Huayu 2021: Isn’t he in the technology field?

Chapter 407 A Revolving Lantern of Memories, Boundless Darkness

Zhou Ye was plunged into a bizarre and fantastical nightmare.

In the dream, time lost its order, and the scenes were fragmented yet real.

She first returned to that summer in Peach Blossom Village, to the scene of her first meeting with Jiang Qing.

He walked into the living room wearing a simple white T-shirt and carrying a black backpack. The light cast a golden glow on his silhouette, adding a touch of dreaminess.

He smiled and said, "Sorry everyone, I'm late," his voice gentle and his eyes clear.

At that moment, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

The scene suddenly shifts to the moonlit ridge between fields, the air filled with the scent of earth.

She lifted the hem of her floral skirt, stumbling along as she chased after the tall figure ahead, her canvas shoes damp with dew.

"Jiang Qing! Wait for me!"

She shouted until her voice became hoarse, until he stopped beside the old waterwheel and turned around.

A sea of ​​bioluminescent lights appeared without warning, with specks of green light dancing around them. He had his back to the sky full of fireflies, and his eyes shone brighter than starlight.

She adorably tucked the camellia hair clip behind his ear, and when she uttered the words "poverty alleviation," her heart felt as sweet as melting malt candy.

In my memory, his smile was so gentle, so incredibly gentle…

The space shifts, and you arrive at the beach of Xiamen Island, where a salty sea breeze blows in your face.

She sat beside him on the beach, watching the tide wash over their ankles again and again.

The setting sun dyed the sky orange-red. He suddenly turned his head and kissed away the fine sand clinging to the tip of her nose. Then, his warm lips covered hers.

The kiss, salty from the sea, made her dizzy, and all she could hear was the roar of the waves and the pounding of her own heart.

The scene changed again, and we arrived at the spacious and bright kitchen of Binhu Shuangxi.

She wore his shirt as loungewear, ran barefoot around the floor, and insisted on helping him, but ended up either knocking over the salt shaker or cutting tomatoes crookedly.

He wore an apron, shook his head with a mixture of helplessness and affection, took her hand from behind, and patiently taught her how to hold a knife.

"Zhou Xiaoye, if you keep this up, we'll have to eat instant noodles tonight."

His deep laughter vibrated on her back, tickling her yet inexplicably delightful.

Those everyday moments of sleeping in together in the morning and watching movies together in each other's arms at night, trivial yet warm, filled every crevice of her memory.

The clearest image is of the enormous, almost sky-high, dazzling Ferris wheel.

The elevator slowly ascended to the highest point in the city, with the dazzling lights of thousands of homes in Luyang shining below.

He pointed in the direction of Wuwen Science and Technology Park and told her that something that would change the world was about to be born there.

Then, as if by magic, he produced the camellia hair clip that she recognized so well, saying, "The person we've been helping to alleviate poverty has come to repay our kindness."

She excitedly threw herself into his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, and felt like the happiest person in the world.

He also said, "Ono, I miss you so much."

That kiss was tender and precious, as if she were some fragile treasure.

However, the happy scene suddenly distorted, shattered, and vanished into nothingness.

Meng Ziyi's face suddenly appeared, with that familiar carefree smile, but it blurred in the next second, and then the scene changed to her tiptoeing and kissing Jiang Qing in the lounge.

So clear, so blinding.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Haocun appeared, looking at her with his innocent big eyes.

The next moment, she embraced Jiang Qing, raised her eyebrows triumphantly, and revealed a victor's smile.

In a flash, Tian Xiwei appeared with her arms crossed and chin raised, saying, "That's right, he gave me the role in 'Qingqing's Daily Life.' He's not just good to you."

Finally, Chen Duling slowly approached. The gentle and rational older sister in her eyes asked in a calm tone, "You know everything?"

……

The feeling of betrayal surged in from all directions like an icy tide, enveloping her tightly, and a suffocating pain gripped her heart.

Their faces appeared one after another, their voices mingling noisily—accusations, defenses, mockery, weeping, sneers… weaving together a huge net that dragged her into the abyss.

"No...it's not true...don't...don't do this..."

She struggled and screamed desperately.

"Ono? Ono?"

A familiar voice called out to her, pulling her out of the mire of nightmares.

Zhou Ye suddenly opened his eyes, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath, breaking out in a cold sweat.

