Chapter 160: Deep Regret

There are far too many regrets in life. Some beautiful moments turn into sorrow simply because we miss them; some opportunities slip away due to hesitation; some bonds of fate slide through our fingers with the passage of time. Some people can be gone forever the moment we turn our backs, and some missed chances may last a lifetime.

Wang Yuqing curled up in her room, her delicate and pretty face stained with tears. Her usually bright and expressive eyes had lost their former luster, and she looked utterly haggard. Anyone who saw her now would feel a deep surge of pity in their hearts. The once vibrant, beautiful, and gentle goddess had practically become a synonym for melancholy. For a whole day, Wang Yuqing stayed in her room alone, refusing to eat or drink, simply staring blankly at the lovebirds in the cage. The birds remained lively, occasionally chirping brightly, completely unaware of their mistress's inner anguish.

That night, Wang Yuqing and the others had hurried toward Xiao Lin's house, but they arrived a step too late. Xiao Lin and his grandmother had already boarded the train to Snow Village, and all that awaited them was a heavily locked door. Furthermore, Wang Yuqing did not have Xiao Lin's grandmother's phone number, and Xiao Lin's phone was unreachable. With no other options, the group had no choice but to return dejected.

"Xiao Lin, where are you? Why did you leave without saying goodbye? Why are you giving up on yourself?" Thinking of how Xiao Lin had vanished, Wang Yuqing's tears fell uncontrollably once more. She had lost count of how many times she had cried over the past two days.

Just as Wang Yuqing was consumed by grief, her aunt walked into the room carrying a tray of food. Seeing the untouched meal on the desk and Wang Yuqing's haggard complexion, her aunt let out a deep sigh. She walked over to the side table, removed the cold food, and placed the freshly warmed dishes in their place.

"Qingqing, no matter what, you still need to eat," her aunt said with a look of heartache. Yet Wang Yuqing remained huddled on the bed, offering no response, as if she hadn't heard a word.

"Sigh... this child..." Her aunt sighed, shook her head, and walked out. It wasn't that she hadn't tried to persuade Wang Yuqing; in fact, the moment Wang Yuqing returned yesterday, she and her uncle had sensed something was wrong. But no matter how hard they pressed, Wang Yuqing simply refused to give a reason.

"Hey, Old Xiao, did you call Gao Zheng? What time is it now? Why hasn't he shown up yet? Honestly..." As soon as her aunt stepped out of the room, she called out to Wang Yuqing's uncle, who was busy making a phone call.

The two of them assumed Wang Yuqing's heartbreak stemmed from a fight with Gao Zheng, which was why they wanted to call him over so he could apologize to her. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, Gao Zheng's phone remained unreachable.

"Sigh, still no answer. What on earth is going on here?" Wang Yuqing's uncle let out an exasperated sigh toward the ceiling.

"How is Qingqing?"

"Sigh, she hasn't touched a single bite of food, and she's still crying in there," her aunt replied with a worried expression.

"That little brat, what on earth did he do? Don't let me lay eyes on him, or I'll beat him to a pulp for daring to upset my Qingqing. Hmph!" Wang Yuqing's uncle grumbled angrily.

***

Meanwhile, Gao Zheng was at home arguing with Lin Yuemei over college applications. Lin Yuemei insisted that Gao Zheng go to school in England, but he stubbornly refused. The mother and son had already quarreled over this more than once, but today's dispute was far more intense. Gao Zheng was so furious that he smashed his cell phone, which explained why Wang Yuqing's uncle couldn't get through to him.

In the spacious study, Lin Yuemei and Gao Zheng glared at each other with wide eyes. Numerous books lay scattered across the floor in disarray. Uncle Xiang and the villa servants stayed downstairs, not daring to meddle in such a family conflict.

"Gao Zheng, what on earth are you trying to do? Do you really think I won't call your father back right now so he can deal with you? I'm washing my hands of this!" After glaring at each other for several minutes, Lin Yuemei finally broke the silence.

"Whatever," Gao Zheng sneered. This time, he wasn't afraid of whoever might come. For Yuqing's sake, he was ready to risk it all.

"You... Gao Zheng, are you even Lin Yuemei's son? When did you become so spineless that you dare talk back to me over some girl?" Lin Yuemei pointed a trembling finger at Gao Zheng, shaking with rage. She deeply regretted having enlisted Ma Yunrou to squeeze Wang Yuqing out; if Xiao Lin and Wang Yuqing were still together, her son wouldn't have turned out like this.

"Fine, Gao Zheng, you've really grown a spine. Alright, I'll compromise this time. I'll arrange for that girl to study in England, at the exact same university as you." Lin Yuemei forced the words out through clenched teeth. Had she known beforehand that Wang Yuqing would have such a massive hold over her son, she would never have let him get involved with her. But it was too late for regrets; things had reached this point, and she had no choice but to compromise.

Hearing his mother's words, Gao Zheng hesitated. He wasn't sure if Wang Yuqing would agree to go to England with him.

"This... I need to ask Yuqing," Gao Zheng said slowly. He could not make decisions on Wang Yuqing's behalf.

