr. Jin more, but this time, Mr. Jin tried every possible way to win her back. Countless relatives and friends were mobilized, even Grandma Jin humbled herself to go to Xiao Qian, but even so, Xiao Qian only responded politely, never looking back.

　　I was one of Xiao Qian's friends who advised her at the time, after all, I knew very well how much she loved Mr. Jin. Xiao Qian didn't explain much, just said calmly: "When we were together, I loved with all my heart; when we're apart, I'm breaking up with all my heart." What's wrong with that?

　　Often, as outsiders, we don't know the whole story, and it's hard to understand the choices of those involved.

　　Until one day, I saw someone post on Weibo, "What do you most want to say to your ex? "

　　The most liked comment was:

　　"A toast to the past, no matter how much I love, I won't look back."

　　Suddenly, I understood.