My vision was blurry at first, then gradually became clear.

Under the warm yellow light of the bedside lamp, Jiang Qing's face was very close.

He frowned slightly, his eyes full of concern, and one hand gently rested on her forehead, testing her temperature.

"Ono, did you have a nightmare?"

His voice was a little hoarse and tired, but still gentle.

Almost instinctively, before Zhou Ye could even sort out his chaotic thoughts, his body acted before his consciousness could.

Her nose stung with tears, and a wave of grievance washed over her. Instinctively, she wanted to do what she always did: snuggle into his arms, hug his neck, bury her face in his chest, and pitifully recount the terrible dream she had just had, seeking comfort.

However, he had only just lifted his body slightly, and his arms were not yet fully extended—

In that instant, all the scattered fragments of memory, like a movie on fast-forward, rushed into my mind!

The half-open door to the lounge, intertwined figures, Meng Ziyi's crying and explanations, Tian Xiwei's fiery and straightforward remarks, Liu Haocun's fanning the flames, Chen Duling's tacit agreement...

And this man in front of me, his gentle facade!
All the images and sounds, when strung together, form a brutally truthful picture.

Zhou Ye's raised hand froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in mid-air by invisible ice.

The confusion and dependence on her face vanished as quickly as the tide receded, replaced by an extreme coldness and numbness.

Those almond-shaped eyes, which were always curved and smiling, were now like two dry wells, devoid of any luster, only filled with bottomless coldness.

She slowly withdrew her hand, which had almost touched him, lay back down, pulled the blanket up, and covered herself completely, revealing only a pale, bloodless face.

Jiang Qing took in all these subtle yet dramatic changes in her eyes, her outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and finally fell limply to the ground.

Seeing the frost quickly forming in her eyes, his heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by a large hand, and a dull pain spread through him.

"Ono..."

He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse.

"sorry."

Zhou Ye did not react at all, staring blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling.

Her silence weighed heavily on Jiang Qing's heart like a boulder.

He took a deep breath, knowing that any explanation would be futile at this moment and would only appear more hypocritical.

At this moment, any explanation would be too weak.

"It was my fault."

Jiang Qing spoke slowly, his tone heavy.

"It's all my fault. I was greedy, and I hurt you."

He paused for a moment, observing Zhou Ye's reaction.

She remained motionless, not even her eyelashes trembled, as if he were merely talking to himself.

“I know it’s too late to say anything now. What you saw and heard is real. Me and them, it’s all real.”

He presented his statement as calmly as possible, as if he were giving a work report.

With each word Zhou Ye uttered, he could feel Zhou Ye's aura grow even colder.

“My feelings for you are real, and so are my feelings for them…”

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. "Actually, I've always wanted to find an opportunity to tell you everything, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was afraid, afraid you wouldn't be able to accept it, afraid you would leave me. I tried to hold onto everything, but I underestimated how much harm it would cause you, and I overestimated my ability to handle complicated relationships. I... betrayed your trust."

As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer.

He had never felt so frustrated and unable to speak before.

An endless silence fell over the room.

Only the distant city noise outside the window serves as a reminder that time is still passing.

It felt like an entire century had passed.

Zhou Ye finally made a move.

She turned her head very slowly, and for the first time, her cold eyes truly met Jiang Qing's gaze.

There was no anger or hysteria in his eyes, only a near-desperate calm, a deep-seated disappointment.

"why?"

She asked.

The voice was very soft, as soft as a feather that would break at the slightest touch, yet it carried a power that penetrated the heart.

There were no questions, no complaints, just three simple words.

Why can you say you like me, but at the same time like someone else?
Why is it that when I trusted you wholeheartedly and looked forward to our future, you were flirting with so many other people?

Why did you turn me into a joke?
A joke about being betrayed by your best friend and the person you love most?

Jiang Qing looked at the desolate ice field in her eyes and felt a tightness in her chest.

He opened his mouth, only to find that any explanation seemed so pale and ridiculous in the face of the question "why".

What could he say?
To talk about the inherent flaws of men?
To say that one is powerless when caught in the center of temptation?

Does that mean his feelings for everyone are genuine?

How could these reasons, which even he himself could not convince, possibly heal her current trauma?
In the end, he could only try his best not to look away and meet her gaze directly.

"There's no reason why, it's my fault, I'm an idiot."

