Chapter 70: "I Can't Let This Go"
Wen Jia's trip to Zurich to clear her head did not escape the eyes of the ever-present Chinese. This group of Chinese people were very tactful, not disturbing her at all, but clearly photographing her face without a mask and her movements.
Not only did they take the photos, they also uploaded them to social media platforms.
As a result, her name once again topped the entertainment search rankings on various platforms.
[@EntertainmentDaily: Netizens spotted Wen Jia in Zurich! We just received a submission that a netizen ran into Wen Jia on the streets of Zurich. In the photos, she is wearing a light-colored trench coat and dressed very casually. The netizen said she was alone the whole time, with no staff around.]
It is understood that Wen Jia has no public schedule recently, and this trip may be a personal one.
#WenjiaZurich# #WenjiaStatus# #WenjiaEncounter
(Please engage in rational discussion and respect the artist's private schedule.)
The photos released by the marketing account documented almost her entire day's activities: Bahnhofstrasse, the Limmat River, the second-floor terrace of a restaurant, and most strikingly, her profile standing in front of a love lock.
The only time she escaped capture was during the few minutes she hid in the shadows of the alley.
Given her history of causing chaos and controversy, it goes without saying that the comment section naturally erupted once again:
Is my sister going out to clear her head?
[You don't look too good. Did you break up with your boyfriend?!]
[It's strange, can't a female celebrity's bad condition be related to work? Why does it always have to be linked to her love life?]
[Try to be less aggressive. They didn't say anything. I've been to that place in picture nine; it's where people hang love locks. Seeing someone alone in front of those locks makes it hard not to suspect they've broken up.]
[A person in the industry passing by whispered: This is possible. (Sister Wen has deleted everything related to the man from her WeChat Moments. Is this something to be said?)]
[Since I've already said it, let me say a little more!! What did Sister Wen originally post!!]
…
As all of this unfolded, the person involved was lying on a flight back to China, fast asleep, adjusting to the time difference.
A few hours later, the plane landed.
Yu Kaiqing brought a driver to pick her up at the airport, and from afar she saw a bright-looking woman walking out of the VIP channel.
So bright and beautiful... Yu Kaiqing almost didn't recognize her.
She went to greet him, took the luggage, and looked him up and down: "...You've been possessed?"
“No,” Wen Jia smiled naturally. “Why do you ask?”
"He looked completely dejected when he arrived..."
“You’ve already used the word ‘withered,’ so am I supposed to stay withered forever, Kaiqing? I’ve figured it out. I really can’t let my emotions hold me back forever.”
That afternoon sitting on the restaurant terrace, the Zurich winds had already whipped her countless times.
She figured it out. Since she couldn't forget Xu Shaoting, she would keep it to herself and wait until he truly had a family. Heaven would naturally help her let go of him.
Even if you're reluctant, you have to let go.
Yu Kaiqing looked at her and breathed a sigh of relief, "It's good that you've figured it out. However, in the few hours that you've figured it out, the internet has been in an uproar because you still can't figure it out."
Wen Jia took the phone from her and casually browsed through the trending topics and comments section, including speculations about breakups and even so-called insider revelations.
She wasn't angry; instead, she smiled gently. "They guessed half right. I did go to say goodbye to the past. However, it wasn't the tearful farewell they imagined."
Back at the villa, she took off the ring without saying a word and locked it back in the safe.
The ring finger was empty, yet a faint, unnoticed mark remained.
Skin that had been confined for so long was breathing in its long-lost freedom, and it was tingling with a subtle but persistent itch.
She unconsciously rubbed the base of her fingers together.
Company matters were delayed for a while, and I also broke my promise to Zhang Linzhi to take good care of Zhong Rui.
Unable to continue wallowing in despair, she immediately called Zhong Rui.
"Make time for me tomorrow, I'll take you to meet a director."
She had considered bringing Zhong Rui to meet Yu Jianshan long ago.
Zhong Rui has now risen to the top ranks of young male actors in the Chinese entertainment industry. He has outstanding looks and abundant fashion resources. However, he mostly appears in period dramas, crowding into shows that are most likely to produce blockbuster hits, yet he has yet to have a breakout role. To take his career further, transitioning to a film actor is a clear path forward.
However, Yu Jianshan was an extremely proud person and had always looked down on such private dinners hosted by juniors. At first, he refused without hesitation.
