When they reached the building downstairs from Lin Wan's apartment, Chen Jin insisted on walking her up. Her luggage wasn't heavy at all, but once his domineering streak surfaced, there was no reasoning with him. She resigned herself to it, telling herself silently—it's fine, it's the last time anyway.
Yet as she watched his broad back ahead of her, an indescribable strangeness crept in. It felt like a distortion of time—as if they were strolling through a park, dining at a restaurant, going to the hospital together… and then, all of a sudden, the man in front stopped and turned back toward her. Only then did Lin Wan realize—they had arrived.
She fumbled for her keys. For some reason, her hand would not cooperate. She tried several times, but the key simply would not slip into the lock. Chen Jin stood quietly beside her, waiting—yet the gaze that fell upon the back of her hand felt like a brand of fire.
Finally, he could no longer endure it.
"Let me."
As he took the keys, his fingers brushed hers lightly—dry, warm. The sudden contact made her hand jerk reflexively. He seemed not to notice and calmly selected another key, aligning it with the lock.
Only then did Lin Wan realize—she had grabbed the wrong key.
The door opened. Chen Jin stepped aside for her to enter first and followed her in naturally. She set Ni Ni down. The little dog had been stifled in the car all the way here and immediately darted off in high spirits. Lin Wan let out a slow breath.
Chen Jin placed her bag aside but did not leave right away. Instead, he drew from his pocket a palm-sized, flat box and handed it to her.
"This is your birthday present."
Her heart gave a violent jolt.
So much had happened today that she had nearly forgotten—it was her birthday. She had thought the "gift" he mentioned referred to the documents… or to arranging her reunion with her father.
Faced now with the small box in his hand, she was utterly at a loss. The words of refusal hovered on her lips, yet stubbornly refused to emerge.
When she didn't respond, Chen Jin placed the box atop the shoe cabinet by the door. Then he looked at her earnestly and asked,
"Wanwan, can I hold you one more time?"
Her mind lagged half a beat, rusted and slow. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already caught firmly in his arms. That familiar scent surged into her nose with full force—making it sting, making her heart ache bitterly.
He pressed his chin more heavily against the crown of her head and asked in a low voice,
"Wanwan… do you still hate me?"
Her heart skipped.
Wasn't that the same question from the elevator?
He was still trapped in it. Still unable to let it go. But this time, she could no longer answer with the same cruelty as before.
When he heard no reply, he said to himself,
"You don't anymore. I know."
"Wanwan, I don't want to let go. Isn't it better for us to stay together? If you want to get married, we can go to the registry office right now. If you don't want to marry, that's fine too—let's go on living the way we did before, alright?"
Bitterness spread through her chest.
In the end… he had said it anyway.
"Chen Jin," she said quietly, "that's impossible."
"There's no such thing as impossible. Where there's a will, there's a way. We're not breaking the law, we're not hurting anyone—who has the right to object? The only thing that matters is what you want."
His voice had grown agitated. Lin Wan shook her head, her eyes shimmering with tears.
"I know what you mean—you think the impossible part is Chen Zui, right? I can promise you he'll never appear before you again. You can pretend he doesn't exist—alright? Wanwan… I can't help it. He's my younger brother. Since I protected him back then, I can't turn around and hand him over now."
"If you're worried about how the Wang family feels, I can go talk to them. I'll apologize. I'll ask for their understanding. They have no right to stop you. You're going to marry someone eventually—why can't it be me? I dare say, among all the living people in this world, no one loves you more than I do, no one can make you happier than I can…"
"You've suffered so much. There's no need to care about other people's judgment. As long as you are happy, that's enough."
Lin Wan thought bleakly:
It could be anyone—anyone at all—
except you.
"You don't need to worry about my family either. They're all easy to get along with—nothing like the rumors outside. My mother even said she wants to treat you like her own daughter. If you don't like dealing with them, that's fine too—we can live separately…"
"If you don't want to live with me, that's fine as well. You can stay right here. Whatever kind of life you want, we'll arrange it according to your wishes."
This was the first time Lin Wan had ever heard this man speak with such softness. It didn't sound like the Chen Jin she knew at all. He was so unfamiliar now that it made her heart ache.
She wanted to say something—to stop this from continuing down a path that should never be walked. But her throat felt stuffed full. And as if her arms had developed a will of their own, they rose and wrapped around the man who was both familiar and strange to her.
Chen Jin stiffened for a moment. Then he mumbled through her ear,
"Wanwan… there's still a place for me in your heart, isn't there?"
When she didn't respond, he whispered to himself,
"I know it. I can feel it."
He cupped her face in both hands and looked straight into her eyes, asking with solemn gravity,
"Wanwan… this is the first time in my life that I've wanted to truly be good to a woman. Will you give me one chance? Just one?"
Tears flooded her eyes.
With great difficulty, she spoke:
"Chen Jin… everything you've done for me. I've seen it, I've remembered it. Even the harm you caused me—I can choose not to hold it against you. But I…"
She lifted her hand and pressed it over the left side of her chest, her voice breaking.
"I can't get past this."
She sniffed softly and continued:
"You should have a normal family. And I will try to start a new life too. We can't go on making the same mistake…"
Chen Jin looked at her tear-streaked face and reddened eyes, his heart aching beyond endurance. He used his thumb to gently wipe away her tears and seemed to choke slightly as he said,
"Alright. I won't force you anymore."
"Whether we're together or apart… as long as you're happy, that's enough."
At those words, Lin Wan finally broke down completely, sobbing aloud. Chen Jin pulled her into his arms again and gently stroked her back, speaking softly:
"Wanwan… from now on, you have to take good care of yourself. Keep exercising. Don't be picky with your food. Don't stay up late. When you go out with friends or colleagues, don't drink. There are a lot of bad people out there—girls are as beautiful as you need to be even more careful…"
"I've subscribed to weather alerts for your phone. Remember to check them before you go out—so you can add layers or bring an umbrella. Don't watch or listen to all that messy nonsense. If you're in a bad mood, talk to your friends—or even go find Dr. Li. Don't bury everything in your heart…"
"Don't forget—depression can relapse…"
He spoke endlessly, as if trying to hand over every detail of her future life to her with his own voice.
Tears poured violently from Lin Wan's eyes, soaking into his chest. Through sobs, she said,
"Stop talking…"
"If you ever run into real trouble, don't try to do it alone. Call me. Even at my worst, I still have some connections. Not just you—your family, your friends—if they need anything, they can come to me. Don't hold your pride so tightly. Solving the problem is the most important thing…"
Finally, she could bear it no longer.
She broke free from his arms and cried out with all her strength,
"Whatever happens in the future is my business. It has nothing to do with you!"
Yet tears still betrayed her, rolling down helplessly. She yanked open the door behind them and said stiffly,
"Chen Jin—go."
"Wanwan…"
She turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Once a decision was made, she could not allow herself to soften. His warm embrace, his gentle gaze, the sense of safety he had given her—everything about him—had to be severed at that moment.
With that thought, her voice turned completely cold:
"Go. This is the best ending we can have."