This admission, like the final key, completely locked away all of Zhou Ye's unrealistic fantasies.

She looked at him steadily.

The man before her was the man she once regarded as a star and was proud of.

Countless images flashed uncontrollably through my mind.

His clean smile when they first met in Peach Blossom Valley, his figure turning back to wait on the ridge of the field, the salty kiss on the beach of Luhu Island, the warm and cozy atmosphere in the kitchen of Binhu Shuangxi, the light in his eyes when he fulfilled his promise high above the Ferris wheel... until this afternoon, when he shone brightly at the press conference, shocking the world, she sat in the audience, feeling honored and filled with pride.

Those moments that once truly sustained her happiness and joy now seem like an elaborate deception, utterly ironic.

Perhaps the Jiang Qing she loved was just the one she imagined.

He has a gentle personality, sings beautifully, cooks delicious food, and is already the head of a technology company at a young age. He is a world-renowned AI genius, and most importantly... he spoils and indulges her endlessly.

The real him is complex, greedy, and promiscuous, with a dark side that she cannot understand or accept.

She had her doubts, judging from the repeated trending topics and scandals.

She simply preferred to believe Jiang Qing, believing that he wouldn't lie to her.

After all, he was such a good person.

However, it turned out that I was just a fool.

He not only deceived her, but he went even further than she had imagined, to the point that she couldn't believe it at all, and he seemed like a complete stranger to her.

Why is this so?
If you're going to lie to me, why can't you lie to me forever?
Why couldn't we have been more careful?
Why did you let me find out?

Why do I have to witness it with my own eyes?

Grief and despair overwhelmed her like a tsunami, and a sharp pain shot through her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

But she didn't cry, not a single tear.

It was as if all the tears had been shed in that corner that afternoon, not a single drop remained.

She just felt so tired, so tired that she didn't want to move a single finger.

I just want to sleep and wake up so that everything can go back to normal.

It was all just a nightmare.

Unfortunately, this is not a dream.

Zhou Ye turned back to him, no longer looking at him, and his gaze returned to the ceiling.

She used all her strength to make her voice sound steady and calm.

"You go."

Three words, light and airy, yet utterly resolute.

Jiang Qing tensed up and looked up at her.

He saw the utter despair and numbness on her face, and knew that any words he spoke at that moment would be superfluous and would only deepen her pain.

The girl usually appears innocent and adorable, carefree, but deep down she has an amazing stubbornness.

Once she truly loses heart, it's impossible to win her back.

An unprecedented sense of panic welled up inside me, more intense than when facing any technical challenge.

But he knew he had to leave.

Giving her space is the only thing he can do for her right now.

The girl is like a colorful bubble, ready to burst at the slightest touch.

Jiang Qing stood up with difficulty, looked at her deeply one last time, and then turned and walked away.

He stopped at the door, his back to her.

"I've already messaged Zhang Wen to come and keep you company; she should be here soon."

Zhou Ye did not respond at all, as if he had not heard it at all.

Jiang Qing stood there for a few seconds before finally opening the door and walking out.

The sound of the door closing softly was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

When he was all alone in the room, Zhou Ye's tense body finally relaxed completely.

She curled up like a cat whose bones had been removed, covering herself completely from head to toe with the blanket, so that not a single ray of light could penetrate.

In the darkness, the world seemed to gradually collapse.

A chilling sense of despair seeped in relentlessly, a hundred times more real than the nightmare from before.

Her heart felt like it was being pierced repeatedly by countless fine needles, the pain making her feel cold all over and trembling uncontrollably.

The anger of being betrayed by her friend, the disbelief after discovering the truth, and the confusion about the future—all these emotions intertwined, almost tearing her apart.

She lost the person she loved most, and may also have lost the friend she once thought was her best.

The world she had always believed in was, in fact, a falsehood from its very foundation.

There was a faint knocking sound outside, as if Zhang Wen had arrived and was calling her name softly.

Zhou Ye did not respond.

She locked herself in this dark space, feeling as if the whole world had lost its color, leaving only an endless, suffocating grayness.

What should we do in the future?
She didn't know, and she didn't want to think about it.

At this moment, she just wanted to wallow in sadness until she became completely numb.

From under the covers came extremely suppressed, faint sobs, like the mournful cry of a wounded animal, which dissipated weakly in the cold night.

(End of this chapter)