Waterbound Love - Chapter 19

The end of the year is a major catastrophe, but Shao is a greater disaster.

Du Bai always knew that nothing good would happen when she was with Shao. The warmth of the sun couldn’t reach her; the intertwined fingers were more piercing than red.

Shao, who was trying on a dress nearby, noticed Du Bai’s pale face and silence. Following her gaze, she said, “Du Bai, isn’t that-”

Du Bai seemed to awaken suddenly, “No, it’s not.”

“It’s Yunyun. Who is that next to her? Her new friend? His back looks quite attractive, let’s see his face.”

“I said it’s not.” Du Bai clenched her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead. After a moment, she realized she had overreacted and calmed down. “You were mistaken, let’s go.”

As she watched Du Bai’s retreating back, Shao closed her eyes. “Du Bai, how long are you going to deceive yourself? I know her so well that I don’t believe you can’t identify her just by her back. I’ve gone to such great lengths; don’t let us down.”

“I said I didn’t know, so I don’t know.” Realizing her outburst, Du Bai sighed silently. “It’s the last day of the year. Can we just get through it peacefully?” Then she walked out. Shao, you didn’t have to go to such lengths to bring me here. I knew many things long before you did. My emotions are more delicate than you imagine, and thus more painful. Having even a sliver of doubt makes the journey less arduous; having my suspicions confirmed is unbearable. You, doing this, only made me uncomfortable.

Du Bai didn’t know how long she had walked or how she ended up here. This square held too many happy memories for them-meeting, knowing each other, joy, and sorrow. These softest memories now felt like rusty arrows piercing her, bringing a lingering dull pain. This pain made her feel a destructive impulse but left her no outlet. The accumulated sorrow could corrode her very bones at the slightest touch, leaving only a pool of blood.

Du Bai turned and walked away from the square with large strides. The chimes of the new year sounded as she closed her eyes and silently made a New Year’s wish: If possible, let me die on this path that once brought me the greatest joy.

Opening her eyes, the car’s headlights flashed on her face, causing a brief discomfort. Hearing the sharp sound of brakes and distant cursing, Du Bai couldn’t help but smile bitterly. It seemed this wish was hard to realize. She touched her face and felt the wetness, then lowered her head and walked across the crosswalk. Perhaps only the night could be this merciful, allowing her to cry without restraint, not worrying about appearing weak in front of others.

Life always presents unexpected opportunities, and chance encounters can happen anywhere. Du Bai felt that she had been quite fortunate lately. As she looked at the delicate hand resting on her shoulder, she thought to herself that anyone else would have been thrilled by such a pleasant surprise.

Looking up, she saw a truly exquisite beauty. But Du Bai was more intrigued by the flicker of desire for conquest in her eyes. After a short confrontation, it ended with Du Bai kissing Pei Yin’s eyes, marking the beginning of their turbulent years together. The shape was quite similar; since you want to subdue me, show some real skill to make me genuinely yield. Don’t let me down too much.

The game between the two ended just as abruptly as it had begun. Watching Pei Yin’s tear-streaked face filled with pleading, Du Bai felt that this entire affair had been absurd from start to finish-she had overestimated her.

“You can’t do this to me.” The words overlapped with a memory, causing Du Bai to clench her fist and laugh bitterly. “Then how should I treat you?” she asked, bending down to meet Pei Yin’s gaze. “You don’t expect me to take responsibility, do you? What, marry you?” She stood up slowly, sitting elegantly and composed across from Pei Yin, devoid of emotion. “Marrying you wouldn’t be a problem.” Seeing Pei Yin’s face light up with happiness, Du Bai maliciously paused, her crimson, full lips uttering words like a demon’s curse, “But I can’t tolerate a life with you.”

Pei Yin’s face turned pale as she shivered. “What you are doing is wrong, you-you-”

“Does right and wrong make a difference to me? You should know the kind of person I am by now. To me, those I don’t care about mean nothing. I only adhere to my principles and do what I want,” Du Bai said, feeling exhausted and decided to end everything. “And my principle is simply not to hurt her. You are not her. I’ve given you what you wanted and I don’t want to see you again. If you can’t accept that, let me just say this: if I give the word, the people around me will not make your life easy.” She walked straight to the door, pausing before entering. “Never mistake my kindness for weakness.”

On the couch, Pei Yin slumped, trying to calm herself, but her trembling hands betrayed her fear.

“You brought this upon yourself. I could have given you more time, offered you a better place. But you overestimated yourself, thinking you could remove her from my world or control me.”

It became clear that despite the past days, nothing had changed. Pei Yin could change nothing and certainly couldn’t change Du Bai’s decisions.

Under the brilliant starry sky, thoughts wildly grew like a forest, while restless feelings bloomed vibrantly in the darkness.

But you, you were only a momentary fixation on a pair of similar eyes. They had the shape but lacked the soul. In the end, you were always meant to be discarded.

Unable to resist the bitterness within, giving herself a chance seemed impossibly hard.

Never intending to give you fairness, this game was destined to have only one winner from the start, and she would never lose.

Because she never intended to let you into her heart, moments of impulse couldn’t last long.

