Three years after our breakup, you came back to China, and I'm just giving up. Why are you cryi

As dusk settled, the last glimmer of light was swallowed by the buildings outside the window, plunging the old rental apartment into darkness.

"Squeak—"

Lu Hao's door was pushed open from the outside, and a slender figure hesitantly peeked in.

A strong, pungent smell of smoke hit her face, and Ning Shu subconsciously frowned and raised her hand to fan her nose.

She pushed the door open, letting the living room light barely illuminate the mess inside.

The room windows were tightly closed, and the air was stuffy.

In the dim light, she saw a blurry figure leaning against the headboard, the cigarette butt between his fingers flickering like a will-o'-the-wisp in the darkness.

Ning Shu sighed helplessly. She walked to the window, opened it, and let the evening breeze carry the air in, dispelling the gloom in the room.

After doing all this, she came to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Lu Hao, weren't you supposed to be attending Qin Shou's wedding today? Why did you come back looking like this?" Her voice was soft and gentle, filled with concern.

Lu Hao stubbed out the cigarette butt, which had burned out completely, in the ashtray that was already piled up like a small mountain on the bedside table.

He reached out and turned on the light, and saw Ning Shu still wearing her off-white cartoon pajamas.

Lu Hao avoided her gaze and said in a hoarse voice, "Ning Shu, do you think people like us who have no money or power are born to be manipulated by others?"

Ning Shu blinked her bright eyes and tilted her head slightly, as if she was seriously thinking about this profound question.

After a while, she gently shook her head: "I don't know. But I do know that as long as you're not greedy, you can live a very comfortable life, and no one can control you."

"Greedy?" Lu Hao chuckled self-deprecatingly and asked, "Do you think I'm a greedy person?"

To his surprise, Ning Shu nodded without hesitation.

This movement made Lu Hao sit up straight. He frowned and looked at her seriously: "Really? I have nothing, and I don't pursue anything, so how could I be greedy?"

"You seem to ask for nothing, but actually you want everything."

Ning Shu's incisive words stunned Lu Hao, and his brows furrowed even more.

Do you want everything?

What do you want?

Is it that love that has long since turned sour?

Or is it the collision of intoxication?

Lu Hao shook his head blankly. He didn't even know what he wanted, so how could he be greedy?

Just as his body was exhausted and he was about to lean back against the headboard again, Ning Shu's sweet voice continued to ring out.

"You're too indecisive sometimes. If you were just a little more decisive, you could avoid a lot of troubles."

"What does this have to do with greed?"

"Because you can't bear to part with it."

Ning Shu's gaze was clear, as if she could see through all his pretenses. "You can't bear to cut ties with those people and things. Deep down, you still fantasize that everything can go back to the past, or that you can have a different future. That's why you've made yourself into such a mess."

Lu Hao didn't argue anymore. He silently fumbled for a crumpled cigarette case on the bedside table, shook out the last cigarette, and put it in his mouth. The faint flame of the lighter illuminated his inscrutable face.

Thick white smoke billowed from his mouth and nose, blurring his expression and making his voice sound even hoarse: "So, you mean I have only myself to blame?"

"Everyone chooses their own path, and your personality determines where you will end up."

Ning Shu looked at him quietly, her voice still soft, "Since you've chosen this path, there's no turning back. What you need to do now is figure out how to overcome the thorns along the way. Whether you're covered in wounds or emerge unscathed, you still have to keep going."

Lu Hao's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed amidst the swirling smoke.

Yes, there aren't that many "what ifs" in the world.

What's done is done; complaining and blaming others is useless. The important thing is to figure out how to solve the mess in front of us.

He didn't know how Fang Ruoyun would target Xiao Xiyue next, nor did he know if Su Yu would make any other moves.

And Lin Ran... He had to find an opportunity to ask her clearly whether it was Fang Ruoyun or Su Yu who had said what to her.

And, will his own small company be shut down by Fang Ruoyun's suppression?

Not to mention Hao Youqu who suddenly appeared, and Gu Yunfeng, the unfathomable figure behind Su Yu...

One name after another weighed on his heart like mountains, making it hard for him to breathe.

It wouldn't matter if he were alone, since he had no other way out anyway.

But he was afraid—afraid of Xiao Xiyue, afraid of Su Yu, even afraid of Lin Ran, because he would be dragged into this mess.

"hiss--"

A spark from a cigarette burned his finger, and a sharp pain brought Lu Hao back to his senses.

He hurriedly threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray, looked up at Ning Shu, and said with a wry smile, "Ning Shu, do you think I'm particularly fond of meddling in other people's business?"

Ning Shu was amused by his question, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "Isn't it human nature to be a busybody?"

A seemingly casual remark acted like a key, unlocking a knot in Lu Hao's heart.

He laughed along with him, his laughter filled with relief.

Yes, if he hadn't worked so hard for Lin Ran's promotion, he wouldn't have had the later interactions with Xiao Xiyue.

If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have had a relationship with Lin Ran, and there wouldn't have been the mess of the plan being leaked.

So right now, he's probably still that bastard who lives a life of debauchery in bars.

An unintentional choice is like a path that fate has already arranged.

Lu Hao rubbed his temples, lifted the covers and was about to get out of bed, but forgot that he was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts.

"ah!"

Ning Shu gasped and instinctively covered her eyes, but the gaps between her fingers betrayed her true feelings.

"Lu Hao, why are you just like Mengmeng, both of you like to sleep naked?"

Lu Hao looked down at himself, at least he still had his last "camouflage".

He grabbed some casual pants from the side and pulled them on, then found a T-shirt and put it on. He stretched lazily, turned his back to Ning Shu, and asked, "Did Xiao Xiyue tell you where she's waiting for me?"

"Huh?!" Ning Shu's mouth formed an "O" shape, her face full of surprise.

"What do you mean 'huh'? Hurry up and tell me, I have to go find her." Lu Hao put his phone and cigarette pack into his pocket and turned to look at Ning Shu, who was still standing there in a daze.

Ning Shu snapped out of her daze and shook her head: "She didn't tell me the exact location, she just told me to come and see you."

She paused, then added, "But she said you'd definitely find out."

Lu Hao shrugged helplessly. Xiao Xiyue had said the same thing to Su Yu before, and now she was saying the same thing to Ning Shu.

Why not just state the location directly instead of making people guess?

Women are such a hassle.

He went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face to make himself look more refreshed.

"I've cooked some rice. Would you like to eat something before you go out?" Ning Shu asked cautiously, one hand resting on the bathroom door frame as she peeked out.

"I'm not eating anymore." Lu Hao wiped his face, grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, "When I find her, I'll make her treat me to a big meal."

"You know the place?"

"I don't know..." Lu Hao paused, but the light in his eyes was incredibly firm, "But I must know. This is... her testing me!"

Ning Shu's beautiful brows furrowed slightly, and her bright eyes were filled with doubt.

Watching Lu Hao stride out of the room and hearing the door slam shut, she pursed her lips, took out her phone from her pocket, and sent a message to Xiao Xiyue.

[Sister Xiyue, Lu Hao has gone out.]

【Um. 】

Ning Shu put away her phone and silently walked to the dining room. On the table sat the three dishes and soup she had just prepared, still steaming hot.

She pulled out a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her hand, staring at the empty seat opposite her, her gaze gradually losing focus.