Everything had been going so smoothly that Li Zixuan never expected Xu Yiran to mention breaking up. The suddenness of her words caught him completely off guard.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm his turbulent emotions before speaking in a gentle voice, "Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden? Is something bothering you?"
He paused, then asked again, his voice quieter but steady, "Did I do something wrong?"
See, the first thing he thought about was her—whether she was in any trouble, whether he had unknowingly upset her. Li Zixuan always put her first in his considerations.
Xu Yiran didn't know what she was feeling anymore, let alone what she should say. The more he showed such patience and care, the more she didn't want to hurt him.
She bit her lip, the corners of her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Suppressing the lump rising in her throat, she forced her voice to remain calm, cold even. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I've just been thinking about this for a while now."
"You're lying, Yiran," he said, his voice firmer this time. "You've never thought about this before. What happened? You can tell me. We'll figure it out together."
Xu Yiran stayed silent.
Li Zixuan felt a wave of helplessness and depression wash over him. His girl... She had always built thick walls around herself, walls of isolation that he had spent the past year trying to break down. She would endure her struggles and pain silently, refusing to let anyone in. He had made progress, teaching her to rely on him—just a little. But now, here she was, shutting him out completely, refusing to share anything.
"Xu Yiran, you know I've always been serious about us," he finally said, his voice low.
"But I've never been serious, and I never will be," she replied, her tone sharp and cold. "Let's not waste your time anymore."
Li Zixuan's calm façade cracked. His voice grew agitated as he said, "Let's meet and talk this out, okay? Arguing over the phone isn't the way to handle this."
The rustling sounds from his side of the call betrayed his urgency.
"Don't come, Li Zixuan," Xu Yiran said firmly. After a moment, she added softly, "I'm really, really tired. Please... let's not drag this out any longer. I'm begging you."
She knew that if he came, she wouldn't be able to hold herself together. She might slip up, and then everything she wanted to hide would come spilling out.
Her usual composed tone now carried a pleading quality, every word cutting into Li Zixuan like a knife. Her voice pierced through him, numbing him to the core.
Li Zixuan stood frozen, staring blankly into the distance. His voice, now distant and indifferent, finally came through the receiver. "Okay. As you wish."
Xu Yiran could tell he had misunderstood her. A bitter smile tugged at her lips—one uglier than crying. "Bye, Li Zixuan," she said softly.
The only response she received was the sound of the call disconnecting.
That's good.
Xu Yiran had already made her decision. She wouldn't undergo treatment. She had spent her entire life rushing forward, trying to keep up. Now, she just wanted to stop. She wanted to move to a quiet, peaceful place where she could spend her last few months living at her own pace.