Li Caiyi sat up in place. Disbelief was written on her face as she looked down at Dai Zhiqiang. "This joke is not funny."
"I'm not joking." He replied calmly before picking himself up too. "I just started to think we should stop wasting our time waiting for each other."
"Wasting...our time?"
Li Caiyi's heart felt constricted uncomfortably hearing those words. "For you, is everything we have done so far just a waste of time?"
There was no ripple in his expression as if he was talking to a stranger. Li Caiyi felt a strong sense of unfamiliarity with the person before her.
"What happened to you? The Zhiqiang I know won't say something like that."
"Nothing particularly big happened to me. I just slept and woke up, feeling we shouldn't meet anymore. I can't move freely with you by my side."
Li Caiyi let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I've become a big burden to you, is that what you are trying to say?"
"....We will not see each other anymore, but it doesn't change the fact that I am indebted to you big time. Someday, if you need my help, I will do my best to help you."
That wasn't what she wanted to hear.
Li Caiyi clenched her hand so hard; her nails dug into her flesh. Her voice cracked as she painfully squeezed some words out of her throat. "Don't you love me anymore?"
"Hard to say." Dai Zhiqiang averted his eyes from her. "I don't like you or dislike you. I'm just tired of everything at this point. Caring for my family is already hard enough; I don't need you to add to my plate."
Every word he uttered served like a blade that sliced her heart. The person in front of her was unmistakable, Dai Zhiqiang, yet a part of her still refused to admit this was real.
Li Caiyi thought she knew him well, but she didn't expect him to fall out of love quickly. She still remembered his promise like it was yesterday. But why did it turn out like this?
"What if I refuse?" Li Caiyi's lips quivered as tears pooled in her eyes. "Zhiqiang, I told you before, but I like you much more than you think. If there is something you don't like about me, then you can tell me. I will try to fix it."
Dai Zhiqiang looked slightly troubled. "Li Caiyi, you shouldn't care about someone like me anymore. I don't deserve you, nor that I have leisure time to enjoy being a couple with you. The way we are now will only hinder each other's path."
"But we could get through this together. I will also try my best to help you--"
"I thought so too before, but don't tell me you haven't realized that we have been doing nothing but argue in the past few weeks? I don't need you to change because I won't change my mind. Save your energy to pursue your dream instead of chasing me."
Li Caiyi was at a loss for words. Dai Zhiqiang seemed decisive in ending their relationship. However, she was extremely unwilling.
For her, Dai Zhiqiang was no longer her life savior but also someone she loved so deeply. They met earlier, but everything ended in just a few months.
The more she tried to chase after him, the more he got further away from her. Li Caiyi was so frustrated she wanted to cry.
Why does it always end up like this whenever she falls in love with someone? Even though Dai Zhiqiang said he wasn't angry at her, she couldn't help but think she had made a mistake somewhere.
Was she going to be dumped once again by someone she loved wholeheartedly? Or did she have been severely overestimating herself so far?
With a lot of thoughts swirling in her head, she questioned her self-worth many times.
For some reason, it felt much more painful than when Meng Renshu dumped her.
"Is there really no other way for us to salvage our relationship?" Li Caiyi couldn't hold back her tears anymore at this point.
Usually, Dai Zhiqiang would panic when he saw her cry, but he was unmoved this time. It made her realize once again that his heart truly had changed.
Bitterness filled up her lung, and she found it difficult to breathe.
"Do you really not have any feelings left for me?"
Dai Zhiqiang: "...."
He didn't answer and kept his mouth shut.
Li Caiyi wanted to hope his silence meant he still had some remaining affection for her. However, she suddenly lost confidence when she looked at his frowning face. It was more like he chose not to say anything because he knew the truth would hurt her.
A part of her heart died then.
She thought that if Dai Zhiqiang showed just a little regret or guilt, she wouldn't care about her pride. She would beg him to stay. But he seemed disgusted when she tried to cling to him earlier, so she wouldn't do that anymore.
Li Caiyi would save her remaining pride and magnanimously let him go. Since it was painful for him to be with her, she wouldn't hold him back.
"I understand."
Dai Zhiqiang was surprised when he heard that. "Really?"
Li Caiyi wiped her tears with the back of her hand before staring back at him emptily. "You won't change your mind even if I beg you anyway; why look so surprised?"
He lowered his gaze, unable to meet her reddened eyes. "I'm sorry."
"It's nothing for you to apologize for. You are just being honest with your feelings. I didn't think straight and showed you an embarrassing side of me. If there's someone who should feel sorry, that's me."
Dai Zhiqiang had no response to that. He closed his eyes before continuing, "Now that we don't have any relation to each other. You don't have to care about my family anymore. It's not appropriate."
Li Caiyi couldn't believe he even prevented her from meeting Dai Bolin and Dai Shenqiang.
"You are being excessive. I genuinely care about Uncle, and you know that Shenqiang is contracted in the same company as me, right?"
"I don't mind if it's work-related. However, it would be best if you didn't hover around my family matters anymore. Let's draw a clear line here before it becomes too complicated."
Li Caiyi sneered. "It's strange. The way you say it is like you are afraid that someone will misunderstand. Are you cheating on me with someone else?"
Of course, Li Caiyi didn't actually mean what she said. She was just upset because Dai Zhiqiang would go so far as to create a barrier between them. Did he hate her so much that he found her existence an eyesore now?
Under her accusatory gaze, Dai Zhiqiang calmly replied, "If that's what you want to think, then you can think about it that way."
"What?" Li Caiyi was taken aback.
"Either way, our relationship ends today, so I don't mind even if you think that way. I have already said everything I need to say. Now, I should go back."
Dai Zhiqiang stood up, and Li Caiyi panicked, so she unconsciously reached out to grab his hand. They looked at each other in surprise.
'Quick, beg him to stay! Do your best to hold him back!'
Li Caiyi's heart screamed those words inside, but in reality, she slowly removed her hand.
"I did it out of reflex."
He looked at her meaningfully. "After this, we probably won't meet each other in the future. This will be our goodbye."
"Huh? What are you talking about? We will eventually meet if we are studying in the same school."
"You don't have to worry about that. I already finished the transferring procedure today."
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