After Breaking Up With the Scheming Bad Woman 113

Chapter 113: Look Forward, Don’t Look Back.

Huai Xing had first heard someone call her a coward when she was five years old and her mother had taken her to an amusement park.

There were many rides at the amusement park, but she was small and not tall enough, so the ones she could play on were very limited. In the middle of it, Huai Zhao had a case that required her to make a phone call to negotiate with someone. She saw a trampoline area not far away and told her mother that she wanted to go and play on the trampoline.

There were many children on the trampoline, all of them jumping around, leaping, frolicking, and excited, all of them innocent without any worries.

But that was the first time Huai Xing had played. She had no experience, and not long after she got on, she fell because she couldn’t keep her balance.

But the other people were still jumping around. She lost her center of gravity, and her body was uncontrollably flipping over. She couldn’t even get up.

She was dazed, she was at a loss, she was uneasy. Her nasal cavity was filled with the smell of plastic and sweat. She tried to stand up but failed. Every jolt would take away her strength.

At this moment, a little boy bounced past her and even laughed at her for being a coward, for being afraid of playing on a trampoline.

She did not refute, because it was the truth.

Even after she had grown up, in front of her mother’s tombstone, she had also described herself this way.

Therefore, she was very sensitive to this description.

But this description could not be said by Chu Wantang, otherwise, she would be even more stressed and could only subconsciously give her own reaction.

Because she knew in her heart that she could not deny this.

In the past period of time, she was as if she were in the state of falling on the trampoline as a child. She had no sense of security and could not stand up. On the surface, she looked calm and composed, but what she could grasp was probably just the futile air—

And Chu Wantang was that futile air. She clearly couldn’t grasp it, but she would still reach out her hand.

But in the end, the past that was entangled with Chu Wantang was like a pulling rebound force. When she was struggling to stand up, it would once again bounce her down heavily, pinning her to this trampoline, and her internal organs would tremble with it.

Had she not worked hard? In this relationship.

No, she had worked hard many times at the beginning.

When she was carving the flower that would not wither for Chu Wantang, when she had told Chu Wantang that the countdown did not count in the study in Haicheng, when she had stayed in Chu Wantang’s master bedroom on the grounds of leaving something behind, when she had set the password to “921228”…

Even when Lu Xianyue had first asked her if she was planning to fall into the same pit, the “not planning to” she had said was only because that was not a “pit”—

But was to plant a “spring letter” on the ruins.

But she was not sure.

As expected, every time she loosened the soil of the ruins, she would think of herself hiding in the closet and hugging her knees on that night five years ago.

When Chu Wantang looked at her, she would wonder if she was as easy to deceive in Chu Wantang’s eyes as she had been before.

Even though she knew the answer, because she could feel Chu Wantang’s sincerity.

But rebuilding a collapsed trust was a huge project. She counted the fingerprints on the broken bricks, and every one of them was evidence that she had once firmly believed in.

And building a wall with her bare hands made every brick carry a bloody mark.

Even going to bed with Chu Wantang was a well-thought-out step for her. She thought that perhaps physical dependence would work, especially since she knew how much her body missed Chu Wantang.

However, on the night at Yunqi Yuan, she still did not have a very real feeling. She was nestled in Chu Wantang’s arms, listening to Chu Wantang’s sad whisper in her ear, and a heavy sense of powerlessness rose in her heart.

So hard, Chu Wantang.

So tired, Chu Wantang.

It was true that she liked you, and the after-effects were also true.

She really had no strength to work hard anymore. She completely just treated this period of time as her period of indulgence. She had never been with Chu Wantang when Chu Wantang’s love was so strong.

There was no hot and cold, no gain and loss. On the surface, everything was so harmonious and beautiful.

She knew that Chu Wantang had also noticed her thoughts, because they had always had a tacit understanding. She couldn’t speak, and she couldn’t argue. The date was getting closer and closer, and an indescribable atmosphere was lingering around them.

Many nights, she had pretended to be asleep, and she also knew that Chu Wantang had gotten up and left the bedroom to cry. The next day, she would ignore Chu Wantang’s red and swollen eyes and pretend that she knew nothing.

The hug was embedded in their bodies, and their heartbeats were also in sync.

But that past was still blocking them.

In Huai Xing’s prediction, her break with Chu Wantang should have been very calm.

Were there any regrets? Of course.

Because they were not a couple in any way. They didn’t dare to celebrate Valentine’s Day together, and they didn’t dare to let Chu Wantang say the two words “lover.”

Their relationship had always been like this. It had started unclearly five years ago, and had ended unclearly. Thinking about it, they were both very experienced in going through this process again. They would just pretend that they had never been together.

But, in Chu Wantang’s eyes, would everything she had done be considered revenge?

If Chu Wantang thought so, then that was also good. That also meant that they were even in a certain sense, and there would be no more entanglement in the future.

