The words of Sheng Qianchi fell, one by one, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, crystal clear. Even each punctuation mark crashed into Pei Nianchen’s ears, shattering his dignity and the obsession of those sixteen years into pieces. Pei Nianchen suddenly found himself at a loss for words to rebut. Although he hated Sheng Qianchi’s lofty victorious expression and every word he uttered, each word was like a knife, piercing deep into his heart. Yes, Sheng Qianchi was right. After a separation of seven years and meeting again, the only thing he had to hold on to Gu Jiayin was those sixteen years of emotions, and he hadn’t even had the chance to do a single thing for her. Even if it were a small thing. Instead, he left her in the moment she needed help and protection the most. It was Sheng Qianchi who always stood by her side. His feelings for her remained from seven years ago, whereas Sheng Qianchi had encompassed it all, allowing him to timely seize Twilight Manor to trade for her return. While all he could offer to keep her was the nostalgia of sixteen years, he truly had nothing to present, more disgraceful still, was that he had let Qin Xueyao carry his child. Pei Nianchen stood tall and proud in the wide and seemingly empty office, strained like a weathered statue. And Sheng Qianchi curled his lips in a mocking grin, smiled briefly, then paid him no more heed, lowering his head to continue working. When Pei Nianchen exited the Sheng Building, the sky remained overcast, but no rain had yet fallen. Moments ago in Sheng Qianchi’s office, he couldn’t utter a single word nor find any reason to continue negotiating, leaving amidst Sheng Qianchi’s seemingly mocking and complacent gaze. He looked up at the sky, dark clouds covered the sun, oppressive and stifling like his current mood. Tears, cold as ice, slipped through his fingers as they covered his handsome face. Has she truly fallen for Sheng Qianchi? He repeatedly questioned himself this very thing. His girl, his treasure, was she now to belong to another man? That was his Gu Jiayin, it was his Gu Jiayin. Whether she lived or died, she should be his Gu Jiayin. He never imagined there would come a day when she belonged to someone else, even more terrifying, her heart no longer belonged to him. In a daze, lost and confused, he drove to Lu Xiya’s apartment building once again, smoked a cigarette in the car, then stepped out, went upstairs, and knocked on the door. It was Lu Xiya who opened the door, seeing the tall, handsome yet ice-cold and desolate man outside, her mouth opened slightly, unsure what to say. When Pei Nianchen saw Lu Xiya again, he too didn’t know what to say; that day, he had caused her embarrassment, he was wrong. The space fell silent for a few seconds. Pei Nianchen took the initiative to break the silence, "Is she here?" Lu Xiya nodded, "She is." With that, she stepped aside, and Pei Nianchen entered the room with a cold solitude. Mo Jun pushed open the door to Sheng Qianchi’s office, reporting softly, "Young Master Chi, Pei Nianchen has gone to see Miss Gu again, should we..." "No need." Sheng Qianchi responded casually, lifting his eyes briefly, "Withdraw everyone." Like a king with a grand blueprint already laid out, he was confident that tonight, she would inevitably return by his side. He believed it resolutely yesterday, and today was merely giving her a day of free space to sort out her feelings. He would no longer have people following her, granting her absolute freedom. Imprisoning a person is never as effective as imprisoning a heart; he felt he had already succeeded in capturing her heart. Clearly, she had him in her heart. Pei Nianchen went straight to Gu Jiayin’s bedroom, with Lu Xiya sensibly retreating into her own room. He deliberately ignored the suitcase on the bed, watching as Gu Jiayin tried hard to muster a smile, "Jiayin..." Gu Jiayin was squatting on the floor packing things when she didn’t notice him come in due to his light footsteps, hence when she heard his voice, her body trembled for a moment. She looked up at him, a cold loneliness in her eyes. The first thing she did was turn her head towards the suitcase on the bed, threads of pain spreading in her heart. Ultimately, she was unwilling to hurt Pei Nianchen. The resolute words she spoke to him in the morning were meant to force him to let go. She slowly stood up, her face awkward, "Brother Nianchen, you..." Why even speak? What more is there to say, it’s all evident in a single suitcase. She was going back to Sheng Qianchi. Pei Nianchen turned to look at the dark and gloomy sky outside the window, "Are you really going back to him?" "...Mm." Gu Jiayin remained silent for several seconds before nodding lightly. Pei Nianchen withdrew his gaze, looking at the woman quietly lowering her head, "How about I take you for a ride?" Gu Jiayin looked up at him without a word. She couldn’t see it, but Pei Nianchen could feel it, everything from the past was retreating like a tide. He said, "After you returned to Licheng City, I left overnight the next day for a mission, I suppose we never really had a chance to meet properly..." He suddenly gave a self-mocking laugh, "You’re not going to refuse me even this small request, are you?" Gu Jiayin was worried, "Brother Nianchen..." "Don’t worry," Pei Nianchen quickly interrupted her, "I won’t use my death to coerce you again. About the other day, I’m sorry." Gu Jiayin set aside what she was holding, closed the lid of the suitcase, and looked at him, "Alright." The summer sky continued brewing a rainstorm whose arrival time was uncertain, clouds gathering over the city’s skies, the air stifling and sticky like a steam bath. Pei Nianchen cranked up the cold air in the car to maximum. At this moment, the lines of his face were no longer as cold and hard as they usually were, but there also wasn’t much softness, just calmness. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs NoveI★Fire.net In the siege of blood and sweat, he had been molded over seven years, some traits engraved in his very bones. Ultimately, he had to admit, today, seven years later, was vastly different than seven years ago, and even he himself had changed too much. He slowly started the car, speaking in as gentle a tone as he could muster, "What song do you want to hear, find it yourself." Gu Jiayin sat in the passenger seat, didn’t say much, reached to find a song in the DV, searched and searched, suddenly realizing it was full of songs from seven years ago. To be exact, they were the songs they used to love listening to and singing together. Countless times, she had sat in his car, always responsible for selecting the songs, so all the songs in there were ones she used to love. Suppressing the sourness that welled up from deep within her eyes, she played a song, "You and Me in Time." In the old lyrics, they were silent. The car slowly moved forward, weaving through the traffic, passing through places etched in their memories. The long streets, the seaside, the campus, and the mountains and rivers where they once chased and laughed together. In the time that had passed, he and she stumbled together to today, youth losing its rhythm, what was lost could not be regained, and much of what was obtained was imposed by fate. This silence persisted until nightfall, the first lights of the city starting to shine. Gu Jiayin glanced at her watch, it was just a quarter before eight. Sheng Qianchi wanted her back at Shuiyunjian before eight.