Chapter 170 - Uncovering Old Wounds

“You wouldn’t believe how shocked I was back then. It felt like after three years of being together, I was truly seeing her for the first time,” Ellie said with a laugh in her voice, yet her expression remained neither sad nor joyful. “I couldn’t control my emotions at that moment, and for the first time, we had an argument. It was our first-and last-fight.”

What does “the last fight” imply? It signifies that after this, the woman she deeply loved had no more ties with her, except perhaps the term “ex” to describe what they had become.

Lifting her head, Chu Qianqian saw a hint of sorrow in Ellie’s eyes that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, stirring a bitter sadness in her heart. Even the most glamorous and powerful people may have a painful past hidden inside.

Tugging at Ellie’s sleeve, Chu Qianqian pleaded, “Ellie, please don’t go on…”

Stop reopening your own wounds.

But Ellie, seemingly oblivious to her subtle gesture, continued, “After that, we broke up. It was really tough at first. I couldn’t help wanting to see her, and even my mental state suffered for a while. I became easily saddened and joyed, and I was incredibly fragile. But eventually, I got through it and went back to living a normal life.”

“When she later reached out to me, asking to get back together, I flatly refused her,” Ellie said, her eyes twinkling and a smile playing at her lips. “Just like the shock I felt when she first brought it up, she was stunned into silence. That’s when I understood why she made that request-she was so sure of my deep feelings for her, thinking I would compromise.”

“But she miscalculated. I did value our relationship deeply, but love is something you can let go of, whereas I can never let go of my little bit of dignity. Once that’s gone, I’m no longer myself.”

“Qianqian,” Ellie said as she gently stroked Chu Qianqian’s smooth long hair, her expression turning a bit wistful, “my story is different from yours, but the lesson I want to share with you is the same: in any relationship, dignity is much more important than love.”

“I can’t really comment on your adoptive mother’s actions, but I do think it’s not entirely a bad thing. After all, she helped you sever ties with your original family. Now, you owe nothing to anyone, and you don’t have to feel indebted anymore.”

The phrase “owe nothing to anyone” struck a sensitive chord in Chu Qianqian’s heart. She lowered her eyelids and suddenly realized how much she had changed. When she first returned to the country, she struggled to accept that she no longer belonged to that family. Now, the situation had reversed; she was actually looking forward to having no contact with that family.

Perhaps people are inherently fickle.

Lifting her head, Chu Qianqian straightened her body, and a sweet, elegant smile reappeared on her face, showing no trace of the sobbing that had occurred just moments before. “Thank you, Ellie. I’ve thought it through.”

The atmosphere relaxed again. Chu Qianqian enjoyed the fruit platter Ellie had just served, observing her busy in the Kitchen. She suddenly felt it odd-was Ellie the type to open up about her feelings? Especially when there were so many other things she could say to comfort her.

“Ellie, has something happened recently?”

Ellie’s Kitchen was a semi-open space, with half of the wall that connected to the dining room knocked through to create a bar. The linear structure allowed Chu Qianqian, sitting in the living room, to see everything happening in the Kitchen.

After Chu Qianqian voiced her question, she noticed Ellie’s figure stiffen momentarily, although she quickly returned to normal. However, Chu Qianqian had already seen it.

Repeating her question, Chu Qianqian waited for Ellie’s response.

Being closely watched was uncomfortable. Ellie turned around, her face showing concern, and her heart warmed. She decided not to hide it anymore: “I ran into her the day before yesterday.”

“Her?” Confusion lasted only a second before Chu Qianqian regained her composure, her voice slightly tentative, “Is it that girl from college, your first love?”

Referring to it as a first love was because during senior high school, Chu Qianqian had never seen Ellie fall for anyone. Even after she came out, when girls expressed interest in her, she never reciprocated. Therefore, the main character of this three-year romance in college must be Ellie’s first love.

After a moment of silence, Ellie nodded and responded with a “Hmm.” It was unclear if she was confirming whether the person was looking for her, or agreeing to the mention of “first love,” or perhaps both. “It’s not that we met by chance, she came looking for me.”

“Getting back together?”

Ellie looked up at Chu Qianqian, her expression somewhat surprised. How did she guess so accurately? “Yes, she said she’s had a falling out with her family, and that we can start over again.”

As she spoke, Ellie tilted her head back, her expression filled with doubt, “You know, we’ve been apart for two years. Even the deepest feelings can fade significantly, especially since we broke up the way we did. What makes her think we can still be together?”

Chu Qianqian found it difficult to answer this question. Two years, neither long nor short, could erase any ordinary relationship, yet for those profoundly heartfelt loves, two years might just be the beginning of healing.

Noticing Ellie’s genuinely puzzled look, Chu Qianqian sighed internally, feeling that Ellie might inherently not be someone who settles down easily. After a moment, she carefully suggested, “Compared to you, she might just be more sentimental.”

“Really?” Blinking her innocent eyes, Ellie’s expression was noncommittal. She felt that her reaction was normal; after all, it had been two years, not just a couple of days or months. Two years could diminish any feelings.

With a resigned sigh, Chu Qianqian acknowledged that they wouldn’t come to any conclusion on this matter, “Well, it seems like your fickleness might just be ingrained in you.”

“What do you mean, ‘fickle’?!” Ellie was quite displeased with Chu Qianqian’s comment, “How am I fickle? I always take each relationship seriously, but somehow, they always end up leaving me.”

As she spoke, Ellie strode out of the kitchen and stood in front of Chu Qianqian, turning around with a flick of her eyes, her demeanor instantly commanding.

At that moment, Chu Qianqian was sitting on the sofa, looking up at Ellie who was standing. The height difference was immediately apparent, and in her eyes, Ellie had successfully achieved the “all legs below the chest” look.