Chapter Sixty-One: I Gave You a Chance to Escape

He glanced at the deep mark on his finger from the corner of his eye. “It reminds me every moment—never again will I be deceived by you, never again!” His words were as resolute as a vow.

She collapsed onto the bed, her tears flowing in utter silence.

“I had planned to see how long you could hold out, but I didn’t expect you to surrender so quickly. Now, you bore me. I’ve lost all appetite for this wretched game. I don’t want to continue any longer—be it in love or in business. From today on, our accounts are settled.” He stood up, speaking with disgust.

She lay motionless on the bed, drained of all strength. After a long while, her emotions shifted from disbelief, to anger, to sorrow, and finally to acceptance. In that moment, she gave up completely. This was reality; no matter how she delayed, a decision was inevitable. Lifelessly, she forced herself up and wiped her tears away.

“I’m giving you a chance to run,” he said, standing by the bed, his breath trembling, his gaze hollow. “Leave now, before I change my mind.”

Clumsily straightening the clothes he had torn, she floated off the bed, nearly losing her balance. Lin Shuo turned his back to her, his thin silhouette making her heart ache. Her lips moved of their own accord: “Little Lin…” Her voice choked; the familiar nickname no longer seemed to belong to that cold face. With grave sincerity, she bade farewell: “This time… it’s truly goodbye.”

He clenched his fists and roared, “Get out!”

She fled in panic, slipping on a beer bottle downstairs, but nothing could stop her determination to escape. Yet she didn’t know that the owner of that resolute, departing figure also cried the moment he drove her away.

He rummaged through the closet for a box adorned with cute kittens. The money inside remained untouched, though much of the pattern on the box had been worn away. Hugging the box, he curled up on the floor, letting out a low, hoarse cry, sobbing like a child.

It was over. Everything had settled.

In a shabby room in Shangri-La, she had poured out her heart, professing her deep love for him. Yet he was even more afraid than she was, striving so hard to persuade himself to forget the past and start anew. But the filthy scene he had witnessed that night drove him mad all over again. He simply couldn’t pretend nothing had happened, no matter how hard he tried; he couldn’t lie to himself and say he didn’t care. As she had said, unable to forgive, he chose to run away. Then he lied to her and to himself, disguising himself as a devil. Though it was not revenge, he played the part so convincingly that the whole act became flawless, finally driving her out of his life.

Heartache—let it hurt. The only way to stop the pain is to let it burn until numbness sets in.

When the community security guard saw her stumbling out in a daze, he asked if something had happened. She begged them not to ask, never looking back, just running and running.

“There is a red thread of fate in mythology, and in reality, there are also those who bring people together. Today’s matchmaking event at Grand View Park was unprecedented. Let’s follow the reporter’s lens and take a look.” The television broadcast scenes from the afternoon’s event. Xi Mintang, hearing the word “matchmaking,” instinctively set down the file in her hand. Sure enough, she spotted Xiaoxiao on screen, standing alone beneath a tree, lost in thought, utterly out of place amidst the lively crowd.

Watching, she suddenly realized it had been a long time since they last spoke. In a cheerful mood, she dialed her friend’s number.

“I saw you on TV. You look great on camera.” She offered a few words of praise, but there was no reply—only the sound of ragged breathing. Alarmed, she asked, “Where are you? What happened?”

Still, there was no answer.

Lonely Moments: Don’t Talk About Love, Chapter 61—“I’m Giving You a Chance to Run”—has been updated!