"It had better be that way. As a friend, let me give you a piece of advice: when it comes to matters of the heart, the most feared thing is ambiguity and indecision. No matter what your reasons are, since you have feelings for Lin Yixun, you should make things clear with Cheng Ying. Otherwise, this isn’t fair to Cheng Ying, to you, or to Lin Yixun." Leng Yixiu had always known this. But if he shattered that last layer of illusion, it would be no different from cutting off Cheng Ying’s last hope and imagination. Her health had been erratic; could she handle it? "I understand your concerns, but you have to think carefully. Lin Yixun is already showing signs of depression. A woman forcibly kept by your side, without a justified title, would find this unbearable. You’ve always been considerate of Cheng Ying’s feelings, but have you ever seriously considered things from Lin Yixun’s perspective? If one day she becomes like Cheng Ying, if history repeats itself, all you’ll have left is regret." Cen Lin’s words hit the mark, each one carrying significant weight. Leng Yixiu suddenly realized a problem he had overlooked for years. All along, perhaps out of remembrance for past affections with Cheng Ying, or out of guilt towards her, he always prioritized Cheng Ying when making decisions. His repeated concessions and indulgences towards Cheng Ying had invisibly inflicted deep wounds on Lin Yixun. No wonder Lin Yixun hated him so much! "Leng Yixiu, what happened back then wasn’t entirely your fault." As Leng Yixiu’s friend and personal physician, Cen Lin understood the complicated entanglements between Cheng Ying and Leng Yixiu to some extent. "But if it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have ended up ." "It’s been five years. You’ve done more than enough. Even if the event then was partly your responsibility, you’ve paid your dues over these years. Everyone has their path to walk on. Do you intend to keep this unclear, undefinable entanglement with Cheng Ying forever? Haven’t you considered that this is also unfair to her? Since there’s already someone else in your heart, you should explain everything to her. Only then can she completely forget you and move on from the past pains." Upon hearing this, Leng Yixiu fell silent. After a long time, he slowly raised his eyes, looked at Cen Lin, and softly said, "Cen Lin, maybe you’re right." He thought it was time to end everything with Cheng Ying. When Cheng Ying received the call from Leng Yixiu, she was in the dressing room putting on makeup. Seeing the caller ID, her eyes lit up instantly. It was the first time in a long while that Leng Yixiu had called her proactively. Her excitement made her movements a bit large, and the makeup artist behind her didn’t react in time; the eyebrow pencil veered off its original path and drew a line to the corner of her eye. The makeup artist hastily apologized, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Miss Cheng, I was careless just now..." During this period, Cheng Ying’s moods had been unpredictable, and her personal makeup artist had suffered a lot of her temper. Sometimes, even if the lipstick color was applied too heavily, it would invite a scolding. This time, having made such a basic mistake, the makeup artist thought she was sure to get a scolding. To her surprise, Cheng Ying did not scold her; instead, she turned around and gave her a gentle smile. "It’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes. Just wipe it off and redraw it." With that, Cheng Ying smiled and picked up her phone, then pressed the answer button. "Hello, Yixiu? What’s the matter?" The makeup artist instantly understood that it was a call from Cheng Ying’s fiancé. No wonder her mood had changed so quickly. Not sure what was said on the other side of the phone, but Cheng Ying’s beautiful eyes turned into crescents from smiling. "I’m free. I have nothing on for tonight." After a pause, she added, "Let’s have it at the western restaurant where we celebrated my birthday last time. The steak there is quite good." After confirming the dining location, Cheng Ying chatted with Leng Yixiu for a while longer before cheerfully hanging up the phone. Because of this call, Cheng Ying was in an extraordinarily good mood all day and performed exceptionally well on set, with many scenes done in one take. During a break, Cheng Ying asked her assistant to return to her apartment to fetch a dress she had recently bought in France, intending to wear it for her meeting with Leng Yixiu that night. In Cheng Ying’s memory, since dating Leng Yixiu, he had always liked her wearing purple, and coincidentally, that dress was purple. After the assistant left, Cheng Ying decided to give her another call, instructing, "Bring the bottle of aged red wine from the top of the wine cabinet as well." Googlᴇ search novelꞁire.net That bottle of red wine was bought at a renowned winery in France during her trip with Leng Yixiu four years ago. It was also her birthday at the time. Although the wine wasn’t very expensive, it held significant meaning for her. She had never been willing to drink it, keeping it stored away. Even when she moved to T City, she brought it along. She looked at the calendar. It was May 4th, the day they started dating, marking ten years now. Recalling the past events, everything seemed still so vivid. Back then, A University and E University had a basketball friendship game, and as the cheerleading captain, she naturally cheered for her university’s basketball team. At the end of the game, Leng Yixiu suddenly approached her, and in front of everyone, solemnly asked her a question. "Cheng Ying, from now on, you will be my girlfriend." He was so domineering, without even asking if she was willing, he directly labeled her as his. Yet she, inexplicably, accepted his overbearing terms. Afterwards, Cheng Ying couldn’t help but complain, "Couldn’t you have chosen another day to confess? Why did you pick May 4th, Youth Day? It sounds so awkward." He merely gave a faint smile, "Youth Day is not bad." Indeed, Leng Yixiu was right. Looking back, Youth Day wasn’t bad at all. At least it was a date both of them could clearly remember and not forget easily. Cheng Ying snapped out of her memories, but couldn’t help imagining the wonderful evening ahead. After finishing the advertisement shoot, she had the makeup artist apply a delicate makeup look specifically for her. After meticulously checking her makeup in the vanity mirror, Cheng Ying stood up and prepared to leave. She thought, since Leng Yixiu had arranged to meet on such an important day, did this mean there would be a breakthrough between them tonight? Little did Cheng Ying know, what awaited her was the disillusionment and end of their relationship.