I Take Every Piece of Advice Literally

Ever since I was little, I've been notoriously good at taking advice. When I'm seven years old, I have a high fever. Not wanting to fork out money for a hospital visit, my grandfather, Cameron Stone, feels my forehead and says, "Don't be such a wimp. You just need to tough it out." I end up lying in bed for three days. Eventually, my fever turns into pneumonia, and I wind up in the ICU. It scares Grandpa so much that now, the moment he hears me cough, he rushes me to the hospital. When I'm 12 years old, my homeroom teacher, Alfred Buck, chews me out for my bad grades and tells me I'm only good enough to be a garbage collector. So, I stay up all night digging through every trash can in the school. After that, I pile three woven bags of plastic bottles in the principal's office. It scares Mr. Buck so much that from then on, he praises me for being an eco-warrior the moment he sees me. When I'm 18 years old, the prettiest girl in school, Irene Parker, gets so sick of me following her around that she tells me to get lost and stay as far away as possible. I drop out of school on the spot and buy a coach ticket to Daleton to pick cotton. It scares Irene so much that she travels 1,800 miles in tears. She finds me, feverish and dehydrated, in the cotton field and brings me back. After Irene learns about my past, she buys a small yellow notebook and writes three rules on the first page. "Words said in anger must not be taken to heart." "Important matters must be confirmed twice." "Only those who genuinely wish you well have the right to advise you on what to do." At the end, she also adds, "It only counts if the person looks you in the eye and confirms the advice twice." I carry the notebook with me for five years. In those five years, Irene never leaves a single piece of advice in it, because she says she can't bear to gamble with my life. But then, one month before our wedding, she cheats on me. Chapter 1 Irene Parker's first love, Zack Reed, stood by the edge of the rooftop holding her pregnancy test report, sobbing so hard that his whole body was shaking. "Gavin Stone, just step aside. Irene's carrying my child. If you don't back off, I'll jump from here." "I can't let my child be born without a father!" Irene clung tightly to Zack as she turned her head and sharply rebuked me. "Zack has severe anxiety and can't be subjected to stress! Gavin, must you really drive him to his death before you're satisfied?" Instead of defending myself, I just kept nodding. "Fine, I'll do as you say. I'll step aside." With that, I turned and sprinted toward the other side of the rooftop. I didn't jump, though. There was a glowing green "Exit" sign on the other side of the rooftop. Irene told me to step aside for Zack, so of course I had to go downstairs first and call off the wedding. I had just touched the door to the emergency stairwell when hurried footsteps came from behind me. The next second, my wrist was suddenly grabbed. Irene's face was pale, her palms were covered in sweat, and her breathing was ragged. "Gavin, what are you running for?" I pointed at the exit sign on the door. "I'm going downstairs. Didn't you tell me to step aside? So, I'm going to call off the wedding." She gazed at me for two seconds, as if only now realizing that when I said I'd step aside, I didn't mean I'd stop fighting Zack for her. Rather, I meant I was truly stepping out of her life. But before she could speak, Zack had already made his way over, holding onto the railing as support. His face was pale, and his voice was trembling as he said, "Irene, my chest hurts. Is Gavin deliberately trying to scare me? What if something happens to our baby too?" Irene instinctively let go of me and turned to steady him. "Don't be afraid. Gavin won't do anything foolish." Only after saying that did she look at me again. "The wedding's off. Take off the ring," she ordered, her voice calm once more. I silently took the small yellow notebook out of my bag and opened it to the first page. When Irene saw the notebook, her expression visibly stiffened. I looked at her and asked, "Are you saying this out of anger, or are you seriously advising me to call it off?" Zack gripped her arm, his eyes red as he spoke in a low voice. "Irene, forget it. Don't push Gavin anymore. It's my fault. I shouldn't have come back, and I definitely shouldn't have gotten you pregnant." The more he spoke, the darker Irene's expression became. When she spoke again, the last trace of hesitation in her eyes was gone. "It's not out of anger. Gavin, I'm seriously advising you to call it off." Chapter 2 Holding the pen, I continued asking, "Call off what?" Irene looked me straight in the eye and answered emphatically, as if she were personally taking apart our five-year relationship. "Call off our wedding. It's canceled, so take off your ring. Don't come looking for me anymore, and don't put any more pressure on Zack." I lowered my head and wrote her words down on the first page. Then, I looked up again and said, "Please confirm it once more." The wind made the pregnancy test report in Zack's hand rustle loudly. His eyes were full of tears, but his grip on the paper was very tight. Irene was silent for two seconds. In the end, still looking me in the eye, she said, "Confirmed. Gavin, I'm advising you to call off our wedding for good." I drew a small check mark after that sentence. I'd worn the engagement ring for three years, and it had left a faint indentation at the base of my finger. I twisted it twice but couldn't get it off. Irene instinctively reached out toward me. "If you can't get it off, go back and—" Zack suddenly looked up at her. She paused, then corrected herself. "Since you're calling off the wedding, it's best not to drag things out. Take the ring off right now." I nodded and twisted the