With the immortals fighting, the little demon exits the stage left. Li Chengfan, Zhao Langming, and a few others being particularly sensitive to the situation, awkwardly exchanged a couple of words with Shen Xingruo and then vanished at the speed of a rocket launch. It was a live broadcast scene of a plastic bro-friendship falling apart.
Lu Xingyan was stunned for a few seconds before regaining his senses. Facing Shen Xingruo alone, he didn’t know what to say for a moment. He called the waiter to sign the bill and then had someone bring a bottle of lemon soda. While unscrewing the cap, he brewed an air of nonchalance.
When it was ready, he approached and handed the drink to Shen Xingruo. “Why did you come back so soon? I thought you were coming back tomorrow. Were you tired on the road? If you had told me you were coming back today, I would have gone to the airport to pick you up.”
Shen Xingruo didn’t take it. His hand hovered in the air for a moment, then stiffly withdrew, and he took a sip himself. The atmosphere slowly descended into silence.
But Lu Xingyan didn’t know what else to say, so he awkwardly commented, “Xu Chengzhou and the others ran off fast. I hadn’t even paid for the table after clearing it.”
Seeing Shen Xingruo’s unclear expression, he tried to cover it up by placing his hand over hers, attempting to take the handle of her suitcase. But Shen Xingruo didn’t let go. She looked coldly at Lu Xingyan’s feigned ignorance and insincere smile, and what had cooled halfway through was now completely chilled.
“Let go!” She suddenly pushed away Lu Xingyan’s hand, grabbed her suitcase, turned around, and walked briskly toward the exit.
Lu Xingyan was taken aback for a moment, then immediately chased after her. When he reached the door, Shen Xingruo had just caught the elevator. He hurriedly pressed the button again, but it wouldn’t open, no matter how hard he pressed. The other elevator was still on the twenty-second floor, and it wouldn’t come down for a while. So he pushed open the emergency door and ran down the stairs.
The midsummer daylight lingered long. Normally, in the early evening, the sky would still be bright, but today it looked like a storm was brewing, with the sky dark and heavy, hot and humid.
Shen Xingruo stood at the crossroads, waiting for the traffic light with her suitcase in tow. Lu Xingyan saw her and quickly caught up, grabbing her arm. “Shen Xingruo, let me explain.”
Shen Xingruo glanced at his hand, then looked at him calmly, her voice equally calm. “Alright, explain.”
Shen Xingruo was straightforward, and Lu Xingyan met her gaze, but suddenly, he didn’t know where to start. He decided to start by being humble, admitting his mistake first. Admitting one’s mistake was never wrong.
So he quickly put on a pitiful expression. “I was wrong. It’s all my fault.”
“You were wrong? What did you do wrong?”
Lu Xingyan looked earnestly at her. “I was wrong not to tell you about changing my college preferences.”
Shen Xingruo remained unmoved.
In truth, Lu Xingyan didn’t feel like he had done anything wrong. Seeing her reaction, he quickly defended himself, “But if I went to Xing University, we’d be in a long-distance relationship for four years. Four years! There are so many long-distance relationships that end in breakups. Everything I’m doing is for our relationship, for you…”
“Don’t do it for me. I can’t bear it.”
Shen Xingruo’s cold words swiftly cut him off.
She had been accompanying the admissions office for visits and experiences over the past few days, feeling exhausted from the packed schedule. But amidst the exhaustion, she also felt fulfilled. She could sense that the upcoming four years of university would be a challenging new journey in her life. Naturally, she hoped that Lu Xingyan would be there with her until the end. Therefore, she had included him in all her plans.
But every time she outlined a bit of the future, she would see Lu Xingyan and his friends changing their locations every day, having fun everywhere.
She understood.
After all, the results had just come out, and Lu Xingyan was naturally someone who enjoyed having fun. It was only natural for him to relax a bit after being confined for so long. During their conversations, she had never once tried to stop him from doing these things. She had only planned to discuss their plans for the next four years slowly during their trip to Europe.
Who would have thought that Lu Xingyan would be so determined, to return and keep quiet about such a big plan? She remembered how Lu Xingyan had just talked about the things he had done, showing off without a hint of guilt. The fire in her heart was burning, but she held back, unwilling to say harsh words.
