The Changing Phases - Chapter 15 - Longing Is Better Forgotten

As the end of the workday approached, the golden rays of the setting sun cast a warm glow on the office building. Liu Yuxin couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling she had after leaving Zhao Junyang’s office. The expressions on her colleagues’ faces made her uncomfortable. Zhang Yue’er had smirked derisively, and Manager Mo had an insidious smile as if she had done something wrong. Liu Yuxin shook her head as she walked out, thinking to herself, “Forget it, why dwell on it? The earth will still spin tomorrow, won’t it?”

“Liu Yuxin!” She turned around when she heard someone calling her name and was surprised to see it was Tao.

“Tao?” Liu Yuxin exclaimed in astonishment.

Tao stood there with a blank expression and said, “Liu Yuxin, I need to talk to you.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Liu Yuxin replied, intending to leave. Tao hurried to keep up with her, saying urgently, “Liu Yuxin, it’s something serious.”

Liu Yuxin stopped and gave him a once-over, then laughed, “Why such a good attitude today? Very suspicious. Let me make it clear, I have no money to lend you, and if you’re having relationship troubles, don’t come to me.”

“Well… can’t I just talk to you?”

“Talk?” Liu Yuxin raised an eyebrow, “What, you want to discuss your new lover with your ex? I have even less to say to you.”

“Liu Yuxin, I know I wronged you before. I just want to treat you to a meal and talk like ordinary friends. Is that too much to ask?”

With a pitiful look, Tao persisted. Liu Yuxin, feeling helpless and thinking it would be an act of kindness, finally relented. “Fine, I’ll take you to dinner.”

They entered a nearby restaurant, and Liu Yuxin chose a bright, spacious spot to sit. Tao quickly pulled out her chair and handed her the menu before taking the seat opposite her. “Liu Yuxin, can’t you forgive me?”

Ignoring him, Liu Yuxin flipped through the menu. “What do you want to eat?”

“Liu Yuxin, are you still unwilling to forgive me?”

Smiling, Liu Yuxin continued, “How about Kung Pao Chicken?”

“Liu Yuxin, I’ll treat you well from now on.”

Liu Yuxin didn’t look up. “And maybe some Spicy Boiled Beef?”

“Liu Yuxin, I truly know I was wrong. I think we’re still a good match.”

“Tao!” Liu Yuxin pushed the menu towards Tao, startling even the server nearby. Frowning, she suppressed her anger and said, “What exactly do you want to eat?”

After they finally managed to order, Liu Yuxin looked at the lovey-dovey expression on Tao’s face and said teasingly, “I’ve already kept you company. You can speak now. What complaints do you have about your current girlfriend? I could use the experience.”

Tao, lacking confidence, replied, “Well… that’s in the past.”

Liu Yuxin let out a laugh, “Wow, I didn’t realize you cycled through girlfriends so quickly.”

Feeling quite awkward, Tao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said uncomfortably, “Liu Yuxin, now I feel that you treated me the best.”

Raising an eyebrow, Liu Yuxin remarked, “Did you get your head stuck in a door? Seems like the damage was severe!”

Tao raised his voice, “I didn’t know she would turn out to be like that!”

Liu Yuxin chuckled, “Oh? So you’ve finally learned to compare and differentiate?”

Tao continued to speak in a melancholy tone: ‘She always asks me to buy her this and that. The most outrageous thing happened one night when she called me saying she couldn’t go on anymore. I didn’t even have time to change my clothes and rushed to her place in the middle of the night. She told me that her biggest wish before she died was to have a new mink coat. After borrowing money from everywhere and finally buying her one, I saw that she was perfectly fine. She could walk and jump around just fine. When you were with me, you never wanted anything from me. Why did I choose her?”

Liu Yuxin couldn’t help but laugh, “Did your eyesight get worse again? Why don’t you check if your glasses are still the right fit?”

Tao kept complaining, “Sometimes, I feel like she treats me like cow dung.”

Laughing and shaking her head, Liu Yuxin covered her mouth, “You’ve got it wrong there. If you were really cow dung, no one would dare to step on you.”

Tao looked crestfallen, adjusting his glasses, and said sincerely, “Liu Yuxin, please stop teasing me. I’m telling the truth from the bottom of my heart. When I have insomnia at night, I think of you and realize more and more how good you were to me. Please give me another chance.”

Liu Yuxin’s smile faded, and she spoke seriously, “Alright, let’s look back. We’ve known each other for almost a year now. I decided to be with you back then because I thought you were sincere. Think about it, you were always a homebody in school, with the nickname ‘Gatekeeper.’ You were diligent at work, but you never had much ambition. Looking back, I see how passive you were. When I treated you well, you were my boyfriend. Then another woman treated you well, and you became her boyfriend. But when you left me, you were quite proactive.”

