Chapter 167 Decision

Holding the tear-stained Wang Yuqing in his arms, Gao Zheng felt a wrenching pain in his heart. After listening to her pouring out her heart, he no longer knew whether there was any hope left for him, nor did he know if he should continue to hold on. Wang Yuqing’s love for Xiao Lin ran so deep that not even a single needle could be wedged into it.

"Yuqing, I want to stay and take care of you... Is that okay?" Gao Zheng’s voice trembled. He loved the girl in his arms far too much to give up easily if there was even the slightest glimmer of hope. At that moment, how he wished she would simply say yes.

His words caused Wang Yuqing to close her eyes tightly, two trails of crystal tears streaming down her cheeks. She was well aware of his feelings for her, but matters of the heart do not work simply because someone is good to you; affection does not automatically follow. Sometimes, a single glance is enough to seal a bond for three lifetimes, while other times, remaining together for a lifetime yields nothing more than water-plain indifference. She regarded Gao Zheng only as a friend. They might become very good friends, but they could never be lovers.

"Gao Zheng, I’m sorry... Right now... I..." Wang Yuqing sobbed. Her mood had hit rock bottom; Xiao Lin’s departure was a devastating bolt from the blue. When they broke up previously, sorrowful though she was, she could at least still see him every day. Now, he had vanished without a single word of farewell, disappearing completely without a trace. This sudden blow drove her to the verge of despair, overwhelming her with a profound sense of helplessness that completely crushed the last remaining straw of her resilience.

Looking at her haggard face and swollen, red eyes from crying, Gao Zheng felt a bitter taste in his heart and thought: *It's over. That graduation promise is gone.*

"Yuqing, it’s all right. I don’t mind. We’ll always be good friends, won’t we? Besides, I’m leaving for the UK soon, so we’ll be parting ways before long. But I hope that before I go, the Yuqing I see isn’t crying, but rather the pure you, whose smile resembles a blooming jasmine flower. Trust me, Yuqing, everything will get better. Xiao Lin... I... will help you find him." Gao Zheng forced down the agony within his heart and squeezed out a smile. Since he had no chance left, he would at least make her happy again; he loved her intoxicating smile. A silent resolve formed deep within his mind.

"Gao Zheng... You said... you can find him? Gao Zheng... sob... You aren't lying to me, are you?" Hearing that Gao Zheng was going to the UK, Wang Yuqing felt a slight wave of relief. She harbored a sense of guilt toward him, and his departure meant she could now devote herself entirely to waiting for Xiao Lin. Then, hearing that he would help her find Xiao Lin, a sudden glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes. She grasped his arm tightly and looked up at him with eager expectation.

"Yes... I can find him, but you must promise me you’ll get better. Look at the state you’re in, I..." Gao Zheng wanted to say he felt heartbroken for her, but for some reason, the words refused to pass his lips.

"I know... Gao Zheng, don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'll eat right away... You... Go find Xiao Lin immediately. Go find Xiao Lin." Struggling weakly, Wang Yuqing pushed herself away from his embrace and shoved him toward the door, gesturing for him to go after Xiao Lin. Feeling the feeble strength in her hands and seeing the anxious expression on her face, Gao Zheng felt an overwhelming wave of heartache and sorrow.

"All right... I'll go right now. You... get some rest... I... am leaving." Seeing how deeply she cared for Xiao Lin, Gao Zheng felt a stinging sensation in his nose as a wave of grievance welled up inside him, almost bringing him to tears. Thanks to his strong self-control, he forced the tears back into his eyes, turned around, and strode out of the room. He dared not look back, fearing that a single glance would make him regret his choice.

After he stepped out, Wang Yuqing stood in a daze for a couple of seconds. Then, catching the rich aroma of food wafting from the table, she finally felt the gnawing hunger in her stomach.

"I must eat. I need to get my strength back. I won't let Xiao Lin come back and see me looking like this." She murmured to herself as she slowly and laboriously shuffled toward the table.

Just as Gao Zheng emerged from the bedroom, Wang Yuqing’s uncle and aunt hurried over.

"How is Qingqing? Is she all right now?"

"You child, arguments happen, but as a young man, you should be more magnanimous. Look at what a state you've driven Qingqing into."

Hearing their reproaches, Gao Zheng bit his lower lip hard, using the physical pain to banish the sorrow in his heart.

"Don't worry, Uncle, Auntie. Yuqing is fine now. You can go on inside and see her. I have things to do... so I'll be leaving first. Yuqing and I... probably won't have a chance to be together in the future." Uttering those bitter words, he left with a desolate expression.

"What did that boy say? What does he mean they won't have a chance to be together?" Hearing this and seeing Gao Zheng's sorrowful look, Wang Yuqing’s uncle asked his wife in confusion.

