Chapter 7 Birthday Wishes and Farewell
Lu Xiao takes out the cake, lights the candles, and closes his eyes to make three wishes.
"I hope I can stay popular forever."
"I wish to break into the movie industry and become a box office king with billions in earnings."
"I hope... Su Mo can stay by my side forever, like... before."
After saying that, Lu Xiao blows out the candles and looks up at me deeply.
"Su Mo, we've been through so much together. I don't understand why now that things are better, you want to leave me."
"Were our years of feelings fake? Is it worth denying everything over a small thing?"
"I never changed the home password. I've been waiting for you to come back. Do you understand? Agreeing to break up was just angry words, and going to the reunion was to see you. I've humbly taken ninety-nine steps__SEMI__ can't you take one toward me?"
The bed scene turning real becomes a trivial matter in Lu Xiao's mouth.
Only now do I fully admit that the person I once loved deeply has completely rotted.
The bizarre entertainment circle, soaked in it for so long, leaves Lu Xiao rotted from the inside out.
I dodge Lu Xiao's hand reaching to touch my cheek.
I speak calmly.
"Lu Xiao, I don't know if the breakup was your angry words, but I'm sure it's not mine."
"We're no longer in the same world. I've been trapped by memories, unwilling to admit it."
"Eight years ago on your birthday, you confessed to me, and I agreed. Eight years later today, I hope we can let each other go, let the past be past, and have no more entanglements."
Lu Xiao instinctively reaches to grab me.
But he only brushes my retreating clothes.
His face turns pale, his tone panicked.
"It's not like that! It's not, I haven't changed. Su Mo, look at me, please look at me properly. My love for you has never changed."
"What let the past be past, no more entanglements later. I can't do it. You're engraved in my life__SEMI__ I can never get over it."
"Su Mo, I already know the identities of those two men that day—your boss and colleague. I was so angry then__SEMI__ only later did I realize you're different from those in the entertainment circle. You wouldn't treat feelings as playthings."
Lu Xiao explains urgently, pleads bitterly, trying to salvage our relationship.
"And you?"
I ask softly.
Lu Xiao freezes in place.
"I... I naturally wouldn't treat feelings as a game either."
"Then why did you go in?"
Lu Xiao's pupils shrink sharply. He opens his mouth, weakly rebuts.
"I... didn't."
He denies it to the death.
"Lu Xiao, if you lie, then all your wishes just now will backfire. You'll collapse, get banned, be ignored, and..."
"Enough!"