“You just said your grandma was bringing your child to you in Hangcheng, so you’re not in Hangcheng now?”
“No, I’ve returned to Nancheng.”
“…Why did you suddenly come back?”
“He and I reconciled. He’s not feeling well, so I came back to see him.”
Xiang Yang was shocked. “You mean Mingzhe? You and Mingzhe reconciled? He’s not feeling well? What’s wrong with him?”
Xiang Wan explained that it was a minor issue and he was out of danger. He had many friends who would take care of him, so there wouldn’t be any problems.
“I just treated his friends to dinner today, and he’s quite happy now. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. Yangyang, you won’t blame me for what happened last year, will you?”
Xiang Yang didn’t blame her. “Hearing you say that makes me really want to go back.”
“Although after you broke up, Mingzhe was like crazy, constantly calling me to scold me, or coming to school to find me, checking your phone to see if you had called me, I’ve always liked him, and I think he likes you quite a bit too.”
“Honestly, I’m very happy to hear you’ve reconciled.”
“Just wait another month, and I’ll have two days off. I’ll come back to see you then.”
After hanging up, Xiang Wan felt a bit embarrassed for keeping Chen Jiaojiao waiting, but Chen Jiaojiao said it was fine.
“I’m not close to my brother. He and my mother went abroad and left me behind. We never call each other. It’s nice to hear you talk.”
Xiang Wan sighed. “This child is good in every way, but it makes me a bit sad that he just stopped going to school.”
“I’m not afraid you’ll laugh, but he’s the only university student in our family in so many years. When he got accepted, even my grandma felt he had brought honor to the ancestors.”
Her words plunged Chen Jiaojiao’s mood back into the depths.
A year had passed, and she had grown a little.
When faced with problems, she was no longer as boisterous and eager to share as before. Instead, she had learned to hide her emotions and keep many things to herself.
When she broke up with Hu Jiasheng before, she couldn’t wait to badmouth him to Zhou Jinbei every day. After complaining so much, her hatred subsided.
But now, she couldn’t express her feelings for Xiang Yang to anyone. They were bottled up inside, unable to be released.
Even though it was over, every time it was mentioned, it felt as fresh as if it had just happened, causing her a sharp pang of pain.
Xiang Wan said that Xiang Yang was the only university student in the Xiang family, and because she had dropped out halfway, she felt terribly guilty.
Back home, Chen Jiaojiao held her phone, looking at the dialer, her mind repeatedly going over Xiang Yang’s familiar number, but she couldn’t bring herself to dial it.
After hesitating for several minutes, seeing that it was almost one o’clock and thinking he might be about to hand in his phone to rest, she gritted her teeth…
She hadn’t expected Xiang Yang to actually answer.
It was an impulsive call, made with the expectation that he wouldn’t answer.
When he answered instantly, she was caught off guard and didn’t know what to say, leaving Chen Jiaojiao speechless.
Xiang Yang was also silent.
After more than ten seconds, Xiang Yang finally broke the silence.
“Is there something? Or did you accidentally press it? If not, I’m hanging up.”
When he spoke to his sister, his voice was so clear and pleasant.
Now, when he spoke to her, he was as cold as ice.
Chen Jiaojiao felt she was being pathetic, but she craved some psychological comfort.
“I didn’t accidentally press it. I have something to say.”
“If you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m about to hand in my phone.”
“Lu Mingzhe said he found someone to contact the school for you, and you can go back to study…”
“You’re calling me late at night to persuade me to go back to school?”
“…I remember you saying before that you were the only university student your family had cultivated in many years. I know the path you’ve taken is not easy, but I think since he’s made arrangements, you could apply for a leave of absence, and have the best of both worlds.”
“Thank you for your kindness. You don’t need to worry about this. Is there anything else besides this?”
Xiang Yang was furious.
He waited for her desperately every day, yearning for his phone to ring, hoping for a message from her on WeChat, driving himself to the brink of madness.
Today, he finally got through, only to…
Unlike Chen Jiaojiao, he had work and many friends to distract himself.
His sole focus in life now was earning money.
He had no close friends, only his memories with her.
He savored them like precious treasures, over and over, but it offered no comfort. Instead, the more he revisited them, the more bitter he felt.
In the days immediately after the breakup, he was like a lost soul, unable to eat or sleep. Countless times he wanted to abandon his work and rush to find her, to ask why she could be so heartless, turning on him so suddenly.
But then he wondered, what right did he have?
She had found a better path, and moving forward was only natural. How could he pull her back?
Thanks to Chen Jiaojiao, Xiang Yang’s role as the tragically fated third male lead in the drama involved many crying scenes, which he performed exceptionally well.
The director praised him repeatedly, and even the producer recognized him as a rare, naturally talented performer.
This brought face to Sister Hua, and in good spirits, she arranged for him to be on this talent show.
Thinking about it, this imperfect relationship had also brought some positive things into his life.
He shouldn’t really hold any grudges.
Chen Jiaojiao knew Xiang Yang hated her, and her heart ached, but she didn’t know how to express it.
Hearing his unpleasant tone, her pride kicked in.
“No, that’s all. I just had a bit too much to drink tonight, and I got sentimental. Whether you want to listen or not, you can hang up.”
Xiang Yang suppressed the urge to rush to her and argue, and hung up the phone.
Chen Jiaojiao looked at her phone dejectedly, thinking: I’ll never have an excuse to call him again.
Perhaps he would succeed in the talent show, debut, and become a top star. Then the gap between them would only widen, and they would grow further apart, never having a chance to speak again.
There were so many beautiful actresses in the entertainment industry; he would never remember a little girl like Chen Jiaojiao.
She thought about others, who were now calling each other husband and wife and sleeping together, while she was all alone, reduced to this state.
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Chen Jiaojiao couldn’t help but throw her phone onto the sofa and burst into tears.
—
Mai Ledi had actually returned to take leave due to feeling unwell, but ended up becoming Xiang Wan’s free caregiver, helping to look after her grandmother in the hospital every day. Xiang Wan felt quite guilty.
The day after Lu Mingzhe was discharged, they packed their belongings and, with Niannian, drove to Hangcheng.
They traveled for ten hours on the highway before arriving. The next day at noon, Xiang Wan treated Lu Qingxu and Mai Ledi to a meal.
The couple, with their child, sat opposite them, interacting sweetly and casually.
Lu Qingxu watched them, his eyes frequently sparkling with affection. Mai Ledi, however, felt very troubled.
In fact, sometimes she wished she could be with Lu Qingxu.
To be honest, Lu Qingxu was impeccable towards her.
However, he was too obvious about his desire for marriage and children, as a man nearing thirty.
Mai Ledi knew she couldn’t give him that, and felt like she was inferior in this regard, which made her very uncomfortable.