Chapter 118: Farewell

The next day, morning.

Inside the studio.

Chen Lu sat impatiently in his chair, his voice unusually laced with anger.

“I said I’m not going!”

“I have a girlfriend! Mom, don’t you like Liang Zhirou? Why are you doing this?”

“Just a friend? Mo Yuqing and I are not just friends! I chased Mo Yuqing for seven years before I got together with Liang Zhirou!”

“Am I suitable to go?! How would Liang Zhirou feel?”

“Even if I told her, it wouldn’t work! Yes, she would definitely understand, but she’s very fragile, why go through this unnecessary trouble?”

After ending the call, Chen Lu turned on the air conditioner, pressed his temples, and sighed deeply.

It was a complete mess.

At that moment, the door to his office was gently pushed open, Liang Zhirou walked in with the breakfast she brought for him, quietly placing it on the table.

Chen Lu paused and asked softly, “Did you hear anything just now?”

Liang Zhirou sat down in the space Chen Lu made for her, slowly lowering her head, “I heard everything.”

She simply couldn’t lie, especially not to Chen Lu.

“Don’t be sad, you should have heard me say I wouldn’t go.” Chen Lu gently took the girl’s hand and said softly.

Liang Zhirou pursed her lips, fidgeting nervously with her fingers, a habit she had when she was anxious.

“Go.”

Chen Lu frowned, “Why are you also encouraging me to go?”

He realized his tone hadn’t changed yet and quickly hugged the girl beside him, afraid of scaring her.

Chen Guanglin and Wang Xiaoxia had been calling him all morning, really driving him crazy.

He didn’t want to reveal his relationship with Mo Yuqing, afraid of affecting the relationship between the two families, but he had to say it just now.

Chen Guanglin, after hearing it, indeed didn’t persuade him even a single word, Wang Xiaoxia was more emotional, saying he should at least go see her, maybe they wouldn’t see each other again in the future.

Liang Zhirou finally looked up, her watery eyes meeting his, and said earnestly:

“Because I, I don’t want you to be sad…”

Chen Lu’s pupils constricted at the sound, hugging Liang Zhirou tighter, “It’s okay, I’m not sad.”

It was true that he wasn’t sad, but to say he had no feelings at all, no one would believe him.

Even if other childhood friends were suddenly going abroad, there would be some sadness.

But there was really no need to go, each living their own life was the best outcome.

“But your parents will be sad too, and you might regret it later…” Liang Zhirou said in a very low voice, as if afraid of making Chen Lu angry, “What if she never comes back?”

This was the result of her trying to see things from his perspective, if she were in his shoes, watching Chen Lu with another girl, she would rather never come back.

Because just thinking about it made her breathless, seeing it in person would be torture, like slowly cutting her heart open, piece by piece.

Chen Lu pinched the girl’s cheek, making her involuntarily close one eye, “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“You’re a fool, a big fool. No one is more foolish than you.”

Liang Zhirou was unhappy, bumping her head against him lightly, “I’m very smart.”

“Where are you smart?” Chen Lu asked.

The girl continued:

“If you have regrets, this matter and that girl might stay in your heart forever. I don’t want that.”

“I want you to only see me in your eyes…”

She looked at their clasped hands, a little embarrassed, “Is it a bit selfish of me to think this way? I feel like I’m treating you as my possession…”

Chen Lu kissed the girl’s cheek hard, laughing, “How is that selfish, it’s a normal thought. I have it too, I even get anxious and afraid of losing you.”

This silly girl’s way of thinking was always unique, Chen Lu was used to it.

Anyway, it was one of her endearing qualities.

“Don’t be afraid.” Liang Zhirou kissed back, bringing her mouth to his ear and whispering, “I will always be yours.”

The girl felt a little surprised to hear that Chen Lu felt the same way as her, how could she possibly fit another guy in her eyes, all she thought about day and night was Chen Lu alone.

She was almost turning into a silly girl.

