Nie Shanglin began to understand Cheng Zhou’s feelings from before. It turned out that being so rejected by someone you love felt like this.

It was like being strangled, leaving him in darkness, and he could feel the corners of his eyes growing damp.

He wanted to explain, but in the end, all he could say was, “I’m sorry.”

The word “sorry” felt too powerless; it contained all his regret and heartache but couldn’t recover anything. It was worthless, even cheap to the point of being laughable.

Cheng Zhou nodded. “You should apologize to me; this has already invaded my privacy. Of course, if I really wanted to sue you for invasion of privacy, I probably wouldn’t win, considering your lawyer is one of the best in the industry.”

Nie Shanglin stared at him. “I just wanted to see you.”

“What’s so special to look at?” Cheng Zhou laughed. “I don’t have three arms and four legs, nor am I an alien sent to conquer Earth. I’m not worth hiring a private detective over.”

Because I miss you…

He would wake up in the middle of the night, staring blankly at the empty room, regretting those years when he was so self-righteous.

Nie Shanglin couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He feared that Cheng Zhou would despise him even more. Someone like him, who only wanted to cherish things after they were missed, wouldn’t be easily forgiven.

Just then, the waiter brought the food.

The awkward atmosphere between them eased a little, but it was mostly Nie Shanglin who felt uncomfortable. Cheng Zhou was just speaking the truth; anyone would feel unhappy discovering they had been followed by a private investigator for months.

During the meal, both were particularly quiet. Cheng Zhou ate, while Nie Shanglin pretended to eat but was actually preoccupied with thoughts, occasionally glancing up at Cheng Zhou to feel a bit more at ease.

Nie Shanglin watched Cheng Zhou quietly eat and felt as if they were like a couple who had come out for a date—walking together, dining, watching movies, and strolling through the bustling crowd, discreetly holding hands. They would occasionally exchange glances and laugh like children guarding a secret. Then they would return home, filled with love for each other, embracing, kissing, and making love.

But he had forgotten to do all these things in the past, and it might be too late to do them in the future.

After finishing their meal in silence, Cheng Zhou wiped his mouth and politely asked, “So, what’s the reason you asked me out today?”

Nie Shanglin glanced at his watch and replied, “Just a moment, Lawyer Zheng will be here soon.”

Lawyer Zheng? Cheng Zhou frowned; he knew that was Nie Shanglin’s private lawyer.

The last time Cheng Zhou saw Nie’s lawyer was when his company was taken over by Nie’s company. Only Nie’s lawyer came to that meeting, while Nie Shanglin was with Cheng Yuze, who was recuperating from an injury.

This time, even Nie Shanglin came. What could they possibly want?

After all, the only thing of value he had left was the “guilt fee” from when Nie Shanglin and Mu Chenyun had caused him pain.

Thinking of this made Cheng Zhou inexplicably amused. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and waited quietly.

Before long, Lawyer Zheng arrived.

Lawyer Zheng, as always, appeared serious and meticulous. With his gold-rimmed glasses and a demeanor that exuded professionalism from head to toe, he stood by the table and split the documents he held into two parts—one placed in front of Cheng Zhou and the other handed to Nie Shanglin.

Seeing this, Cheng Zhou politely nodded at Lawyer Zheng before opening the document in front of him.

After taking a moment to read through it, he closed the file and smiled at the ever-watching Nie Shanglin. “What does this mean?”

Nie Shanglin hurried to clarify, “I’m giving you the Cheng family business.”

Cheng Zhou tilted his head slightly. “Giving? I think you might have misunderstood; it was originally mine.

“Because I didn’t want it,” Cheng Zhou calmly pushed the document back toward Nie Shanglin and said with a smile, “That’s why you ended up with it.”

Indeed, the Cheng family business had always belonged to Cheng Zhou.

Cheng Zhou was capable and had vision; the Cheng family business would develop far better under his management than it ever could under Cheng’s father.

Nie Shanglin couldn’t help but wonder why he thought that returning the Cheng family business to Cheng Zhou would make him happy or even lead to a sliver of forgiveness. After all, it had always belonged to Cheng Zhou.

With his professional demeanor, Lawyer Zheng stood quietly by, offering no comments.