Yet Lu Xingyan didn’t seem to realize the seriousness of the situation at all. He grabbed her hand, stubbornly pleading, “Alright, stop being angry. I promise I’ll study hard from now on, okay? My efficiency in studying is higher when I’m closer to you. If I’m not with you, I won’t study at all.”
“Besides, my parents are grateful that I managed to reach the cutoff score for a top-tier university. They won’t be upset about this. You don’t need to worry,” Lu Xingyan continued.
“Alright, we’re going on a trip tomorrow. I’ll accompany you for a stroll in the mall, and I’ll buy you whatever you like,” he said, wanting to hug Shen Xingruo.
But Shen Xingruo moved back, avoiding him, silent. She lowered her gaze and slowly unwound his fingers. Then she looked up at Lu Xingyan, her gaze direct and cold. “Enough said. We have different paths to take. Since you think there’s nothing to talk about regarding a four-year long-distance relationship, then let’s end it now.”
The pedestrian light had already changed from red to green. After saying this, Shen Xingruo stepped back, dragging her suitcase, and walked across the street. The sound of car wheels gradually faded as she walked along the uneven zebra crossing.
Lu Xingyan was stunned for three seconds, pondering over the words “Let’s end it now.” It sounded like a breakup. Damn it! Shen Xingruo meant to break up with him!
He rushed to catch up to clarify, but by the time he came to his senses, Shen Xingruo had already crossed the street and was about to enter the subway entrance. He hurriedly chased after her before the traffic light changed.
The traffic conditions in Xingcheng were average, and he was forced to stop midway to let two reckless motorcycles pass. When he reached the subway entrance, Shen Xingruo had already passed the security check and swiped her card to enter the subway station.
He wasn’t carrying a bag or luggage, so he didn’t need to wait. Unexpectedly, at the normally lax subway entrance where bags were rarely checked, he was stopped and asked to take a sip of his lemon soda.
Lu Xingyan was dumbfounded and didn’t expect to be stopped. He reluctantly took a sip of the sour drink in front of everyone.
In the blink of an eye, he finished half the bottle of lemon soda and passed the security check smoothly. However, Shen Xingruo had already disappeared into the crowd at the subway station during rush hour, lost among the sea of people.
Lu Xingyan didn’t have a subway card or even the A card for the subway turnstile, and he didn’t have any spare change on him. He kicked the wall in frustration, feeling annoyed, and rubbed his hair vigorously. Finally, he resigned himself to finding a corner with decent signal reception and continued to call Shen Xingruo frantically.
The more he called, the angrier he became.
What kind of attitude was Shen Xingruo displaying? Everything he did was for her! What did she mean by “different paths”? It’s not like he didn’t know he wasn’t keen on studying. So what if he’d spent a year and a half on a different path and then aimed for the top spot in the exam? Wasn’t that still part of his journey?
Was the Big Enrollment Group toxic?
Damn it! He wanted to find a complaint hotline and give those brainwashed idiots a good scolding.
He kept dialing for ten minutes until his phone’s battery dropped below 10 percent.
Before he could vent his frustration, he suddenly heard the subway’s female voice announcing an unfamiliar station, one that seemed particularly far away.
He looked up and carefully examined the subway map—
Damn it! He got on the wrong train!!!
Lu Xingyan remembered a piece of motivational talk Chen Zhu had shared about the universe concentrating its energy to fulfill one’s desires.
What a load of crap!
When he was in trouble, the whole universe probably looked down on him and wanted to kick him!
With only 10% battery left on his phone and feeling increasingly frustrated, Lu Xingyan couldn’t act out anymore.
He got off at the next station and then boarded the train going in the opposite direction.
The subway was crowded, and he stared at the battery percentage dropping continuously while thinking that he shouldn’t spoil Shen Xingruo when he got home; he should show her some attitude.
With this small hope in mind, he endured a forty-minute subway ride and finally arrived at the Fallen Star Lake station.
Perhaps the only favor fate bestowed upon him was that his phone automatically shut down after he scanned the QR code to exit the station.
Stepping out of the subway, Lu Xingyan felt a chill in his heart.
In just a few tens of minutes, a torrential rain had begun outside.
At exactly 8:00 PM, Lu Xingyan arrived home, soaked to the bone. He stood outside Shen Xingruo’s room and shouted, “Shen Xingruo, Shen Xingruo? Shen Xingruo, come out!”
