VFGRC Chapter 80

“Click.”

The sound of the door lock turning echoed as Yu Bai pushed open the door to the rest area.

Chen Jing smiled, “Yu Bai, you finally came out! Why did you stay in the rest area for so long? Did you oversleep?”

Chen Jing’s smile froze for a moment.

There was something off about Yu Bai standing in front of him.

Yu Bai’s head was slightly lowered, his fine hair falling onto his forehead and covering his eyes. His lips were tightly pressed together, showing a visible white tinge.

As Yu Bai walked out of the rest area, he stumbled for a moment. Just as Chen Jing was about to offer his support, Yu Bai steadied himself.

Yu Bai looked up.

His gaze met Chen Jing’s.

In the past, Yu Bai’s round and gentle almond-shaped eyes often held a tender smile.

But now, Yu Bai’s eyes were filled with a crimson hue and a coldness, as if brewing an invisible storm.

Chen Jing was completely taken aback.

He had never seen such a look in Yu Bai’s eyes before—a mixture of anger, regret, sorrow, and various emotions churned together, creating a turbulent sea.

Finally, Yu Bai slowly purged these emotions from his eyes.

The crystal-clear brilliance of Yu Bai’s eyes was now veiled by a layer of indifference.

His eyes held no joy or sorrow, no longer shining as brilliantly as they once did.

A shock ran through Chen Jing’s heart.

What had happened to Yu Bai in the rest area just now?

Why did he show such a gaze?

“I understand,” Yu Bai’s voice was hoarse. “Very well. The plan can proceed smoothly.”

When he mentioned the word “plan,” there seemed to be a hint of mockery in his tone.

Before Chen Jing could react, Yu Bai quickened his pace.

“Xing Xing, let’s go home.” Yu Bai lifted Xing Xing, who was sitting on a stool and gnawing on the last piece of braised pig’s trotter. “Let’s go back early, so we can have dinner sooner.”

Xing Xing’s glossy little hand grabbed the half-eaten pig’s trotter, and his round ink-black eyes expressed confusion.

This morning, Dad had said they would spend an extra half-hour in the shop and then go to the nearby mall for delicious food. But the clock on the wall hadn’t even reached halfway, so why was Dad taking him away?

Moreover, Dad was now saying they would go back to have dinner later…

Xing Xing’s tiny eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He faintly sensed that something was off with Yu Bai.

“Yun He, could you please do a final check and close up?” Yu Bai said, then he carried Xing Xing and pushed open the door of the snack shop.

From the moment he left the rest area to walking out of the shop, Yu Bai’s expression remained subdued, not showing much emotion.

Except for Chen Jing and Xing Xing, no one else noticed anything unusual about Yu Bai.

In their eyes, Yu Bai had been busy and tired for the past few days. Upon receiving news of the successful opening of the online shop, he relaxed his tense nerves and appeared fatigued. Wanting to go home and rest early seemed perfectly normal.

It wasn’t until Yu Bai had just stepped out of the door of “Galaxy Snack Shop” that a familiar tall figure appeared in front of him, holding a bouquet of red roses.

The red roses were in full bloom, radiant and bright, but their arrangement was uneven—it looked like the work of a novice florist.

Ji Rongyu smiled, “Today is the first day of your online shop business. I personally arranged this bouquet and specially brought it for you. Wishing you a successful business…”

Ji Rongyu knew that besides cooking, Yu Bai didn’t have many preferences. When others gave Yu Bai gifts, what he valued most was the sentiment behind them.

If he gave Yu Bai an expensive gift, Yu Bai would likely reject it.

The bouquet of roses in Ji Rongyu’s hand had been carefully selected by him in the rose garden. He had patiently spent the morning cleaning thorns off each rose, then clumsily packaged them following the techniques he learned from the rose garden master. He carefully tied a crooked bow.

Red roses, with their celebratory color, were his hope for a successful opening of Yu Bai’s online shop.

Similarly, the red of the roses also represented his fervent and passionate love for Yu Bai.

Life goes on.

A year ago, Ji Rongyu wouldn’t have spent an entire day before dawn just to package a bouquet of roses in pursuit of a man.