Between us, it was merely mutual benefit. Du Bai didn’t spell it out not to give you space but to preserve something pure for herself, believing in the initial purity and keeping the best memories for herself.

This love was destined to be short-lived, dazzling for a moment but never meant to last forever.

“How have you been since the breakup?” Tinna challenged Du Bai, swirling her drink.

“Still the same, nothing different. If anything, I feel much lighter,” Du Bai shrugged nonchalantly.

“You’re such a player. I wonder who can ever tame you,” Tinna mused, before realizing her slip and awkwardly searching for words to make amends.

“Tomorrow, I’m leaving. I have an evening flight.” Sometimes, you have to break the ice.

“What? Didn’t you say everything was fine?” Tinna looked nervously at Du Bai’s calm face, searching for any sign of pretense, but found none.

Rolling her eyes, Du Bai replied, “What does that have to do with anything? I just want to go out and clear my head, okay?”

Tinna let out a long sigh of relief. “I knew you wouldn’t fall for that bh.”

“Bh?” Du Bai raised an eyebrow.

“Isn’t she?” they both exchanged looks and broke into laughter. Du Bai laughed for a long time, putting in the effort.

“When’s your flight tomorrow?”

Du Bai stopped laughing, took a sip of her drink for relief, and answered, “I can’t get up in the morning, so it’s in the evening. I appreciate your concern, but no need to see me off.” She glanced at Tinna. “You didn’t tell your husband about me, did you? It’s always good to keep some cards close to your chest. If the day comes, my background could be my ace.”

“You don’t trust me? This matter is significant, but there was no need to tell him, right? Am I that much of a gossip?” Tinna always believed Du Bai was careful about mixing her emotions and background to avoid letting anyone stir trouble. Du Bai’s background was something she rarely revealed to anyone, ensuring her protection.

“I thought you’d abandon old loyalties for a new flame.” Hearing Tinna’s reassurance, Du Bai relaxed and started teasing her.

Tinna’s cheeks turned a deep red. “No way. I’m going to the restroom. He’ll be here to pick me up soon; you entertain him for a bit.” With that, she walked off. Du Bai shook her head helplessly. She really was a woman in love. Turning around, she saw Ji Feiling just walking in, and her gaze turned cold.

“She’s in the restroom and will be out soon,” Du Bai said lazily, instinctively not wanting to talk to him.

Ji Feiling didn’t seem to mind. He sat in Tinna’s vacated seat and ordered a drink. “Ms. Du seems to have some dissatisfaction with me,” he said, phrasing a statement as a question. Du Bai didn’t bother to hide it. “Such a dramatic introduction makes it hard to look forward to Mr. Ji’s future actions,” she replied, meeting Ji Feiling’s sharp eyes masked in warmth without fear, her gaze clear and unwavering.

“I wonder what Tinna would think about your guardianship over her,” Ji Feiling said, leaning closer to Du Bai. He stopped just at the right distance-no actual contact, but close enough to feel each other’s breath. His flippant tone and ambiguous gestures left Du Bai’s eyes cold. Ji Feiling, however, couldn’t help but admire her. Despite the intense pressure, this woman remained unfazed, unflustered. She didn’t try to hide it, her breathing never changed-this was the best proof of her composure. He began to see her in a new light, though he was unaware that the angrier Du Bai was, the quieter she became. Suddenly, she broke into a smile that made Ji Feiling’s heart inexplicably race, leaving him frustrated. “Why are you smiling?”

“Your features are quite delicate,” she said out of the blue, causing Ji Feiling to momentarily freeze. “Do you think mere good looks can overwhelm me and make me lose my senses? Mr. Ji, you must be underestimating Du Bai.”

Ji Feiling truly felt angry now. She was clearly mocking him, not only for using his looks but also for overestimating his power.

Casting a sidelong glance, Ji Feiling allowed a sinister smile to curl his lips. “In that case, let’s see how strong your bond is. Does she trust me or you?” With that, he abruptly jumped back, throwing his glass to the ground, and fell “accidentally” in the ensuing chaos. Tinna hurried over to help him up. “Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?” she asked while inspecting him for injuries. A fleeting warmth crossed Ji Feiling’s face but was quickly replaced by panic. “Tinna, listen to me. It’s not what it looks like. I-” Clumsy and awkward, he seemed utterly different from the sharp, sinister man he had just been. Du Bai couldn’t help but laugh to herself, thinking, “Not bad, kid. You have acting potential. Stirring up trouble out of nothing.”

Tinna looked between Du Bai and Ji Feiling. The former shrugged nonchalantly, exuding a laid-back demeanor, while the latter was visibly distressed, his brows knitted tightly in anxiety. “What are you talking about? I just came out and saw you fall. What happened?” Her earnestness was evident. Ji Feiling realized that any more explanations would be useless, so he decided to leave with Tinna, giving Du Bai a challenging smile as they exited. This is far from over, he seemed to say. This is just the beginning.

Du Bai looked at his smile and laughed back, fearless and undaunted.

Yet life is unpredictable. Though she understood human nature, she couldn’t fathom human hearts, leading to irrevocable harm for them.