After a long, long silence, just as Xu Xinchen was about to fall asleep, she suddenly heard a man's deep voice, mixed with the sound of waves, echoing vaguely in her ears.
Are you really going to marry Gu Yan?
She woke up with a start.
She turned her head away, while he stared straight ahead, maintaining his original posture, as if those words hadn't come from his mouth at all, but she knew it wasn't an illusion.
"And what about you? Will you marry Chen Bailing?"
She countered with a question.
She clearly saw Chen Ningsheng stiffen, slowly turn his head, and meet her gaze.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and neither of them looked away.
Just as Chen Ningsheng was about to lean in, she turned her head away at the same instant.
Both of them froze, only hearing Chen Ningsheng's breathing.
It burned as it entered her ear canal, causing a slight itch.
She endured the unbearable time without moving.
His breathing became heavier, and she could clearly feel that his gaze was fixed on her face.
But she didn't move. Suddenly, she heard a man's teasing voice in her ear, "Yes, we're getting married soon."
She turned her head away instantly, meeting his ambiguous gaze.
Her heart felt like it was being pierced by needles, but her expression remained completely expressionless.
He stared intently, not missing a single subtle expression on her face.
A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Congratulations."
His eyes held an even deeper chill, his dark pupils like a whirlpool that drew people in, making it impossible to escape.
Hearing this, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Congratulations on finding such a perfect match for you."
He sat back down instantly, three feet away from her. The two remained silent, with only the bright moon hanging high above the sea, casting its light upon the world.
Without his oppressive presence, Xu Xinchen felt much more relaxed, but then she felt suffocated, and a deep sorrow welled up in her heart.
So many intimate and beautiful moments have passed, but now the two are like mountains and seas apart. Even if there is no one else around, even if they sit side by side in this world, they can never go back to the feeling they had before.
While Xu Xinchen was lost in thought, she heard his voice. It was very faint and was blown away by the sea breeze in the blink of an eye, but it still reached her ears.
Did you ever regret leaving me?
Perhaps the darkness of night unleashed the demons within. She thought that Chen Ningsheng, once sober, wouldn't ask her such questions. Sure enough, he drank quite a bit.
Does she regret it? She can't lie to herself. Every midnight when she habitually reaches out for her surroundings only to find them cold, when she walks past places where they used to date and now she's all alone, and, like him, when she's drunk, his face is always flashing before her eyes.
She insisted on staying in N City, not only because it was the safest place, but also because, even if they were separated, she wanted to breathe under the same sky as him. Occasionally, she hoped that God would give her a chance to secretly glance at him.
These longings seeped into her very bones, making it impossible for her to see even the slightest bit of news about him.
Work numbed her, leaving her no time to think, but she knew that she had sealed away her deepest pain and love deep within her mind.
However, the seal broke the moment he saw him.
She remained silent, and Chen Ningsheng did not press her for answers, allowing the silence to permeate the space between them.
After a long while, she heard his voice, "If you were given another chance, would you still choose me?"
"No." She answered him without much thought.
Then, she clearly saw the man in front of her stiffen.
He chuckled softly, a laugh laced with deep sarcasm.
"Lu Minshi, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Did my dad force you to leave me? I doubt it. You've wanted to leave me for a long time, haven't you?"
His gaze instantly fell on her face, his eyes filled with pain, resentment, and grievances—a complex mix of emotions.
She kept her head down and didn't answer.
Then she heard his bitter laugh, so desolate.
Much later, he said, "Go back."
On the way back, the two did not speak to each other, remaining as quiet as when they arrived.
The wind blew his jacket up and brushed against her arm. She sat on the back of the motorcycle, only gently tugging at his clothes to keep them from falling off.
Halfway there, the car jolted violently, and she was caught off guard, falling onto his back. The car came to a stop.
He braced himself on one leg, took off his jacket, and tossed it behind him, covering her head.
Before Xu Xinchen could react, he restarted the car and sped off like an arrow released from a bow.
Xu Xinchen clutched his jacket, at a loss. He was only wearing a thin shirt over it, which billowed in the wind, exuding a youthful aura.
"Put these on, I'm not cold."
As soon as she opened her mouth, her words were lost in the whistling wind. Seeing his unresponsive reaction, she helplessly put on her jacket.
The moment she put it on, she was momentarily stunned, enveloped by the clothes that carried his unique scent. It felt as if she were being held tightly in his arms.
Upon arriving at his destination, he stopped the car and went upstairs without saying a word.
He didn't even glance at her.
The next day, early in the morning, Gu Yan knocked on Xu Xinchen's door. When she opened the door, Gu Yan looked at her with great enthusiasm and invited her to have breakfast.
When she asked him if he had heard anything last night.
He frowned and thought for a moment, "The wind was too strong last night, and I could only hear the windows being banged on."
"Really?" Xu Xinchen smiled.
"What?" Gu Yan looked into her eyes, raised an eyebrow, and asked curiously, "Did your Prince Charming kidnap you last night?"
?
He noticed a slight change in her expression and smiled.
Xu Xinchen waved her hand, "You really know how to joke."
Chen Bailing and Chen Ningsheng left the Gu family early in the morning. After having a meal outside, Chen Ningsheng was about to leave, but Chen Bailing held onto his clothes tightly.
"Ah Sheng, will you come with me to try on wedding dresses today?"
He frowned. "I need to go back to the company."
"It's my day off!" she protested, shaking his hand. "Just a little while, it won't take up much of your time, please, spend some time with me."
Chen Ningsheng looked at her expectant eyes, his gaze unwavering, but his brows furrowed in cold wrinkles. He called his driver and asked him to accompany her.
Then he left without looking back.
Chen Bailing watched his heartless departure with resentment, tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her smooth cheeks.
She waved the driver away.
Reluctantly, he followed.
As Chen Ningsheng walked alone, hands in his pockets, around the street corner, heading down a road completely different from the one leading to the company.
An unease began to rise in her heart.
He was lying to her, a fact she couldn't believe but had to admit.
She discreetly followed him a few meters behind.
Unaware of his surroundings, he entered a hotel.
Chen Bailing bit her lip and followed.
When they reached the door, Chen Bailing stopped in her tracks and watched as he opened the door and went inside without hesitation.
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