In the end, Wen Jia used both soft and hard tactics, and after much persuasion, she finally managed to convince him with the words, "Director Yu, trust me, you will never be disappointed."
The next evening, Wen Jia woke up after catching up on her sleep. She didn't put on makeup, just applied lipstick to brighten her complexion, then changed her clothes and prepared to go pick up Zhong Rui.
As they reached the entrance, Yu Kaiqing stopped her and helped her put on her hat and mask. "You were just trending on social media, and there were even rumors of a breakup. The paparazzi are all stalking you."
Wen Jia waved her hand dismissively and left without looking back.
For the private dinner, she deliberately avoided troubling the driver and planned to drive herself to Zhong Rui's residence.
Zhong Rui is different from her. He has a stable position in the industry and is in the rising stage of his career. He travels all over the city and the country for work. His place of residence is not as quiet as hers. It is a large flat near the city center.
Following the navigation instructions, Wen Jia drove for nearly fifty minutes before the Porsche finally entered the underground parking garage.
Zhong Rui dared not keep her waiting, so he stood outside the elevator lobby five minutes early. The Porsche stopped in front of him for several minutes, but he remained unmoved until Wen Jia honked the horn. Only then did he lower his hat brim and walk towards the car.
Wen Jia rolled down the car window halfway and gestured with her chin towards him, "Get in the car."
The boss came to pick him up personally, so there was no reason for him to drive for him anymore. He smiled knowingly and said, "Sis, the roads in the city are difficult to drive during the evening rush hour. Let me drive."
Wen Jia readily agreed and moved to the passenger seat.
Zhong Rui glanced around before getting into the driver's seat. "At first, I didn't even recognize this as your car. I thought you would bring a driver. There are always people waiting in the parking lot. Should I go and say hello?"
She laughed nonchalantly, "Being photographed isn't a bad thing; at least you still have some buzz. The day you stop being photographed is the day you're truly finished."
"You look just like Sister Zhang."
"How is it similar?"
"character."
“She’s the kind of woman who broke up with three times in a year without any pain,” Wen Jia said, taking out her lipstick from her bag and touching it up in front of the mirror. Her words were loaded with meaning. “I’m not like her. I’m not as open-minded as her.”
Zhong Rui pursed his lips, gripped the steering wheel tightly, and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Although Wen Jia is now his senior and his boss, the two are about the same age and can be considered peers. Naturally, he is also somewhat curious about the rumors about her breakup circulating online.
But he couldn't ask.
After all, Zhang Linzhi had specifically instructed him not to mention anything about their relationship in front of her.
Zhong Rui cleared his throat awkwardly and had no choice but to steer the conversation toward work, asking her who she was going to take him to see.
"Yu Jianshan, have you heard of him?"
Zhong Rui seemed a little flattered, "Yu Jianshan... in person?"
Wen Jia then laughed genuinely, "Otherwise what?"
The restaurant reservation was for a Japanese restaurant, not far from the city center, about a ten-minute drive away.
The two got out of the car together and walked side by side. Wen Jia walked on the outside of the road. When a car passed by, she was inexplicably stunned and ignored the horn. Just as she was about to be hit by a car speeding by, Zhong Rui quickly grabbed her arm, protected her, and led her to the inside of the road.
"Sis, be careful."
Wen Jia blinked, her smile serene. "I was daydreaming, thinking about something else."
The words were vague, and Zhong Rui didn't dare to delve into them, only cautiously replying, "There are indeed many cars in the city."
A man and a woman were ushered into the restaurant and sat down by the window. Wen Jia ordered her food first, and after about half an hour, the waiter led Yu Jianshan to his seat.
"Hello, Director Yu." Zhong Rui hurriedly stood up to greet him, but did not dare to sit down immediately afterward.
"Sit down, sit down, don't be shy."
Yu Jianshan took off his scarf and gloves and put them on the table. "Let's eat first. Don't talk about business while we eat, it'll hurt our feelings."
Japanese food is what I like, but I'm not too fond of Wenjia. I only ate half a bowl of beef rice before putting down my chopsticks.
After the meal, the waiter removed the plates and replaced them with hot matcha, breaking the brief silence.
Yu Jianshan's gaze fell on Zhong Rui, and he said casually, "Wen Jia has been praising you to the skies in my eyes. Tell me, what makes you think you can act in my movie?"