Nie Shanglin opened his mouth, “Yes, it was originally yours. Would it be okay for you to take it back now?”

Cheng Zhou stood up as he spoke, “No need for that. I chose to let go of the Cheng family business. Otherwise, do you think you and that kid Mu Chenfeng could have taken it so easily? I’m doing just fine now, I’ve enough money. I don’t have to stay up late or travel for work, busy to the point of exhaustion. Life is much easier this way. So why should I take on more burdens? If you really don’t want the Cheng family business, why not give it to Cheng Yuze? Isn’t he the one who wants it? That’s all I wanted to say today. Just remember to send that private investigator home. Alright, I’m leaving.”

He put on his coat and turned to wave goodbye, saying, “See you!”

Seeing this, Nie Shanglin quickly stood up, wanting to follow him.

Zheng Lawyer picked up the documents, intending to speak to Nie Shanglin, but Nie Shanglin waved him off, signaling him to return first. He grabbed the files and hurried after Cheng Zhou.

Cheng Zhou had come by subway, a low-carbon and eco-friendly choice that saved time and effort. After leaving the restaurant, he headed towards the subway station. Nie Shanglin quickly drove up beside him, rolling down the window and saying, “Let me give you a ride.”

Cheng Zhou waved his hand in refusal, saying, “I can’t accept that,” and then turned onto another road. Nie Shanglin’s car had no room to make a U-turn, forcing him to watch as Cheng Zhou walked into the subway station.

The subway line 4 from here to Cheng Zhou’s place ran frequently, and Nie Shanglin realized that if he parked his car and then tried to catch up with Cheng Zhou, he might already be too late.

After considering his options, Nie Shanglin started the car and drove off.

When Cheng Zhou returned home, he saw Nie Shanglin standing at his door like a schoolboy summoned for a scolding, holding the document from earlier. Upon seeing Cheng Zhou approach, his eyes brightened instantly.

Cheng Zhou felt a surge of annoyance and nearly turned around to leave.

However, after a moment’s thought, Cheng Zhou realized this was his own doorstep; there was no reason to avoid someone and not return home. So, he ignored Nie Shanglin and walked straight to his door, taking out his keys to unlock it. As the door swung open and he prepared to step inside, a hand suddenly appeared, resting against the doorframe.

Having anticipated this move, Cheng Zhou wasn’t angered this time. He calmly turned his head to look at Nie Shanglin. “What exactly are you after?” he asked.

Nie Shanglin was momentarily taken aback, then replied, “I don’t mean anything else. I just want you to be well.”

Cheng Zhou shot back, “If you stop bothering me, I’ll be just fine.”

There had been a period when Nie Shanglin didn’t disturb him, and Cheng Zhou thought he might finally leave him alone. But after some time, he discovered someone was following him. When he learned it was a private detective sent by Nie Shanglin, he nearly waned to grabbed a knife and  confront him directly.

“Nie Shanglin,” Cheng Zhou said, “I’ve repeated this many times: we’re done. And it’s the kind of ending you always wanted. In the past, I was the one chasing after you, but that’s all in the past now. We’ve parted amicably, and we’re both doing fine on our own. So why do you suddenly want to cling to something that’s already withered?”

Nie Shanglin couldn’t bear to hear Cheng Zhou belittle himself. When Cheng Zhou mocked himself and dismissed his past actions, it felt like he was denying the love he once had for Nie Shanglin. During this time, every night when he lay in bed with the lights off, the only thing that brought Nie Shanglin peace was the image of Cheng Zhou’s earnest, affectionate gaze directed at him. He kept replaying those memories in his mind, trying to capture and freeze them, seeking a sliver of comfort

But now Cheng Zhou denies his past, denies the self that once deeply loved ‘Nie Shanglin.’ What is he supposed to do? What can he use to continue deceiving himself in the days ahead without Cheng Zhou?

So, Nie Shanglin immediately replied in a panic, ‘The events that unfolded between us have nothing to do with you; it was my fault for not knowing better.”

Cheng Zhou stared at Nie Shanglin for a moment and said with a smile, “Nie Shanglin, have you ever considered that you might not actually like Cheng Yuze that much? Maybe it’s just the thrill of something you can’t have. Otherwise, why did you even get involved with me in the first place? Or do you think that someone like you can genuinely like someone while still casually dating others? From this perspective, your current claim of ‘liking’ me seems more like a matter of pride than anything else.”

