Liquidation Time
"I wasn't confident enough in the relationship at the time, and I thought that since we were going to break up anyway, I might as well be the one to say it."
What does that mean? For a moment, Ding Xuefei almost doubted her own comprehension.
Why do you lack confidence? Why do you think we're bound to break up?
Even now, looking back, Ding Xuefei doesn't think their conflict was deep enough to warrant a breakup. It was clearly a problem that could have been solved simply by Yu Songlin coaxing him or him giving in. Why should Yu Songlin make the decision for him?
Faced with Ding Xuefei's questioning, Yu Songlin was momentarily speechless. He awkwardly rubbed his fingers for a while before finally whispering, "I never expected you to get into the industry..."
Does getting into the circle or not have that much of an impact?
He just didn't understand. Wouldn't it be better if he didn't enter the entertainment industry? He saw that Lu Huai and his girlfriend outside the industry were getting along quite well.
Ding Xuefei couldn't understand Yu Songlin at all about this. What was the big deal about these things? As long as he liked him, wasn't that enough?
Five years later, it felt like he was back on the day Yu Songlin left, and he was dumped for no reason.
Now, Yu Songlin's reasons are even less effective than having no reasons at all.
Why? Why should I? What a pity.
When Ding Xuefei gets emotional, he easily bursts into tears. His eyes were completely red, and his vision became blurred. He thought he was glaring fiercely at people, but he lost his aggression because of his tears.
Yu Songlin panicked and stepped forward to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingertips, but before he could touch her, Ding Xuefei shoved his hand away violently.
"One last question,"
Ding Xuefei started off coldly, but by the end she became a little sad, her voice trembling with tears.
"If you really liked me all this time, why didn't you come to me sooner?"
*
Four years ago.
Yu Songlin stood on the second floor of the bar, with the noisy dance floor below the glass railing.
He had just finished a closed-door filming session and was pulled away by his colleagues to relax, but he never liked these kinds of things and wanted to leave with little interest.
"There were a lot of familiar faces in the next private room. I just went over for a drink. There were a lot of young and handsome guys in there."
Yu Songlin had no interest in people in the industry and had already started looking for an excuse to leave. However, a casual glance from him made him stop in his tracks and his breath catch in his throat.
Ding Xuefei.
His hair was dyed a striking golden yellow, and he wore a sequined shirt that he would never normally wear, with the collar open, revealing his slender collarbone.
He was dazzling, but he didn't look good.
Her face was clearly flushed with alcohol, her fair cheeks and the corners of her eyes were tinged with red, and her eyes were glazed over as she leaned softly against another person.
He looked very tired. Yu Songlin knew he couldn't drink, and he really wanted to snatch the wine from his hand and take him away.
In an instant, the person next to him turned and said something to him. Ding Xuefei laughed, all the weariness on her face vanished, and she laughed innocently and without any defenses.
Yu Songlin clenched his fists.
Ding Xuefei didn't notice him, but when the person next to him turned around, Yu Songlin finally saw who it was.
Yan Chao, the only son of the owner of Yaoxing Entertainment, is one of Yu Songlin's few enemies in the industry.
At this moment, Yan Chao casually placed one hand on the back of the sofa behind Ding Xuefei, his posture intimate, almost encircling Ding Xuefei in his arms. His other hand held a wine glass, which he would bring to Ding Xuefei's lips from time to time. The two were very close, almost breaking the safe distance, and they would kiss if they lowered their heads.
Ding Xuefei seemed to be very drunk and unable to resist, or perhaps he had no intention of resisting at all. He tilted his head back and drank the wine that Yan Chao fed him.
A few drops of wine slid down the corner of her mouth, staining her champagne-colored shirt, but Ding Xuefei didn't care at all.
Upon seeing this, Yan Chao naturally reached out and used the pad of his thumb to wipe it away for him.
He was so skilled it didn't seem like it was his first time.
Ding Xuefei turned her head to dodge, but instead rubbed even closer to Yan Chao's shoulder. She said something and then slid softly down the sofa. Yan Chao couldn't hear her, but was drawn closer as if hooked by her.
Ding Xuefei's face was completely blocked by Yan Chao, and Yu Songlin could only see a slender white wrist of Ding Xuefei, who gently pushed Yan Chao's arm.
From Yu Songlin's perspective, it looked exactly like a kiss.
At that time, Ding Xuefei's group Mania had only been established for a short time, and rumors and scandals were already rampant. It was rumored that Ding Xuefei was a parachuted debut, and apart from being good-looking, she was useless. It was said that Yan Xiaogongzi signed her against all odds and personally "took care" of her.
Some fans even vividly described how Yan Chao spent lavishly on Ding Xuefei and paved the way for him.
Yu Songlin could still deceive himself before, thinking it was all just rumors and hype. He knew how proud Ding Xuefei was; how could she possibly do such a thing...
But what he saw shattered his hopes.
Ding Xuefei leaned against Yan Chao's chest, while Yan Chao, with an absolute possessive attitude, enjoyed Ding Xuefei's dependence.
A profound sense of loss overwhelmed Yu Songlin. He thought he had finally made some progress in his career and had the confidence to turn back and fight for it, but he witnessed this scene.