Zhong Rui said sincerely, "Director Yu, I dare not say that I can act. I only know that if I have the opportunity to participate in your work, even if it is just a very small role, it will be a learning experience and a breakthrough for me."
Yu Jianshan chuckled lightly, with a hint of disdain: "Anyone can say nice things. I've seen a few of your period dramas. They're certainly entertaining, and the actors are naturally good-looking, eye-catching enough on camera. But these kinds of dramas..." He paused, not saying the rest of the sentence, "utterly meaningless."
But the meaning has been conveyed.
Wen Jia sipped her tea slowly and deliberately, seemingly oblivious to the invisible pressure. Only after hearing this did she put down her teacup. "Director Yu, the 'liveliness' and 'appearance' you mentioned are labels the market has given him, and they are also the stepping stones for him to reach you and be seen by you. I know you want an actor, not a star. So what I'm bringing you is an actor who is resilient, hardworking, and who has been honing himself amidst all that 'liveliness' you mentioned."
She glanced at Zhong Rui and said sincerely, "Zhong Rui's acting has a certain craftsmanship, but that's because he hasn't met a good director who can break through that shell. What he lacks is a director like you to enlighten him and to explore his potential."
“Is that so?” Yu Jianshan took a sip of tea, smiled, and turned his gaze back to Zhong Rui. “Then what do you think your shell is?”
Zhong Rui took a deep breath, still feeling nervous, but her eyes became focused. "It might be... relying too much on appearance and formulaic acting patterns. People like to see me look good, so I subconsciously try to maintain that 'good-looking' image, forgetting the struggles and flaws that a character should have. It's like a piece of porcelain that's been polished too smoothly; it can only be a work of art, lacking vitality. I've always been troubled by this. Filming too many idol dramas can easily lead to a formulaic approach."
Yu Jianshan had seen too many boastful or self-deprecating young people, so this answer was somewhat unexpected. His expression softened a bit. "What movies have you watched recently?"
Zhong Rui mentioned two film titles, both early works by Yu Jianshan that were not well-known but highly praised in the industry. "Especially your film 'Winter's Passing,' I watched it three times. It wasn't until the third time that I understood it a little bit. The helplessness and perseverance of personal emotions under the torrent of the times, it was filmed so well..." He seemed to be unable to find the right words for a moment, and finally said dryly, "It's amazing."
He didn't mention those award-winning blockbusters, but instead chose this work that best embodies Yu Jianshan's style and sentiments.
Yu Jianshan put down his teacup, and the scrutiny in his eyes as he looked at Zhong Rui lessened, replaced by a stronger sense of inquiry. He didn't respond to Zhong Rui's words, but instead turned to Wen Jia, "I understand you want to promote someone. I'm naturally happy to see new talent emerge. We filmmakers are terrified of a talent gap, and I've seen this person. I can only say there's room for development. But I can't just give him the role directly. The production is paramount; a single role involves the hard work of hundreds of people in the entire crew. Whether it's suitable or not, we still need to weigh it carefully."
Wen Jia felt a sense of relief.
She knew perfectly well that Yu Jianshan was being incredibly merciful by giving her a chance to consider it. Otherwise, given his temperament, he wouldn't have bothered to say a word.
"I understand, I understand. I'll definitely audition, Director Yu," Zhong Rui quickly added.
"Wait for my news. But let me make this clear beforehand: my auditions are not going to be the usual kind, so don't complain to me later."
"Thank you, Director Yu. I will definitely do my best and I'm not afraid of hardship."
Yu Jianshan nodded calmly and continued to Wen Jia, "You went to all this trouble to bring a newcomer to see me? I didn't give you a number, aren't you angry?"
"You have your rules."
"Have you ever thought that if Zhong Rui wants a role, all you have to do is tell him? He has the money for this film, don't you know that? Why go through all this trouble?"
The corner by the restaurant window fell silent for a moment.
Wen Jia and Zhong Rui both knew who the 'he' in that sentence referred to.
Wen Jia's back stiffened slightly. After considering it carefully, she ultimately decided not to reveal that she had broken up with Xu Shaoting.
However, she concealed it perfectly, and Yu Jianshan did not notice anything amiss.
Zhong Rui looked at Wen Jia's dazed profile and said softly, "Director Yu, it's my own wish to give you a fair chance."
-
Another Christmas is approaching, and everyone at Yunxi knows that Xu Shaoting will not be in China during this time.
