Lu Yinxing forced a smile: "I’m fine, how about you?"

Wen Quan’s lips curled slightly, but his eyes drooped: "I don’t seem to be doing well."

Lu Yinxing felt as if her heart skipped a beat.

"I’m sorry, Wen Quan, you’re the last person I want to hurt."

"You don’t need to apologize to me. It’s me who has never faced reality since childhood, unrequited love. I just thought that being close to you all the time, someday you would see my love for you."

Wen Quan gave a bitter smile, his voice seemed to dull further: "In the end, I never realized that proximity was helpful, but I’m still not the closest to you."

Lu Yinxing felt her heart being squeezed.

An inexplicable fear and panic rose from the depths of her heart: "You... what do you mean by that?"

Wen Quan smiled: "Forget it, it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving tomorrow, let’s not bring up those unhappy things. Today, it’s just the two of us, pretend it’s the last time you’ll have dinner with me."

During this meal, Lu Yinxing’s mood remained heavy.

She always felt Wen Quan’s words carried deeper meaning.

Yet Lu Yinxing couldn’t quite grasp it at the moment.

By nine o’clock, they finally finished eating.

They walked out of the Crab Empire, the wind outside was a bit chilly, and Lu Yinxing shivered suddenly.

Wen Quan took off his coat and placed it over Lu Yinxing; "I’ll walk you back."

"No need, I’m going to my brother’s apartment tonight, it’s nearby."

Wen Quan’s eyes seemed to dim.

He remained silent for a while.

Finally, he spoke: "Then let’s part ways here, Xingxing, can it really be..." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Wen Quan seemed to want to say something.

But stopped when the words were at the tip of his tongue.

Lu Yinxing looked up at the young man: "What do you want to say?"

"Nothing, goodbye."

Lu Yinxing found herself at a loss for words.

Couldn’t even utter a proper farewell.

After a while, she slowly spoke two words: "Goodbye."

Lu Yinxing turned and walked away.

But after only a few steps, Wen Quan caught up and suddenly pulled Lu Yinxing into his arms.

He held her so tightly, as if he wanted to embed her into his own body.

His eyes were full of pain.

Every word trembled with a choked sob: "Why, why him, why..."

Lu Yinxing was bewildered, unsure of what was going on with Wen Quan.

But Wen Quan buried his face in her hair and cried.

His six-foot frame bent, like a mountain about to collapse.

At this moment, Wen Quan appeared like a helpless child to Lu Yinxing.

From childhood to now, Lu Yinxing had never seen Wen Quan cry like this.

Lu Yinxing stood rigidly without moving.

Not knowing how to comfort Wen Quan.

Shortly after, Wen Quan straightened up without saying a word, without looking at Lu Yinxing again, and turned to run away.

Lu Yinxing watched his silhouette fade, her heart ached with a dull pain.

Memories flooded her mind.

The scenes of growing up together, the bits of everyday life—eventually becoming blurred, distant, even unfamiliar...

.....................