But the result…

The break was quite uncalm, so uncalm that Huai Xing was now taking a shower and could still feel her constantly churning blood.

The night was getting deeper. She came out of the bathroom with her hair dried.

She saw Chu Wantang, who had sat down again in the living room on the first floor.

Chu Wantang was wearing pajamas, hugging her knees, and sitting on the soft blanket in a dejected manner, staring at the water glass on the coffee table in a daze.

After taking a deep breath, Huai Xing went downstairs.

She stepped on the stairs, her movements not loud or soft. Chu Wantang heard it but did not turn her head to look at her. She walked over in silence and sat down next to Chu Wantang.

She used an app to control the lights, leaving only the floor lamp in the corner, and then took out the remote control and pulled up “Robot Dreams.”

The familiar opening of the movie was playing on the TV, and the colors were reflected in their pupils.

The silent film made everything seem very quiet.

Huai Xing couldn’t just focus on the movie. She also looked at the glass of water on the coffee table and recalled the night she had fed Chu Wantang water.

As she was thinking, she really felt a little thirsty and stood up to stand in front of the water dispenser.

From beginning to end, Chu Wantang did not react at all, just sat there quietly, as if she had been hidden in the air.

Huai Xing looked at her from a distance by the light of the table lamp. It wasn’t until the water overflowed the glass that she slowly retracted her gaze.

She drank the water and sat back down.

The movie continued to play, and they watched in silence.

As time went on, there were still more than ten minutes left in the movie. Chu Wantang finally spoke, her voice hoarse. “Huai Xing.”

“Mm,” Huai Xing said, turning her head.

“Were you happy during the time you were with me?” Chu Wantang turned her head to the side and looked at her, asking very seriously.

“I was.”

“That’s good.”

Chu Wantang repeated in a daze, “That’s good.”

Huai Xing pressed her lips together and still asked, “You still haven’t told me what special ringtone you want.”

She paused. “Why didn’t you set it?”

“I’m afraid I’ll never hear it again in the future,” Chu Wantang said, holding back her tears. “I will follow the rules you set. I won’t disturb you in the future. Even the normal ringtone for me will no longer ring.”

“…It’s not a disturbance,” Huai Xing said, also hugging her knees and placing her face on them, in the same posture as Chu Wantang.

It was very much like a deskmate taking a nap on the desk during school. She continued, “It’s never been a disturbance or a trouble.”

The dim yellow light and shadow fell on them, allowing them to see each other’s eyes clearly.

Hearing this, Chu Wantang smiled bitterly. “What you’re saying now will only make me more heartbroken.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Chu Wantang said, blinking. “It’s my own problem. I thought I could find you again after we reunited, but I still lost you.”

Huai Xing’s long lashes drooped, and she was silent.

After a brief exchange, they continued to watch the movie.

Time would never pause, and the movie once again came to an end.

Huai Xing: “Do you still remember what you said on the night you were drunk, after you had finished watching this movie?” Without waiting for an answer, she said again, “You said it was so sad. You wanted the little dog and the robot to be together. They made you feel regret, because it was so close…”

“Do you still think so now?”

“I don’t think so anymore,” Chu Wantang said, closing her eyes in pain, her chest so heavy that she was suffocating. “You’re right. What’s missed is missed. All you can do is accept it. They both went on to live their own new lives in the end. That alone is very good.”

Huai Xing looked at her like this, her knuckles curling, and she had a little difficulty breathing.

A few seconds later, she replied with an “mm.”

The atmosphere fell silent again, until the end credits of the movie had finished playing.

“Is there anything else you want to say?” the two of them said in unison.

They were both stunned for a moment, but neither of them could laugh.

Huai Xing shook her head. “No.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately added, “But I lied to you about something tonight.”

“What?”

“I asked you if you were working overtime in the study. You chose another answer because you didn’t want to expose your fragility. I understand. You transferred two thousand to the doll shop but told me it was two hundred, also because you didn’t want me to feel that you had paid too much to see me. I know.”

Chu Wantang gave a radiant smile. “Thank you.”

Her eyes were filled with tears, and she said softly again, “I really want to kiss you.”

This time, she did not ask if it was okay or if she could, but it was still a request.

Huai Xing’s long lashes trembled. She propped herself up on one side and leaned over.

Chu Wantang did not wait passively. When she had made a move, she had placed her hand on her shoulder and had pinned her to the sofa.

In the past, Huai Xing had always been kneeling on her lap, but this time, she chose to treat Huai Xing in this posture.

Their figures were blurred into two indistinct blobs of ink under the warm light, and the tears that seemed to have rolled out of a pile of hot coals dripped onto Huai Xing’s face, slowly sweeping over her skin and continuing to flow down.

They flowed into the crack of their touching lips and were then rolled into their mouths.

Chu Wantang stroked Huai Xing’s jaw, and her heart was beating at an out-of-control frequency against her ribs. She was like a whale trapped in the deep sea, hitting the ice with all her might.