Well, yes, she was originally very smart, Chen Lu was the one who made her silly.

“Liang Zhirou, you’re cheating.” Chen Lu found himself speechless for a while before saying awkwardly, “If you keep doing this, I might take you home without your consent one day.”

“I’m not of age yet, you can’t marry me.” Liang Zhirou was a little smug, she remembered exactly how many days were left.

Chen Lu looked disdainful, “Then we won’t get a marriage license, I’ll just take you home.”

Liang Zhirou thought Chen Lu was stupid, he kept saying she was silly, she snorted, “I’m not going to run away.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she was tightly embraced by Chen Lu, the two of them pressed close together, “Then I’ll tie you up and take you back. Make you do laundry, cook, and warm my bed at night.”

Liang Zhirou lowered her head deeply, letting Chen Lu hold her, not saying anything.

Well, then there’s nothing I can do. I’m just a helpless girl, what can I do?

I guess I’ll just go home with him.

After a while, Chen Lu slowly walked out of the office, letting out a sigh of relief.

If she really wasn’t going to come back, then he would go, say goodbye to the past completely, as they had promised each other.

Just as he was about to leave, Jiang Chao came over, spinning his car keys, “Where are you going, bro? I’m charging by the meter, you know.”

Chen Lu glanced at him, “Why are you following me?”

“I’m going to pick up Liu Yan, the airport is so far from here.”

Chen Lu didn’t say anything more, anyway, he didn’t have to drive himself.

……

The car drove on the overpass, and for a while, no one spoke.

Chen Lu suddenly felt a wave of heat hit his face, he turned his head and saw Jiang Chao opening the window, flicking ash outside.

Perhaps sensing Chen Lu’s gaze, Jiang Chao suddenly spoke, “I think she won’t come back.”

“Yeah.” Chen Lu didn’t say anything more.

Jiang Chao smacked his lips, seemingly a little wistful, “She probably regrets it, it’s also a price she paid for her actions back then.”

“When I was younger, I always thought the dramas were exaggerating, now I understand. We’ve grown up, Chen Lu.”

First, they were like children, loving with reckless abandon, then they learned to accept the inability to get what they wanted like adults.

The past was just the past.

“It’s good.” Chen Lu suddenly said.

Jiang Chao found it strange, “What’s good?”

“Not seeing each other again is good.” Chen Lu looked out the window, his expression calm, “For Liang Zhirou and myself, we should cut ties with the past completely, each living our own life is good. After we separate… she will eventually understand.”

“I don’t like her now, nor do I hate her, I just hope she lives well.”

Jiang Chao nodded in agreement, “It seems you don’t need my comfort.”

“I never did.”

At the airport, Liu Yan even came out to greet them, leading them inside.

“Did you cry?” Jiang Chao looked at Liu Yan’s red eyes and couldn’t help but ask.

“You figured it out and you’re still asking?” Liu Yan glared at him.

“Can’t a guy show concern?”

“You’re crazy.”

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re crazy!”

“Who’s crazy?!”

Chen Lu listened to the two bickering and soon reached the security checkpoint.

There were many people gathered here to see someone off, each forming their own group, each with their own stories.

His parents, Uncle Mo, even Chen Mo were there.

Mo Yuqing was holding Chen Mo, chatting and laughing with them, looking like she was carefree.

But the moment she saw Chen Lu, her smile froze.

Joy and sadness appeared on her face at the same time, making her smile look a little twisted.

She didn’t know what she said, then she walked towards him step by step.

Everyone tacitly didn’t follow, Liu Yan and Jiang Chao also walked to the opposite side.

“Here to see me off?”

“Yeah.”

Both were silent for a moment.

Mo Yuqing stared at Chen Lu, a bitter smile on her lips, “It would have been better if you had never met me.”

Then she sniffed lightly, her voice trembling, “But meeting you is truly the luckiest thing in my life.”

Mo Yuqing felt her mind had never spun so fast, as if afraid to leave any regrets in this life, she kept thinking about what else she should say.

