Vows in Vain, Ten Years, One Betrayal - Chapter 17
Zhou Xuyan never really believed in retribution.
But when he finally traveled thousands of miles to that small town buried under yellow sand,
only to watch Chen Jingyao find Lin Bihan in the desert before him,
in that moment, he suddenly understood-his retribution had arrived.
It came swiftly, and without warning.
He was unprepared, utterly powerless to resist.
The yellow sand swirled, blotting out the sky and the sun.
He didn’t know if Lin Bihan had seen him.
He could only stand there, watching as Chen Jingyao carefully helped her, injured as she was, into the desert off-road vehicle.
She was so weak that, as she got into the car, it was Chen Jingyao who carried her up.
He still followed that car to the hospital.
Her teacher stepped forward to stop him,
but let Chen Jingyao accompany her into the examination room.
The wind died down, and the swirling sand settled.
He spat out a mouthful of grit and lit a cigarette.
One after another, he smoked, unable to stop.
Desperately, he asked her teacher, “Has she been with you here all this time?”
“Yes. She’s very hardworking, very resilient.”
“She’s not in good health…”
Zhou Xuyan forced down the bitterness in his throat. “Has it been hard for her during this time?”
The teacher lifted her chin slightly, looking at him with a calm gaze. “No, she’s been happy.”
Zhou Xuyan’s eyes were frighteningly red.
Perhaps it was the wind and sand.
“Teacher, do I still have a chance?”
“Will she forgive me?”
“I truly regret it. I know I was wrong…”
He looked like a helpless, bewildered child.
This tall man, clutching the teacher’s sleeve, was on the verge of tears.
“I don’t know,” the teacher said, “but I respect all of Bihan’s choices.”
“Teacher, please help me, won’t you?”
But the teacher shook her head and pushed his hand away.
“Bihan is my most outstanding student. I know her very well, and her temperament is much like mine.”
“In this matter, no one can help you.”
“But Teacher, we’ve been together for ten years…”
“So what?”
The teacher smiled faintly, a touch of disdain in her expression. “I was married to my ex-husband for fifteen years.”
“He even knelt and cried, begging me. But a man who’s tainted is tainted. There’s no difference between him and garbage.”
“Zhou Xuyan, we women are not garbage collectors.”
“If you truly care about the ten years you’ve shared, then let her go.”
