"If it’s about helping you get Cheng Hao back, forget it." Xu Nianhua laid out a precondition right off the bat.
Zou Yaru said with a self-mocking laugh, "I’m no longer worthy of him. The moment I proposed breaking up, I was already unworthy."
As Zou Yaru lifted her eyes, tears welled up in them, contrasting with the paleness of her face, she looked truly pitiable.
Xu Nianhua couldn’t help but remember when she first saw Zou Yaru; Cheng Hao had described her as ethereal as a fairy. As a music teacher, she inherently possessed such an elegant demeanor.
Zou Yaru had grown so thin that her chin had become pointed, making her large eyes appear even more striking.
Her tearful eyes looked so forlorn and pitiable.
Xu Nianhua sighed deeply in her heart and thought: Had I known this would happen, why did I even start?
In the beginning, Cheng Hao treated Zou Yaru as if she were a treasure, holding her in the palm of his hand for fear of dropping her, cherishing her in his mouth for fear she’d melt away. But it was Zou Yaru who pushed Cheng Hao away, step by step.
Cheng Hao searched around the hospital room but didn’t find anyone. He then checked the washroom and looked down the hallway; she was nowhere to be found.
"Nurse, where’s the patient from bed 15?" Cheng Hao rushed to the nurse’s station. The nurse looked up at him and said, "She was discharged."
Cheng Hao wanted to say something more, but Xu Nianhua, arriving a step too late, immediately pulled him aside, all the way to the park outside the hospital.
"Nianhua, do you know where she went?" Cheng Hao asked. The doctor clearly said she would be discharged tomorrow, but he had been too busy with work these past few days to visit.
"Cheng Hao, what would you do if you found her?" Xu Nianhua asked.
What happened in the private room that day had also been told to her by Zou Yaru—Cheng Hao had no intention of getting back together.
"This is for you from her." Xu Nianhua handed over a letter.
On the envelope, it was written ’To Cheng Hao’.
Seeing the familiar handwriting, Cheng Hao knew that it was from Zou Yaru.
During the time they were in love, they too had communicated through letters, and he was very clear about what Zou Yaru’s handwriting looked like.
I have left, don’t come looking for me, and don’t blame Nianhua for hiding this from you; it was I who earnestly begged Nianhua not to tell you.
While writing this letter, I hesitated, wondering whether I should write it, or rather, whether there was any need to. After much contemplation, I decided to write it, to serve as a farewell between us.
A love affair might linger as a memory, but even at the time it was already lost. Back when I was in school, I thought this line of poetry was stunningly beautiful and sorrowful, but I couldn’t fully grasp its meaning. Now, I understand.
The once sweet and wonderful times, back then, I just felt blissful and never knew to cherish. When my father had his accident, it was my lack of trust in you and my hesitation about our love that faltered.
I often wonder, if we had not broken up, would we be a happy married couple now?
Unfortunately, there are no what-ifs in this world. Ultimately, we have missed our chance. Perhaps, our fate was too shallow.
Don’t come looking for me, and don’t tell my parents that I was here in Ningbei. From now on, I just want to live for myself and explore this beautiful world.
Thank you, Cheng Hao, for this beautiful memory you’ve given me.
Goodbye, Cheng Hao, and may you soon find your other half who will love you wholeheartedly. I wish you happiness.
A light letter, just a single page, Cheng Hao read it twice over. Finally, he asked, "She, she’s come back." Unfortunately, they would no longer be together.