This year, however, the employees were secretly puzzled, as their immediate supervisor had disappeared far too soon.
He hasn't been seen at the company since early December.
In order to get a Christmas present, Xu Yitang used all sorts of tricks to go to the company to find her older brother, but when she opened the door to the chairman's office, it was always empty.
Lin Youzhe was the only one in the entire company who knew the truth, but Xu Bozheng had given him a gag order, forbidding him from revealing even a single word. Therefore, whenever Xu Yitang came or other members of the board of directors asked, he could only dismiss everyone with the excuse, "There were many things going on in Switzerland this year, so Chairman Xu went there early."
Including Zhao Xinglan.
Xu Yitang was unwilling to give up, so on Christmas night she called Xu Shaoting, but couldn't get through. Then she realized he wasn't in the country, so she had to switch to WeChat video.
The moment the call connected, the bright smile on her face slowly froze.
"What's wrong, brother?"
The man asked lazily, "What?"
"...You look very tired."
"Is that so?" Xu Shaoting smiled indifferently. "I've got a lot on my plate."
He looked at the girl on the other end of the screen, "What's up with your call?"
Xu Yitang pondered for a long time.
She wanted to buy a new sports car, but she couldn't bear to touch her savings, so she decided to use the excuse of Christmas gifts to rip off her older brother.
But as spoiled as she was, and as doting as he was, she couldn't just ask for an exorbitant amount right away. So she decided to start by doing something that would make her older brother happy.
After racking her brains, she asked, "Where is my sister-in-law? Is she with you? I miss her."
Xu Shaoting paused in his hand, fiddling with the lighter, and said in a hoarse voice, "He's not here."
He omitted a word; what he meant to say was, "Gone."
Xu Yitang didn't take it seriously and snorted twice, "You actually bear to let her not be by your side?"
The man gave a self-deprecating smile, "I couldn't keep her by my side."
The lighter made a soft click as Xu Shaoting lit a cigarette and put it to his lips.
At this moment, Xu Yitang realized her older brother's unusual behavior.
First of all, she has never heard him say such self-deprecating things in her life.
Secondly, from childhood to adulthood, she had never seen him smoke in front of her.
Even if she's clueless about romance, she should understand something by now, and she didn't dare to bring up the gift again.
But how could Xu Shaoting not see through her?
He exhaled a puff of smoke. "What do you want for Christmas? Your brother will buy it for you."
Xu Yitang's expression froze, her voice unnatural, "No... I don't want anything..." She had a change of heart and said innocently, "I just want you to be happy, brother."
"Thank you." Xu Shaoting smiled.
The brother and sister's phone call was brief; less than two minutes after hanging up, his phone rang again.
He shook his head helplessly, thinking that Xu Yitang had "changed her mind" and ultimately couldn't bear to part with the gift.
Until you see the notes displayed on the screen.
Two words that are both strange and familiar.
The cigarette butt between his fingers flicked off the ash.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a few deep breaths until he realized his heartbeat wouldn't calm down. He couldn't wait any longer, so he answered the call with a trembling hand.
She didn't turn on the video; her voice came through the dark screen as she called his name, "Xu Shaoting..."
In his villa in Switzerland, the fireplace burned brightly. He listened quietly to her breathing, hummed in response, and replied, trying to appear calm, "I'm here."
"Hmm..."
His voice still reassured her. She mumbled something in a low voice and didn't say anything more.
"You're drunk."
Even if they were separated by a vast distance, by a cold, impersonal screen, he made his judgment without hesitation.
"I'm not drunk..." Her face was covered by the blanket, so she couldn't be considered sober.
Merry Christmas!
She originally wanted to say, "I wish us a happy meeting."
But her drunken mind was like a lump of mush, and even if she counted on her fingers, she couldn't figure out exactly how many years they had known each other.
We had no choice but to give up.
"Merry Christmas." Xu Shaoting smiled. "Did you call me just to say that?"
Wen Jia, on the other end, silently shook her head.
Actually, before today, she had spent many days without him, and she thought she had successfully forgotten him.
She just had a little to drink today.
Those longings that reason had so fiercely guarded against, like the first loose rock in an avalanche, crashed down, and the white snow instantly buried all boundaries of clarity.
She was buried under the snowflakes, her life hanging by a thread. All she wanted was to call for help. She couldn't think straight and made a trembling phone call to him.
