"But no matter what it is, Fu Yinxiu, I'm giving up."
Fu Yinxiu's eyes widened in panic, and he looked genuinely distressed. "Don't give up on me."
"What am I to you? You've hurt me, and now you think making up for it is enough. What happened before isn't about who was right or wrong. We both misunderstood each other, and neither of us trusted the other. Since I also misunderstood you, I have no right to criticize you."
"But even so, I never thought about getting revenge or hurting you. That's the difference between us. Fu Yinxiu, do you understand?"
Fu Yinxiu was stunned, and his grip on her shoulders loosened.
She still loved him. Even after feeling abandoned by him, she never intended to hurt him.
He said he loved her, but what kind of love lets him claim to love her while hurting her at the same time?
"I'm tired. I'm not that young girl anymore. I can't endure this anymore," Ming Yutong pointed to the door. "Please leave."
Fu Yinxiu didn't want to leave, but he knew that even if he stayed, Ming Yutong wouldn't forgive him.
The damage he had done to her was too deep.
She was such a wonderful woman, and he, a fool, had repeatedly hurt her and pushed her away.
She was now so far removed that she didn't want to come back.
She was right.
He had never truly respected her.
The more she spoke, the more he thought about everything he had done since he first met her. His face grew paler.
From start to finish, he had never done anything right.
But she still loved him.
It was just that the mistakes piled up, and she was tired of it, unwilling to love him anymore.
Yes, she was right.
She had many better options.
Even if it was just herself, she could cherish herself more.
Why should she endure suffering with him?
But he had to change!
He planned to cherish her forever, no matter what she did, right or wrong. He would spoil her and never make her angry again.
He would be devoted, with only her as his focus.
He had changed!
He wanted a chance to show her!
Was it too late to change now?
No, he wouldn't give up.
In this lifetime, he would only recognize her!
If not today, then tomorrow, or a lifetime!
Even if she married someone else, he would bring her back!
Fu Yinxiu looked at Ming Yutong with deep reluctance. "I'm leaving. Please don't cry."
He was heartbroken.
Ming Yutong turned her face away, unwilling to look at him.
Fu Yinxiu silently left. It was only when the door closed that Ming Yutong looked up.
Fu Yinxiu was gone, leaving her alone in the office.
Ming Yutong sank to the floor, hugging her knees, and cried silently.
Ming Yutong felt a deep emptiness as if a part of her heart had been carved out when Fu Yinxiu left. After crying for a while, she numbly stood up, her legs numb from sitting too long.
She hobbled to the bathroom, endured the uncomfortable numbness, washed her face, removed her makeup, and reapplied it to hide the redness in her eyes.
As she emerged, her phone on the desk rang. It was a call from Little Jingshi. Given the time, it was his break period at school.
Ming Yutong answered the call.
"Tong Tong!" Little Jingshi's energetic voice brought a momentary relief to Ming Yutong's aching heart.
"Did you drink the soup Dad sent over?" Little Jingshi asked. "Was it good? I had a little this morning, and it was delicious! But Dad was so stingy, only letting me have a little bit to taste."
Ming Yutong listened quietly. Little Jingshi continued, "You know, that soup was made by Dad himself!"
Ming Yutong was stunned, her mind going blank.
"What... what did you say?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, struggling to process Little Jingshi's words.
"That soup was made by Dad himself. Didn't he tell you?" Little Jingshi asked.
"No..." Ming Yutong replied softly, almost in disbelief.
"Oh, Dad is so silly, being kind but not letting anyone know, how would people know his goodness?" Little Jingshi said, shaking his head in mock disapproval.
"Dad came back at midnight and then got up at two to make the soup for you," Little Jingshi added, which was information shared by Auntie Huo.
"And then he didn't sleep at all, staying up until morning," Little Jingshi continued.
Ming Yutong recalled Fu Yinxiu's appearance earlier. No wonder his dark circles were so severe. He hadn't rested much.
"Tong Tong, you still haven't said if Dad's soup was good or not!" Little Jingshi asked eagerly.
Ming Yutong's throat tightened with regret. If only she had known...
If she had known that Fu Yinxiu stayed up all night making the soup, she probably wouldn't have thrown it away.
Why didn't he say anything?
He watched her throw away his heartfelt effort without showing any anger, as if it were not a big deal.
"It was good," Ming Yutong said, her voice thick with emotion.
"Right? I thought it was great too. I wanted another sip, but Dad wouldn't let me," Little Jingshi said, sticking out his tongue. "Even though Dad has a bad temper and always looks scary with that stern face, he's actually really smart."
Little Jingshi spoke proudly, "You know, Dad has never cooked before! The only thing he did in the kitchen was get water or alcohol from the fridge. He's never even turned on the stove!"
"But his first time making soup turned out so well. Isn't Dad a genius?" Little Jingshi said, beaming with joy.