IOLYF Chapter 43

Han Shao Zhou still believed that Mo Ming couldn’t leave him so easily. Whether it was threats, reverse psychology, or playing hard to get, he was sure that Mo Ming was using one of these tactics. After three years together, Han Shao Zhou felt like he had Mo Ming all figured out—this guy simply couldn’t live without him.

After taking a shower at the hotel, Han Shao Zhou stood by the window, chain-smoking as he stared at his phone. He had made it clear to Mo Ming that if they broke up, he would never see him again. With that statement as a threat, he didn’t believe that Mo Ming could hold out in this cold war for long.

The sound of the rain pouring outside only added to his irritation. Han Shao Zhou finally turned off his phone and threw himself onto the bed, trying to sleep.

He tossed and turned all night, only managing to doze off briefly around dawn.

As the morning light filtered through the window, Han Shao Zhou suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed his phone from the bedside table, turning it on.

But there was still no message from Mo Ming.

Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, with dark circles under his eyes, Han Shao Zhou gradually calmed down…

It had only been one night. There was no rush.

Mo Ming would realize soon enough that his little game wasn’t working, and when that happened, he’d come running back, begging to reconcile.

Even if Mo Ming had really intended to leave last night, it didn’t matter. The pain of losing someone important takes time to sink in.

If one night wasn’t enough, then he’d wait.

Half a day, a whole day…

Every moment would be torture for Mo Ming.

…

The rain had lasted all night, but by morning, the sun was shining brightly.

Warm sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, casting long shadows across the two large suitcases standing beside the coffee table.

Mo Ming sat silently on the sofa, staring blankly at the suitcases.

He had been sitting there, fully dressed and ready to go, for almost two hours. The thought kept echoing in his mind: If he really left this place today, he might never see Han Shao Zhou again.

That’s what the man had said when he walked out last night…

Three years. It seemed like he had grown accustomed to drawing a certain strength from Han Shao Zhou…

But now, his face had lost its charm, and he had nothing left to offer in exchange for that emotional support. Was he supposed to keep clinging on?

He looked down at his phone, the message he’d been typing—an apology, a plea to make up—hovered on the screen. He had written and deleted it several times, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to send it.

He had to get used to this, he told himself. Delaying the inevitable by a day or two wouldn’t change anything.

Three years… he should be grateful.

He loaded the two large suitcases, a travel bag, and a storage box into the car, filling the backseat and trunk to the brim.

Before driving off, Mo Ming stopped by the pet store where he had left Xiao Han in boarding. He paid for nearly ten days of boarding and told the owner that he would pick up Xiao Han after he returned from filming a show in T City.

The regular routine of working and living would help him focus on taking care of Xiao Han.

Just as he was about to leave, the shop owner called out, “Oh, Mo, by the way, Xiao Gao came by last night asking for your contact information. He seemed like he knew you and had something urgent, so I gave him your number.”

“Xiao Gao?”

“Oh, that’s Gao Chen. Didn’t he call you last night?”

Thinking of the missed call from an unfamiliar number the night before, Mo Ming frowned slightly. He could guess why Gao Chen had been trying to reach him.

As soon as he got in the car, that unfamiliar number called again. As he expected, it was Gao Chen.

Over the phone, Gao Chen sincerely apologized for the media frenzy that had erupted yesterday.

“If this caused any misunderstandings with anyone close to you, I’m willing to explain it to them personally.” Gao Chen offered, clearly thinking of Han Shao Zhou. Knowing Han Shao Zhou’s temper, Gao Chen was sure that even if everything was innocent, the fact that it involved him would have riled him up.

Gao Chen worried that Han Shao Zhou might take his anger out on Mo Ming…

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” Mo Ming replied calmly. “Is there anything else?”

Gao Chen detected the coldness and weariness in Mo Ming’s voice. He wanted to ask more but held back. Given their current relationship, he wasn’t in a position to be Mo Ming’s emotional guide.

But he couldn’t help feeling concerned, even if it was a bit presumptuous, that Mo Ming might be staying with Han Shao Zhou out of some misguided sense of duty because he couldn’t let go of Zhou Xu.

“Mo Ming, I have a photo album of Zhou Ge’s.” Gao Chen said, “I asked my mom to send it over from home. It should arrive in a few days.”

Mo Ming was taken aback. “A photo album of Zhou Ge?”

“Yes. Zhou Ge made it himself before he passed away. I’ve kept it at my house ever since.” Gao Chen continued, “I know Zhou Ge meant a lot to you, so if you’d like, I can give it to you.”

Mo Ming’s breath caught in his throat. “I… I’d like to see it…”

“Alright. I’ll contact you as soon as it arrives.”

“…Okay.”