“No…Mr. Xu,” she turned over, finally able to breathe in fresh air through her nose, a few tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, probably from the alcohol, which she stubbornly wiped away. “I called to ask if you’ve been in Switzerland recently?”
"Yes, I've been in Switzerland for a while now."
Are you going on a business trip?
She couldn't say that she knew he had been suspended from his post, so she could only ask that.
"On business trip."
He couldn't tell her that he had been suspended from his post, so this was the only answer he could give.
"Is it snowing in Switzerland...?"
He walked to the window and drew back the heavy curtains. Outside, the snow-capped peaks of the mountains gleamed in the moonlight, and goose-feather-like snowflakes fell silently, covering the courtyard, pine branches, and Christmas tree.
“It’s down,” he said, looking at the pure white expanse, his voice unconsciously softening, “It’s huge.”
"Oh..." She seemed to chuckle softly, her breath faint, "That's nice. Here, there's no snow, only rain, and it's freezing cold..."
As he listened to her words, he could almost see her curled up, and his heart felt a sharp pang. "Don't catch a cold."
Her pillow was getting wetter and wetter, but she held back, not letting him hear the slightest tremor in her voice or the faint sob, "That day... you texted me saying I was in Switzerland..."
You didn't reply.
“Hmm,” she chuckled, gazing at the blurry crystal chandelier on the ceiling. “I didn’t reply. Not on purpose. It’s just that I couldn’t understand your message, because I’m not in Switzerland; I didn’t go.”
She was definitely drunk; her words were fragmented, coming out in phrases, saying whatever came to mind.
There was a long silence on both ends of the phone.
She held the phone to her face, her gaze lingering on his features, tracing them inch by inch. He was truly handsome; she could never tire of looking at him. He was thinner than before, but also more profound.
Xu Shaoting's Adam's apple bobbed noticeably. After swallowing a dull pain, he looked away and said, "Yeah, I know. Later I realized I was mistaken. There was a girl who looked a lot like you. I thought it was you."
Did you catch up with them?
Xu Shaoting's Adam's apple bobbed more noticeably. He didn't answer her, but said, "I want to see you. Can I see you?"
"Oh no," Wen Jia wiped away her tears, "we've already broken up."
Just one glance.
Wen Jia wanted to refuse, but somehow she turned on the camera. She was drunk, but she still managed to compose herself, though a hint of pink in the corner of her eye betrayed her.
A drowsy expression reflected on his fair face, his hair was disheveled and spread out, and his cheeks were flushed with an unnatural redness, evidence of drunkenness and turbulent emotions.
Very beautiful and elegant.
Xu Shaoting gasped for breath upon seeing this.
He extinguished his cigarette completely, his fingertips gently touching her face through the screen, just like his tone of voice, "Don't cry."
"I didn't cry."
Xu Shaoting ignored her lie, "Isn't she home?"
He asked that on purpose.
He knew she had joined the production team, and that the filming was taking place in Linzhou. Yu Kaiqing had told him this quietly.
“I still need to work and earn money, Ms. Xu,” she said, trying to sound casual.
He nodded. "You've lost a lot of weight."
"The same to you."
"I changed for the role," she argued, still smiling. "Now I've shown you myself, so you should answer me: that day you saw a girl who looked a lot like me, did you go after her?"
She was met with a long silence.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke, "We caught up with her, we searched every road we had traveled before, but we couldn't find her."
She should have been secretly pleased with herself for hiding it well, but she could no longer laugh.
We promised ourselves we wouldn't dwell on it, we promised ourselves we'd forget him, we promised ourselves we'd move on.
We agreed that even if we couldn't forget, we would keep it quietly in our hearts.
But she found that she couldn't do it.
I really can't do it. It's so, so hard to do.
"Chairman Xu, please don't do such foolish things again."
"Will there be a next time?" he asked.
"I don't know...maybe not." Wen Jia closed her eyes, letting the tears stream down her face, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called you. It was very presumptuous. I won't do it again..."
Just as she was about to turn off the camera and cruelly hang up the video call, the man called out to her.
“Wen Jia,” he said tenderly, gazing at the darkness on the screen.
I miss you so much.
She wanted to say that she did too, thinking about him every spare moment, to the point that she couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, and couldn't even concentrate on her script.
But she couldn't bring herself to say it.
