When Cheng Zhou said this, the other person was clearly taken aback for a moment. After a brief pause, he replied in his usual calm and deep voice, “Okay.”

“I’ll move out tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

“Then…”

“Beep—” The other person had already hung up the phone.

Cheng Zhou stared at his phone for a while, then suddenly laughed. After so many years, he rarely laughed this way.

He laughed while almost crying.

Look, after being together for these years, at the end, you didn’t even want to hear me say another word.

—

That year during the college entrance exams, it was unusually hot. Cheng Zhou stood outside the examination hall, sweating heavily, holding a thermos filled with chilled mung bean soup, standing under a poplar tree with many other parents.

The cicadas chirped loudly, and the air felt restless. The sun cast large patches of light on the already distorted asphalt road. Occasionally, a heavy, warm breeze would pass, making the poplar leaves rustle continuously.

“This little brother, who are you waiting for here?”

In the summer heat, feeling bored, a simply dressed aunt curiously asked Cheng Zhou. Among the middle-aged parents, the youthful and handsome Cheng Zhou seemed a bit out of place.

Cheng Zhou smiled slightly and replied, “I’m waiting for my brother. What about you, auntie?”

“I’m waiting for my daughter,” the aunt said, opening up the conversation. “After studying for so many years, waking up early and staying up late, it’s all for these few days. If she does well on the exam, her future will be smoother, and she can stand tall…”

Cheng Zhou kept smiling and nodding, occasionally using the fan in his hand to help cool the aunt, agreeing with her words. Time passed quickly.

At that time, even he had some longing for university.

Although Cheng Zhou came from a wealthy and powerful family, anyone born in China who has experienced nearly a decade of intense exam-oriented education cannot ignore the words “college entrance exam.”

What university is like, is something many people have imagined.

Cheng Zhou was no exception.

Maybe he could attend the same University as Nie Shanglin, buy a house near the university and live together.

Thinking this way, Cheng Zhou felt a sweetness in his heart.

People are always prone to dreams and hopes.

———

As Cheng Zhou packed his things, he recalled the past. Back then, everything felt incredibly sweet, but now it seemed foolish, as if just a year later, all his dreams of university would turn into the harsh reality of ‘how much does shipping cost and whether there’s air conditioning.’

In life, there are too many pointless things we say, both to ourselves and to others.

Cheng Zhou didn’t have many belongings. The most he invested in this home was his enthusiasm, but that could be depleted.

When they first lived together, he gradually replaced the originally paired items in the house. 

Nie Shanglin didn’t mind at all. Over the years, he rarely returned home, perhaps because Cheng Zhou was there. As he changed things, Cheng Zhou became numb. When he could no longer find any trace of his own presence, he took a deep breath.

At that time, he thought about giving each other one last chance.

This so-called ‘chance’ finally taught him what it meant to feel heartbroken.

The next day, Cheng Zhou carried his belongings, filled with bags of clothes.

Let’s go, he thought.

At that moment, someone opened the door.

Seeing who it was, Cheng Zhou sighed inwardly: luckily it was Nie Shanglin who came.

That’s right; others also had keys to his house, and that person was the one Nie Shanglin truly cared about. People often say that sincerity can open doors and that companionship and effort can warm someone’s heart. However, they don’t mention that sometimes, not loving someone just means not loving them. No matter how much time you spend, it ends up being wasted.

After locking eyes with Nie Shanglin for a moment, Cheng Zhou smiled brightly and said, “I’m leaving.”

Nie Shanglin frowned slightly at the slight creases in Cheng Zhou’s luggage. 

“I’ll take you,” he said.

Cheng Zhou smiled even more brightly, “No need for that.”

Nie Shanglin didn’t say anything more.

Cheng Zhou looked at his increasingly handsome and calm face, and he faintly recalled a long time ago when the tall yet slender boy ran, his figure unclear in the darkness.

He couldn’t help but say, “Hey, do you remember?”

Nie Shanglin didn’t reply, only giving him a puzzled look.

“During our senior year, many people would run laps in the night.”