Hearing the sound of Ziyue closing the door, Tao Yi gave a mocking smile.
He was mocking himself.
Because he felt that, as Ziyue had said, he was indeed quite useless.
"A final farewell? How interesting." Tao Yi muttered to himself, helplessly.
But as he said those words, his brow twitched suddenly, and something else came to mind.
Was Zheng Meixuan really just saying goodbye?
The previous events were not illusions; Zheng Meixuan's betrayal and hurt had reached a point where they could hardly meet again, so why did she choose to come to him tonight?
To pick up some underwear? That reason seemed more like a joke.
No sane person would believe such an excuse.
Thinking about this, Tao Yi's eyes widened instantly, driven by a sudden impulse. He knew Zheng Meixuan must have something to say, there must be something hidden in her being with that mixed-blood man!
However, just as he stood up, Tao Yi froze again.
He knew Zheng Meixuan's background all too well; there was no reason for her to be controlled by that mixed-blood man.
Was he overthinking it again? Maybe she just felt guilty, and it was really just a goodbye...
"Maybe there are reasons I don't know, but... maybe I'm just overthinking things again." Tao Yi muttered to himself as he sat back on the sofa.
He used to believe that the bond between Zheng Meixuan and him was unbreakable, that there were no secrets between them.
But just yesterday, in the past two days, he completely changed his previous perspective.
No matter what reason Zheng Meixuan had for acting so erratically in front of him, Tao Yi no longer dared to get close to her. Yes, Tao Yi was afraid.
Maybe the deepest feelings lead to a point where even the courage for wishful thinking is lost.
"Maybe she just feels guilty towards me, and it's really just a farewell..."
But, perhaps all of this was just an excuse—a lie that even Tao Yi himself was unwilling to admit. Although he didn't want his life to turn into a melodramatic soap opera, he had to acknowledge some things.
Maybe not chasing after her today would become a regret that would last forever.
The chirping of summer night insects covered his helplessness, but could never erase it. Someday, that helplessness might turn into a kind of motivation, and with that motivation, explode.
Of course, this was not just about Tao Yi; there was another person, who at this moment was walking alone under the streetlights, taking that familiar little road...
Zheng Meixuan.
"Half a city of smoke and sand, drifting with the wind, still holding a wisp of longing in my hand..."
The ringtone of "Half a City of Smoke and Sand," a song Tao Yi liked, played from her phone. Zheng Meixuan sighed softly, "Maybe it's time to change the ringtone..."
The sigh lasted only a moment, and then she answered the phone.
"Meixuan, have you made up your mind?"
"I have, Dad. I've decided to go to Europe." Listening to her father's unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line, Zheng Meixuan replied in an equally unfamiliar tone.
"Good. When does he plan to return to Europe?"
"Soon. By the way, Father, could you do me a favor...?"
"What kind of favor?" Her father's voice was clearly puzzled by her request.
"Protect Tao Yi for me..." Zheng Meixuan thought for a long time, but in the end, she managed to say it. Even though she had been deeply disappointed by Tao Yi and that mysterious woman she saw today, for some reason, she was still worried, worried that he might be in danger.
"Why would he need protection?"
"Dad, you must help with this. Kerwin is a psychopath! He knows about my past relationship with Tao Yi, knows what we did before, and he will kill Tao Yi! If his father hadn't ordered him to return to Europe soon, he might have already killed Tao Yi himself!" Zheng Meixuan's voice was firm, as if she would never follow Kerwin to Europe unless her father agreed to her request.
"Fine! I'll do my best." Her father's voice on the other end responded briefly and then hung up without warning.
After the call was disconnected, Zheng Meixuan turned and looked toward Tao Yi's residence not far away, the love nest they once shared...
There were still two people inside, but the hostess was no longer her. Gradually, Ziyue's seductive and charming figure, her exquisite beauty, reappeared in Zheng Meixuan's mind. Although beautiful, in her eyes, it was extremely glaring.
"...Tao Yi, I hate you."
...
Early in the morning, Tao Yi began to tidy himself up. There were no classes this morning, but he had no choice but to go shopping for women's clothes for the "lady ancestor" at home.
After being busy for half a day, Tao Yi felt a bit hungry. Checking the time, it was still early. It was already half past nine, but there was still some time before he needed to go to work in the afternoon.
Tao Yi decided to have breakfast before going shopping.
So, he cooked some porridge, prepared some pickles, and sat down at the table to eat breakfast.
While eating, Tao Yi thought about last night's events—not about Zheng Meixuan, but about how to get rid of Ziyue.
Actually, Tao Yi was a very capable person. Long before he started living with Zheng Meixuan, he had stopped taking money from his parents. Although he frequently changed jobs and hadn't saved much, he still managed to maintain his current lifestyle quite well—something not just anyone could do.
Even though there was a lot of hidden support from Zheng Meixuan after they got together.
Overall, Tao Yi was still a very capable person.
