Lin Xiaoxiao continued in silence, her gaze fixed on Chen Yang. Scenes from the past flickered through her mind.
Young love was the most unforgettable.
Perhaps it was the constraints of the era that prevented her and Chen Yang from ever voicing their feelings. It was a silent understanding between them.
After Chen Yang went to the countryside for five years, no other man could capture her heart.
Whenever a man approached her, the image of him, chasing the wind with her under the sun, would flash in her mind.
But now, Lin Xiaoxiao felt as if the dreams of her youth had shattered like glass, scattered all over the floor.
His clean smile under the sun gradually blurred in Lin Xiaoxiao's memory, then began to overlap with the mature man's face before her, etched with a hint of guilt.
The dream was broken.
Lin Xiaoxiao had also sobered up.
The cold tears tracing her eyes seemed like the fleeting mirages of youthful dreams.
As tears fell, the beautiful memories of youth were washed away.
"Congratulations."
Lin Xiaoxiao didn't know how she managed to utter the words. She only felt as if her heart had become hollow.
"Xiaoxiao, I..."
Chen Yang opened his mouth, but no words of comfort came out.
Anything he said would sound hypocritical.
Even though they hadn't confessed their love or made grand promises, the affection of their youth had ultimately led to a heartbroken lover.
"You don't need to apologize."
"Nine out of ten things in this world are not perfect."
"At least, you let me yearn for love in my youth, and experience the joy of it, didn't you?"
"I also relied on that motivation to get into university. It's not all bad. I think it might be a memorable experience, but I tried my best."
"Even if the outcome wasn't ideal, I persevered. I wasn't the one who gave up."
Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Chen Yang and waved her hand with a certain air of nonchalance.
Chen Yang fell silent.
He was the one who gave up.
When he first went to the countryside, accustomed to city life, he was completely lost.
He didn't know how to do farm work and couldn't bear the heavy, exhausting labor. He dwelled in self-pity every day, lamenting the unfairness of fate.
At that time, he had no hope for his life or his future.
There were many educated youths like him, none of whom saw any hope of returning to the city.
They were all pampered city students, suddenly sent to the countryside to work. Who could endure the hardship of toiling in the fields under the sun?
It wasn't that he didn't want to reply to Lin Xiaoxiao's letters; it was because he felt he had no right to. He couldn't even return to the city himself. Wouldn't that ruin her?
Yet, he was too cowardly to explain the situation directly to Lin Xiaoxiao, thus wasting five precious years of her life.
Even after marrying Shen Xue, he deliberately forgot or rather avoided this youthful love.
Because he didn't want to admit that he had once been a deserter of love. It was only today, upon meeting Lin Xiaoxiao again, that Chen Yang realized how foolish he had truly been in his youth.
If he had been reborn a few years earlier, he would never have been so indecisive and wasted Lin Xiaoxiao's youth.
Fortunately, Lin Xiaoxiao was diligent enough to be admitted to Jinling University. In her early twenties, with a university education, her future path was still long. He hoped she would find a love she could truly entrust her life to.
"Xiaoxiao, I also congratulate you on being admitted to Jinling University. I wish you a bright future."
Chen Yang moved his lips, finally uttering only these words.
He knew he couldn't be indecisive anymore.
He was married with children now, with Shen Xue and their two kids. If he were still as indecisive as he was in his youth,
He would not only harm himself but also betray his family and Lin Xiaoxiao.
Lin Xiaoxiao was only in her early twenties and had been accepted into university. She deserved to meet someone who truly loved her and wanted to spend the rest of their lives with her. He couldn't hold her back any longer.
"I don't need your congratulations."
"This young lady will naturally have a bright future."
"Chen Yang, goodbye."
"No, never again."
Lin Xiaoxiao glared at Chen Yang defiantly, then turned and ran desperately.
But tears continued to stream uncontrollably from her eyes.
The love of youth was the most fragile, yet the most deeply etched in one's memory.
Five years of longing and waiting—how could it be so easy to let go?
However, Lin Xiaoxiao had awakened.
She knew there was no longer any possibility between her and Chen Yang. She no longer needed to harbor any illusions.
Perhaps it would take time to forget him, but in the future, when another man approached her, there would no longer be a figure in her heart to obstruct her.
At this moment, her heart ached.
But at this moment, her heart was also finally free.
Watching Lin Xiaoxiao's retreating figure, Chen Yang felt a pang of unease.
These were the foolish things he had done in his youth. Sometimes, he truly wished he could slap himself.
"You take the children home. I'll follow that girl to keep an eye on her, just in case she does something rash."
Shen Xue placed the little hands of their two children into Chen Yang's and glanced in the direction Lin Xiaoxiao had gone.
Looking at Shen Xue, Chen Yang's sense of guilt intensified, leaving him with nowhere to hide.
"I'm sorry."
Holding the hands of the two bewildered children, Chen Yang felt a knot in his stomach.
"It's alright. That girl knew you before she knew me. I can't hold grudges about what happened before. And now, you've decisively chosen me and the children."
"You haven't wronged me in any way."
"If anyone deserves an apology, it's that poor girl."
"I'll go and see her. You don't need to follow. I can find my way home."
Shen Xue said this and ran in the direction Lin Xiaoxiao had gone. She knew Chen Yang was worried that Lin Xiaoxiao might do something foolish out of emotional distress.
But he couldn't follow. Matters of the heart were complicated and tangled. His presence would only make Lin Xiaoxiao feel worse.
Therefore, Shen Xue went.
Looking at the considerate Shen Xue, Chen Yang felt even more ashamed.
With such a wife, what right did he have to betray their relationship?
"Daddy, why is that auntie crying? Did Daddy make her sad?"
The little one, barely over two years old, looked in the direction Shen Xue had gone with confusion. How could a toddler understand the complexities of adult emotions?
"Yes, Daddy is a bad guy. He did something wrong, and Mommy went to apologize for Daddy."
Chen Yang stroked the child's little head. He had already wronged Lin Xiaoxiao; he couldn't let down Shen Xue and their children.
"Daddy, Grandpa said that a child who knows their mistakes and corrects them is a good child. If Daddy sincerely apologizes and corrects his mistakes, Auntie and Mommy will forgive him."
Chen Hao earnestly lectured Chen Yang. Chen Yang was taken aback. How could a little child understand the intricacies of relationships?
In matters of the heart, there was no such thing as merely admitting fault. He only hoped that he wouldn't cause Lin Xiaoxiao too much pain and that she could move on from this relationship soon. That would lessen his guilt.