CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: SO, LET’S BREAK UP

Gu Jiayin felt that the man in front of her, when described as noble as a ruler, wasn’t wrong, but he was at times so domineering it bordered on childish, childishly unreasonable.

She didn’t want to give him any more reason to take advantage of her, so she let him be.

Unhappily, she tossed her phone into the pocket of her coat, wrapped it tightly around herself with a complex, indescribable emotion, and strode forward.

Sheng Qianchi tilted his head, put his hands in his trouser pockets, looking at the woman’s back, his eyes filling more and more with mirth.

After a two-second pause, he stepped forward, neither hurried nor slow, maintaining a two-step distance, following her.

His legs were long, so no matter how she walked, he could comfortably keep that distance.

Once they passed through the whole pear blossom grove, they neared the coast.

At that moment, the sunset completely disappeared into the horizon, the red glow dyeing the entire sea.

The sea and sky were one, dazzlingly dream-like.

Gu Jiayin pressed the collar of her coat and climbed onto a large rock, facing the direction of the sunset, silently.

They say the sunset is the horizon’s end, but looking to the horizon, there’s no home in sight.

Her home was actually long gone.

She had no home.

Sheng Qianchi also climbed onto the rock, quietly standing beside the woman, clearly feeling the subtle sadness emanating from her.

For some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to embrace her.

So, he did just that.

With one arm around her waist, he pulled her close, with his chin resting on her shoulder, his cheek touching her hair, her back tightly against his chest, "Jiayin, could you tell me about the shipwreck back then?"

Gu Jiayin remained silent.

She didn’t want to speak; those were pains colored in blood, only an enemy’s blood could soothe them.

Sheng Qianchi tightened his arm around her waist, his voice low and gentle, "Or perhaps talk about your life in Suri, hmm?"

Gu Jiayin still said nothing, her body warm in the embrace, yet her heart was cold, and he wasn’t anyone she felt she could trust or be close to.

Sheng Qianchi felt frustrated, no matter how gentle he was, he couldn’t get close to her.

At this moment, Gu Jiayin’s phone rang.

The island was equipped with a mobile signal tower, the phone signal was excellent.

Sheng Qianchi didn’t move, still holding her, watching her take out her phone as the screen flashed the words "Pei Nianchen."

Those three words came into view, Gu Jiayin’s heart suddenly raced; she didn’t know what to say if she were to answer the call.

A breakup was inevitable.

Would he accept it, or was he calling to initiate the breakup?

Or perhaps, he really didn’t want to part ways.

Sheng Qianchi’s eyes darkened, gazing at Gu Jiayin’s stiff side profile, he spoke softly, "I’ll give you half an hour to break ties with him."

Afterwards, he slowly released her from his embrace, turned, and walked down the rock, strolling languidly along the coast.

As he walked, he lowered his head and lit a cigarette.

In the evening glow, wrapped in a light swirl of white smoke, the man’s figure retreated farther and farther, becoming somewhat unreal.

Without the cozy, warm embrace, Gu Jiayin finally felt the chilly cold of the spring evening.

Yet her mind suddenly cleared.

She gently lifted her finger, swiped open the screen, and answered the call.

"Jiayin?" In just a second, a voice filled with urgency and concern was heard from the other side.

"Brother Nianchen."

When that term slipped from her throat, Gu Jiayin thought she would cry, but she didn’t.

Perhaps, that little bit of reluctance and sadness had scattered into the sea breeze, leaving no reason to cry anymore; if tears fell, they’d seem false and pretentious.

The person on the other end was visibly tense, "Where are you?"

"On the island."

"Sheng Qianchi’s?"

"Mm."

Pei Nianchen, "..."

Both ends of the call were silent, as if the signal had cut off, but they both knew, it couldn’t be disconnected now.

After a long time, Pei Nianchen’s voice was heard again, carrying endless desolation and helplessness, "Jiayin, I’m sorry, for not being there when you needed me the most."

To be more precise, half of her troubles were brought on by him.

He forced Qin Xueyao into an abortion, which failed, attracting trouble for her; with the issue unresolved, he left, and after his departure, his mother even struck her hard.

"Brother Nianchen," Gu Jiayin spoke so calmly she surprised herself, she thought she would at least be sad, but she was just calm, "Let’s break up."

"Jiayin," Pei Nianchen interrupted her urgently, "I’m a soldier, I must obey orders, currently performing a special task, give me some time, once this mission is over, I’ll submit my resignation, become a free man, just staying by your side. I’ll also take care of my parent’s affairs."

"Brother Nianchen..."

"Jiayin," he wouldn’t let her speak further, "Today... Sheng Qianchi saved you, we should thank him, when I return, I’ll repay him, and also return the one billion to him."

"Brother Nianchen..."

"Gu Jiayin!" Pei Nianchen almost called her name through clenched teeth, "Don’t talk about breaking up."

In his voice, as rigid as thousand-year-old iron, there was a slight tremor, "I don’t want to break up."

Gu Jiayin ultimately shed tears because of his plea.

"Brother Nianchen, sometimes love is... lighter than a feather, we’ve been separated for seven years, too many things have changed, it’s really not worth investing too much in this relationship, I shouldn’t let you abandon your future for me, nor should I let you break family ties because of me."

"Jiayin..."

"Brother Nianchen, I’m not the same Gu Jiayin anymore, if this relationship becomes a burden on me, I’ll abandon it."

Pei Nianchen, "..."

Again, there was a long silence.

Gu Jiayin could not see the upright man standing in an empty field, crying.

Pei Nianchen naturally knew, that after seven years of separation, too much has changed.

Both he and she were no longer their former selves, but his heart hadn’t changed.

For this love, he could still go all out to protect it.

It’s just that she wasn’t steadfast.

Time dispersed affection and drew out helplessness.

"You promised me you wouldn’t choose Sheng Qianchi."

The overwhelming reports clearly stated that Gu Jiayin was Sheng Qianchi’s woman.

His heart was in anguish.

Before making the call, he firmly believed she was his.

Yet, she proposed breaking up.

She was currently on Sheng Qianchi’s private island.

Importantly, it was evening now.

That meant she would spend the night at Sheng Qianchi’s place.

The implication of a woman spending the night at a man’s place was obvious.

Gu Jiayin softly laughed, as if mocking the various states of life and the world’s vicissitudes, "Brother Nianchen, life and death can change in an instant, not to mention a promise that isn’t a promise at all?"

She squinted her eyes, watching Sheng Qianchi standing in the distance, smoking elegantly, finally as if bidding farewell to time, she sighed softly,

"So, let’s break up."