Chapter Ten

Yingyue had no idea where she had ended up; by the time she chased after him, Yu Wenxi's figure was already gone from sight. She could not find him, and even if she did, she would not know what to say—for when it came to that person, not a single word of explanation could escape her lips.

Yes, she had lost Yu Wenxi; she could not find him anymore.

Perhaps, she might still find him again someday, but what would that change? Even if they reconciled and returned to how things once were, they could never truly go back to the beginning.

People say that lovers inevitably go through quarrels and troubles, but in the end, they always make up, returning to their former affection as if nothing had happened. In truth, it is all a lie. Relationships are built on the heart, and once a rift opens—even if it is shallow or brief—it nonetheless leaves its mark, faint or deep, upon one's soul. Whether you care about it or not, the scar remains.

That rift lingers quietly within, accumulating, growing with each argument and misunderstanding, merely waiting for the right moment to erupt.

Everyone's patience has its limits, and everyone will make mistakes. They forgive and tolerate each other, but the moment one commits an irreparable wrong, the bridge between them collapses in an instant.

Now, Yingyue felt that even if the bridge between her and Yu Wenxi still stood, a crack had formed—one that could not be ignored. She did not know when it would become too fragile to bear the weight and fall.

Yingyue was afraid. Her heart, long numb, had not felt so helpless in ages. Since the day she decided to hate that person, she had forgotten what it was to lose something.

She wandered in despair along unfamiliar streets, her mind in chaos, and Yu Wenxi’s pained eyes seemed to haunt her vision. Perhaps, from their very first meeting, their story had been destined to be a mistake.

A mistaken person, a mistaken time, a mistaken place—their encounter itself was an error. Perhaps it was Cupid’s mischief.

Yet she compounded the mistake, selfishly placing her hopeless love on Yu Wenxi, hoping her wounds could be healed, hoping she could find happiness through him, while neglecting the pain she might inflict upon him.

Powerless, she crouched on the ground, hands pressed to her aching head. What should she do? What could she possibly do? How could she ease his suffering?

Wenxi... Wenxi...

I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... truly, I am sorry... Perhaps, in this life, I am fated to owe you a love.

Painful murmurs, silent tears.

Yingyue lost herself in her own world...

Behind her, the dim glow of street lamps, blurred avenues, the shadows of trees swaying gently. A slender figure leaned against the trunk by the roadside, hair shimmering faintly with a metallic sheen beneath the yellow light.

That figure had followed Yingyue, street after street, from dawn to noon, from noon to dusk, from dusk into the depths of night. From birdsong to the clamour of crowds, from the clamour to utter silence. Always quietly, always at a distance, never approaching.

The first rays of morning sunlight touched the slumbering earth. Perhaps the world knew there would always be those who could not sleep through the night; every day it sent a beam of light to illuminate the heart.

In the sunlight, a weary little face appeared, cheeks marked by dried tears that crisscrossed, revealing her sadness to any onlooker. Her violet eyes stared emptily at the endless street ahead.

Several meters behind her, beneath the thick canopy, that slender figure stood motionless since she had stopped, simply standing there. In the sunlight, beads of dew on his hair sparkled like dazzling diamonds.

-- Author's Note --

This chapter delves into the inner workings of the characters’ hearts. It is somewhat tangled, but serves as groundwork for what is to come.