Outside the rules
"That's not the reason."
"Why is that?"
Lin Tingyue's eyes were unusually firm. "It was your own decision, it was your control."
She paused, then said, word by word, "In your heart, I may always be that weakling who needs your protection. But I'm not. Before I met you, I was also trying very hard to live, trying very hard to pursue my dreams. I can accept failure, but I can't accept this kind of charity. Do you understand?"
These words struck Chi Zhuo's heart like a heavy hammer.
“I…” he tried to say something, but found his language so inadequate.
"Don't follow me anymore." Lin Tingyue gave him one last look. "I want to be alone."
After saying that, she stopped looking at him, turned around and leaned close to Xia Xiaoran, whispering, "Ranran, let's go."
Xia Xiaoran immediately nodded, helped her up, glared at Chi Zhuo, and helped Lin Tingyue head towards the underground parking garage.
This time, Chi Zhuo did not chase after them.
He stood frozen in the cold night wind, still holding the coat he hadn't been able to give away, watching helplessly as that resolute figure disappeared.
All that remained were the cold glow of neon lights and the roar of passing cars.
He instinctively opened his palm, revealing the ring he had picked up. Its sharp edges were almost embedded in his flesh, and the cold touch reminded him that what had just happened was not a nightmare, but reality.
An unprecedented sense of panic and emptiness enveloped him.
He was used to being in control of the whole situation, used to Lin Tingyue being in his world, within his plans.
Is this situation really his fault?
Cheng Ji called anxiously: "Chi Zhuo, how is it? Have you found Tingyue? We've almost calmed down the guests here, but the aunties are quite worried."
Chi Zhuo stared at the empty street, his voice low and hoarse: "She went to her friend's place."
Cheng Ji sensed something was wrong with his tone and cautiously asked, "Then... are you alright?"
Chi Zhuo didn't answer, but remained silent for a moment before saying, "Please apologize to my mom and her parents for making them worry. You've worked hard too, go back now."
After hanging up the phone, Chi Zhuo stood alone in the cold wind, feeling helpless for the first time.
-
Xia Xiaoran helped Lin Tingyue into the car and fastened her seatbelt. Looking at her pale face and red, swollen, and dry eyes, she felt extremely distressed.
"Yueyue, stop thinking about it. It's not worth it for that arrogant man! Let's go home first, I'll cook you something hot, and you can get a good night's sleep."
As Xia Xiaoran started the car, she tried to speak in a lighthearted tone.
Lin Tingyue leaned back in her chair, gazing at the dazzling lights rushing past the window, her eyes unfocused.
She didn't cry, she just felt tired, a weariness that seemed to seep into her very bones.
“Ranran,” she said softly, her voice a little hoarse, “I’m not angry because he helped me avoid danger.”
“I know,” Xia Xiaoran immediately replied, “You’re angry that he doesn’t respect you and doesn’t believe in your abilities!”
“More than that,” Lin Tingyue slowly shook her head, her voice soft yet carrying a chilling sense of profound understanding.
“I suddenly realized that our relationship might have been unequal from the very beginning. He was used to looking down on me, while I had unknowingly accepted this feeling of looking up to him. Only today did I see all of this clearly, and only then did I wake up from my dream.”
Xia Xiaoran opened her mouth, wanting to offer comfort, but found her words somewhat inadequate.
This topic can only end with a sigh.
-
Chi Zhuo returned to the apartment, but did not go upstairs. He just stared at the extinguished light, lost in thought.
He then drove to an old residential area and went up to the top floor.
Standing on the rooftop, looking down at the still bustling city below, he felt for the first time that this vast world was so empty that it made him uneasy.
He was used to having everything under control; whether it was business negotiations or project operations, he could always find a breakthrough and handle things with ease.
But at this moment, faced with Lin Tingyue's departure, he felt for the first time what it meant to be powerless.
When he first started here, he felt just as powerless, but back then he had the courage to challenge everything. Now, however, he dares not think about it; he is afraid, afraid of losing it.
In the following days, Chi Zhuo did not bother Lin Tingyue again.
He would send messages to Lin Tingyue on WeChat every day, but after sending two messages, he found that he had been blocked.
Chi Zhuo understood and stopped bombarding him with messages.
-
Although my love life has suffered a setback, my career cannot be put on hold.
Lin Tingyue rallied and forced herself to get back to work immediately, but her family started asking about the details between the two of them again.
She decisively chose to block all messages, pretending that none of it concerned her.
Occasionally, late at night, she would think of Chi Zhuo and those good times, and her heart would still ache with a dull pain.
But she knew that some things had to be changed fundamentally.
Otherwise, no matter how much time passes, it will remain a thorn in her side.
The others in the office seemed to notice that something was wrong with Lin Tingyue, and they all wisely refrained from disturbing her.
Lin Tingyue often sits alone in front of the computer, lost in thought, sometimes staring blankly out the window, her mind wandering.
Chi Zhuo stood downstairs at Lin Tingyue's company, holding a paper bag in his hand.
