Chapter 69 Farewell: No compromise, no reconciliation.

Cheng Yi took Yu Wu to his house.

Yu Wu was taking a shower. He came out first, changed into his pajamas, and then went to the kitchen to make ginger soup.

Yu Wu was wearing his silk pajamas, which were so long that she had to roll them up quite a bit at her wrists and ankles. Her hair was still wet as she stood at the shower door, silently watching him without saying a word.

Cheng Yi glanced at her casually, noticing her thin and frail figure, and sighed silently in his heart, "Go get your hair done."

She remained standing still.

Cheng Yi turned off the stove, then came over and pulled her by the wrist to sit on the sofa. He ladled a bowl of soup and placed it on the table, then took a hairdryer and carefully dried her hair.

The rain pattered softly outside the window, while a hairdryer hummed softly inside. Her damp hair was being gently combed, and she felt a wave of weariness wash over her, wanting to collapse onto the bed and fall asleep immediately.

"Ginger soup." A low, husky male voice came from behind.

Yuwu picked up the bowl and sipped it slowly.

After drying her hair, Cheng Yi casually led her to the guest room. She didn't even glance at him before getting into bed and snuggling under the covers.

There was a subtle distance between the two of them.

Cheng Yi crossed his arms, his thin eyelids drooping as he glanced at her with a scrutinizing look, his handsome and deep face expressionless.

Yu Wu buried herself deeper into the blankets, leaving only her eyes showing.

After a three-second silence and eye contact, Cheng Yi turned around.

He had just taken a long stride when his little finger was brushed. The movement was very light, hovering in the air, not hooking or pinching, but just a gentle tickle like a kitten. A ticklish feeling rose in his heart, his throat tightened, his thin lips pressed together, and he slowly turned around.

Her eyes were downcast, and her expression was unreadable.

That heartless brat will bully him.

Cheng Yi sat on the edge of the bed, cursing himself for being spineless. What kind of attempt was this to keep him here? If he stayed like this, who knows what she would say about him outside?

Cheng Yi tucked her in, his handsome face cold, his voice low and mellow: "Go to sleep."

"Will you walk?" the little girl asked in a muffled voice, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I'm not leaving."

"You can't get into my bed either."

Cheng Yi laughed in anger, pinched her cheek hard, and said indifferently, "You have no conscience."

Yu Wu broke free from him, glared at him unhappily, scooted inside to find a comfortable position, and then ordered him, "Turn off the light."

Cheng Yi's profile was handsome and aloof; he remained seated.

"Xiao Yi, can you turn off the light for me?"

Cheng Yi stared at her for a long time, then stood up, and with a snap, the room fell into darkness.

He stood by the bed, and she called him again, as if she felt insecure and wanted to make sure he was still there.

"Xiaoyi?"

"Um."

After a short while, she called out again, "Xiao Yi?"

"I am here."

After an unknown amount of time, a muffled murmur came from the depths of his sleep.

"sorry."

His heart skipped a beat. He didn't answer. After a long while, expressionless, he reached out his long, slender fingertips and gently touched her soft, clean cheek before slowly withdrawing his hand.

"Fool."

I don't know if I'm talking about her or myself.

Time passed by, and he stayed by her bedside, silently watching over her all night.

*

The next morning, when Yu Wu woke up, Cheng Yi had already left.

She stepped out of the room; there was breakfast on the dining table, along with a note.

[If the porridge gets cold, microwave it briefly, then wait half an hour before drinking the milk. I'm going to work now. 7:10 PM.]

Yu Wu smiled. This guy even knew to write down the time he left, proving that he had stayed with her all night yesterday.

Breakfast was her favorite seafood porridge, and the milk was also her favorite iced milk.

She ate breakfast, then called the property management and asked them to bring the keys up. The property management opened the door for her, and Yu Wu was surprised to find someone else inside.

Ye Hongmian was cleaning the living room, while Yu Jianting was busy in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, he peeked out from the kitchen.

Yu Wu bid farewell to the property management staff, lowered her eyelashes, and silently entered the house without saying hello.

Ye Hongmian and Yu Jianting exchanged a glance. Yu Jianting came out of the kitchen, patted Ye Hongmian on the shoulder, and said, "Let's go."

The elderly couple went to Yuwu's room, and Yu Jianting asked gently, "Yuzi, where did you sleep yesterday? Did you have breakfast? I made your favorite seafood porridge."

Yu Wu didn't turn around, and replied calmly, "I've already eaten."

Ye Hongmian hesitated before speaking, "Yu Zi, I acted impulsively yesterday. I... I want to talk to you, is that alright?"

Yu Wu looked at Ye Hongmian and saw her usually domineering and assertive mother showing such a humble expression for the first time. For the first time, she felt that her mother seemed to have aged.

