When Fang’s boss was leaving, he glanced at Xia Yuluo with a look that only the two of them understood. Xia Yuluo hoped Fang Yuzhe could see something, but unfortunately, he saw nothing.
In the last half hour, Xia Yuluo held him tightly in the waiting hall, trying to remember his scent with all her might, knowing she could only rely on memories from now on.
Time won’t stop for anyone’s reluctance. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Fang Yuzhe let her go, wiping her little face with a mix of laughter and tears. “Now I know how much you like me. Don’t worry, I’ll call you as soon as I land; I’ll keep my phone on 24/7, so you’ll feel like I never left for the United States!”
Xia Yuluo walked out of the airport in a daze. Fang Tiancheng hadn’t left yet and was waiting for her at the exit.
“You won’t change what you said that night, right?”
“No, I won’t.”
“Looking at you two, it doesn’t seem like you can separate.”
Xia Yuluo took a deep breath, trying to drive away her sadness and return to reality.
“Uncle Fang, if I suddenly become cold towards him, he’ll be suspicious. Changing heart takes some time, right?”
Fang Tiancheng didn’t disagree but looked a bit doubtful.
“I hope you’re not the kind of girl who plays tricks. I’ll give you the money after you break up.”
Xia Yuluo bit her lip hard, her eyes moist, “I don’t want your money. If it were for money, I wouldn’t leave him!”
Half a month after Fang Yuzhe went to the United States, his friends came to No. 22 Middle School.
“Xia Yuluo, our boss asked us to check if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” Xia Yuluo was eager to leave and didn’t want to be surrounded by them at the school gate.
“Then why aren’t you answering his calls or messages?”
“I’m busy, nothing serious.”
The boys looked at each other, wondering if they should relay this to their boss.
Xia Yuluo had promised Fang Tiancheng to “change her heart” after his son went to the United States. The initial sign of changing heart was becoming distant in communication.
Fang Yuzhe called her three times a day and sent countless messages. At first, she still answered, but now she not only doesn’t answer calls but doesn’t reply to messages either.
Seeing Fang Yuzhe send message after message asking what was wrong, Xia Yuluo was so sad she wanted to commit suicide. Sometimes she wondered if breaking up was really necessary. But Fang Tiancheng was watching her closely, calling every day to ask about her progress!
Fang Yuzhe was more than just in pain in the United States; he was going crazy. His grandfather had confiscated his passport, insisting he stay until after his birthday. Calculating, he realized he’d have to wait four more months.
Fang Yuzhe’s daily routine was sweet-talking his grandfather to get his passport back, then sneaking out at night to secretly search for it, almost tearing the house apart!
“Dad, it’s only been a month. Keep him distracted for a few more days, at least try to hold out for two months!”
“I’m afraid that won’t work. He was causing trouble before, and now he’s not making a fuss, but he’s about to explode.
In the United States, Fang Yuzhe met Xiao Yunyi. She had just broken up with her boyfriend and moving on to number 14.
“Yunyi, how long is a woman’s emotional preservation period?”
“Women naturally want love to last forever. I would.”
“Would you change your heart if your boyfriend left for a month?”
“Of course not! If I truly love someone, I’d wait for him my entire life!”
Fang Yuzhe didn’t believe any woman would wait for a man her entire life. But would Xia Yuluo change her heart after just a month?
The Day Before Return
The day before Fang Yuzhe returned from the United States, Fang Tiancheng called Xia Yuluo.
“Do you see how deeply Xiao Zhe has fallen for you? What are you going to do?”
Xia Yuluo had been suffering for a month and a half, almost dreaming about Fang Yuzhe every night and crying so hard she could barely breathe.
“Uncle Fang, can I really not be with him anymore? What if Fang Yuzhe is also very sad?”
“You still want to be with him? I heard your father is selling the house.”
Xia Yuluo was stunned by the question, and after a long time, she replied, “I won’t regret it, don’t worry.”
She needed to find a reason to stall Fang Yuzhe; she needed to break up with him face to face, and this was really difficult.
Xia Yuluo begged Jin Liang for help, “Can you pretend to be my boyfriend?”
“What?” Jin Liang was startled by her request.
“I know this is too much, and Fang Yuzhe might retaliate against you—”
“I’m not afraid of that. The key is why do you want to do this? Are you breaking up with him?”
Xia Yuluo nodded, “I must break up with him, but I can’t think of any other way.”
Fang Yuzhe arrived after 7 PM, and instead of going home, he took a taxi directly to No. 22 Middle School, where Yuluo should be attending evening self-study.
He waited at the school gate until after 8 PM, then saw Xia Yuluo leaving with Jin Liang, walking shoulder to shoulder, holding hands.
Xia Yuluo looked up talking to Jin Liang, who slightly turned towards her. The two looked like an intimate couple in love.
Fang Yuzhe’s vision went completely black, so dark he couldn’t see his own hand. He hurriedly steadied himself against the wall, taking a long time before he could see again.
Xia Yuluo and Jin Liang’s conversation went like this:
“Did you see him?”
“If I’m not mistaken, he’s right behind you.”
“Did he see us?”
“Probably. He looks like he’s about to faint.”
“He must hate me now!”
“He probably hates me more.”
Fang Yuzhe didn’t act as impulsively as last time, just numbly watching the two turn into the small restaurant next to the school, then dragging his suitcase home alone.
Here’s the edited version of the article:
“How can I get revenge? Give me a suggestion.”
“Anyway, I know there’s a girl he’s been chasing but hasn’t managed to catch!”
“Is it you?”
“It’s me. Do you want to help?”
Fang Yuzhe laughed a bit, then felt uncomfortable at the corner of his mouth, having not laughed for several days.
“You want to be my girlfriend?”
“I’m more willing to help others.”
“Do you think I could develop feelings for you?”
“Probably not right now, but who knows about the future.”
“Don’t you consider Xia Yuluo a good friend?”
“Not exactly, but I’m naturally someone who values romance over friendship.”
Fang Yuzhe didn’t agree to the suggestion of finding a girl to fake a relationship to provoke jealousy. He found such an approach boring. But he still couldn’t face Xia Yuluo, and the mere thought of “betrayal” made his heart ache.
Xia Yuluo didn’t look for Fang Yuzhe either. Although she secretly went to Xuyang High School several times and once saw Fang Yuzhe on the basketball court, she always kept her distance and didn’t approach him.
They met again two weeks later. Fang Yuzhe felt he had calmed down enough not to explode or be tempted to “hit” her upon hearing her heartless words.
“Do you remember seeing me off at the airport? I can’t believe you were acting then, or something happened during the time I was away that made you want to leave me?”
Cannot say, absolutely cannot say!
Xia Yuluo lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. “Many things happened that made me feel Jin Liang is more suitable for me.”
“Like what? Give me one example!”
“For instance, he doesn’t have as much money as you, so my dad won’t constantly demand money from him, and I won’t feel so guilty!”
Fang Yuzhe nodded, “What else?”
“There’s more, but I don’t want to say!”
“So you can leave me so ruthlessly, without considering whether I’m hurt, in pain, or might die! Are you such a cruel woman?”
“Fang Yuzhe, you won’t die. No one dies from heartbreak!”
“Is only physical death considered death? Doesn’t a dying heart count?”