A suppressed low gasp came from her throat, and her lips seemed to be wrinkled from being soaked in tears.

The bitter and salty taste was choking them, but there was no sign of them separating, and the scorching heat in their throats was long, and the action of swallowing continued.

At the end, Chu Wantang took a tissue and wiped the tears from Huai Xing’s face.

When it was about done, she pressed her forehead against Huai Xing’s and called out in a low voice, “Xingxing…”

Their breaths were intertwined, and Huai Xing’s eyes were red.

She grabbed Chu Wantang’s pajamas and replied with a sound, “Hmm?”

“I want to sleep with you tonight,” Chu Wantang said. She still hadn’t asked if it was okay. “I’ll leave when I wake up.”

Huai Xing: “Okay.”

After tidying up everything in the living room, they held hands and went up the stairs, just like in the past.

When they returned to the master bedroom, it was no different from before. The table lamp was turned off, and everything was plunged into the dark night.

Chu Wantang wrapped her arms around Huai Xing and closed her eyes.

The tear stains on her face were almost dry, but when she closed her eyes, her eyes were still sore and swollen.

She couldn’t sleep, no matter how hard she tried.

Huai Xing felt Chu Wantang’s heartbeat and slowly opened her mouth. “The cooperation between the two companies is still ongoing. Are you still leading the team?”

“I’ll hand it over to someone else.”

“…Okay.”

“I’ll probably be going abroad for a while,” Chu Wantang said, pretending to be calm. “‘Lan Ling’ is going to develop overseas, and CEO Mei has put me in charge of this project.”

“I know. You also mainly talked about this when you were in a video conference.”

Chu Wantang stroked her head. “‘Silk Season’ is being led very well by you and Little President Lu, and it will get better and better. When I was 27, I was not as outstanding as you.”

“When you were 27, you were already Director Chu. You didn’t have a fixed training plan. It was all up to you.”

“Okay, we’re both very amazing,” Chu Wantang said, her voice a little choked. “How many more times can I say ‘we’ to Huai Xing?”

Huai Xing also let out a deep breath. “I don’t remember the first time I saw you.”

“Was it when you were a little over one and we met for the first time?”

“Yes.”

“Then how could you remember?” Chu Wantang couldn’t help but laugh. “But I remember that you were a little thing back then, hugging Auntie Huai’s leg and calling me Jiejie with some embarrassment.”

“Jiejie.”

“I’m here.”

“What about the second time you saw me?”

“The second time I saw you was at the coffee shop opposite the law firm. You had grown a little, but I couldn’t appear in front of Auntie Huai anymore. You were chasing a puppy on the side of the road and almost fell. Do you know that? Fortunately, you stabilized yourself in the end. The third time I saw you was at the same place, through that layer of glass. I saw you holding a bouquet of flowers from an auntie at the law firm and not letting go, and you even said you wanted to put them in your hair. They laughed at you for being vain, but they still put them in your hair. It was very cute. The fourth time I saw you…”

Chu Wantang’s memory was very good, and she continued to talk until she met Huai Xing again when she was sixteen. “I learned from the Xu family that Xu Zhixun was going to remarry, and only then did I know that it was Auntie Huai who had taken the initiative to invite him to meet. I also took the initiative to find him and told him that I was going to Yuncheng with him.”

“So, I heard you call me Jiejie with my own ears again. My first reaction was, long time no see.”

“You’re making me a little sad.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t get to witness your growth.”

“If there’s a next life, we’ll witness each other’s again, okay?”

“Okay.”

Chu Wantang smelled the fragrance of her hair and her lips landed on her forehead. “I’m very sorry for bringing you these pasts. Forget me well in the future.”

After that, no one spoke again.

“Good night” was hidden in the silence, in the breath, in the boundless dark night.

…

When Huai Xing opened her eyes, it was just before dawn.

She hadn’t slept for long at all. She had woken up naturally because of a headache. The person who had been holding her was long gone, and there was no warmth beside her.

She stared at the ceiling in a daze. After a long while, when the sunlight pierced through the crack in the curtains, she fluttered her long lashes.

She turned her head and saw a note on the bedside table. She was stunned for a moment and reached out to take it.

On the night of the Qixi Festival, she had wanted to be cruel and end their relationship early. The longer it dragged on, the more cruel it would be. For this, she had specially written a note and was just waiting for Chu Wantang to open it.

But Chu Wantang seemed to have a premonition and had not opened it for a long time.

And now, on the note, there was not only what she had written, but also Chu Wantang’s reply.

[Chu Wantang, happy Valentine’s Day. I hope you can always be happy in the future without me. Sleep well, eat well, don’t be trapped in the past, and don’t be afraid of thunder anymore. Look forward, don’t look back.]

[Meeting you was my luck. Thank you for appearing in my life, Huai Xing.]

Chu Wantang: [I wish you good weather when you wake up.]