ring even harder. Little by little, the metal edge scraped my skin raw. Beads of blood seeped out, staining the silver surface of the ring. Irene stared at my bleeding finger, her breath faltering for a moment. It looked like she wanted to come over and stop me. But in the end, she just held out her palm toward me. "Give it to me." I placed the ring in her hand. Then, in front of both of them, I dialed the wedding planner's number. "Cancel the wedding on the 16th of next month." The planner, Leslie Kirk, was stunned. "Mr. Stone, if you cancel now, you'll lose the eight-thousand-dollar deposit." "Then let it go." "Does Ms. Parker know?" I turned to Irene, who was supporting Zack. She didn't try to stop me. "She knows. In fact, she's the one who told me to do it." The moment the electronic invitation became invalid, the wedding guests' group chat immediately exploded. Irene's phone kept vibrating nonstop, and question after question from relatives and friends popped up. A frown finally appeared on her face. "I told you to cancel the wedding, not to make sure everyone knows about it," she said sternly. I didn't get it. "There's no wedding anymore. If we don't tell the guests, are we just going to let them make the trip for nothing?" "Gavin, do you have to make this so ugly?" I looked down at the words in the notebook and asked calmly, "Weren't you the one who told me to do this?" Irene clutched the blood-stained ring and said nothing more. I quietly put a check mark on the back of the first page. Chapter 3 The next day, I couldn't unlock the front door with my fingerprint anymore, and the lock alarm went off three times in a row. Standing outside the door, I heard the sound of slippers shuffling on the floor inside. When the door opened, Zack was standing in the entryway. He had my slippers on and was wearing the men's bathrobe Irene had bought me. He was also holding the blue mug I'd used for five years. The moment he saw me, he froze for a second. Then, his eyes reddened. "Gavin, why did you suddenly come back?" I looked past him into the apartment. The photo of me and Irene on the entryway cabinet was gone. Now, there was a note listing pregnancy precautions on the fridge. "Pregnant women must not be startled." "Avoid severe emotional distress." "Maintain a stable living environment." After each one was Irene's familiar red check mark. She walked out of the bedroom with my blanket in her arms. When she saw me, she faltered in her steps. "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming back beforehand?" "I came to get my things." Her expression softened for a moment. But what she said next pushed me firmly away all the same. "Good timing. Pack a few clothes and go stay at a hotel for a while." The apartment was in Irene's name. But I had chosen the curtains, picked out the lamps, and pieced the dinnerware together. I'd always thought that after five years here, this place was at least half my home. Well, it turned out it wasn't. "How long should I stay at the hotel?" I asked. "Don't come back until the baby is born." I stood there without moving. "Is this your idea?" "It's also the doctor's suggestion." Irene paused. Then, as if worried I hadn't quite understood, she added, "The sight of your things sets Zack off, and I can't even rest. Gavin, just let him have this one." But I'd already stepped aside for him on the rooftop and given up the wedding. And now I was supposed to keep giving in? I set the yellow notebook on the entryway cabinet and opened it to the second page. "Are you advising me to move out?" Irene's brow visibly twitched when she saw the notebook. "Gavin, don't write everything down. Moving is a big deal." However, Zack took a step forward just then. "Gavin, you've got friends and a job—you can stay anywhere. But Irene is pregnant, and she can't sleep the moment she sees anything the two of you used before. What if she gets too worked up and something happens to the baby?" "Zack's right," Irene chimed in without hesitation. She looked up at me and finally said the most hurtful thing. "Gavin, I'm seriously advising you to move out. Best to take everything with you and leave nothing behind." I held the pen. "Please confirm it once more." Irene's throat tightened. But she still looked me in the eye and said, "Confirmed. Take everything with you." I put a check mark on the second page too. On the first trip, I moved clothes and books. On the second trip, I moved the computer, bedding, and the small kitchen appliances I'd bought. On the last trip, when I came to move the things in the bedroom, Irene finally couldn't hold back and pressed her hand down on the cardboard box. "That's about enough. You're just going to stay at a hotel. I didn't tell you to tear the house apart." I picked up the framed photo on the bedside table. "I'm in this photo too. Zack will feel uncomfortable seeing it, and you won't be able to rest too." Irene was stumped for a moment. I kept searching. There was still a yellowed sticky note stuck against the side of the fridge. It was from five years ago—the first night Irene had brought me back from Daleton. Afraid that I'd leave again after taking someone's advice, she had specially written it. "Don't let Gavin leave. Don't tell Gavin to go. Even if Irene says so, it doesn't count." I held up the sticky note. "Which do I listen to? This or what you said today?" Irene reached out to take it. The moment her fingertip touched the paper, she suddenly covered her mouth. Then, she turned her head away and began to dry heave. Zack immediately stepped forward to support her. "Irene, are you okay?" When she spoke again after a moment, her voice was cold as a blade. "I only wrote that to keep you happy back then. Don't take it seriously." I nodded and tossed the sticky note into the trash can. As I was finally leaving, I