However, when it came to Ziyue, Tao Yi was truly helpless.
Creak, the door opened, and while Tao Yi was still deep in thought, Ziyue had already walked out of the bedroom, taking elegant steps and pacing around the living room.
The living room was small, and Ziyue couldn't take many steps before she was almost just spinning in place.
"How do you live in such a tiny place?" Ziyue's tone was filled with disdain, her gaze even more disdainful as she paced while eyeing Tao Yi.
Tao Yi pursed his lips, as if he had reached a certain level of helplessness, he wasn't afraid of Ziyue at all, and responded with a frown, "Is mocking me your hobby? Not a bad hobby, just a bit boring..."
Watching Ziyue pacing back and forth in the living room, beautiful as she was, Tao Yi found it irritating no matter how he looked at it, so he said impatiently, "Sister Yue, please stop pacing around. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
With a scornful glance at Tao Yi's breakfast, Ziyue replied in a disdainful tone, "Sigh, it seems I do have something inferior to you; I can't eat that stuff."
"Is it disgusting? Then, Sister Yue, please stop sucking blood in the future. We all grew up eating this stuff, so each of us is more disgusting than the other." Tao Yi didn't even lift his head, completely forgetting whom he was teasing.
"You..." A hint of anger flashed, but it quickly subsided. Ziyue looked at Tao Yi with curiosity, not using her swift steps to approach him but instead walking step by step toward him, "Aren't you afraid of me anymore? Saying I enjoy mocking you, I think you've developed a hobby of arguing with me, haven't you?"
**Chapter 8: A Man's Moment**
Hearing the sound of Ziyue closing the door, Tao Yi gave a mocking smile.
He was mocking himself.
Because he felt, just as Ziyue had said, pretty useless.
"A final farewell? How interesting," Tao Yi muttered to himself helplessly.
But when he repeated that phrase, his brow furrowed suddenly, and a different thought crossed his mind. Was Zheng Meixuan really just here to say goodbye?
What happened before wasn't a mere illusion. Zheng Meixuan's betrayal and hurt had reached a point where it was almost impossible to meet again. So, why did she choose to come find him tonight?
To retrieve some lingerie? That reason seemed more like a joke.
No reasonable person would believe such an excuse.
As he thought about it, Tao Yi's eyes suddenly widened, a sudden impulse striking him. He knew Zheng Meixuan must have wanted to say something. There had to be more behind her being with that mixed-race man!
However, just as he was about to stand, Tao Yi stopped in his tracks.
He knew Zheng Meixuan's background very well. There was no reason for her to be at the mercy of that mixed-race man.
Was he overthinking it again? Maybe she just felt guilty, and this was really just a farewell…
"Maybe there are reasons I don't know, but... perhaps I'm just being overly sentimental again." Tao Yi muttered as he sat back down on the sofa.
He had always believed that his relationship with Zheng Meixuan was unbreakable, that there were no secrets between them.
But just yesterday and today, in the span of these two days, he had completely changed his opinion.
Regardless of Zheng Meixuan's reasons for her erratic behavior in front of him, Tao Yi didn't dare approach her anymore. Yes, Tao Yi was afraid.
Perhaps the deepest love leaves you without the courage to even be foolishly sentimental.
"Maybe she just felt guilty toward me, and it really was just a farewell..."
But perhaps this was all just an excuse, an excuse Tao Yi himself was unwilling to admit. Even though he didn't want his life to become a cheesy love drama, he had to acknowledge some things.
Maybe not chasing after her today would become his eternal regret.
The chirping of summer insects covered his helplessness, but could never erase it. One day, that helplessness might turn into some kind of motivation, a motivation that would eventually explode.
Of course, this wasn't just about Tao Yi. There was another person, who at this moment was walking alone under the streetlights, down that familiar little path…
Zheng Meixuan.
"Half a city of sand, falling with the wind, a lingering attachment in my hand…"
The ringtone of "Half a City of Sand" played from her phone. It was a song Tao Yi liked. Holding her phone, Zheng Meixuan sighed softly, "Maybe it's time to change this ringtone…"
She only hesitated for a moment before answering the call.
"Meixuan, have you decided?"
"Yes, Dad. I've decided to go to Europe," Zheng Meixuan replied with a similarly unfamiliar tone, listening to the unfamiliar voice of her father on the other end of the line.
"That's good. When does he plan to return to Europe?"
"Soon. Oh, Father, could you help me with something…"
"What is it?" Her father's voice was clearly puzzled.
"Help me protect Tao Yi..." Zheng Meixuan hesitated for a long time before finally squeezing out the words. Even though she was disappointed to see Tao Yi today, along with that mysterious woman, she was still worried, afraid that he might be in danger.
"What does he need protection for?"
