Chapter 8 Final Goodbye
The next day, I took the broken watch to the watch city.
I looked for many master craftsmen, but none could repair it.
My mood gradually changed from the initial collapse to accepting reality.
Before long, Pei Sijin transferred twenty thousand yuan to me.
I was not some lofty person, so I accepted it directly.
Although I did not think two thousand yuan could compensate for the damage to my father's heirloom.
But something was better than nothing.
Once I accepted the money, Pei Sijin started waiting for me every day downstairs at my dorm.
I ignored him completely.
After all, I had been quite busy lately.
To smoothly transfer to an overseas position after graduation, there was a hard condition. I had to intern in Hong Kong for half a year.
I had to depart within a month.
Preparing materials, medical checkups, and all sorts of things took time.
I had no time to tangle with Pei Sijin or dwell on past emotions.
Half a month later, Yueyue returned from outside the dorm and told me what she saw on her way back.
She had overheard Su Yu and Pei Sijin arguing.
It turned out Pei Sijin had quietly sold the game account he had played for many years.
The new owner was a bald middle-aged man who pretended to be the original owner and flirted with Su Yu in the game.
Su Yu thought it was Pei Sijin trying to win her back and did not notice.
Over time, she was scammed out of quite a bit of money.
"Su Yu was furious and grabbed Pei Sijin demanding compensation. But Pei Sijin just said one sentence. The money for that watch was what he paid for her. What more did she want?"
"Su Yu cried. She said she was unlucky. If it weren't for venting Pei Sijin's anger, she would not have splashed water on his girlfriend."
"Pei Sijin immediately said he had never been angry with his girlfriend and told her not to be delusional."
Yueyue said with a laugh, "Green tea battling the scumbag. It cracked me up!"
I was busy packing my luggage. Upon hearing this, I shook my head and smiled faintly.
The next day, I set off for the airport.
But I was stopped by Pei Sijin who was squatting downstairs.
This was the first time I met him alone since the day of the Scripted Mystery Game.
He had lost weight all over.
"Song Zhiyuan, I really knew I was wrong. I had sold my game account and cut ties with Su Yu. From now on, my life will only have you. There will be no opposite-sex Gaming Buddies anymore."
He reached out to grab my hand as he spoke.
I stepped back with my suitcase, keeping distance from him.
Pei Sijin's eyes darkened. He said hoarsely,
"Everything you don't like, I have changed. Give me one more chance, okay? We have so many years of feelings. I really don't want it to end like this..."
I interrupted him.
"Does wanting it matter? In this world, many things aren't up to what you want."
He suddenly looked up, somewhat broken. "But before that day, I really thought... we just had a conflict and were in a cold war.
"It was just a cold war... How did it become like this now..."
I did not want to entangle with him anymore.
I sighed. "Do you think solving the Su Yu issue means there are no other problems between us?"
He froze.
"The year my dad passed away, I was in pain and self-blame for a whole year without a good night's sleep. At that time, you were the closest person to me besides family."
"I confided in you because I thought I could trust and rely on you."
"But from the moment you chose to make an issue out of it and used my dad's death to hurt me, I knew I had misjudged the person."
"I should never have been with someone like you from the beginning."
I paused.
"As for getting back together, that's even more impossible."
"Have you understood what I said?"
Pei Sijin stood there in a daze. His eyes suddenly reddened.
When he spoke again, his voice was already humble and somewhat choked.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Song Zhiyuan. It was all my fault."
"You can hit me or scold me, but please don't deny our past—"
"No matter good or bad, what's between us is already in the past. Pei Sijin, I hope you don't waste any more of my time."
I checked my phone. The car I called was almost here.
Only then did Pei Sijin notice my suitcase.
He asked in a somewhat dazed manner, "Where are you going?"
I smiled lightly. "Does it have anything to do with you?"
After getting in the car, the driver looked in the rearview mirror and asked me who the person running after the car was.
Only then did I realize Pei Sijin had been chasing me the whole time.
Even though it was futile.
I froze, feeling a long-lost sting in my chest.
In a trance, I recalled middle school days.
Back then, my dad drove me to school every day.
Pei Sijin wanted to accompany me to school but dared not let my dad know, so he rode a bicycle every day, following behind.
I asked him if riding like that was not tiring.
He smiled and told me not to underestimate him.
So I always stared at the rearview mirror. When he fell behind, I worried, but after one corner, he would catch up with effort.
At that time, I thought we would be like this for the rest of our lives.
Even if separated, there would always be a day to reunite.
But who knew...
That belief back then was just a belief.
I collected myself and looked away. "I don't know him."
The driver responded, "Alright."
He stepped on the gas.
In an instant.
The man was left far behind.