This is the fifth day he has appeared here at this time.
For the first four days, he only watched her leave work from afar, watching her walk quickly into the subway station with her head down, without ever looking back.
Today, he took a step forward.
The paper bag contained his newly bought cheesecake and a cup of hot milk tea, both flavors that Lin Tingyue used to like.
It was already dark when Lin Tingyue walked out of the building.
The winter wind made her shrink her neck and instinctively bury her face in her scarf.
Looking up, I saw Chi Zhuo standing not far away.
She stopped in her tracks, her expression instantly hardening as if she were wearing a mask.
Chi Zhuo did not step forward immediately. Instead, under her wary gaze, he slowly raised the paper bag in his hand and gently placed it on the bench by the roadside.
After making this gesture, he took two steps back, put his hands in his coat pockets, and made it clear that he had no intention of getting any closer.
Lin Tingyue's gaze lingered between the paper bag and him, but she ultimately chose to ignore them and walked straight toward the subway station.
Chi Zhuo watched her brush past him without saying a word to stop her.
The next day, at the same time, on the same bench, there was a cup of steaming hot water, and the same paper bag next to it.
"This time I brewed a new cup of Gong Cuisheng tea."
Lin Tingyue paused for a longer time this time.
This tea was a shared memory between her and Chi Zhuo, carrying a part of their feelings.
She ultimately didn't touch the cup of tea, but her steps as she left were noticeably slower.
Chi Zhuo followed behind her without saying a word.
She turned around and looked him in the eye for the first time.
"Chi Zhuo, I don't need you to make amends for me one by one."
“I know.” He nodded, his silhouette appearing thinner in the night. “This isn’t about making up for lost time. It’s about learning.”
What should we learn?
“Learn how to love you equally.” He looked at her. “These past few days, I’ve thought about it a lot. What you’re concerned about is that I didn’t discuss it with you beforehand. It’s true, I was wrong in this matter, but I was also thinking of you. Maybe my approach was wrong, but we shouldn’t have handled it this way.”
Lin Tingyue stood still, the cold wind whipping her loose hair.
"For my sake?" she repeated, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "You see, even now, you still think your intentions are right."
Chi Zhuo stepped forward, his brows furrowing slightly. "Listen to that. The risks involved are indeed..."
“Risks?” Lin Tingyue interrupted him, her voice soft but sharp like a knife. “Chi Zhuo, don’t you understand? I’m not angry that you helped me avoid risks, but that you never thought of telling me anything from beginning to end. In your heart, my judgment is unimportant, my ability to bear things is untrustworthy, and I only need to accept everything you’ve arranged and then be grateful to you.”
She took a deep breath and continued, "You say you're learning to love me as an equal. But equality is based on respect and trust. Have you ever trusted me? Have you ever trusted that I have the ability to face challenges, the wisdom to make choices, and the courage to bear the consequences?"
Chi Zhuo was speechless.
A cold wind blew by, carrying a biting chill. He looked into her clear yet resolute eyes, and all the explanations and words he had prepared suddenly seemed pale and powerless.
"I..." He opened his mouth, but could only say in the end, "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
“But you are making me suffer a different kind of deeper hurt.” Lin Tingyue looked at him, “the kind of hurt that comes from having all your abilities and worth denied by the person closest to you.”
She paused, as if making a decision: "Chi Zhuo, let's not see each other for now. It's not out of spite, I really need time and space. Let's leave it at that."
After saying that, she turned and left, leaving Chi Zhuo alone on the spot.
-
Suddenly breaking up with a relationship is inherently a very painful thing.
Even though Lin Tingyue had prepared herself for the pain, she still couldn't sleep at night.
At night, she lay in bed, scrolling through her phone.
But the moment her finger touched his WeChat, she pulled it back.
She dared not take another step forward, yet she also had some thoughts.
But if she doesn't block him, will she immediately soften upon seeing his messages and revert to her old ways?
She forced herself to try to forget about it and allowed herself some time to calm down.
In the office, everyone seemed to have become smarter, tacitly doing their own jobs well.
Suddenly, the assistant came over on her own initiative.
"Sister Yue."
Lin Tingyue slowly raised her head and looked at the other person. "Hmm? What is it?"
The assistant then lowered her head and explained, "Sister Yue, actually... I'm here to resign."
Lin Tingyue was somewhat surprised, "Why so suddenly?"
The assistant was very upset. "Sister Yue, actually, the whole thing with Manager Zhang was caused by me."
“At first, the duty shift was assigned to someone else, but it happened to be New Year's Day, and everyone wanted to go home early to celebrate, so… they said some nice things to me, and I…”
Lin Tingyue frowned and said, "You just assigned it to Xiao Zhang?"
"Um."
The assistant sighed, "I thought he often took leave, so working one shift on New Year's Day wouldn't be a big deal, but... that's how it is. Sister Yue, I've been feeling really bad lately, so I can't continue like this..."
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