Her voice was devoid of any warmth. "Xiaojue, let’s break up. I’ll pay you back the fifty thousand I owe you as soon as I can."
This time, Huang Xiaojue heard her words loud and clear. He looked at her from head to toe. Today, she was still wearing that old down jacket and those same worn-out shoes. However, this did not detract from her beauty in the slightest. Her youthful face seemed to glow, brighter even than the diamond in his hand.
This time, Yan Xixi’s voice was exceptionally clear and calm, "Xiaojue, you’ve seen it all. I wanted to be honest with you, but I didn’t know how. You know the situation at home—we need money urgently. I had no choice but to take the shortcut. Xiaojue, I’m sorry. Please go and don’t look for me again. I’m not worth the sacrifices you’re making for me..."
He closed the diamond box in his hand, slowly handed it back to her, then turned and walked away.
Yan Xixi watched him leave, intending to run after him. But her feet felt as heavy as lead, and she just stood there, watching as his silhouette completely disappeared at the end of the street.
The chilling wind turned into sleet, and Yan Xixi’s whole body shivered violently. At that moment, it felt as if all her strength had been drained away, her heart utterly empty. She understood with painful clarity: the only person in the world who truly cared for her was gone now.
She wished she could bite off her tongue, swallow back the insincere words she had spoken. Yet when her teeth touched her tongue, it was just cold and numb.
「The New Year arrived in the blink of an eye.」
Although it was just a temporary rented dwelling, it was at least a place to stay. With clean windows, spotless surfaces, and neatly arranged furniture, it was the best home she and her mother had lived in for the past three to five years. Yan Xixi woke up early every day to clean and tidy, making the already spotless house even more orderly. She also bought plenty of food, creating a strong New Year’s atmosphere.
Huang Xiaojue never visited again, and Yan Xixi’s phone seldom rang. Yan Xixi’s mother keenly observed her daughter. Though her heart ached with worry, she forced herself not to ask her anything.
Yan Xixi would cook different small dishes each day. As mother and daughter sat facing each other to eat, she would often giggle and say, "Mom, if our life could always be this peaceful, I’d be content for the rest of my life."
It was such a modest wish: not to be constantly moving and displaced, not to worry about the future or illness, not even to dream of great wealth or luxury—just to have a one-bedroom home and stable meals.
But why was such a simple request so difficult to achieve? Yan Xixi’s mother’s eyes grew moist, and she just lowered her head to eat. She knew that Huang Xiaojue had found even this small house for them. Now that he hadn’t shown up for so many days, how much longer could she and her daughter stay here?
「Soon, the Spring Festival holiday passed.」
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, C City was bathed in brilliant sunshine. The long-absent sun brought boundless warmth, truly signaling the arrival of spring.
Yan Xixi had prepared lunch early. Just as she finished setting the table, a knock sounded at the door. Both mother and daughter were surprised. Who could be visiting for New Year greetings?
Yan Xixi’s mother felt a surge of joy. Could it be Xiaojue? "I’ll get the door," she said.
Yan Xixi’s heart also leaped with an unexpected flutter of joy. It must be Huang Xiaojue! Apart from him, no one else would visit her and her mother. When Xiaojue comes in, what should my first words to him be? Holding her bowl, she deliberately sat with her back to the door.
(The author’s new book is out! Everyone, please leave comments! There are signed books to give away for leaving comments. Each person who leaves fifty comments will receive one signed copy of "Six Palaces Without Concubines." Haha, the length of the comments doesn’t matter, it’s all about the quantity: more, more, more! So, dears, hurry up and start writing!)