“No need.” She slurred her refusal. “My family has been desperately helping me find connections. I already have many ‘people to turn to’ in case of any problems in the US.”
Wei Zhanyi stared at her and asked softly: “Why are you angry?”
Her expression was somewhat unnatural. “No reason!”
“Are you angry that I didn’t try to keep you?”
“Going to the US is my freedom, telling you or not is my freedom. You’re not my anything, so why would I report to you? I’m not your anything either, so why would you want to keep me? I…”
He passionately covered her lips with his.
The rest of the text continues with an intimate scene between the characters, describing their passionate night together before her departure.
Do you want to try again?” Even his morning voice was so sexy when he first got up.
She smiled slightly and the answer was—kicking him off the bed with one foot.
”Get lost, there’s not enough time.” She grabbed her small carry-on bag and rushed into the bathroom, quickly taking a hot shower, then rubbed her wet hair with a towel and walked out.
Wei Zhan Yi was already wearing a morning shirt, standing by the window smoking.
”I’m leaving!” She looked at him, suddenly overwhelmed with reluctance.
Although they weren’t lovers, they loved each other; although they had no promises, saying “goodbye” wasn’t easy.
”I thought my endurance, XXL size, and powerful electric motor could change your mind,” he joked half-seriously.
”Don’t you dare follow me to America because of my 34D, 24, 36 perfect body, bold reactions, and our incredible compatibility,” she joked back.
After a few laughs, the air suddenly fell silent.
”I love you,” he suddenly said softly.
Cigarette smoke swirled around, somewhat hazy and dreamlike, making it feel like a dream.
Is this the moment of their breakup?
”I love you too,” she tried to force a smile, managing only a slight curve of her lips.
Ah! They thought their love was one-sided. Although they had declared their feelings, without promises or shared future plans, parting shouldn’t be too painful. But at this moment, she suddenly felt melancholic.
”Qing Yan,” he called softly.
”What?” Her heart pounded, glancing at him.
Would he ask her to stay? Would he hope she wouldn’t leave? Would he hold her tightly and tell her he’d love her forever no matter what? Would he tell her his love was true, and he’d love her even if she was impulsive, reckless, or became a dependent little woman?
Her thoughts were chaotic. The more she thought, the weaker her legs became. She began to doubt if her decision was too hasty, if she was acting on impulse by immediately signing documents, if she should cancel her ticket and reconsider…
If he spoke, she could overturn everything and think again.
She stared at him, her gaze more urgent than usual.
His large hand covered her head, affectionately stroking it. “Be good, study hard, go realize your dreams. I’ll wait for you to come back,” he said steadily.
Qing Yan tilted her head back, feeling tears gathering in her eyes, but she tried hard not to let them fall.
His one sentence dispelled all her hesitations.
”I know, you take care of your work too, put revenge out of your mind, and live your own life,” she lifted her face, picking up her bag. “Goodbye.”
He closed his eyes. “Goodbye.”
She moved towards the door, then suddenly stopped. “By the way, I’ve written a very long article about what you told me,” she tried to smile, tears clinging to her lashes. “Almost the length of a novella.”
”Will it be published in Whirlwind Magazine as your parting shot?” he pretended not to hear her tears.
”No,” she didn’t turn back. “After reading what I wrote, I realized it wasn’t neutral or objective. From beginning to end, it was full of my feelings, my reluctance, and my indignation.”
”Oh,” he was glad she understood him so deeply.
”So I finally understand that you were right,” she paused, finally admitting it after becoming his woman. “I was truly interested in you, not in interviewing you.”
With that, she gracefully left.
At Taoyuan International Airport, a large group of people surrounded a cool young woman saying goodbye.
”Did you bring your passport?”
”Yes.”
”Did you bring your ticket?”
”Here.”
”Did you bring your mother’s photo?”
”Yes.”
”Did you bring our family photo?”
”Yes.” Qing Yan looked at her watch. “I should prepare to go through customs and board.”
The plane swayed and taxied to the runway, positioning itself to soar into the blue sky and white clouds. This surge was a separation of four years, four years of lonely nights. Letting her fly away was truly difficult! Not at all as carefree as he had said. But love is about fulfilling the other’s dreams; when the loved one is happy, the one who loves is also happy. He would wait for the day she would return.
Jier, “Don’t Mess with the Domineering CEO”
Chapter Ten: Spring goes, autumn comes, and four seasons quickly passed.
“We’re going home tomorrow,” Yu Jingwei walked over, tossing her an orange juice. “How do you feel?”
“Great.” Qing Yan looked at the spotlessly clean dormitory, several large suitcases placed by the door, signaling tomorrow’s journey. “Everything is great. Studying here is great, completing my studies on time is great, and becoming friends with you is even greater.”
They hugged each other. “Remember when we first discovered each other on the plane, and then found out we were roommates? We almost killed each other.”
“I never thought we could become good friends,” Qing Yan added, “especially within a year.”
Going abroad to study alone was already challenging, and the first three months in America were particularly terrifying for her.
She had never cooked—although she had brought a large Tatung rice cooker across the ocean at everyone’s request, following the tradition of international students, but not knowing how to use it, what was the point? She had never done laundry and didn’t know not to wash dark and light clothes together, so during those first months, she went out every day wearing clothes that were unbearable to look at.
Trivial matters frustrated her. She wanted to call home to complain but couldn’t tolerate appearing weak; she wanted to seek help through her sister’s connections but wouldn’t allow herself to show vulnerability.
She gritted her teeth and pushed through, watching Yu Jingwei’s leisurely demeanor every day. She was an excellent cook, making dumplings, cooking porridge, kneading dough to make xiaolongbao in front of her, brewing authentic Taiwanese beef soup—the aroma was almost harassment—but she never offered her a single bite.
She was so angry she could gnash her teeth, swearing that one day she would be better than her!
Until one day, when she realized the shared kitchen hadn’t produced its usual fragrant Taiwanese aroma for several days and discovered her roommate lying in bed, nearly molding away.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, taking the initiative to care.
She turned away.
“What happened?”
She still ignored her.
Qing Yan’s temper flared. “Speak! If you don’t, I swear I’ll never be nice again. Whatever you cook, I’ll snatch and eat completely, leaving all the dishes for you to wash!”
A very faint voice emerged from the pillow. “He was unfaithful.”
“Who?”
“My boyfriend. We agreed that I’d study abroad on a scholarship, he’d take the TOEFL in Taiwan, and once he got into a school, he’d come find me. We promised to love each other forever, just enduring a short year before reuniting. But less than a hundred days after I left, he changed his heart…”
Hearing this, she was furious.
Qing Yan pulled her up. “Why are you crying here? Dump this kind of man.”
“But I love him…”