"Dad, you must help with this. Kerwin is a madman! He knows about my past relationship with Tao Yi, knows what we did. He will kill Tao Yi! If it weren't for his father urging him to return to Europe soon, he might have already tried to kill Tao Yi himself!" Zheng Meixuan's voice was firm, as if she wouldn't agree to follow Kerwin to Europe unless her request was met.
"Alright! I'll do my best." Her father's voice responded briefly on the other end, and then abruptly hung up.
The call ended, and Zheng Meixuan turned to look at Tao Yi's house in the distance, their former love nest…
At this moment, there were still two people inside, but the female owner was no longer her. Slowly, Ziyue's sexy and enchanting figure, her beautiful face, appeared once again in Zheng Meixuan's eyes. Although very beautiful, it was extremely glaring to her.
"…Tao Yi, I hate you."
...
Early in the morning, Tao Yi began to tidy himself up. He had no classes in the morning, but unfortunately, he had to go shopping for women's clothes for the "lady ancestor" at home.
After a busy morning, Tao Yi felt a bit hungry. He checked the time—it was still early. Although it was already 9:30, there was still some time before work in the afternoon.
He decided to have breakfast before going shopping.
So, Tao Yi made some porridge, added some pickles, and sat at the table to eat breakfast.
As he ate, Tao Yi thought about last night, not about Zheng Meixuan, but about how to get rid of Ziyue.
Actually, Tao Yi was quite capable. Even before living with Zheng Meixuan, he had stopped taking money from his parents. Although he changed jobs frequently and hadn't saved much, he still managed to maintain his current lifestyle quite well, which wasn't something just anyone could do.
Though he had received a lot of hidden help from Zheng Meixuan after they got together.
But overall, Tao Yi was still a very capable person.
However, dealing with Ziyue was truly a headache for him.
The door creaked open as Tao Yi was still thinking, and Ziyue walked out of the bedroom, swaying her graceful steps as she paced around the living room.
The living room was small, and Ziyue could barely make a few rounds; it was practically just turning in circles.
"How do you live in such a tiny place?" Ziyue's tone was filled with disdain, her gaze even more so as she paced around and glanced at Tao Yi.
Tao Yi pursed his lips. It seemed he was so helpless that he didn't even fear Ziyue anymore. With a frown, he responded, "Is looking down on me your hobby? It's a nice hobby, just a bit boring…"
Watching Ziyue walk around in the living room, though she was indeed beautiful, Tao Yi found it increasingly annoying and said impatiently, "Sister Yue, please stop pacing. Are you hungry? Have something to eat."
With a dismissive glance at Tao Yi's breakfast, Ziyue responded with a tone of disdain, "Well, it seems there are some things I can't match up to you. I can't eat that stuff."
"Disgusting, is it? Then, Sister Yue, you shouldn't drink blood anymore either. We all grew up eating this stuff, so each of us is more disgusting than the other." Tao Yi didn't even look up, completely forgetting who he was joking with.
"You…" A hint of anger appeared, but she quickly calmed down. Ziyue curiously looked at Tao Yi and, instead of using her swift speed to approach him, walked toward him step by step. "Not afraid of me anymore? You say I enjoy belittling you, but it seems you enjoy arguing with me, right?"
"Arguing? No, I wouldn't dare. I'm still scared, but maybe just a little less so. Maybe I've gotten used to it. Speaking of adaptation, we humans adapt very quickly to any environment. The Earth's environment now is incomparable to before, haha, but despite so many animals going extinct, we humans are still doing just fine." Tao Yi continued rambling while eating his porridge, casually brushing Ziyue off.
Seeing no reaction from Ziyue, Tao Yi continued, "Actually, I'm still scared, but what can I do? Just like how I felt right after a breakup, I was really in pain, and I was pretty useless too. But I'm still alive, aren't I? Since I'm alive, I have to live well."
"People often say I'm just finding a grand excuse to avoid things, but I don't think so. I'm just looking out for myself. If you put it in a grander context, it could even be considered thinking for the greater good."
Hearing Tao Yi's words, Ziyue smiled and said, "Heh, I find that you talk a lot of nonsense."
"No, no, it's all facts. Life is lonely; if you don't chat a bit, your mouth gets dry."
"Hmph!" Ziyue's patience finally wore thin. With a cold snort, she grabbed Tao Yi by the neck. "Do you want to play the game from last night, or should I just kill you?! Don't think I won't dare to kill you!"
Ziyue's grip gradually tightened. Tao Yi felt utterly helpless. This girl really did have a bad temper.
Even though Tao Yi had dropped his chopsticks and prepared to flee the moment Ziyue changed her expression, it was still too late.
But fortunately, Tao Yi didn't feel much pain. It was strange; he had lost his sense of pain, but seeing Ziyue's expression, she should have been using a lot of force, yet he didn't even feel suffocated.
"Ha… ha, Sister Yue, let's talk this over… calmly," Tao Yi said a few kind words, hoping the fierce lady would quickly let go. Although he wasn't feeling much pain, it wouldn't be fun if he ended up being