☆, Extra Chapter 44: Too Much Smoking Leads to an Early Death (Qiao's Story)
Everyone can live without anyone else; it's just a matter of how they live.
The earth continues to rotate, and days continue to pass.
Many times, Song Libai would feel a sense of disorientation and would often stare blankly at a certain spot.
It's as if she's still there.
When he experienced hallucinations time and time again, he finally realized that this emotion was called longing.
They were like two intersecting lines, briefly intersecting before drifting further and further apart.
Even if I'm unwilling, this is the only way.
Accepting all the resentment is a compulsory course for adults, and we spend our whole lives learning it.
...
It's said that being busy reduces longing, but everyone forgets that when you're extremely busy, that sudden feeling of grievance can instantly break through all your psychological defenses.
"Yi-yi, did you have a fight with your boyfriend?" Qiao came downstairs and ran into her neighbor's aunt who was taking a walk.
Qiao Yi was taken aback, somewhat confused.
The aunt looked at him with a disappointed expression and pointed anxiously, "That young man you brought back before has been staying downstairs all night long lately. I see him every morning when I wake up, and he always smells strongly of cigarettes."
Qiao Yi bit her lower lip, feeling a little uneasy.
It seems like they've been separated for a very long time, yet it feels like it was just yesterday.
She thought they were both in the past, but it turns out he wasn't, and she might not be either.
The aunt was still rambling on, "Yiyi, I have a good eye for people. That young man is a good person. Don't take advantage of your youth and miss out on him, or you'll regret it later. Some people, once missed, are gone forever."
Qiao nodded and smiled slightly, "Thank you, Auntie, I understand."
"We must learn to cherish what we have."
Qiao Yi wrapped her coat tighter around herself, her mind in turmoil.
That night, they had made things very clear and said goodbye to each other calmly and peacefully.
She has already moved on to a new life, although she still thinks of him occasionally.
Now she can only let nature take its course and leave the rest to time.
As for how to choose, let your heart decide.
As evening fell, Qiao Yi kept thinking about what her aunt had said. She stood by the window and saw familiar cars parked downstairs.
So, he's really been here for quite a while now.
She pursed her lower lip, staring blankly downstairs, watching time tick by, and the people in the car still showed no sign of leaving.
Night fell, and everything quieted down, except for that car, which stood alone below, looking so lonely.
She watched as the car door opened, the man got out, and looked up at the building. She seemed to instantly sense their eyes meeting.
The lights were switched off with a "whoosh," as if desperately trying to cover something up.
One upstairs, one downstairs, they gaze at each other from afar, separated by only a step.
The man, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, exhaled smoke, his tall figure appearing incredibly lonely in the night, as if he had been abandoned by the whole world.
Before I knew it, it started to rain outside. At first, it was a light drizzle, very small and slow.
Qiao thought he would at least go to the car to take shelter from the rain, but the man didn't; he hung his head, seemingly lost in thought.
As the rain intensified, she heard the sound of raindrops hitting the glass, which seemed to strike her heart as well, but the man still showed no sign of leaving.
Ten more minutes, just ten more minutes, he should be gone by now. She quietly reassured herself.
Ten minutes passed quickly, and the rain showed no sign of stopping; in fact, it seemed to be getting heavier.
Wait five more minutes.
She finally couldn't take it anymore, grabbed an umbrella and rushed downstairs, shivering from the cold in her pajamas.
The man seemed to sense something, looked up and saw her, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
Qiao Yi, her face cold, opened her umbrella and stood on tiptoe. "What's with the crazy behavior in the middle of the night?"
Even though the girl still had a fierce attitude, Song Libai was still flattered; it turned out she would actually talk to him.
"Yi-yi." He called her name softly, as if afraid of disturbing the person in front of him.
Qiao Yi was shivering from the cold, her thin body trembling. "You should go back now, don't stay here any longer."
Song Libai noticed that she was only wearing pajamas, and his suit was already soaked with sweat, so he couldn't put a coat on her.
Even though he was reluctant to part with you, he said earnestly, "It's very cold, and you're not dressed warmly enough. You go up first, and I'll leave once you're up."
Qiao Yi didn't know why, but she inexplicably heard a hint of resentment in his tone, as if he were a heartless wife who had been abandoned by her, kindly advising her to leave.
She glanced at the man, who was very serious and solemn, as if this was what he wanted to say at that moment.
The rain was still falling, and she felt a little irritated. "Fine, you come upstairs with me first."
She really didn't want to put on some kind of heart-wrenching romance with him in this heavy rain; she didn't have the time or inclination for it.
She lifted her foot and walked away, the man following behind. Where she couldn't see, the corners of the man's lips curled up slightly.
What she didn't know was that he was betting on her soft heart. From the moment he saw the light in her room go out, he guessed whether she had seen him.
It just so happened that it was raining, and in the end she gave in to her soft heart.
He also had a slight lingering affection for her; in her heart, he wasn't entirely insignificant.
Even though he was soaked to the bone, Song Libai was still in a good mood. This was the first time he had stepped into her room since they parted ways.
Qiao Yi didn't bother to greet him, so he went to wash up as usual. However, the clothes he used to keep in the washroom were all gone.
He changed into the clean bathrobe she handed him, feeling a little sad.
Her belongings in his house remained exactly as they were, but she had said goodbye to him completely.
Even this reunion was something he painstakingly tricked into agreeing to.
He sighed softly, "The road ahead is long and arduous."
When he came out, he saw Qiao Yi sitting on the bed. After not seeing each other for a long time, the two were almost speechless.
Finally, Qiao Yi spoke first, looking up at him, "Why did you come here?"
Song Libai smiled slightly, her voice soft, "I just wanted to come and see you."
Qiao Yi was a little surprised. After not seeing him for so long, she felt that his temper had become much gentler.
She deliberately argued with him, thinking he would use excuses like coincidence or just passing by to brush her off.
"Did you just arrive today?"
Song Libai hesitated for a moment, looking into her eyes, "No." He had been here for a long time, since the day after she left.
Qiao Yi clicked her tongue twice and didn't press the matter further, only muttering under her breath, "Smoking too much leads to an early death."
Song Libai nodded, looking very serious. "Okay, I won't smoke anymore."
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