“Don’t bother,” came the response. “Xingruo called to say she went straight back to Huize from Beijing!”
Aunt Zhou heard his voice downstairs and called out to him.
…?
Upon hearing this, Lu Xingyan went straight to Shen Xingruo’s door and twisted it open.
Damn it! She’s not back!
Lu Xingyan was already infuriated from his self-imagined scenarios along the way, and now he felt like he could pass out on the spot.
—Of course, he didn’t pass out.
In life, it’s not just about securing bread, it’s also about preserving dignity! He couldn’t just swallow this insult!
Lu Xingyan nodded to himself, calmly returned to his room, charged his phone, and turned it on.
Then he grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
When he finished showering, only Pei Yue, who was already heading to the southern city, had sent him a WeChat message, along with a few words of consolation from Li Chengfan in the group chat. Seeing that he didn’t respond, they didn’t dare to ask further.
Very well.
Extremely well.
Especially well.
The more Lu Xingyan thought about it, the more he felt like he was about to explode.
He opened the chat with Shen Xingruo, first made a payment to confirm that he hadn’t been unfriended, and then sent her five or six voice messages in one go.
“Shen Xingruo, are you being unreasonable? Why do you mention breaking up over such a trivial matter?”
“You say we have different paths to follow but haven’t we been on different paths since today? Have you forgotten how you’ve endured living with someone like me, with whom you supposedly have different paths, for a year and a half?”
“Oh, I see, you want to say that when under the same roof, one has to bow their head. Since you’ve risen above the mire and don’t associate with someone like me who’s on a different path, why did you bother dating me? Just playing with me, right?”
“Shen Xingruo, do you even have a heart? How much have I done for you? How many times have you genuinely smiled at me or shown me kindness?”
“I’ve been groveling in front of you, bowing and scraping, treating you like a goddess, lowering myself to the level of a loser. Li Chengfan, and Zhao Langming, they all know how I’ve never raised my voice at you. What else do you want from me?”
“Shen Xingruo, I’m telling you, I won’t change my mind about my aspirations. I won’t go to Xing University, and I won’t go to Paris tomorrow!”
Lu Xingyan had been holding back a ton of anger, and now he let it all out in one go, feeling instantly relieved.
One minute passed, and there was no reply from Shen Xingruo.
Two minutes passed, and still no reply from Shen Xingruo.
But suddenly, Lu Xingyan began to sober up a bit, wondering if he had gone too far with his words. Maybe Shen Xingruo hadn’t even heard them yet. Should he retract his messages?
His finger hovered over the recall button, but just then, Shen Xingruo sent over several voice messages, neatly organized, cold, and mocking.
“You don’t have to tell me; I already know. You’ve been harboring grudges against me for a long time now. Being your girlfriend has made you feel undignified, frustrated, and unsatisfied.”
“Lu Xingyan, you’ve done something wrong, but instead of reflecting on your own mistakes, you’re turning around and blaming me. Who gave you the audacity?”
“Are you ignorant or just foolish? Can you even compare a 985 university with one that just upgraded from tier two to tier one? Do you think I’m particularly angry because you won’t change your plans? Let me tell you, I’m not angry at all.”
“If you enjoy ruining yourself, then go ahead and ruin yourself. Don’t change your plans. I wish you a wild and reckless time at your mediocre university. And when you graduate… oh, I doubt you’ll even graduate. But anyway, once you’re done playing around, you can inherit your father’s company and drive it into bankruptcy just like he did.”
“I don’t care what you do, just don’t do it under the guise of your self-proclaimed noble love for me. I can’t bear to accept your supposed magnanimous love, Mr. Lu.”
“Furthermore, I don’t need you reluctantly groveling at my feet, and you’re not even like a loser. Lu Xingyan, you’re just a lovesick fool. Consider this my formal announcement: we’re done!”
As Lu Xingyan listened to her voice messages, the anger that had started to subside surged back up, burning so fiercely that he saw stars and his vision blurred!
His hands were trembling with rage, and at that moment, he didn’t care about anything else. He just pressed down on the voice message button and spoke harshly, “Fine! Shen Xingruo, I’ve put up with you for far too long. If you want to break up, let’s break up. If not, then you’re not Chinese!”