Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen: Confrontation

Before Wang Yuqing sat a cup of rich southern iced coffee, its deep aroma tinged with a hint of sweet liqueur. The ice cubes floating within sent forth waves of chill, mirroring the somber mood of its owner. Gently swirling the spoon, Wang Yuqing had chosen to forgo any sugar—she wished to savor the bitterness.

Ma Yunrou had no true appreciation for coffee. When the waiter brought her cup, she took a sip immediately, only to be nearly overwhelmed by the bitterness. Hastily, she pulled a tissue from the box and wiped the corner of her mouth, masking her discomfort.

“Hey, do you know about my past with Xiao Lin?” Ma Yunrou broke the silence, always eager to take control, even in conversation.

“I know a little,” Wang Yuqing replied quietly, her gaze lowered as she continued stirring her coffee, a faint melancholy shadowing her expression.

“I met Xiao Lin at a New Year’s Eve gala. Hey, didn’t you also attend Donghai High School in middle school? You went to that event, right?” Ma Yunrou’s words stirred something within Wang Yuqing. The mention of the New Year’s gala brought back memories of the very night at Innovation High, when Xiao Lin had confessed his feelings for her in front of the entire school. How happy she had been then.

Wang Yuqing’s trembling hand did not go unnoticed by Ma Yunrou, who inwardly smiled with satisfaction. She had deliberately brought up the past, knowing how invisible Wang Yuqing had felt in middle school. Ma Yunrou wanted to flaunt her sweet memories with Xiao Lin, to make Wang Yuqing feel inferior.

“After that, he confessed to me. I’m easy to get along with, you know. If I had said no, Xiao Lin would have been so heartbroken. So, I agreed,” Ma Yunrou said in a deliberately casual tone, as if Xiao Lin’s pursuit of her had been merely trivial.

Wang Yuqing remained silent. There was nothing she could say about the past—back then, Xiao Lin barely knew her, and her secret crush had been buried deep within her heart.

“Once we were together, I realized just how wonderful Xiao Lin is. He spoiled me endlessly—always catering to my every whim. Every morning, he’d bring me breakfast. I remember one time when I had a fever, he carried me all the way to the hospital. The warmth in his arms is something I still remember. Oh, and he gave me many gifts. That pen cap you wear around your neck? Xiao Lin gave it to me on one of my birthdays. It’s part of a custom couple’s pen set, made especially in America—only one pair in the whole world. He has one, and I have the other. Mine even bears his name.” Ma Yunrou glanced meaningfully at Wang Yuqing as she spoke, noting the girl’s head bowed even lower. Perfect—just the effect she had hoped for.

“And there was another time...” Ma Yunrou went on, listing every sweet moment she had shared with Xiao Lin. She spoke for over half an hour, while Wang Yuqing said nothing, her eyes fixed on the coffee before her.

Finally, Ma Yunrou, feeling parched, took a sip of her coffee. She’d forgotten the sugar again, and the bitterness nearly made her spit it out. But since she couldn’t, she forced it down, her grimace as if she had just swallowed a mouthful of flies.

“If you two were so happy, why did you break up?” Wang Yuqing suddenly lifted her gaze and fired off three questions in quick succession, her voice sharp with restrained anger. “Given Xiao Lin’s situation then, his parents had arranged for him to study at Donghai. Why did he choose to go all the way to Beijing? And when I saw him at Innovation High, why was he so different from before?”

Having endured Ma Yunrou’s theatrical display for half an hour, Wang Yuqing was finally striking back. Though gentle and well-mannered, she would not tolerate a woman who had once hurt Xiao Lin, flaunting his past kindness as if it were her trophy.

Ma Yunrou was taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions. She had never imagined this seemingly fragile girl would confront her so directly, and with such points that left her tongue-tied. She couldn’t admit that she had ended things out of vanity, trading her lover for a school placement, nor could she explain why Xiao Lin had gone to Beijing or why he had changed so much by the time of Innovation High.

Yet Ma Yunrou was cunning. After a brief moment of hesitation, she crafted her response.

