I took the pills and water Xu Xuan handed me, tilting my head back to swallow them. As I lowered my gaze again, I found Chen Qiao Luo watching us, his expression filled with sorrow. After a long pause, he hesitated before asking, “Are you two…”
I knew our actions must have led to a misunderstanding. But what of it? I couldn’t let him waste his time on me. It was better to end things decisively. Holding back the pain in my heart, I smiled and said, “We’ve been together—for a long time.”
The moment I spoke, I saw Chen Qiao Luo lower his head in dejection. Sitting beside me, Xu Xuan looked at me in shock, but his expression quickly returned to calm. I knew he understood me—understood the purpose behind my actions.
That meal was tasteless. Chen Qiao Luo barely ate before excusing himself and leaving in a hurry.
I knew he couldn’t face what had just happened. After he left, I could no longer hold back and buried my face in my arms, sobbing at the table.
Xu Xuan sighed, then hugged me gently, his voice full of heartache. “Zhu Yun Hao, why do you have to do this to yourself?”
Ever since deceiving Chen Qiao Luo that day, my mental state had slowly deteriorated. I didn’t know whether my life force was waning or if it was just my emotions playing tricks on me.
My mother called almost weekly to check on me. This time, she said she hoped I would go to the United States for treatment.
Although my father was reluctant to let me go, he too hoped I would go there.
To be honest, it doesn’t really matter where I am now. I asked my attending doctor about my condition, and he made it clear: there’s no cure for my illness. Even going abroad would only buy me a little more time.
But seeing my father like this, I don’t know how to tell him the truth.
I decided to go to my mother’s place. On one hand, I didn’t want to disappoint my father. On the other hand, I wanted to escape from Chen Qiao Luo. The longer I stayed here, the greater the chance he would find out the truth. I couldn’t bear to see his heartbreak before I was gone.
Call it selfishness or recklessness—it didn’t matter. My mind was made up.
I told Li Zi and Xu Xuan about my plans to leave. That evening, they arranged a farewell dinner for me.
Li Zi was visibly upset, and after just a few bites, she clung to Tong Xiao Tian and broke into tears.
I smiled and tried to comfort her, but in the end, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling overwhelmed with sadness too.
The farewell dinner was filled with tears and heartbreak. My eyes were red, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever see them again.
I left the private room to use the restroom, and on my way back, I unexpectedly ran into Lei Zi. Unlike before, he genuinely seemed like a changed man now. When he saw me, he smiled awkwardly and said, “What a coincidence, running into you again.”
I nodded but didn’t intend to engage with him. Just as I was about to walk past, Lei Zi called out to me and asked, “Did you and Chen Qiao Luo break up?”
Hearing Chen Qiao Luo’s name, I froze.
Noticing my reaction, Lei Zi continued, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but when I saw him again recently, I noticed he’s changed a lot. After he ran into you that day, he went out drinking with me. He drank a lot and kept calling your name even when he was drunk. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I can tell he truly cares about you. If there’s been some misunderstanding, I hope you’ll give him another chance.”
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