It cannot be said aloud.
You must live a good life.
After much thought, only this heartfelt blessing remains.
It was time to hang up the video call again, but the man called out to her once more:
"I can wait for you."
Wen Jia buried her head in the pillow, barely able to utter a complete sentence.
Xu Shaoting didn't hear her voice on the other end, and for the first time, a stubbornness that didn't seem to fit his personality arose within him.
“I can wait until you don’t want to be a big star anymore and come back to me.”
Wen Jia bit her lip, using the pain to wake herself up, and shook her head desperately. This time, she hung up the video call immediately.
Alone in her room, tears soaked the sheets, she finally let out a sob, "I'm sorry... Xu Shaoting, I'm so, so sorry..."
She didn't know how to tell him that this wasn't the real reason they broke up.
-
On the same night he returned from Switzerland, Xu Bozheng arrived at Fushan Avenue right after him.
This time, the father and son were not in the study.
Xu Shaoting sat on the sofa in the living room with his legs crossed, while Xu Bozheng stood by the window, the two gazing at each other.
Xu Bozheng could tell that his son was not in a good state. From the moment he entered the room until now, his brows had never relaxed, and he even refused to accept his cigarettes.
“I’m suspending your duties so you can think things through,” he shook his head. “But you’re doing well, going to Switzerland to relax.”
Xu Shaoting understood that Xu Bozheng's willingness to give him space to consider was tantamount to tacitly approving of his feelings. He chuckled and repeated, "Let me think it through."
"From the moment I took you to meet Su Wenshuang, I was tacitly approving your relationship with her."
Countless nights, Xu Bozheng tossed and turned, finally realizing that Xu Shaoting was first and foremost his son, and only then the future master and heir of the Xu family.
He did, after all, have some selfish paternal instincts.
“It’s no use,” Xu Shaoting said, his gaze and tone indifferent. “We’ve already broken up.”
"She suggested it."
"yes."
Why did she break up with you?
"She has her own path to follow."
Xu Bozheng turned around to face the floor-to-ceiling window, a cigar between his fingers, but he didn't smoke it for a long time. After a long while, he asked, "Is this the reason she told you for breaking up?"
“Hmm,” Xu Shaoting said with a self-deprecating smile, “You’re very clever. You predicted that she would give up on her relationship for her career, and you also predicted that I couldn’t bear to see her become like Su Wenshuang, so you took me to see her so that I could give up and break up with her cleanly. I should thank you.”
Xu Bozheng flicked the ash from his cigarette and spoke after a long pause, "Shao Ting, this may not be the main reason she broke up with you."
"What do you want to say?" Xu Shaoting's expression remained calm.
“I went to see her when she was still in Yungang.”
"so what?"
"I advised her to think it through."
“She has thought it through, very clearly. She said she can’t hold me back, and that I will have a bright future.” Xu Shaoting sat quietly, rubbing his forehead and pressing his palms deeply against his eye sockets. “So I don’t understand why there is such a strong prejudice against her, and why people are so sure that she’s only with me because she values my status.”
“She’s definitely not with you because of your status, I can confirm that now.”
Xu Bozheng then turned around from the window and stared at his son, his brow furrowed with just as much worry as his son's.
"What do you mean?" Xu Shaoting frowned and slowly raised his head to look at him.
In an instant, he seemed to understand something, but he dared not think about it any further.
“I went to see her and mentioned two things. The first was that she deserves a bigger stage,” Xu Bozheng slowly confessed.
"Secondly, I said I was temporarily suspending your duties. My intention was to let her know that you had paid a real price for her sake, and to see if she would consider your feelings."
The tall figure on the sofa suddenly stopped.
There is a dagger.
A dagger pierced his most vulnerable spot with pinpoint accuracy.
In that instant, Xu Shaoting felt something collapse inside his chest. It wasn't a sharp, piercing pain, but rather a slow, silent collapse as all support was instantly drained.
"I just didn't expect her to break up with me directly. Or rather, I didn't expect her to bring up breaking up the very next day."
Having been in a position of authority for so long, he acted with an unyielding determination and reckless ruthlessness. But now, he knew he was wrong.
He realized that he shouldn't have tried to test Wen Jia and their relationship in this way.
His words were quite devastating for a couple in love.
Xu Shaoting endured the pain and slowly stood up, almost unable to stand, taking two steps back. "So, on the day we broke up, she told me that she couldn't hold me back, that I would have a good future, and that neither of us was wrong, only our identities were."