“You don’t know the whole story. When Xiao Lin and I broke up, there were real difficulties. My family was poor—my mother fell gravely ill, draining all our savings and leaving us deep in debt. I almost had to drop out of school. My dream was to attend the Kyoto Film Academy. Our school had one guaranteed admission spot, but my grades didn’t qualify me. Fortunately, there was a boy who was willing to help—not only did he pay off our debts, but he also secured me that admission spot. The condition? That I break up with Xiao Lin. It was painful; I had no choice. My mother was still bedridden.” Tears leaked from Ma Yunrou’s eyes, her performance convincing enough to evoke sympathy. Having studied at Kyoto Film Academy, her acting skills were indeed polished. The story was half true—there was a guaranteed spot, and a wealthy boy named Liu Zhibo, Xiao Lin’s rival, had helped her. Xiao Lin’s family was just starting their business and couldn’t assist. But the illness of her mother was a fabrication.

“So you chose to break up with Xiao Lin for that? Do you know how much that hurt him? He went to Beijing alone to find you. He was devastated for over two years. He used to be so outstanding, so sunny in spirit. But when I saw him, his grades were at the bottom of the class, and his personality had changed—cold and distant to everyone.”

Wang Yuqing’s voice grew passionate as she spoke, her heart aching for the pain Xiao Lin had endured—all because of the girl before her.

Ma Yunrou stared in stunned silence. She had no words to counter Wang Yuqing’s truth; the blame for the breakup lay squarely with her.

Wang Yuqing finished, her large, beautiful eyes fixed on Ma Yunrou with fierce anger. How could anyone treat Xiao Lin so cruelly?

Ma Yunrou’s face betrayed her discomfort as her mind raced for a way to regain control. Yet no rebuttal came to her. Instead, she resorted to another tactic.

Suddenly, Ma Yunrou grasped Wang Yuqing’s hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I know I wronged Xiao Lin before, but I’ve changed. I came back this time to take good care of him. You don’t understand—when I saw Xiao Lin, my heart could no longer calm down. And he must still love me; otherwise, why would he let me stay overnight at his place? Besides, he told me himself that I’m still his girlfriend. It’s just that he feels guilty about you, and I know you’ve been caring for him all this time. I truly thank you for that. But I beg you, please give Xiao Lin back to me. I can’t lose him again.” Her voice choked with sobs, evoking pity in anyone who heard her. An innocent girl wronged, it seemed.

This was Ma Yunrou’s final card—playing the sympathy angle with tears, and subtly referencing her overnight stay at Xiao Lin’s house.

That phrase struck Wang Yuqing deeply. Xiao Lin had let Ma Yunrou stay overnight? She smiled bitterly. Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin, how could you?

She took another sip of her coffee, the bitterness making her frown. She felt like that iced coffee—bitter and cold.

Watching Ma Yunrou continue to weep, a flicker of pity arose within Wang Yuqing. Perhaps this girl truly loved Xiao Lin, and perhaps Xiao Lin still loved her. With that thought, Wang Yuqing sipped the bitter coffee and silently made a difficult decision. Since things had come to this, all that mattered was Xiao Lin’s happiness. Her own happiness paled in comparison. They say true love is not about possession, but about watching someone walk toward joy.

What Wang Yuqing did not know was that Xiao Lin was far from happy. Ma Yunrou’s care was a facade; in truth, she meant to hurt him further. If Wang Yuqing ever learned Ma Yunrou’s true intentions, would she not confront the despicable woman outright?

“Please... take good care of him,” Wang Yuqing said with all the strength she had left. She rose, lifting her head high to keep the tears from spilling. Then, unsteady, she walked out of the café.

As Wang Yuqing left, Ma Yunrou quickly wiped away her tears, a triumphant smile curling on her lips.

“What a stubborn one. I had to pull out that move, but luckily she didn’t see through it. Such an innocent little girl,” Ma Yunrou mused, pleased with herself.

“Waiter, another coffee for me—make it sweet, with lots and lots of sugar,” she ordered triumphantly.

Outside, the bustling street with its endless flow of cars and people seemed to deepen Wang Yuqing’s loneliness. A cold wind wailed, stinging her face painfully. Slowly, she lifted her hand to touch her cheek, where two clear lines of tears had already fallen. Is this what it feels like to lose a loved one? Her heart felt utterly hollow.

Xiao Lin, now I understand how you must have felt when Ma Yunrou left you. And now that she’s back, your heart must no longer ache. So please, you must be happy.

Wang Yuqing unclasped the pen cap hanging around her neck, gazing at it with reluctant affection before clutching it tightly in her palm. After a long moment, she wiped away her tears and slipped the pen cap into her pocket.

My love, are you truly gone from me forever?