Chapter 138: Love So Foolish It Defies Reason

For Hua Mei, this was perhaps the most wounding thing she had ever heard in her life. If the purpose of two people being together was not to provide each other with warmth, then what was the point of being together at all?

"Hua Mei, perhaps I have no right to tell you to let go, as I am not exactly that carefree myself, but the way you are right now is not good." Xiaoxiao clutched a box of tissues, bracing herself for a sudden breakdown from Hua Mei.

The domestic staff, sensing the discord in the atmosphere, had long since retreated upstairs to clean. In truth, from the day the master of the house stopped returning home, they had known it would come to this.

Hua Mei’s gaze was hollow, her fingers unconsciously toying with her ring as she looked back on the past with a ghostly air. "He liked coffee, I gave it to him. He liked wine, I gave it to him. He liked intensity, I gave it to him; he liked gentleness, and I could provide all of that, too. Whenever he had a whim, I would respond as if by reflex. I always thought that as long as I fathomed his preferences and routines, and waited for him where he was bound to pass by, he would eventually grow to like me. I told myself not to fear the slow pace, only the failure to persist. Over time, I didn't realize I was becoming more and more like him. I had become so deeply integrated into his life, fitting him so perfectly that I was like a mirror; his every movement was a directive for me. My entire being was wrapped up in his world. Yet, the moment he encountered someone who gave him nothing at all, her one act of defiance instantly overturned all of my compliance. I tried to pull him back, but he only wanted to be further away, and further still, as if the further he drifted from his former life, the more inspired he felt."

A single tear spilled from the corner of Hua Mei’s eye. Xiaoxiao pulled out a tissue to wipe it away; even as a woman, she felt the urge to comfort her, unable to fathom how any man could be so unappreciative.

Hua Mei held herself together well; there was no flood of tears. The one and only tear had already been wiped away by Xiaoxiao. She heaved a heavy sigh. The lessons life had bestowed upon her, drop by drop, had brewed into a precious, albeit bitter, draught. She tilted her head back and drank it down, surrendering everything to pay the price.

"I understand now. If too many people treat us well, we only find it easier to fixate on the one who treats us with disdain," Hua Mei realized with absolute clarity. "Ziyu is that kind of person. He is base, and of course, I am even baser!"

"As long as you understand, it’s not too late to reflect."

Hua Mei glanced at the wall clock as the seconds slipped away. When darkness fell, would he come home? Probably not. She said, "No need. Whatever he wants, let him have it, but I promise this is the last time."

The contrast between her past and present made Hua Mei seem like a different person. Xiaoxiao did not ask for confirmation, instead questioning her, "So, you called me here just to hear your decision?"

"No." Hua Mei took Xiaoxiao’s hand, offering a warmth she had never shown before. "My world only ever held Zeng Ziyu; there was no room for anyone else, which is why you are the only one I can call a true confidante. I asked you here because I don't want you to be like me, loving until you are foolish beyond measure. If you have the time, you had better cherish yourself more."

Hua Mei’s awakening served as a profound warning to Xiaoxiao. A woman might change herself for a man as long as he loves her, but she can just as easily undo herself for a man the moment he stops.

Suddenly unsure of certain things, she hurriedly sent a text message to Lin Shuo.

"Do you miss me?"

Lin Shuo was in a meeting, listening to the department head's endless, monotonous speech. Seeing her childish question, he couldn't help but let his lips curl upward, quickly tapping out a reply on his screen.

"Every moment!"