The world treats me like a blade of grass, only you see me as verdant mountains!
Her lonely helplessness, only he felt pity for her; his confusion and hesitation, only she understood him. Eve...
(484)
The smile on Lin Tingfeng's face gradually disappeared. He didn't speak, but just silently looked at her.
She felt he was like a volcano about to erupt, and her heart trembled with fear.
Her hands trembled like leaves in the wind as she put them down from under the table. She quickly said, "Tingfeng, I have no regrets about being with you. I am very grateful to you. You loved me so much and took such good care of me. You showed me so many beautiful things in this world. I will remember all of this forever."
Her heart was in a panic, as if an invisible giant hand was tightly squeezing her heart.
She tried to keep her emotions in check, but when she spoke, her voice trembled noticeably, like a spider's web in the wind.
It seemed like snowflakes were starting to fall outside; she couldn't remember which snowfall it was this winter.
Seeing the snow, she didn't feel romantic, only cold, thinking that if she didn't leave Lin Tingfeng, her life would be an endless winter.
Lin Tingfeng's face darkened, like an iceberg. He remained silent and didn't drink his coffee. His hands, which had been on the table, were now under the table, hidden from Ye Wenyu's view. They were in his trouser pockets, clenched into fists due to pain and helplessness.
The room felt oppressive, as if the air had solidified.
She feared that the longer she delayed, the less courage she would have. So she continued quickly, "I don't want any of the properties you gave me—the villa in Hangzhou, the house in S City, the clothes, jewelry, handbags, and watches. The property deeds and ownership certificates are in the safe at home, and the keys are in the second drawer of the bedside table. The clothes, jewelry, handbags, and watches are all in the walk-in closet. Because you've been so good to me, I can't take your things."
Upon hearing this, Lin Tingfeng's heart clenched painfully. He was now almost 100% certain that she desperately wanted to leave him! She was serious, extremely serious, and incredibly persistent—to a terrifying degree.
He was afraid precisely because she wanted nothing and had no attachment to anything!
He took a deep breath to calm himself, waved his hand as if to shake off the unpleasantness, and asked her, "Why?"
Ye Wenyu froze. The words she had been about to say flowed out seemed to have been suddenly frightened by Lin Tingfeng, and she became mute, only able to stare at him blankly.
Seeing her stunned expression, Lin Tingfeng wondered if he was really that scary. Why did she look at him as if he weren't a man, but a horned demon, a monster with sharp teeth that appeared in her nightmares?
Seeing that she didn't speak, he had no choice but to remind her, "Breaking up is fine, but give me a reason that I can accept."
Ye Wenyu finally came to her senses. She thought of him and his wife, how they said they wanted a divorce but still appeared affectionately in social situations. She thought of Lin Tingxuan, whom he had imprisoned deep in the mountains. She thought of her own clandestine lover, her mother's warm embrace, her brother Wen's support, and her own longing for light and hope.
She looked at Lin Tingfeng, whose eyes held unconcealed pain, as if he hadn't slept for the past two days and nights since she left. He appeared extremely tired and haggard, his clothes wrinkled like pickled vegetables, his hair unkempt and messy like a chicken coop, and the area around his mouth was bluish-black, indicating he hadn't shaved for the past few days.
His long, phoenix-shaped eyes were bloodshot, and wrinkles seemed to have appeared at the corners of his eyes. He remained expressionless, but his posture was not his usual relaxed and leisurely one. He sat like a bell, his body taut like a string, clearly due to extreme tension.
Ye Wenyu then knew that he wouldn't let her leave him.
If she wants to fulfill her wish, she must give a plausible reason. What kind of reason would he accept?
The coffee shop seemed to have run out of oxygen, and she felt like a fish that had been thrown ashore.
Seeing that she remained silent, like a gourd with its mouth sawed off, Lin Tingfeng had no choice but to ask herself, "You have someone you like?"
Does that mean you don't like me anymore? You've fallen for someone else? As he asked this question, his usually composed heart began to pound wildly. He was terrified that this was the reason. If this person really appeared, he would lose control, find him, and kill him! Only by doing so could he win Xiaoyu back.
Ye Wenyu's face was as pale as paper, and there was an indescribable fear on her face. She leaned back as far as possible, keeping the greatest distance between herself and Lin Tingfeng. Her back was pressed tightly against the back of the chair. She was no match for him, not before, not now, and never would be.
She shook her head.
Lin Tingfeng breathed a sigh of relief, trying his best to control himself and calmly asked her, "What is the reason?"
Ye Wenyu desperately searched her mind for a reason that he could accept. Should she tell him that she had discovered the truth about Lin Tingxuan? Should she tell him that she had found out his divorce was a lie? No, no, saying these things would not help, it would only provoke him. He was a dictatorial and autocratic man, like a man-eating lion. Perhaps in his rage, he would do something terrible.
Therefore, she remained silent.
Lin Tingfeng had no choice but to analyze the situation one by one using the process of elimination. He asked her calmly, "Xiaoyu, is it because I haven't gotten a divorce? Xiaoyu, my divorce is different from ordinary divorces. It's a long battle. I need you to understand me and give me time and patience—" His expression was extremely sincere, and his eyes showed the pain of wanting her to understand.
When Ye Wenyu heard him say that, she knew that she couldn't possibly tell him about the scene she had seen him and his wife being affectionate together in the shadows.
She gently shook her head, indicating that this was not the reason.
"You must tell me the reason!" Lin Tingfeng suddenly raised his head and shouted in a deep voice. He stared at Ye Wenyu, his heart filled with the rage and fear of losing her, making him like a beast breaking free of its cage. No matter how well he restrained himself in front of her, he was about to explode.
The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, like cotton wool being pulled down. A thin layer quickly accumulated on the ground, turning the world into a white expanse. Because of the large temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, a layer of white mist soon formed on the floor-to-ceiling windows. Looking at the city streets outside, it was like seeing flowers through a fog.
Ye Wenyu knew she couldn't delay any longer! She mustered her courage, raised her head, and looked at Lin Tingfeng. Only then did she realize that his eyes were terrifyingly red, as if filled with blood. She had never seen such a frightening look in his eyes before, and she became even more terrified.