“It’s not like that…” Nie Shanglin struggled to find the words to explain to Cheng Zhou. During their time together, he had never been with anyone else. Even with Cheng Yuze, after he and Cheng Zhou broke up and before he realized his own feelings, he never crossed any boundaries.

He indulged Cheng Yuze, yet he didn’t even want to hold his hand.

That day in the hospital when he gave Cheng Yuze a kiss on the forehead—was the only thing that Nie Shanglin had done that crossed a line.

“Cheng Zhou, please give me another chance,” Nie Shanglin lowered his once-proud head, revealing a pleading expression. “I was foolish and arrogant in the past, too afraid to acknowledge my own feelings. I realize my mistakes now. Please let me have a chance to atone for them and love you for a lifetime. Is that okay?”

Nie Shanglin genuinely wanted to spend the rest of his life pampering and loving Cheng Zhou, to lift him up so that all the scars on his heart and body would fade away in the countless days filled with love.

Cheng Zhou turned his head, not believing a word of what Nie Shanglin said.

Suddenly recalling something, Cheng Zhou broke into a happy smile and said, “So you mean you’re willing to do anything for me?”

Nie Shanglin nodded, not wanting to see even a hint of disgust on Cheng Zhou’s face. As long as Cheng Zhou no longer hated him and gave him a chance to start over, he was willing to do anything.

Cheng Zhou casually leaned against the doorframe and said innocently, “Alright, then you can kneel here for me for a day.”

This was an extremely insulting demand, and Cheng Zhou expected Nie Shanglin to turn and walk away. To his surprise, the next moment, Nie Shanglin actually bent his knees, preparing to kneel before him.

Seeing this, Cheng Zhou quickly stepped aside to avoid the direction where Nie Shanglin was about to kneel.  For a man, kneeling is something that should be reserved for Heaven, Earth, and one’s parents—something Cheng Zhou neither wanted nor felt he could accept. He was almost superstitious about it, fearing it would shorten his own life.

The two stood in silence, one standing and the other kneeling, for a long time.

Cheng Zhou finally reined in his smile and said, “What’s the point of this?”

Then he entered the house and shut the door firmly behind him.

Nie Shanglin turned his head, letting out a bitter smile. Yes, what was the point? If he had known it would come to this, why had he acted the way he did?

Cheng Zhou had spent countless days and nights facing cold indifference. From high school through his late twenties, he’d always put Nie Shanglin first in everything, even clinging to that love when he lay battered and bruised in a hospital bed, desperately trying to reach him with phone calls.

And what had he done in return?

Their relationship had started almost forcefully. Nie Shanglin had taken Cheng Zhou’s love without resistance, enjoying it without pressure, while keeping up a cold and detached front, fooling himself into thinking he felt nothing. Whenever Cheng Yuze was present, Nie Shanglin never gave Cheng Zhou even the smallest bit of attention or care.

That day, Cheng Zhou endured intense pain, standing there as he watched Nie Shanglin leave with someone else in his arms—what must he have felt? What went through his mind when he discovered that the person who hadn’t answered his calls for a month was in the same hospital, secretly plotting to take over Cheng Corporation? Lying alone on a hospital bed, listening to the New Year’s countdown, seeing Nie Shanglin and Cheng Yuze joyfully celebrating together on social media—what could he have been feeling?

Nie Shanglin didn’t dare to think about it.

It was too heartbreaking.

So devastating that just imagining what Cheng Zhou had gone through left his heart aching beyond measure.

And now, Cheng Zhou was so disappointed in him that he wouldn’t even accept his kneeling apology.

What was the point?

Ding-ding—

A message notification popped up on Nie Shanglin’s phone—it was from Cheng Zhou.

“Don’t kneel at my door. I have no intention of becoming a trending topic on Weibo.

The only thing you could do to make me happy is to keep your private investigator, and yourself, far away from my life.”

Nie Shanglin stood up, placing his hand gently on Cheng Zhou’s security door, as if he were softly caressing the face of someone he deeply cherished.

He thought to himself, it was all his fucking fault; who else could he blame?