After saying this, Zhao Ziming, holding the hand of the man beside her, gradually disappeared into the stairwell. Han Lin lost the last bit of courage to chase after her; he didn't even have the strength to turn around. Han Lin coughed violently twice, then leaned against the wall and dry heaved. A passing doctor offered Han Lin a hand. But Han Lin waved his hand, refusing the doctor's kindness, and, supporting himself against the wall, slowly made his way down the stairwell in the opposite direction from Zhao Ziming's.

"Is he the reason you've been rejecting me all this time?" The man, who had remained silent, asked Zhao Ziming this question as he helped her downstairs.

Zhao Ziming paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on her lips, and she nodded slightly.

The man glanced at Zhao Ziming's expression, then smiled and said, "Then why did you treat him like that just now?"

"Why ask that question on purpose?" Zhao Ziming glanced at the man and smiled. "In my current situation, I'm just a burden to him."

“But not to me.” The man’s smile vanished suddenly, and he looked at Zhao Zimo with a serious expression.

“Tang Feng…” Zhao Zimo glanced at the man, hesitated, but finally spoke. “When your heart is full of one person, there’s no room for anyone else.”

After listening to Zhao Ziming's words, the man nodded. "So, you won't even accept the little financial help I can offer?"

"Tang Feng, you've done so much for me. I don't want to leave with another burden I can't let go of. It may sound harsh, but..." Zhao Ziming said with a bitter smile. "Tang Feng, let's see each other less often in the future."

After listening to Zhao Ziming's words, the man remained silent for a long time, simply accompanying her down the stairs step by step. Just as they were about to leave the hospital, the man suddenly spoke, "Don't take away this last bit of my right to be by your side." He then smiled at Zhao Ziming.

The man helped Zhao Ziming into the car, fastened her seatbelt, and closed the door. He sat in the driver's seat for a long time without starting the engine. Suddenly, he turned to look at Zhao Ziming and said, "You haven't had any water in a while, you must be thirsty. Wait a minute, I'll go buy you a bottle."

Before Zhao Ziming could refuse, the man opened the car door and got out. Zhao Ziming watched the man's departing figure, then looked at the brightly lit outpatient building in the distance, and finally could only turn her head to the car window, letting the tears stream down her face.

A while later, just as Zhao Ziming was staring blankly out the car window, the man ran back with two bottles of water in his hands. He unscrewed the caps and handed one of the bottles to Zhao Ziming. Zhao Ziming took the water and took a symbolic sip.

After the man dropped Zhao Zimo off at home, before he could even start his car and leave, his phone rang.

"Where are you? Okay, I'll come find you." With that, the man drove off into the night.

The man parked his car in front of a small tavern. He went inside, scanned the tavern, and spotted Han Lin in a corner by the window.

As soon as the man sat down, Han Lin held up a piece of paper and asked, "What does this mean? Is there something you want to say to me?" Han Lin's expression was serious and profound, revealing no trace of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

It turned out that Tang Feng had found Han Lin again under the pretense of buying water. He didn't say much to Han Lin, but instead wrote his phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Han Lin, telling him to call him in an hour.

Tang Feng looked at the paper in Han Lin's hand, then carefully observed the expression on Han Lin's face, and said, "It's not what you see."

After Tang Feng finished speaking, Han Lin's previously expressionless face suddenly changed, as if a walking corpse had suddenly gained a bit of life. "It's not what I saw? You and Zhao Ziming?" Han Lin immediately pressed for an answer, but he didn't dare to be explicit, fearing another false alarm. Perhaps those who have experienced too much disappointment are extremely cautious about hope.

"Zhao Ziming and I are not husband and wife; she's lying to you." Tang Feng didn't intend to keep Han Lin in suspense. Tang Feng had brought Han Lin here specifically to clarify his relationship with Zhao Ziming.

"So what exactly is your relationship?" Han Lin frowned upon hearing Tang Feng's words, looking at Tang Feng sitting in front of him with a puzzled expression.

Tang Feng saw Han Lin's gaze, smiled, and replied, "I'm Zhao Ziming's college classmate, and now I should be her... good friend." When he got to the last few words, Tang Feng hesitated for a moment, but still said the words "good friend."

"Good friend?" Han Lin's gaze didn't leave Tang Feng, and the doubt in his eyes didn't lessen in the slightest. Han Lin repeated those three words with a scrutinizing look. "Have you been by Zhao Ziming's side all this time?" Han Lin suddenly asked this question.

"Yes."

"Have you been by her side all these years?" Han Lin asked persistently.

"Yes."

"If that's the case, I don't think you just see Zhao Ziming as a good friend." Han Lin chuckled and then shook his head.

"I love him," Tang Feng replied with a laugh after hearing Han Lin's words.

Upon hearing Tang Feng's words, Han Lin suddenly stared at him with wide eyes. After a long while, Han Lin sighed, silently lowered his head, and softly said, "If that's the case, why did you come to tell me all this?"

“Because I love Zhao Zimo very much, very much.” Tang Feng’s words remained calm and casual, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact. Before Han Lin could reply, Tang Feng chuckled, then shook his head and said, “But Zhao Zimo doesn’t love me.”

After Tang Feng finished speaking, Han Lin looked up at Tang Feng again.

"I knew she had someone hidden in her heart, and later I found out that person's name was Han Lin. Today I finally met him in person." After saying that, Tang Feng picked up the menu on the table, waved to the waiter, and ordered two bottles of beer.

"If you don't tell me the truth, I might give up, and that would give you more opportunities." Due to his childhood experiences, Han Lin's worldview dictates that all human actions should be self-serving. Therefore, Han Lin cannot understand Tang Feng's approach of readily giving up.

“If I do this, Zhao Ziming might actually be moved by me in the end, just like you said. Of course, she might not. But no matter the outcome, I know she won’t be truly happy. Because the mark you left on her heart is too deep. Sometimes I really wish I had met her sooner. But then I think, how much sooner could I have met her? Before you confessed to her, or before she fell in love with you? In the end, I realized I wouldn’t have the chance. So, I might as well return her love to you.” Tang Feng said these words with a smile.