“Mo Ming…” Gao Chen hesitated, then softly said, “Thank you.”

…

By noon…

Mo Ming parked in the garage and made two trips to carry his things into the apartment.

There wasn’t much, really. It wasn’t like moving house; it felt more like a short trip, and now he was back where he was supposed to be.

This was the apartment near the prestigious drama troupe, about 100 square meters with two bedrooms and a living room. Mo Ming had bought it two years ago and had it fully renovated. He’d recently hired a housekeeping service to clean it regularly, so it was spotless and fully equipped—ready to move in.

He had rationally planned for this day, thought he was mentally prepared, but now that the last bit of hope had vanished, the sense of loss was deeper than he had imagined.

He left the boxes piled in the living room and crawled into bed in the middle of the day, wrapping himself in the covers and trying to sleep.

It felt like being back in those empty, suffocating nights.

Falling endlessly into the dark, with nothing but an abyss below.

Two days passed…

Time flowed like a flatline on a heart monitor.

On the evening of the second day, Mo Ming took a hasty shower, pulled some clothes out of his still-unpacked suitcase, threw them on, and went out.

The warmth of the setting sun had been replaced by the night’s chill. Mo Ming pulled his coat tighter around him, his hair tousled by the cold wind.

After a simple dinner at a small restaurant, Mo Ming decided to head to the mall to stock up on groceries. As he stepped outside, he noticed fireworks blooming in the distant sky.

Almost instinctively, Mo Ming followed the direction of the fireworks, but he was stopped at the edge of a large artificial lake.

The fireworks were too far away. From the lake’s edge, they looked like small, flickering sparks in the sky—distant but still dazzling.

Mo Ming leaned against the railing by the lake, staring into the cold wind at the distant lights. The fireworks reflected tiny specks of light in his eyes, but as the sparks faded, so did the light in his eyes.

His gaze fell sadly to the surface of the lake…

The romantic fireworks they once shared seemed so beautiful back then, but now they only felt lonely.

Slumping against the stone railing, Mo Ming pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

“Brother, smoking is bad…”

A young girl’s voice interrupted him, and Mo Ming slowly looked up.

It was a little girl with pigtails, no more than six or seven years old, standing on roller skates. She blinked her big, clear eyes at him.

Mo Ming tilted his head. “Who told you that?”

“My dad said kids who smoke aren’t good kids.”

“Your dad is right, so you must be a good kid too…” Mo Ming smiled. “But my dad wasn’t a good person, so I’m not a good person either.”

The little girl was stunned, not sure how to respond.

Her father soon approached, glancing at the young man smoking in front of his daughter with obvious disapproval. “Let’s go play somewhere else…”

The man picked up the girl and her skateboard, walking away while softly scolding her. “Remember, don’t talk to people who smoke like that. They’re not good people.”

The little girl clung to her father’s neck, still looking back at Mo Ming. She murmured, “But Daddy, that brother is really handsome.”

Mo Ming watched the little girl peeking over her father’s shoulder and couldn’t help but smile, his eyes crinkling. Then, in her line of sight, he stubbed out the cigarette on the concrete ground.

The little girl beamed and waved goodbye to him with all her might.

As the night deepened, fewer people were walking by the lake.

Mo Ming’s phone battery was almost dead. He watched the last few photos in his gallery until the battery hit one percent.

One percent—just enough for one call…

Exiting the gallery and opening his contacts, Mo Ming stared at a familiar number for a long time, his brows furrowed. Finally, he couldn’t resist pressing the call button.

Just one more try. That’s all he needed.

Just to hear his voice…

The phone rang.

Once, twice, three times…

Then it connected.

“Shao Zhou Ge…”

There was no immediate response, but Mo Ming could hear heavy, stifled breathing on the other end. He called out again, softer this time, “Shao Zhou Ge…”

“What is it?” came the voice, rough and almost snarling through gritted teeth. Even over the phone, Mo Ming could feel Han Shao Zhou’s anger.

Was he annoyed?

Mo Ming’s gaze dropped to the ground, and he spoke even softer. “Sorry to bother you. I’ll hang up now…”

“Don’t you dare!” Han Shao Zhou’s voice roared through the speaker.

Mo Ming froze, holding the phone tightly.

“Why did you call?” Han Shao Zhou’s voice was thick with restrained rage. “I’m giving you one chance to say it.”

“I, I…” Mo Ming stammered.

“Hurry up!”

Mo Ming’s voice shrank to a whisper. “Shao Zhou Ge, I… I miss you…”

The heavy breathing on the other end slowly calmed, and after a long pause, Han Shao Zhou finally spoke in a low, steady voice. “Where are you now?”

“By the artificial lake.”

“Stay there and wait for me!”