put the keys and the access card in the glass bowl by the entryway. Irene pressed her hand over mine. "You're not taking the keys?" "You told me to move out completely." "You can still come back after a while." "So, are you advising me to stay or go?" She fell silent. Zack lowered his head and said softly, "Gavin, could you knock first when you come back next time? Irene's a light sleeper, and she gets nervous when she hears a key in the lock." The next second, Irene turned and walked to the door lock. She entered the admin password, and a robotic female voice rang out. "Are you sure you want to delete the user Gavin?" I simply looked at her back and said nothing. In the end, she pressed "confirm". "User Gavin deleted." It was as if the door were repeating Irene's earlier "move out completely". With my head bowed, I quietly put a check mark on the back of the second page. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Irene came running out after me. "Gavin." I looked up at her. Her lips parted, but in the end she only said, "Don't make it look like I kicked you out." I glanced at the three suitcases by my feet. "But I'm just doing what you told me to—moving out completely." Chapter 4 Three days later, Irene's father, Lawrence Parker, asked me to attend a family dinner. He said the relatives were all asking about the wedding since it was called off so suddenly, and we had to give them some kind of explanation. When I arrived at the private room, the place card with my name on it had already been removed. Zack sat to Irene's right, and Mr. Parker sat to her left. Meanwhile, my chair had been temporarily squeezed next to the serving hatch. Every time a server came in or out, I had to pull my legs in. Someone poured me a glass of ice water, and Irene reached out to stop them almost without thinking. "Give him something hot. He has a sensitive stomach." The moment the words left her mouth, we both froze. It seemed a five-year habit took longer to fade than her feelings did. The server brought over a glass of water. Irene casually placed a piece of paper under the glass and pushed it toward me. "Read this out loud later." I looked down. There were only three sentences written on the paper. "Irene and I already broke up amicably four months ago. But I couldn't accept it and kept pestering her, which is what caused all the misunderstandings. Zack didn't come between us." Four months ago, we had just decided on the wedding favors and invitations. Irene thought the sample was too sweet. So, when the shop assistant wasn't looking, she stuffed the remaining half into my mouth and said that from then on, all the sweets at home would be mine. But now she wanted me to admit in front of all her relatives that we had already broken up back then. I took out the yellow notebook, and the private room instantly went quiet. Her expression darkening, Irene warned in a lowered voice, "Gavin, don't make a scene on an occasion like this." "I'm not making a scene." I looked up. "I just want to confirm—are you seriously advising me to read this out loud?" Everyone at the table looked over. Mr. Parker was the first to panic. "Gavin, take my advice—there's nothing you can do once a woman has a change of heart. Bow out gracefully now, and I'll still remember you fondly." I simply stared at Irene. "Are you advising me to read this out loud?" Her grip on the glass tightened, little by little. Zack suddenly put down his fork, his eyes red as he spoke in a low voice. "Forget it, stop pushing Gavin. If the baby gets called a bastard in the future, I'll leave. Either way, Irene and the baby are the ones who'll end up getting hurt." That was what finally crushed the last of Irene's hesitation. She looked up at me and said, "Yes, I'm seriously advising you to read that out loud." I flipped to the third page and, holding the pen, said, "Please confirm it once more." Irene closed her eyes and ultimately said, "Confirmed. Gavin, read what's written on the paper out loud." I stood up and recited the three lines word for word. After I finished, the private room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. Soon, one of Irene's uncles by marriage, Donny Roach, stepped in to smooth things over with a smile. "Young people break up and make up all the time. It's fine as long as you own up to your mistake. Just don't keep pestering Irene. A man needs to take things in stride, lest you come across as petty." These people had all attended our engagement party and praised us, saying how well-matched we were. It turned out that it only took three sentences to erase our five years together. Once I finished speaking, Mr. Parker added Zack to the Parker family group chat right in front of me. In less than half a minute, my phone buzzed. "You have been removed from the group chat." "Since you and Irene have already split up, it's not appropriate for you to stay in the family group chat," he explained, his tone awkward yet self-righteous. I nodded and put a check mark on the back of the third page. As I walked out of the hotel, Irene chased after me. "Don't take what was said just now to heart." I stopped walking. "Which parts?" "The parts where they said you were pestering me and being petty." "But weren't those the very things you told me to admit?" Her expression froze. After a long while, she finally answered in a low voice, "It was just a stopgap measure. Gavin, don't take everything so seriously." I suddenly recalled the time when we were 18 and Irene wrote down those three rules in the cotton field while crying. "Words said in anger must not be taken to heart." "Important matters must be confirmed twice." "Only those who genuinely wish you well have the right to advise you on what to do." She was the one who taught me all of this, and yet she was blaming me for taking it too seriously now?