chapter 5

That night, Zhou Mu didn’t come home for a long time.

By the time I finished reading the post, my face was already streaked with tears.

The air in the room suddenly felt thin.

So thin I couldn’t breathe.

I thought I’d go down to the garden to get some air.

Between the shifting shadows of the trees-

A distant figure looked so familiar.

Zhou Mu was standing under a streetlamp. Chen Wei tilted her head up to talk to him; the two of them were very close.

“Weiwei.”

“We can’t keep doing this.”

“I’m already… I’m already married…”

“She’s a really good person. I can’t let her down.”

The dim yellow light from the streetlamp fell across Chen Wei’s face, softening her features.

She looked like she was about to cry, but she forced herself to be strong, holding the tears back.

“I know.”

“I just couldn’t forget you. That’s why I wanted to come back to China.”

“Working at your company and seeing you every day is already enough for me.”

“I shouldn’t be greedy.”

“Ah Mu…”

“I’ll keep myself under control.”

Her last sentence was so choked it almost lost its shape.

The moment Chen Wei’s tears finally fell-

I saw the pain in Zhou Mu’s eyes with absolute clarity.

Before he even realized what he was doing, he had already pulled Chen Wei into his arms to comfort her.

So familiar.

Because when I cried,

He’d also held me like this, more than once.

Gently wiping away my tears, coaxing me softly.

Every time I was upset, I’d always end up getting a gift from Zhou Mu.

Like a child.

I always said, “You don’t have to next time.”

He would only hold me and smile, warm and gentle:

“As long as it makes Xiao Jin happy, I’ll do anything.”

The wind roared past my ears.

But I could clearly hear the sound of my heart shattering.

That day-

From wanting to rush over and confront Zhou Mu on the spot,

To breaking down and crying alone,

And then, finally, calmly choosing another path.

Let them be together out of love?

As if the world ever had anything that convenient.