He swallowed hard. "So that's what it refers to."
"Is that so...?" he asked back.
"Perhaps," Xu Bozheng sighed.
Xu Shaoting's thoughts were in a mess as he recalled every moment of the day they broke up.
"How could this happen?" He was almost out of breath. "I should have realized it sooner. I didn't understand it then. Why didn't I understand it?"
He was questioning himself; he was blaming himself.
Xu Bozheng's brows were deeply furrowed, as if he couldn't bear to listen to a single word he said.
Xu Shaoting nodded slowly. "So, when you told her she deserved a bigger stage, you were just giving her a reason to break up with me," he said, emphasizing each word. "The real reason she broke up with me was that she didn't want me to give up my inheritance rights."
“Shao Ting, what I told her wasn’t meant to force her to break up with you, it was just a test, or rather, a probing. I was even prepared for her to plead with me for you. But I wasn’t clear-headed enough; I didn’t expect her to be so resolute. I didn’t expect her to choose to let go so that you could have a happy ending.”
Xu Bozheng couldn't continue speaking. He braced his hands on the sofa and buried his head deeply for the first time. "I didn't consider the consequences. I can't deny that she left you because of what I said."
Xu Shaoting chuckled self-deprecatingly.
The father and son should be at each other's throats, ready to clash.
But the living room was eerily quiet at that moment.
“The day she returned to Linzhou, you took her home, and I watched from upstairs. I watched for a long, long time, but I didn’t see her get out of the car. At that moment, I knew I had messed things up. I wasn’t satisfied with the result because I knew what would happen next.”
“I didn’t want to tell you at first, thinking that you would come to your senses after going to Switzerland. I thought I would just keep it from you and not let you suffer heartache again. But now I see with my own eyes that you are in a really bad state and you just can’t seem to recover.”
Xu Bozheng shook his head in deep regret.
This was the first time he had seen Xu Shaoting like this since he turned twenty.
It was as if a piece of my heart had been emptied, which ultimately manifested as my soul being taken away, leaving only an empty shell.
“So,” Xu Shaoting steadied himself, “she broke up with me all for my sake.”
He stood there, and the sounds of the whole world vanished.
A dull, overwhelming pain followed, dense and heavy, like the pressure of the deep sea, squeezing his heart from all sides, making each beat incredibly difficult.
He remembered what she had said that night: "I can't hold you back."
He remembered what she said that night: "You will have a bright future."
It turns out that she didn't selfishly withdraw, but rather pushed him back into his "very good future".
Why didn't he understand at the time?
Why did she only focus on her own disappointment and not delve into where her almost tragic rationality came from?
"I'm sorry, I made a mistake."
Xu Shaoting held his breath, slowly exhaling before giving a self-deprecating smile and calmly saying, "It's not your fault. She always knew this day would come."
Xu Bozheng was taken aback. He looked up, his expression grave. "Why?"
He couldn't talk about the contract. He shook his head absently, seemingly still recovering from the mental torture he had just endured.
He realized for the first time that the blow to his soul was ten thousand times more painful than the car accident that nearly took his life many years ago.
Does he really crave this kind of pain? He asked himself.
Xu Bozheng watched his figure and said, "Shao Ting, it might not be too late now."
He didn't reply, but walked to the study, his body feeling like it was filled with lead, his steps heavy and slow.
He sat at his desk, replaying every word she had said on the day they broke up, almost to the point of self-torture.
"The problem lies in the identity."
"I'm sorry, we all deserve a better future."
"I can't hold you back."
The words were cruel, but they also made him more aware of his situation.
"Why didn't I understand what I was supposed to understand?"
After a long while, once the storm raging in his heart had subsided and the stinging pain had died down, Xu Shaoting spoke again:
“I can’t just let this go,” he shook his head and muttered to himself, “I can’t just let this go.”
He sent a message to Yu Jianshan, then grabbed his suit jacket and walked out of the study without saying a word.
Before I even stepped off the spiral staircase, Lin Youzhe's message came in.
It's a picture message.
Xu Shaoting clicked to read it.
A screenshot of a Weibo post prominently displays the following keywords:
#Wen Jia's suspected relationship exposed#
-----------------------
Author's note: Alright, alright, alright, the next chapter will be the epic reunion!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