From then on, Yu Songlin stopped paying close attention to Ding Xuefei's news and even deliberately avoided her. It wasn't until a few years later, when he realized that Ding Xuefei might still have some feelings for him, that he dared to reappear in Ding Xuefei's life.
*
As the memories fade, the beluga whale pavilion remains, so quiet that only the sound of flowing water can be heard.
Yu Songlin spoke with difficulty, his voice dry: "Back then, I thought you and Yan Chao were dating."
Ding Xuefei stared at Yu Songlin in disbelief.
He and Yan Chao were just ordinary friends at best. It was indeed Yan Chao who discovered him on set and brought him into the entertainment industry, for which he was very grateful.
He knew about those rumors too; they were ridiculous! Even strangers wouldn't take them seriously. Yu Songlin wasn't stupid; why would he believe those online rumors?
He stared into Yu Songlin's eyes, but Yu Songlin remained calm and didn't seem to be lying at all. He said, "I thought you two were together. I thought you had a new life, so I shouldn't have appeared again..."
Ding Xuefei's face flushed red, this time from anger, her temper rising in waves.
If he weren't so well-mannered, he would have loved to slap Yu Songlin.
"Are you sick in the head?!" Ding Xuefei's voice trembled. He took a step forward, getting closer to Yu Songlin. His eyes were red and swollen. The sadness had faded, and now he was filled with anger and disappointment.
I can't believe that the person he liked so much, the person he liked for so long, would break up with him for a reason he couldn't understand, and then distance herself from him for some trivial reason.
He would rather believe that this was all a fabricated excuse Yu Songlin was making up to deceive him than believe that... they had actually been separated for five whole years because of these inexplicable things...
"Yu Songlin! Don't tell me that just because of those unfounded speculations online, which I don't even take seriously, you've concluded that I'm with someone else!"
Ding Xuefei paused for two seconds, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"No, it's not about being together, it's about me being 'kept' by someone. Yu Songlin, we've been together for so long, don't you know what kind of person I am? In your eyes, am I really that casual, that unscrupulous, and mercenary?"
Yu Songlin felt as if his heart was being torn apart, yet he had so readily believed the rumors to be true. Rather than refute them, he preferred to be severely scolded by Ding Xuefei, as if that would make him feel a little better.
Only when Ding Xuefei was getting impatient and emotionally agitated, on the verge of tears, did he dare to interrupt, fearing she was becoming too agitated: "Xuefei..."
Overwhelmed by intense emotions, Ding Xuefei looked like she was about to cry. Yu Songlin reached out and instinctively wanted to hug her.
With a "smack," Ding Xuefei slapped him hard back, leaving Yu Songlin stunned on the spot.
"Don't touch me!" Ding Xuefei was furious and couldn't listen to any of Yu Songlin's explanations. He took a few deep breaths, held back his tears, and spoke again much calmer.
"Actually, we broke up because of nothing else. You never believed me, and I... never mind."
Ding Xuefei sat down on the steps, exhausted. He suddenly felt very tired. The question that had troubled him for so long had such an absurd answer.
Yu Songlin tried to approach, but Ding Xuefei stopped him, saying, "I want to be alone for a while."
In the huge venue, only soothing background music flowed, and the two people, one standing and one sitting, were a little distance apart.
It was as if there was an invisible barrier around Ding Xuefei, and Yu Songlin wanted to get close but could not.
Master! Don't be too angry, let him explain again!
At this moment, upon hearing the system's voice, Ding Xuefei became extremely irritated. He had always thought that this system was on Yu Songlin's side! He didn't want to listen to it!
Ding Xuefei deliberately ignored it; the electronic voice drooped, but it still tried to speak:
[Perhaps he has a reason! Master, please listen to what he has to say!]
I won't listen.
This is how Ding Xuefei is when he's angry; he won't listen to anyone. In the past, Yu Songlin would just quietly wait for him to calm down before trying to coax him. This system probably hadn't seen Ding Xuefei throw such a tantrum before, and didn't realize that the more they tried to persuade him, the more rebellious he became.
【Master, if you keep doing this, I'm going to issue a mission!】
Ding Xuefei scoffed dismissively, not even bothering to acknowledge it, thinking to herself, "Go ahead and publish it if you want, I'm not doing it."
Even if he were to die from the pain, it wouldn't happen.
[Task posted: Explain the past! Please proactively ask the target person to explain and understand the reasons for the breakup.]
Time limit: One minute!!
Ding Xuefei remained unmoved. He was now willing to admit that he had been willing to do some of the system's tasks before, except for the first few times when he was scared by the punishment. Later on, he was somewhat willing to do them himself.
Now, no one can force him to do things he doesn't want to do.
Ding Xuefei looked up at Yu Songlin, who was standing a few steps away, not too close and not too far. His eyes never left Ding Xuefei, and he seemed to want to say something, but Ding Xuefei knew he couldn't say it.
Only the system was still trying: [Master! Only one minute left! Thirty seconds left!]
Forty seconds have passed! Less than twenty seconds have elapsed!
Ding Xuefei spoke leisurely: "Yu Songlin."
The people he called over immediately turned their attention to him, staring at him intently without blinking.
[Ten seconds left, Master!]
I'm really disappointed in you.
The moment the words left his mouth, Ding Xuefei was enveloped in a sharp pain. He tried his best to resist, but he couldn't withstand it. His vision went black, and he fell into a coma.
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