Chapter 294: Finally, I Understand

Upon seeing Song Qingtian, Qin Xiaotian walked up to her and smiled.

Song Qingtian didn’t respond; she seemed dazed.

“Is this your boyfriend?” Qin Xiaotian asked further.

“I’m her husband!” Ling Hanyu replied.

Qin Xiaotian appeared unconvinced and said, “Pleased to meet you!”

He raised his hand, intending to shake hands with Ling Hanyu.

But Ling Hanyu kept his hands behind his back and did not respond. After waiting a while without getting a response, Qin Xiaotian lowered his hand.

Turning around, Qin Xiaotian asked Ling Hanyu, “I’ve never met you before—where are you employed?”

“I’m unemployed,” Ling Hanyu said calmly, as if having no job were something to be proud of.

Qin Xiaotian wasn’t entirely surprised; there was a hint of surprise in his expression, but he still managed a smile and said, “Pleased to meet you!”

Before Ling Hanyu could react, Qin Xiaotian turned to Song Qingtian and asked, “It’s so late—aren’t you going back to rest yet?”

“We’re staying here,” Ling Hanyu said, glancing at the rather mediocre Hotel/Inn behind them.

To put it simply, it was relatively clean; Ling Hanyu had checked and found it to be a well-regarded inn, whereas other places weren’t very clean, which he disapproved of.

Qin Xiaotian was astonished: “What did you say?”

“I said we’re staying here,” Ling Hanyu declared, as if he were particularly proud.

“You’re staying here?” Qin Xiaotian looked at Song Qingtian and asked, “Have you run into some trouble?”

“No,” Ling Hanyu answered on her behalf once again.

Only then did Qin Xiaotian grow slightly displeased: “Even if you’re married, as Qingtian’s friend, it’s perfectly reasonable for me to have a few words with her—there’s no need for you to remind me.”

Ling Hanyu chuckled: “Is that so?”

Grabbing Song Qingtian’s hand, Ling Hanyu prepared to head to the hotel.

Qin Xiaotian reached out to grab her, but suddenly Song Qingtian spoke up: “We’re fine, Mr. Qin—no need to worry. Goodbye!”

With that, Song Qingtian linked her arm through Ling Hanyu’s and strode proudly toward the hotel.

Qin Xiaotian couldn’t help but frown deeply—damn it!

“Qingtian!”

As Song Qingtian left with Ling Hanyu, Qin Xiaotian called after her.

Song Qingtian turned around and faced Qin Xiaotian: “What can I do for you, Mr. Qin?”

“The events of those years were my fault. I only wanted to give you a better life. Now that I’ve achieved success and fame, I’ve come back to find you—but…”

“I remember saying that if you were willing, I’d wait for you my whole life. But the ‘lifetime’ that belonged to you is already gone. The ‘lifetime’ I’m living now belongs to him, so you’ve come too late.”

Song Qingtian admitted that, before she met Qin Xiaotian, she had always harbored lingering regret.

It was as if they had both agreed that breaking up was something they were willing to accept, yet she just couldn’t understand why—why she still felt such lingering regret.

Now, seeing Qin Xiaotian, she finally understood why.

Although they had agreed to break up back then, in the end it was only Qin Xiaotian’s decision. Love involves two people; no matter why a breakup happens, there should always be a reason—even if it was because Qin Xiaotian no longer liked her, or even if he had won her consent, he should at least have given her a reason.

Yet he simply walked away without offering any explanation. That was precisely what made her feel so unresolved.

Back then, they had been so close, yet they broke up so easily.

The reason given was simple: he had to transfer schools and leave.

But Song Qingtian was still young at the time. Watching Qin Xiaotian walk away, she didn’t understand any of it.

Even though she had countless words in her heart, she couldn’t express them—and she didn’t understand any of it either.

That’s why she had carried such deep resentment for so many years.

Until this meeting, Song Qingtian finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing one crucial fact: regardless of how things turned out, she hadn’t broken up with Qin Xiaotian peacefully—she had been dumped, and the reason remained unclear all these years.

This was her greatest source of lingering regret.

It was simply because she was so young back then that she didn’t understand what had really happened.

For all these years, she had been stuck in the same place, unable to make sense of it.

Only when she met Qin Xiaotian did she realize that their breakup hadn’t been normal—it was a case of being dumped.

She had poured all her tender feelings into Qin Xiaotian, dreaming of a future together.

And yet, she had been dumped.

It was like a mute person swallowing bitter herbs—she suffered in silence, unable to let go of her frustration.

Now, finally, she understood.

End of Chapter 294: Finally, I Understand