“Unexpectedly, keeping a distance from you is the only compensation I can give you.” Mo Yuqing’s gaze involuntarily fell on the tiles beside her, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault for being so stubborn.”

In the end, she still only wanted to say sorry.

Other words were no longer suitable to say to a guy who had a girlfriend.

She had to bear the consequences of her own mistakes.

Chen Lu sighed lightly, smiled at her, “I didn’t understand before, I didn’t know how to love others either, I only knew to be good to you.”

His smile was also a little bitter, “That’s it…what we missed, it wasn’t just the two of us.”

“She’s a good girl, I went to see her secretly when she was working part-time. Wish you both happiness.”

Chen Lu nodded slightly, softly hummed.

He didn’t know if he actually made a sound, he couldn’t hum again, it would be too awkward.

Mo Yuqing glanced at the time, her face turned pale, and she quickly spoke:

“Can I ask you one last question? You have to answer truthfully, okay?”

Chen Lu refocused his scattered gaze on her, “What?”

Mo Yuqing’s tears finally couldn’t hold back, they fell to the ground one by one, in the eyes of passersby, it finally looked like a farewell.

“Will you feel regret? Even just a little?” she asked softly, a rare sense of caution.

“If I didn’t feel regret, I wouldn’t have pursued you for seven years.” Chen Lu said seriously, he didn’t understand why she would ask such an obvious question.

Mo Yuqing, who was still crying, suddenly laughed, the Chen Lu in front of her seemed to turn back into the boy who had always been by her side.

The two figures overlapped, making her take a long time to recover.

You really haven’t changed, never changed.

It’s just that you don’t belong to me anymore.

She quickly wiped away her tears, keeping her vision clear, she silently stared at Chen Lu for a long time, as if wanting to engrave his appearance deep in her mind.

A few seconds later, she turned her head proudly, “I’m leaving! Not even a parting gift, don’t be sad about me.”

She walked halfway, then suddenly turned back and made a funny face at Chen Lu.

Just like when she was a child.

……

On the way back.

Liu Yan glanced at Chen Lu sitting in the back seat with a blank expression through the rearview mirror, her heart was complicated.

Chen Lu, you must be the most painful person in the world right now, right?

Or the happiest?

After pursuing for seven years, you missed out in the end.

But you have two beautiful girls who like you, one of them even secretly wore a wedding dress for you.

Liu Yan couldn’t understand.

Thinking that she wouldn’t be able to see Mo Yuqing again, she felt very painful, but she didn’t know who to hate.

“If, if Mo Yuqing had accepted your confession back then, what would you two be like now?” Liu Yan asked in a low voice, her voice a little weak.

Chen Lu looked at the blue sky outside the window and thought for a while, “Then we would have broken up.”

Liu Yan was stunned after hearing this, she couldn’t refute, Mo Yuqing really started to change only after truly losing him…

This was a destined ending, only those who knew how to cherish could find happiness.

Like…that girl.

She looked at the scenery around her, suddenly feeling something was wrong.

“This isn’t the way back, is it?” Liu Yan asked Jiang Chao with a sob.

“I’m finding a place where this silly girl can see the plane take off!”

……

The announcement on the plane stopped abruptly, Mo Yuqing took a deep breath.

After a short period of turbulence and acceleration, the blue and white iron bird raised its head and flew towards the blue sky.

Mo Yuqing looked out the window, watching the city slowly shrink, vaguely recognizing the familiar buildings.

She blankly wiped the window, finding it still blurry, then she came to her senses and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

It’s okay.

I was deeply loved by a very, very gentle person.

For seven whole years.

At least I’m the second happiest girl in the world, that’s enough.

I’ll love you forever, I swear.

I’ve already worn a wedding dress for you, how could I marry someone else?

Goodbye, Hangzhou.

Goodbye, Chen Lu.

Forget it, let’s not see each other again…

I won’t bother you anymore.