She pursed her lips and softly hummed in agreement.

The group sat down on the sofa in the living room.

The morning light was lovely, streaming into the room and filling the air with the aroma of seafood congee.

Ye Hongmian's eyelids reddened slightly. She moved her lips, but it took her a long time to speak: "I know you've resented us all these years." She wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes, "But I don't regret it."

Yu Jianting stroked Ye Hongmian's arm for support, and Yu Wu slowly raised her eyelashes to look at her, breathing.

"Back then, your grandmother fell ill and incurred high-interest loans, forcing us to travel far away to earn money to pay them off. We lived in a basement, ate meager meals, and our lives were a mess. Every day, the moment we opened our eyes, we would start calculating money, and sleeping was a luxury. At that time, I was too busy and overwhelmed, and I didn't give you much care. I admit, I didn't do well."

"So the first thing I did after paying off the debt was to send you the money, and the houses I bought were all in your name. My daughter, even if she cries in a villa, she absolutely cannot laugh in a rented room infested with cockroaches and rats."

"...I was terrified of poverty back then. I was constantly worried about daily necessities and paying back debts, and I had no time to love and care for you. The reason I wanted you to marry into the Ke family was because they were well-off."

"I will cooperate with your engagement party."

"Yuko, I just don't want you to repeat the embarrassing situation I went through back then."

Tears streamed down Ye Hongmian's face as she stormed out the door.

Yu Jianting wanted to chase after him, but then sat down again, adjusted his glasses, and sighed.

"Actually, it's my fault."

“Your mother is a strong woman who shoulders most of the burden of the family. It’s my fault that you and your mother have suffered.”

"Yu Zi, don't blame her." Yu Jianting's eyes were moist as he took off his glasses and wiped away his tears. "It's all because your father was incompetent back then."

Yu Wu didn't speak, but silently handed over a tissue.

Many things aren't a matter of forgiveness. Adults have their own difficulties, and not every apology will be met with an "It's okay." Some mistakes aren't about forgiveness, but about letting them go.

Her core has been established; some things are no longer important.

*

The engagement banquet is being prepared in an orderly manner, mainly with the Ke family in charge.

Yan Congrong valued Yu Wu's opinions but was afraid of bothering her by being too attentive. Each time, she would prepare a paper document outlining the themes and styles of the cakes, flowers, etc., and wait for Yu Wu to finish work before making a final decision, even if it meant waiting for her to get a cup of coffee downstairs. She would also personally escort Yu Wu home each time she left, and give her a hug when they parted.

Yan Congrong was so enthusiastic and sincere that Yu Wu felt a little guilty.

Deep down, she actually longed for a mother like Yan Congrong—one who spoke softly, respected her children's opinions, and loved to hug and show affection.

She also discovered that Ke Yanchen's respect for women stemmed from Yan Congrong.

......

Ke Yanchen has been busy with his engagement banquet and work lately, squeezing in time to have meals with Yu Wu. Because of the engagement, he was radiant, and his arrogant and haughty face couldn't hide his arrogance.

On the evening before the engagement banquet, Ke Yanchen arrived early at the Yu family's building, took Yu Wu out to eat, and then drove to Tanshan.

Yu Wu sat in the car, drinking the milk tea that Ke Yanchen had bought, and softly asked, "Are we going to see your aunt and uncle?"

Ke Yanchen had a mysterious look on his face, his handsome eyebrows were raised, and his long, narrow eyes were full of smiles.

"secret."

Yu Wu gave him a playful glare.

The car was parked in front of an exquisite three-story villa in Tanshan.

Yu Wu was pulled into the house by Ke Yanchen. The house only had simple basic renovations and no excessive decorations. The first floor was mainly for living areas, and Yu Wu noticed that all the doors were made of her favorite black walnut wood.

He and Yu Wu entered the house hand in hand, and he pointed to the entryway, his voice deep: "We're going to build a whole wall of shoe cabinets here, with extra height for storing your boots. Do you prefer glass or solid wood?"

Before Yuwu could answer, he enthusiastically pulled her towards the living room, their footsteps echoing in the empty house. The living room's floor-to-ceiling windows faced the beautiful courtyard. The autumn night was bathed in the warm orange glow of the floor lamps, and the low boxwood hedges along the edge of the lawn vaguely outlined the greenery, making the whole courtyard quiet and serene.

"...We'll put an L-shaped sofa here, so you can relax here as soon as you walk in. When we have children, they can run around in the yard and we can see them as soon as we look up."

"...I'm planning to make an open kitchen, and I'll install a built-in oven here so I can make you cakes and desserts whenever I have time. Oh, and I'm also planning to make you milk tea."