But a year later, he was willing to give everything for Yu Bai.

As long as Yu Bai looked at him with those eyes that reflected only his figure, showing a gentle and joyful smile, that was enough for him.

However…

In Yu Bai’s eyes, Ji Rongyu saw only calmness.

Ji Rongyu’s smile slightly faltered, and his hands involuntarily tightened around the bouquet in his palm.

As they passed by each other, Yu Bai’s voice drifted on the evening breeze and reached Ji Rongyu’s ears.

“Mr. Ji from G Group, I’m honored that you appreciate my cooking skills,” Yu Bai’s tone was light, “but there’s no need to go to such lengths to get close to me.”

Ji Rongyu’s smile vanished.

Yu Bai continued, “Because I’m not a bird you can toy with.”

A sound of “whoosh” followed.

The bouquet of roses fell to the ground, and many of the crookedly wrapped rose buds escaped the confines of the packaging.

A gentle breeze lifted the fresh red petals, carrying them toward the end of the street corner.

“Yu Bai…”

Ji Rongyu’s voice was dry and feeble.

The day he had feared the most had finally arrived.

You can’t contain a fire with paper.

How can a relationship that began with lies ever bloom and bear fruit?

Ji Rongyu reached out, but all he caught was a faint scent of lemon detergent from Yu Bai’s clothing.

With a gust of wind, the fragrance immediately dissipated into thin air.

At a street corner.

Yu Bai hailed a taxi.

The driver in the front seat asked, “Where to?”

Yu Bai’s voice was calm, “XX residential complex.”

Inside the closed windows of the car, the air was stifling, making it hard to breathe.

Yu Bai rolled down the car window, and the breeze of spring and summer brushed across his cheeks, bringing a slight coolness.

Yu Bai only realized, at some point, that numerous tears had rolled down his cheeks.

“Daddy, why are you crying?”

After getting into the car, Xing Xing, noticing that Yu Bai had been crying, became both anxious and concerned.

“Daddy, don’t cry. I… I’ll help you wipe your tears.”

Xing Xing took out a clean napkin from his pocket.

He first quickly wiped his own greasy little hands clean, then pulled out a fresh napkin. Waving his little arms, he extended the napkin toward Yu Bai’s cheeks.

“Daddy, don’t cry, Daddy, don’t cry.”

Xing Xing’s small hand diligently wiped away the tear marks on Yu Bai’s cheeks, but Yu Bai’s tears continued to fall without stopping.

Yu Bai didn’t want Xing Xing to worry about him.

He had already been trying hard to control himself, telling himself not to cry anymore.

But his tears wouldn’t listen to him, they kept sliding down his cheeks.

Crying over someone who had deceived him with genuine feelings for months.

He felt so powerless.

Xing Xing’s little face was filled with heartache. “Who made Daddy upset? That person is a big bad guy. Daddy, don’t think about him, okay?”

Every breath Yu Bai took was accompanied by a pang in his heart.

How could the sincerity he had given, the emotions he had poured out, be easily taken back?

He had really, almost believed that Ji Rongyu would genuinely love him. He had almost entrusted the sincere affection he had cherished for two lifetimes to Ji Rongyu.

The end and detachment of a relationship were no different from undergoing painful treatment.

“Daddy, don’t cry. When you cry, my heart hurts too.” The round and shiny ink-black eyes of Xing Xing also shimmered with teary emotions. His tender voice was mixed with a sob, “Daddy, don’t cry.”

In an instant, Yu Bai’s voice echoed.

“Okay.”

Yu Bai held Xing Xing tightly. He suppressed the fragmented choking in his throat, swallowing it down.

He didn’t need, nor did he want, Xing Xing to cry with him.

When the pain reaches its extreme, people become numb.

He allowed himself to feel the heartache in this way.

Yu Bai thought that maybe soon, he wouldn’t be sad anymore.

 

Author’s Note:

PS: A shallow… shallow cut?

It’s okay, there are still 123… um, chapters that will turn sweet!

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TL’s note: Striiiiiiiiiiiiiike!!!~ xD