61: Chapter 61 Heartbreaking Pain After Peeling the Banana

In the pitch-black hallway, the sensor light flickered on and off with the sound.

Shen Weiyue had spoken many sincere words, and he still had much more to say.

Liang Yuting's heart ached intensely, but thinking of the decision she had made, she forced herself to endure the pain and interrupted him, saying, "Student Shen Weiyue, what are you talking about? There is nothing between us, absolutely nothing. You did very well on this exam, and as your teacher, I congratulate you."

She was forcing a smile, a smile as fragile as a fading red flower in the wind.

Shen Weiyue said in a low voice, "I'm sorry!"

"Don't say it. It's all in the past; I've long forgotten it!" Liang Yuting said calmly. "If you're apologizing, I have received your sincerity. Is there anything else?"

"I..."

Is there anything else? Of course there was something, that's why I came here specifically.

Before coming, Shen Weiyue had prepared himself countless times in his heart, even deciding that if the conversation went smoothly, he would propose a perfect solution.

But the conversation was not going smoothly.

Liang Yuting wouldn't even give him a chance to delve into the topic.

She suddenly leaned against the railing, shifting her weight to the other leg.

Shen Weiyue looked at the high heels she was wearing and knew she must be uncomfortable from standing for too long, so he suggested, "Can we go inside to talk?"

"No, we'll talk right here." Her face was cold.

"Aren't you tired from standing?" he asked with a bitter smile.

"I'm not tired. Do you have any other business? If not, you can leave."

Liang Yuting would rather stand outside like this than open the door and let him in to talk. This defensive posture made Shen Weiyue feel even more bitter.

"Didn't you once say that as long as your conscience is clear, it's fine?" Shen Weiyue asked again.

Liang Yuting avoided answering, simply crossing her arms and looking at him coldly.

The two stood in silence, looking at each other amidst the flickering sensor light for a long while.

Forget it, let it be this way.

The words he had brewed thousands of times were now impossible to say.

Shen Weiyue figured he might have really been reading too much into things, so let it end here.

Since Liang Yuting wanted to completely cut ties with the past, he would grant her wish.

Shen Weiyue lowered his head and took a deep breath, trying hard to adjust his emotions. When he looked up again, he had put on a carefree smile.

"I have no other business." He opened his arms as if letting go. "One last small request: we've known each other for a while, can I have a hug before we part ways?"

"Please respect yourself!" Liang Yuting refused coldly, lifting her head to look at the ceiling.

"Oh, alright... then, goodbye." Shen Weiyue lowered his arms and walked dejectedly downstairs, brushing past her.

"Goodbye, Liang Muzi..."

He left, his figure disappearing into the hallway, and then even his footsteps faded away completely, like a ship sinking into the ocean floor.

Liang Yuting's heart felt instantly hollowed out, and no longer able to support herself, she collapsed softly onto the stairs along the railing.

She had done it.

According to her prior decision, she had severed the connection and managed to let him fly.

But even though it was like this, why did her heart ache even more?

"Meow~ Meow~ Meow..."

Mimi heard the noise inside the room and called out anxiously.

Liang Yuting stared at the ceiling to hold back her tears, opened the door, and returned home. Mimi immediately jumped into her arms and rubbed against her affectionately.

She collapsed onto the sofa in tears, and Mimi thoughtfully licked the tears off her face. This gesture made Liang Yuting cry even more intensely.

After crying for a while, her mood barely calmed down, and she stood up to change her shoes.

On the floor was a piece of white letter paper. Liang Yuting hurriedly picked it up to read; it was written by Shen Weiyue, presumably slipped through the door crack before she returned.

"Little sister Liang Muzi: Seeing these words is like meeting in person."

"With an uneasy heart, I struggled for several nights and finally decided to write this letter..."

Shen Weiyue's handwriting was very good. The letter was three full pages long, and between the lines, it was filled with genuine emotion.

Liang Yuting read it carefully, word for word. The more she read, the sadder she became, so much so that her just-calmed emotions stirred up again, and in an instant, tears streamed down like rain.

