Seeing this, Li Ling was stunned for a moment, then slowly squatted down as well. She gazed quietly at the man crying like a child, her heart filled with mixed emotions. After a long while, she finally spoke softly, "What good is winning?"

Upon hearing Li Ling's words, Wang Lun abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with tears, his voice hoarse and choked with sobs: "If we win... if we win, I can have money to buy a house and a car, and give you a better and happier life! Isn't this the goal we've been working towards together all this time?"

Li Ling gently shook her head, reached out and patted Wang Lun's shoulder tenderly, and said slowly, "No, it won't happen. Even if we succeed in the end, if the person who stays with you in the end isn't me, but someone else, can you accept that outcome calmly?"

Wang Lun stared blankly at Li Ling, momentarily at a loss for words. After a long while, he managed to utter two words with difficulty: "Why?"

Li Ling smiled slightly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. She gently reached out and carefully wiped away the tears from Wang Lun's cheek, softly saying, "Because I love you, I can't bear to share your love with anyone else. I know it's selfish, but love is inherently selfish, isn't it?"

Wang Lun gazed intently at Li Ling before him, and she nodded slightly in response. Then, the two sat quietly on the rocky beach, time seemingly frozen, passing by with an unusually slow pace. They sat there silently for a long, long time without uttering a single word. Although Wang Lun had a thousand words he wanted to say, desperately hoping to persuade Li Ling to stay and eager to understand the reasons behind her actions, after much hesitation, he ultimately swallowed those words back down.

Similarly, Li Ling also had many things she wanted to tell Wang Lun, but she was afraid that once she opened her mouth, her firm resolve would waver; she was even more worried that some of her words would lead to a complete breakup with Wang Lun in the future. So, she chose to keep her lips tightly closed and bury all her feelings deep in her heart.

As the sky gradually darkened, Li Ling slowly stood up and said softly, "Let's go, we should go back to camp." Hearing this, Wang Lun abruptly looked up at Li Ling. He opened his mouth, as if countless words were about to spill out. However, the words stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered. After a moment's hesitation, he changed his words and said, "Okay, let's go then. Tell everyone when we get back that we're preparing to leave. As for the specific time… I think how about leaving tomorrow?"

Li Ling stared intently at Wang Lun. His eyes, initially filled with reluctance and longing, gradually hardened into unwavering resolve. Throughout, his eyes were solely focused on Li Ling. Seeing this, Li Ling smiled gently and softly replied, "Alright, I'll do whatever you say."

As soon as they finished speaking, they instinctively reached out and clasped hands tightly. Then, shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand, they slowly walked towards the camp. As the sun set, their shadows stretched long and thin, like a beautiful and heartwarming painting.

When they returned to the camp, a heavy atmosphere instantly filled the air. Wang Lun stood there with a serious expression, his gaze sweeping over the Liu Ruoxi and Liu Ruoling sisters, before he slowly spoke, uttering a sentence that shocked them as if struck by lightning.

Liu Ruoxi and Liu Ruoling stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief. They stared blankly at Wang Lun and Li Ling, as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing. This winter was almost over; they had gone through countless hardships together and finally made it this far, but now, Wang Lun and Li Ling suddenly announced their departure.

"Why?" Liu Ruoxi asked in a trembling voice, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. "We've already gotten through the toughest times, why do we have to leave now of all times?" Liu Ruoling chimed in, tears welling up in her eyes.

However, no matter how the sisters tried to persuade them, Wang Lun and Li Ling remained unmoved. Their attitude was unusually resolute, as if they had made up their minds to leave. Liu Ruoling tightly grasped Li Ling's hand, pleading, "Sister Li Ling, please hold on a little longer, okay? Winter is almost over, spring is coming and we'll all be alright." But Li Ling simply shook her head slightly and pulled her hand away, appearing very determined.

Liu Ruoxi gave Wang Lun and Li Ling a deep look, sighed helplessly, and said, "Since you've made your decision, I respect it. I just hope you won't regret it later." Wang Lun and Li Ling exchanged a glance, then nodded solemnly, indicating that they understood.

As night fell, a campfire was lit in the camp. The four men sat around it and began to butcher chickens and rabbits, preparing to share their last supper together. The firelight cast flickering shadows on their faces. They worked silently, no one uttering a word, only the occasional sound of knives cutting into the food breaking the silence.

Originally, Wang Lun and his companions only planned to have a simple meal. However, the sisters Liu Ruoxi and Liu Ruoling insisted on preparing a sumptuous feast for them as a farewell banquet.

Liu Ruoxi and her companion had even prepared to slaughter the goat, but this action was strongly opposed by Wang Lun and Li Ling. After all, killing the goat on the spot would only result in a meal. However, if they kept the goat, it could not only serve as labor for Liu Ruoxi and her companion but also as a reserve of food.

Despite the Liu sisters' best efforts to persuade Wang Lun to change his mind, they ultimately failed. Left with no other option, they had to abandon their plan to slaughter the goat and instead choose to kill chickens and rabbits. At first, even Li Ling tried to stop them, but Liu Ruoxi quickly stopped her. Liu Ruoxi knew very well that this was their last dinner together, and it had to be a lavish affair! Besides, Liu Ruoxi believed that most of the food stored at home was painstakingly gathered by Wang Lun, so how could they not treat him well?