The faint glow of the cigarette butt was inconspicuous, but the swirling smoke seemed to bring one to ecstasy, making one forget all worries and troubles.

...

A second cigarette butt landed in the ashtray.

"Brother?" A girl's soft voice suddenly sounded from behind, like a pitiful kitten.

Meng Beiyan felt a chill run down his spine, but without turning around, he said, "I'll take you out to eat right away."

"Stop smoking, brother." Her vision was illuminated by the lights of the building across the street, a scene of countless brightly lit homes, but all she could see was that lonely figure. She pursed her lips and said, "Smoking is bad for your health."

She said this to her father many times, and each time she received a resounding slap in return.

Meng Beiyan turned around, bent down and hugged her, gently closed his eyes, and smelled the delicate floral fragrance on her soft hair, which highlighted her clean elegance and unapproachability to the extreme.

The pungent smell of tobacco made Ying Qian cough violently a few times, her whole body instinctively resisting the odor.

She pushed against his shoulder, as if trying to break free.

But Meng Beiyan held her tightly around the waist, his eyes filled with tears, making the small, hot ball in his arms unable to move. He asked, "Ying Qian, do you hate me?"

His voice was low and hoarse.

The strong smell of tobacco made Ying Qian's stomach churn.

She suppressed the urge to vomit and answered earnestly, "I don't dislike it at all; on the contrary, I'm very grateful to you."

Her lips trembled slightly.

"Um."

Hearing this answer made him feel even worse. If she knew everything, would she want to kill him? Would she do everything in her power to make him suffer unbearably?

He loosened his grip, saying, "I will never smoke again."

When I lifted my eyelids to observe her reaction, she had already run to the entrance to change her shoes.

She leaned forward, beaming, "Brother! Hurry! I'm starving!"

Meng Beiyan responded and followed closely behind.

The girl ran freely under the city's dazzling lights, as if she longed for freedom.

Her silhouette is mesmerizing.

Meng Beiyan thought that he didn't need any particularly ruthless methods; simply leaving him would be enough to make him suffer unbearably.