In the letter, Shen Weiyue expressed his apologies once again, then spoke of his thoughts and his plans for the future.

After reading through the whole letter, Liang Yuting realized that in the future he planned, she was present everywhere. It was just a pity that she felt she could not and should not appear in his future.

But this letter at least gave her great comfort. Shen Weiyue was not a scumbag who turned his back on his word; he was a responsible man.

That was good enough.

Liang Yuting cried and then laughed, then laughed and cried even louder, until she was hoarse and exhausted.

She clutched the letter tightly, reading it over and over again, and finally carefully tucked it away into a drawer.

Should she regret it?

She regretted it deeply.

But was what she did before wrong?

That wasn't wrong either.

Some things cannot be wrong over and over; that would be better for everyone.

Saying she had a clear conscience, but she actually felt guilty.

She didn't know how to face it; she liked him, yet she was afraid...

Liang Yuting held the kitten and slumped on the sofa, lying there until the early hours of the morning. Her mind was filled with the poem at the end of the letter:

Several times I sat beneath the flowers playing the flute, the Silver River and red walls appearing far in my gaze. These stars are not those of last night, for whom do I stand in the wind and dew until midnight? Lingering thoughts exhausted, like pulling silk from a remnant cocoon; winding heartbreak, like peeling a banana after the fact. At the time of three-five, the moon is three-five; pitifully, the cup of wine has never been finished.

Her disguise was peeled away like banana skin, revealing her wounded heart, bloody and raw, before she fell into an exhausted sleep.

...

After Shen Weiyue left the residential complex, he stood in the alley and looked at Liang Yuting's window for a long time, until finally, at some moment, he waved his hand and turned to leave.

He bid farewell to the house that held the memories of his high school years, left the mud of his youth behind, completely reconciled with himself, and said goodbye to the past.

He didn't go to an internet cafe, but found a hotel to stay in. Then, acting as if nothing had happened, he called his parents to tell them about changing his ticket, agreeing to leave tomorrow evening and arrive the morning after the day after tomorrow.

His parents didn't say anything, just told him to take care of his own business first and stay safe.

That night, Shen Weiyue did not send any more messages to Liang Yuting; he had decided to let go of the past.

After waking up in the morning, he took a shower and changed into clean clothes. Shen Weiyue then went to a shop to pick out a music box, intending to use it as a gift for Zhao Qingyan's celebration banquet later.

Of the thirty thousand yuan Factory Director Huang had given him last time, Shen Weiyue had saved over twenty thousand, leaving him with one thousand yuan for pocket money, which counted as being a little well-off.

Once everything was ready, he hailed a taxi to Lingshan Hotel. This was the only four-star hotel in Lingshan County, and all the high-class banquets in the county were held here.

When Shen Weiyue arrived outside the hotel, he saw a banner hanging, which read: "Congratulations to our beloved daughter Zhao Qingyan on her admission to Qingbei University!"

Looking around, a bustling crowd had gathered, including many teachers he recognized, all standing at the entrance exchanging pleasantries. The principal's family had certainly put on quite a display.

"Shen Weiyue, here, come over quickly!" A classmate saw Shen Weiyue from afar and waved, shouting excitedly.

Shen Weiyue walked over, and everyone he met greeted him, whether they knew him or not, with unusual enthusiasm.

Approaching the reception desk, he saw that Liang Yuting was there too.

She glanced at him indifferently, and Shen Weiyue politely withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at her.

At the reception desk, Zhao Qingyan was wearing a dress, dressed unusually, and was being forced to "work" under the surveillance of her parents. Her face was written with struggle and impatience.

This super beautiful fox was still too much of a homebody.

Shen Weiyue smiled and handed the gift over: "Fox, a gift for you."

Hearing the voice, Zhao Qingyan looked up and finally smiled.

Principal Zhao Weiming and Lu Chunyue exchanged a knowing glance, then looked at Shen Weiyue together, examining him carefully. So this was that donkey.