"Who knows? Oh, young people always argue; they'll patch things up soon enough. Let's just go inside and check on Qingqing." Her aunt didn't pay much heed to it.

"Right, right, let's go see Qingqing."

...

Meanwhile, after leaving her uncle's house, Gao Zheng drove straight home. Although his heart was wracked with agony, he had to fulfill his promise to Yuqing immediately. Moreover, his pent-up fury needed an outlet, and Xiao Lin was undoubtedly the prime candidate. In truth, Gao Zheng felt utterly helpless. He had originally thought that once Xiao Lin and Wang Yuqing broke up, his chance would finally arrive; during a previous conversation, Xiao Lin had even hinted at entrusting Wang Yuqing to him. When he first heard that Xiao Lin had left without a word, his initial reaction was shock and incomprehension, followed by a fleeting trace of elation—with Xiao Lin gone, wouldn't his obstacles be removed? But Wang Yuqing's reaction had left him completely speechless. Her subsequent outpouring made him realize the depth of her feelings and that he truly had no hope left. Yet, his profound love for her compelled him to do one last thing for her: track Xiao Lin down and bring him back to her side. As for Xiao Lin’s current girlfriend, Ma Yunrou, he didn't even bother considering her; Gao Zheng had numerous ways to deal with that kind of girl. He was still unaware that Xiao Lin and Ma Yunrou had already broken up.

He soon arrived home, got out of the car, and went straight to find Lin Yuemei to share his decision. Upon hearing that he had agreed to go to the UK, Lin Yuemei nodded repeatedly with delight, thinking her son had finally come to his senses. But when he added the condition that he needed to find Xiao Lin first, her smile instantly froze. She had just recently manipulated Ma Yunrou into driving Xiao Lin away, and now her own son wanted to track him down, rendering all her scheming utterly futile. Worse still, she feared Gao Zheng might already know the truth.

"Son... who is this Xiao Lin?" Lin Yuemei asked in a low voice, wanting to gauge how much her son actually knew.

"He's a classmate of mine... a friend. Ha, and also my rival in love." Hearing her question, Gao Zheng wore a thoughtful expression, shifting between a smile and a bitter grimace before his face finally settled into a look of firm determination.

"A rival in love... Don't worry, son, Mom will teach him a lesson for you." Hearing only the word "rival," Lin Yuemei assumed her son remained oblivious to her involvement, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, I'll handle my own affairs. I only need Uncle Lei to help me. Once this matter is settled, I'll leave for the UK immediately, and... and I won't pursue Yuqing anymore." As he uttered the final sentence, he practically gritted his teeth. The "Uncle Lei" he referred to was a subordinate of Lin Yuemei, a former private investigator of the highest caliber. That was why Gao Zheng needed him; ordinary people like Uncle Xiang would find tracking someone down too difficult.

"No problem... Wait, what? You're going to give up on that girl?" Lin Yuemei spat out a mouthful of tea in disbelief, unable to fathom if what she heard was true. Gao Zheng had only just told her he agreed to go to school in the UK alone. She had assumed he and the girl had reached an understanding, never expecting him to simply walk away. It caught her completely off guard. While Lin Yuemei had never wanted her son to jeopardize his future over romance, she hadn't intended for him to give up on Wang Yuqing either, especially since she had gone to such lengths—even resorting to ruthless methods—for his sake. She was a businesswoman, and a businesswoman's philosophy was that every investment must yield a return.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just tell me whether you agree or not." Gao Zheng didn't want to elaborate.

"Fine, agreed. Tomorrow I'll have Xiao Lei come over here, and you can tell him what you need." Naturally, Lin Yuemei had no reason to refuse; her son leaving for the UK was the ultimate priority.

Seeing her consent, Gao Zheng said nothing more and walked back to his bedroom. He needed time to clear his head and calm his turbulent emotions.

The moment he left, Lin Yuemei summoned Uncle Xiang to her study to interrogate him about the situation. However, Uncle Xiang hadn't been tailing Gao Zheng lately and remained completely in the dark.

"Old Xiang, go find Ma Yunrou again and give her a warning. Whatever we did must never reach my son's ears, otherwise we'll be in deep trouble. Then, check up on that girl's recent situation—especially the last few days. I want every detail you can find." Lin Yuemei instructed.

"Understood, Madam. I'll go right now." Uncle Xiang bowed and hurried off to find Ma Yunrou.

Left alone, Lin Yuemei pondered for a moment before picking up the phone.

"Hello, Xiao Lei? Come to my house tomorrow, I have something for you to do. Remember, no matter what the young master asks of you tomorrow, agree to it on the surface. But behind the scenes, you are not to help him at all—report everything back to me...." Hearing a satisfactory response on the other end, Lin Yuemei hung up with a smug smile.

"Hmph, trying to steal my son's woman? You'd be better off dead. Even if my son doesn't want her, she's still not yours to have." A sinister grin crept across her face.