"Because I’ve never let go of the past, nor have I ever let go of you."
Pei Yansi looked deeply into Shen Heyu’s eyes as he took a step towards her, but Shen Heyu stepped back.
Shen Heyu and Pei Yansi maintained a safe distance.
Seeing Shen Heyu’s reluctance, Pei Yansi just stood still, chuckling bitterly. He had never thought that the woman he loved deeply would want to escape from him so badly.
Come to think of it, he might actually need to thank the Chen Family for interfering. Had it not been for their pressure, Shen Heyu wouldn’t have had the chance to leave him, and perhaps Pei Yansi would never have had the chance to hear Shen Heyu’s true feelings.
Over those past three years, the years Shen Heyu spent with Pei Yansi, how sad, painful, and suppressed he must have felt.
Pei Yan forced a smile, his expression particularly heart-wrenching, causing Shen Heyu’s hand by her side to slowly clench into a fist.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Pei..."
Seeing Pei Yansi , Shen Heyu, not knowing what drove her, actually initiated an apology, lowering her gaze, no longer meeting his eyes.
"Why are you apologizing? I should be the one apologizing to you. I’m sorry, I never realized over those three years that you weren’t willingly by my side. I never paid attention to how unhappy you might have been those years."
Shen Heyu realized she had spoken too harshly to Pei Yansi today, uncharacteristic of her usual manner. She forced herself to bow her head to Pei Yansi, hoping to quickly turn the page on this matter with him.
But Pei Yansi took her words to heart.
"Mr. Pei, the words I said to you just now weren’t intentional; I hope you won’t take them to heart."
Shen Heyu looked up at Pei Yansi, but when she saw the concealed tears in his eyes, she was stunned, daring not to believe it as her pupils dilated.
"You don’t need to say these things to me anymore; these are actually how you truly feel, aren’t they? Over those three years, you played your part well, letting me mistakenly believe you were happy by my side, which is why I selfishly confined you."
"What’s wrong with you?" Shen Heyu sensed something off about Pei Yansi and grew worried about his emotions.
"You don’t have to worry about me being upset; my mind has never been as clear as it is at this moment."
"Shen Heyu, if you didn’t want to stay by my side, why didn’t you say so?" Pei Yansi looked incredulously at the woman he had loved for so long, realizing he had always been imposing on her.
Some things, Shen Heyu had originally intended to keep to herself, but today Pei Yansi had opened this up. Like rice in a sack, once there’s a tear, it all spills out.
Shen Heyu took a deep breath and mustered the courage to look into Pei Yansi’s eyes.
"If you are unhappy by my side, you could have told me," Pei Yansi said with a hoarse voice to Shen Heyu.
Shen Heyu smiled helplessly.
Originally, she didn’t want to argue with Pei Yansi anymore; she just wanted to spend the next two days peacefully and then leave his side to live a quiet life.
But she had not anticipated that so much would happen on her first day back by Pei Yansi’s side, and the hope of continuing to live peacefully was already impossible.
"Pei Yansi, even if I had told you those words before, what use would they have been? You tell me, touching your conscience, even if I said I didn’t want to stay by your side, would you have let me leave?"
Shen Heyu’s question really hit the mark, and Pei Yansi was silent for a moment before slowly showing a hint of a realization smile.
Hearing this answer, Shen Heyu gave a bitter laugh.
After three years together, she still understood Pei Yansi; she knew that even if she had told him the truth in that situation, he wouldn’t have let her leave.
"So, what position were you taking when you questioned why I hadn’t spoken to you honestly before?"
Whether Shen Heyu spoke her true feelings or not, the outcome wouldn’t have changed. With that being the case, why bother with such futile efforts?
"So, this is why you were unwilling to open up to me?"
"It’s part of the reason," Shen Heyu did not deny.
"But no matter what, you should have fought for yourself, tried to have a heart-to-heart with me, after all, I am your partner, aren’t I? I should be the person you are closest to and trust the most, but in reality?"
In reality, the different things Shen Heyu had said to Pei Yansi in the past, who knows how much was true and how much was false, it’s no longer traceable, but none of that matters anymore.
"Mr. Pei, it’s late now, and I don’t want to argue about the past anymore. I would like to go upstairs and rest."
Shen Heyu turned away, standing with her back to Pei Yansi, unwilling to look at his expression.
Because when she saw the look on Pei Yansi’s face that showed he still cared about her, she vaguely sensed her heart both flutter and ache.
Her heart still held a place for Pei Yansi.
That day, at the hotel, when she saw Lu Yi completely drunk, Shen Heyu just frowned, but she didn’t feel much inside.
According to Shen Heyu’s plan, she was supposed to accept Lu Yi, after all, he was gentle and considerate, and favored by Yuexue, making him the most suitable partner for her future.
Everything was going well, but then Pei Yansi ruined it. He shouldn’t have reappeared in her life. Their meeting this time was a mistake.
Since it was a mistake, there was no need to keep erring . Shen Heyu avoided communicating with him.
"Shen Heyu, there are a few more things I want to say."
Shen Heyu took a deep breath, her voice cold, "Mr. Pei, just say what you need to say."
"Shen Heyu, I have always loved you. Perhaps the methods I used over these past three years were wrong, but my feelings for you were never, not even partly, false."
"What use is there in saying these things now?" Shen Heyu cut him off.
"Perhaps they are no use to you now, but I still want to tell you that I loved you deeply. I also realize my methods were wrong, so I will take real action to show you I’ve changed."
"It’s late, and you’re tired, go upstairs and rest."
"Mr. Pei, you should rest early as well." After saying goodbye to Pei Yansi, Shen Heyu went upstairs.
Shen Heyu didn’t sleep all night.
Yet, when she woke up in the morning, her mind was still very clear. After washing up, she went downstairs, only to find something surprising—Pei Yansi had left quietly.