Dongfang Yuâs eyes trembled for a moment.
Even though she doesnât love him, hearing her say this still moved him deeply.
Regardless, at least she didnât have any regrets.
Just this one point made her better than him. In the world of love, she has always been better than him.
It was true in the past, and itâs still true nowâ¦
A myriad of emotions surged in Dongfang Yuâs heart.
Gathering courage he didnât know he possessed, he held her hand and said, âHai Xiaotang, I love you, and I wish you happiness even more. But the person whoâs brought misfortune to you, has always been me. So today, we will not get married!â
Hai Xiaotang was stunned, she didnât quite understand what he was saying.
Dongfang Yu stared at her, his voice low and solemn, âThis doesnât mean Iâm giving up on you, I just want to give you a chance to choose freely! You donât have to choose to marry me in order to save Grandpa. You donât need to sacrifice yourself for anything, I wonât force you, I respect any decision you make. So Iâll give you a few days to think about it. This weekend is your 20th birthday, and Iâll be waiting for you all day at the top floor of the Century Hotel. If you come, weâll start anew together! If you donât, I respect your decisionâ¦â
After finishing his speech, Dongfang Yu left.
Hai Xiaotang sat there alone, lost and stunned for a long time.
She didnât expect Dongfang Yu to make such a decision.
He didnât pursue the hatred between their two families anymore. Not only did he save her grandfather, but he also didnât force her to marry him and let her choose freely.
Even if she didnât choose him, he wouldnât demand anything anymore.
Heâs stepped back until there are no more lines to crossâ¦
Hai Xiaotang suddenly felt a complexity of emotions.
Dongfang Yu, why must you do this?
Why, when I have given up everything, you bestowed me freedom to chooseâ¦
*************
Hai Xiaotang didnât return to school. Instead, she went to the hospital to visit her grandfather.
She didnât feel like doing anything right now and just came here.
However, the words Dongfang Yu had said earlier kept echoing in her mindâ¦
Hai Xiaotang felt a bit self-deprecating.
She thought she had seen through this mundane world, and indeed she had. Yet, in the end, could she still not resist the temptation of this reality?
Dongfang Yu, you shouldnât have backed off.
If you hadnât, I could have persisted on my own. But your retreat has left me in a difficult positionâ¦
While Hai Xiaotang was lost in her thoughts, she didnât notice a woman walking towards her.
The woman wore sunglasses, and she looked surprised when she saw Hai Xiaotang.
However, Hai Xiaotang paid her no heed and walked straight past her.
When Hai Xiaotang arrived at Hai Zhiyuanâs room, she pushed the door open to see him standing by the window, dressed and up, looking a bit solemn, seemingly lost in thought.
âGrandpaâ¦â Hai Xiaotang called out to him.
Turning around, Hai Zhiyuan broke into a smile when he saw her, âXiaotang, how come youâre here? Arenât you supposed to be in class?â
Hai Xiaotang walked over to him, smiling and saying, âGrandpa, I wanted to come see you.â
Hai Zhiyuan chuckled, âYou can always come see Grandpa, but donât let it hold up your studies.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âI didnât feel like going to class today.â Hai Xiaotang said defiantly.
Hai Zhiyuan didnât blame her at all, but nodded along to her wishes, âAlright, skip class today and take a good rest. You must be tired from studying. Youâve lost a lot of weight recently.â
Hearing her grandpaâs caring words warmed Hai Xiaotangâs heart.
âGrandpa, Iâm not tired at all. How about you? Are you feeling better?â Hai Xiaotang asked with concern.