"You... then go ask her right now!" Lin Yuemei trembled all over with anger, nearly coughing up blood. How had her son completely lost his own backbone?

Gao Zheng shrugged indifferently, then turned and left the study. He had been wanting to go see Wang Yuqing anyway.

***

While Gao Zheng was driving toward Wang Yuqing's uncle's house, her aunt and uncle were still inside the bedroom trying to comfort her. However, their efforts yielded little result; Wang Yuqing remained lost in her own world, entirely deaf to their words.

Wang Yuqing's aunt and uncle exchanged bitter smiles. The person who tied the knot had to untie it; their fretting here was entirely useless.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Wang Yuqing's uncle gave his wife a gentle tug, and the two of them quietly left the bedroom.

"You go open the door, I'll keep calling that brat," Wang Yuqing's uncle told his wife before pulling out his phone to try Gao Zheng's number again.

However, the moment Wang Yuqing's aunt opened the door and saw Gao Zheng standing outside, she let out a startled gasp.

Hearing his wife's exclamation, Wang Yuqing's uncle glanced up briefly before lunging toward the doorway in a single stride. Reaching out, he grabbed Gao Zheng by the collar and snarled fiercely, "You little punk, tell me—what on earth did you do to our Qingqing?"

"Ah, Uncle, what are you talking about? I didn't do anything to Yuqing!" Gao Zheng was caught completely off guard by the sudden assault.

"Bulls***! Don't you dare play dumb. If you didn't do anything, why was Qingqing crying? If you didn't do anything, why is she so heartbroken? I'm going to beat you to death!" Cursing in fury, Wang Yuqing's uncle wound up his fist, ready to strike Gao Zheng across the face.

Upon hearing that Wang Yuqing had been crying, Gao Zheng immediately shoved her uncle's hand away and bolted frantically toward her bedroom.

The force of his movement caused Wang Yuqing's uncle to stumble backward, but Gao Zheng paid him no mind. At that moment, the only thing on his mind was finding out why Wang Yuqing was crying and what grievances she had suffered.

"You little punk..." Regaining his balance with difficulty, Wang Yuqing's uncle let out a roar and prepared to go after him, only to be held back by his wife standing nearby.

"Old Xiao, young people have their own ways of solving their problems. Let's not interfere."

"Hmph... Fine. But when that brat comes out, just watch how I handle him." Still seething with anger, Wang Yuqing's uncle muttered a few more curses under his breath.

Meanwhile, Gao Zheng burst hurriedly into Wang Yuqing's bedroom and immediately caught sight of her huddled on the bed, sobbing.

"Yuqing, what's wrong? Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll tear them apart!" Seeing Wang Yuqing's haggard appearance, an overwhelming fury surged within Gao Zheng.

Gao Zheng's loud shout elicited no reply from Wang Yuqing. She continued to stare blankly at the "lovebirds" in the cage, murmuring over and over, "He's gone... he's gone..."

"What do you mean he's gone? Yuqing, what on earth has happened to you?" Hearing her murmurs and following her gaze to the lovebirds in the cage, Gao Zheng was completely bewildered. Wang Yuqing had been perfectly fine just a couple of days ago; how had she ended up in this state?

"Yuqing? Yuqing?" Seeing that she still ignored him, Gao Zheng reached out and gave her a gentle nudge. Yet this simple touch caused Wang Yuqing to collapse sideways onto the bed. Her body was already frail to begin with, and combined with a full day of fasting and unbearable heartache, she simply could not withstand Gao Zheng's movement.

"Yuqing!" Her collapse terrified Gao Zheng. He hurriedly pulled her into his arms, gazing down at her pale face with a mixture of panic and heartache. Which bastard had made Yuqing suffer like this? Gao Zheng roared inwardly.

Only after resting in Gao Zheng's arms did Wang Yuqing realize there was someone else in the room. Fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "Why did he have to do this? Sob... Why did he leave us? Sob... What did I do wrong? Sob... Xiao Lin..."

"Gao Zheng, do you know how much I loved him? Sob... Ever since junior high..." Weeping, Wang Yuqing poured out her feelings for Xiao Lin. Her heart was fragile right now; Xiao Lin's unannounced departure had utterly shattered her defenses, and she desperately needed someone to listen.

Hearing Wang Yuqing's sobs, Gao Zheng ground his teeth until they clicked. It was that bastard Xiao Lin again! What had he done to Yuqing this time? As Wang Yuqing's fragmented words continued in broken snatches, Gao Zheng's initial rage slowly subsided into calm, until finally, his heart turned thoroughly ice-cold. So that was how it was...

*Heh, I never imagined Wang Yuqing and Xiao Lin's bond ran this deep,* Gao Zheng thought bitterly. *It seems I will never be able to reach into Yuqing's heart; her entire soul is pinned on Xiao Lin. Yet that bastard Xiao Lin not only fails to cherish such a wonderful girl, but hurts her over and over again. Xiao Lin, you absolute bastard!* Gao Zheng roared in the silence of his own mind.