She shook her head, “Wait, I might not be explaining this well. What I’m trying to say is, can’t you plan your life a bit? Find something to strive for?”

Tao chuckled, “Liu Yuxin, I do have a plan. My current goal is to make you my girlfriend again.”

Liu Yuxin wiped her forehead, clearly exasperated. “Oh my god,” she said, standing up abruptly. “You’ve somewhat satisfied my vanity as a woman and given me a chance to reject you, so I’m actually quite pleased.”

She picked up her bag, ready to leave. As she walked away, Tao called after her with admiration, “Why didn’t I notice before how much character you have now?”

The golden hues of the sunset cast a gentle glow on everything around. Perhaps at this moment, countless couples around the world were falling in love or parting ways. Whether happy or sad, these moments might forever be stored in the depths of their hearts, like sepia-toned photographs filled with unforgettable memories, eternally fixed in time.

Liu Yuxin walked slowly on the mottled cobblestone path in her high heels, each step making a soft sound. She moved forward at a steady pace. Tao was a thing of the past now. Back when they first broke up, she might have hoped he would call, but now he was like a utility pole in her memories. The pole was still there, but she had moved on. Liu Yuxin suddenly understood a lot. Heartbreak wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it could help people grow and become more mature.

There seemed to be a BMW trailing her from behind, but she paid no attention and continued walking. Her phone rang with the ringtone [If It Weren’t for You] startling her and nearly causing her to twist her ankle. She glared at the car beside her with wide eyes, “What are you doing?”

“Get in the car, I’ll take you home,”

Liu Yuxin shot him a disdainful look, “Right now, I hate all men!”

“That sounds a bit like youthful resentment. Could it be you’ve developed a fear of relationships?”

“Of course not. I’m just rejecting all two-faced men!”

“Oh? Does that mean you’ve already ruled out that guy from earlier?”

Liu Yuxin shouted back, “None of your business. There are plenty of beautiful women who want to get in your car; call one of them!” With that, she turned and walked away briskly, not caring that her phone was still ringing in the air.

Zhao Junyang continued to follow her. Liu Yuxin decided to head to the nearby bus station, thinking there’s no way he would be this persistent. Sure enough, Zhao Junyang’s car drove away. Watching the car disappear, Liu Yuxin felt a twinge of disappointment. “Hmph, gave up so easily after just a few words. No perseverance at all!”

Liu Yuxin got off the crowded bus and went into a supermarket at the corner. She bought some snacks that she and Jin liked. When she reached the checkout, she noticed a familiar figure. Zhao Junyang was leaning leisurely against the wall with his hands in his pockets, looking at her playfully. She glared at him and prepared to pay, but Zhao Junyang was quicker. “I’ll get it,” he said.

“No way!” Liu Yuxin took out a few hundred-yuan bills from her wallet and told the cashier, “Take mine.”

Zhao Junyang smiled and suddenly turned to the cashier, winking with what seemed like a hundred thousand volts of charm. He said in a magnetic voice, “Take mine.”

The cashier seemed to be bewitched, her face flushing as she mumbled, “Okay.”

Liu Yuxin was thoroughly annoyed. Zhao Junyang was at it again, charming unsuspecting young women. So irritating!

She decided to ignore him and turned to leave. Zhao Junyang followed her, carrying her shopping bags. After a while, they reached Liu Yuxin’s apartment building. Zhao Junyang sighed and said, “You know, sometimes I envy that guy. I’m just an ordinary man.”

Liu Yuxin pursed her lips and shook her head as if she pitied him. “Really? How sad. You’re delusional. You shouldn’t envy him; being Mr. Zhao is quite impressive.”

Zhao Junyang suddenly leaned in close to her ear and whispered with a mischievous grin, “Liu Yuxin, I have something to ask you.”

The sudden closeness made Liu Yuxin momentarily flustered. She forced a casual smile. “Oh? Mr. Zhao has a question for a lowly employee like me? I must answer it properly.”

Zhao Junyang chuckled, “There’s a place I want to live.”

“Then just go there. Why are you asking me?”

Zhao Junyang looked serious. “It’s a very important place. Someone else used to live there, but they don’t anymore.”

Liu Yuxin raised an eyebrow. “So it’s a second-hand house? Just buy it with cash then?”

Zhao Junyang laughed softly. “I’ve already made some investments there, but I’m not sure if I can keep investing.”

“Mortgage payments?”

“You could say that.”

“So how much do you need to invest in total?”

“Everything I have.”

Liu Yuxin looked puzzled. “A house that expensive? You’ve already made the down payment, right?”

Zhao Junyang nodded. Liu Yuxin replied, “I think you’re just wasting time; you can move in right away.”

“Can I move in now, Liu Yuxin?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, do you mean the apartment Jin and I are renting?”

Zhao Junyang’s lips curved into a smile. “No, I mean your heart.”