The second floor is a rest area. Ke Yanchen pushed open a door, his lazy voice carrying a hint of anticipation, and clenched his fist to block the smile on his lips, "This is the master bedroom. I plan to buy a big bed, the kind that's big enough for us to mess around with."

"...And your walk-in closet, this wall is going to have a full-length mirror embedded in it..."

“Yuko, you can tell me anything you think. You are the lady of this house, and you are the final decision-maker.”

Full of anticipation, Ke Yanchen pieced together the future in this empty room, bit by bit.

Yu Wu suddenly hugged his perfectly sculpted waist, pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat, and said earnestly, "Ke Ke, you're so good to me."

"I like it very much, it's up to you to decide."

Ke Yanchen was very pleased. His eyes narrowed slightly as he kissed her forehead. "There's an even bigger surprise coming."

He led her to the garage and mysteriously pressed the garage button. The garage door slowly rose, and an all-black sports car appeared before Yu Wu's eyes.

Yu Wu glanced at Ke Yanchen.

Ke Yanchen's lips lingered as he pulled her into the garage, introducing it in a lazy tone: "The Ferrari Enzo combines power and technology. What do you think? Doesn't it have a blend of wildness and elegance?"

The car's body lines are sharp and angular, very beautiful and avant-garde. The overall shape is like a super machine that is about to take off at any time. Yu Wu touched the butterfly-shaped door, "...Why did you buy me black?"

Ke Yanchen laughed: "I've discovered that you quite like cool things."

"Where did the money come from?" Yu Wu knew he had invested all his cash flow into the project.

"I sold my favorite F1 car."

Yu Wu's breath hitched, and she turned to look at him. She knew him too well; she knew he loved thrilling extreme sports like racing and skiing. Customizing one's own F1 race car was a long and arduous tug-of-war that crossed technical barriers, rigid rules, and the struggle against human nature; every step involved unimaginable difficulties for ordinary people.

At this moment, Ke Yanchen's dark and cold eyes were filled with tender and focused gentleness.

...Can love truly reach such a level?

...

Ke Yanchen escorted Yu Wu to the Xi Ting building. The community was quiet and elegant, and the autumn night breeze carried a hint of coolness.

He handed her a letter, his roguish and nonchalant expression tinged with a hint of embarrassment, and instructed, "Read it when you get back."

In this fast-paced era, Ke Yanchen wanted to do something to prove his sincerity. He revised his letter repeatedly, wasting five pages before he was satisfied. As he put pen to paper, he had a sense of déjà vu, but upon careful reflection, he realized he hadn't written handwritten letters to the previous recipients, and felt he had been overthinking things.

He pulled Yuwu into his arms, tightening his embrace. His warm breath tickled her ear, and he earnestly promised, "I'm actually a somewhat indifferent person. Meeting you made me realize what true love is. I really want to love you for a lifetime."

Yu Wu breathed heavily, and after a long while, her voice was hoarse: "Ke Ke, they say true feelings can change in an instant, but I have truly loved you for many years."

"I really, really love you."

Her voice was too soft for Ke Yanchen to hear anything more than a muffled whisper.

...

Yuwu knew that as long as she let go of the past, she could attain worldly happiness—the kind of happiness she had dared not hope for during her tearful youth.

Ten years of agonizing love, sacrificing all pride and sincerity. Love and hate intertwined, complex emotions like fungi seeped into flesh and blood, sticking together. But even if it hurts, even if it's impossible to let go, even if it means tearing a piece of her heart out, Yuwu will never regret it.

My dearest Keke, even after we met again and shared so many sweet and wonderful moments, I will never compromise or reconcile.

After a long, long time, the two separated.

The autumn night was very quiet, with the leaves rustling and the streetlights casting a warm glow.

Ke Yanchen has deep-set, cold eyes and striking features that are flawless, making him breathtakingly handsome.

The wind blew through her hair, her misty eyes moistened, and she gazed at him silently, smiling with pursed lips.

The quiet air became a little sticky, an unspoken, intense intimacy clinging together.

At this moment, Ke Yanchen felt he had reached the pinnacle of his life, filled with joy and certainty. He also gazed at Yu Wu, his eyes burning with passion, a warm current flowing through his heart, full of tenderness. He reached out and gently stroked her hair, saying, "Yu Zi, I will definitely make you happy."

Yu Wu nodded gently, still watching him quietly.

"Keke, I'm willing to give everything for you."

The overflowing passion flowed from his heart into every part of his body. In this tender intimacy, Ke Yanchen suddenly thought of a sentence: People should feel uneasy about excessive joy, because that is when God is about to take away such happiness.

Many years later, whenever Ke Yanchen recalled this scene, he suddenly understood. It turned out that Yu Wu's long, lingering gaze was a farewell.

Unfortunately, I didn't understand that back then.

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Author's Note: The next chapter, "Engagement," will likely be updated around 10 PM.