No Girl Can Walk Away Smiling After Checking Her Boyfriend's Phone - Chapter 12
It had only been a month since I last saw Jiang Ling, yet he seemed to have completely changed.
His complexion was poor, his shirt slightly wrinkled, a faint stubble shadowed his chin, and dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn’t rested well for a long time.
The experiences of his childhood made Jiang Ling very particular about these details of life; his buttons were always meticulously fastened to the top, and he always left an impression that was pleasing and refreshing.
Since being with him, this was the first time I saw him so disheveled and defeated.
A feeling I couldn’t quite articulate arose in my heart.
Was it pity?
Perhaps a little.
But more than that, it was a sense of longing for a past that could never return.
He had indeed developed feelings for Zhou Xuan, whether it was a fleeting novelty or a temporary infatuation.
Unknowingly, the balance in his heart had already tipped towards someone else.
I was willing to believe he truly regretted it, but what difference did that make?
That thorn had already embedded itself deep in my heart, and each time I saw him, it drove deeper, causing more pain.
I had once possessed a version of him whose eyes were filled with me, so how could I continue to be with the him of now?
Lost in thought, Jiang Ling had already walked over carrying a thermos, his tone revealing a hint of caution.
“Nannan, I heard you were sick, so I made your favorite crab porridge.”
I snapped back to reality, noticing a band-aid on his finger, likely from an injury sustained while cooking the porridge.
When Jiang Ling was young, with no one at home, he had to learn to cook for himself and eat alone.
Later, when conditions improved, he never entered the kitchen again.
I hadn’t expected him to make porridge for me.
“I realized halfway through cooking that I was out of soy sauce, and by the time I bought some, the porridge was almost burnt.”
Jiang Ling opened the lid of the thermos, smiling awkwardly.
“I tried several times after that before I finally succeeded.”
I looked at him silently.
For some reason, I suddenly thought of how Jiang Ling had repeatedly accompanied Zhou Xuan to eat bone broth noodles, giving her exceptions that even I never had.
So, Jiang Ling, are you trying to make amends?
My eyes suddenly felt sore.
“Jiang Ling, we’ve already broken up, you don’t need to do this anymore.”
His body stiffened abruptly, staring at me blankly, somewhat at a loss.
“Please leave,” I said.
“Nannan, I’ve really made things clear with Zhou Xuan, I promise she won’t disturb our lives anymore.”
Jiang Ling’s lips moved nervously, his voice trembling, almost incoherent.
“It was all my fault before… I don’t even know what came over me, like I was possessed, knowing how she felt about me yet allowing myself to interact with her.”
I chuckled lightly, unsure if it was mockery or something else.
Jiang Ling’s eyes suddenly reddened, reaching out to grab my hand.
I instinctively dodged.
His hand halted abruptly, hovering in mid-air for a few seconds before retreating.
“When did you start liking her?” I asked calmly.
Jiang Ling’s brow furrowed repeatedly, seemingly wanting to refute something, yet unable to, finally muttering sullenly.
“During that time, we happened to be in charge of a project together; she was really diligent, really driven. In her, I seemed to see the way you used to be…”
“I know very well that I love you, yet I still did so many things to make you sad and hurt, Nannan, I truly know I was wrong…”
Jiang Ling suddenly paused, his gaze deep.
A gentle breeze stirred outside the window, and Qiao Yiqing naturally leaned in, tucking a few strands of hair blown onto my forehead behind my ear.
There seemed to be a faint fragrance on him, neither overpowering nor abrupt, quite pleasant.
I tensed slightly, instinctively murmuring, “Thank you.”
Qiao Yiqing adjusted the blanket for me, tucking it in, replying leisurely, “It’s the least I can do.”
While I was still pondering the meaning behind his words, Qiao Yiqing met Jiang Ling’s gaze, his voice calm, “Go on.”
Jiang Ling fell silent.
For a long, long time, he slowly raised his head to look at me, his eyes red.
“No matter what I do, it won’t make a difference, will it?”
I looked back at him calmly, “Some things, I can’t pretend never happened.”
Jiang Ling lowered his eyelids, gently placing the thermos on the table, his voice low and obscure, “I’m sorry.”
He walked very slowly, his back slightly hunched, taking a long time to cover the few steps to the door.
The light in the hospital room was overly bright, stretching his shadow long, accompanied by solitude.
The room was left with only me and Qiao Yiqing.
He opened the thermos, glanced inside, seemingly thoughtful, “When you were with him, did you always cook?”
I nodded.
“No wonder.”
Qiao Yiqing closed the lid, a hint of pity for the ingredients in his eyes.
Then he looked at me, “I’m quite good at cooking.”
I was taken aback.
The door suddenly opened, and a nurse came in to change my IV drip.
Qiao Yiqing naturally withdrew his gaze, returning to his laptop to type.
After the nurse left, I pulled the blanket higher, intending to continue sleeping, when Qiao Yiqing’s voice sounded, “Chen Nan.”
I responded softly, my eyes half-closed.
“Listening to him say those things just now, did you feel nothing at all?”
His voice was low, yet in the quiet hospital room, it didn’t hinder me from hearing clearly.
I was silent for a long time, “No.”
Qiao Yiqing seemed to chuckle, “That’s good.”
I opened my eyes, sitting up to look at him.
He met my gaze without flinching.
Suddenly, the image of him leaning in to tuck my hair flashed in my mind.
It seemed there was too much contained in that look.
Intuition told me it wasn’t just my imagination. As if driven by an unseen force, I asked, “Are you-”
“Yes.” He seemed to know what I was going to say, answering straightforwardly.
I was stunned.
He looked at me steadily, his expression gentle, emotions in his eyes unhidden.
“So, Chen Nan, what do you think?”
