IOLYF Chapter 55

Mo Ming called a moving company, and it wasn’t until evening that he finally finished packing everything up.

By the time he went to the pet store to pick up Xiao Han, it was already dark. The store owner had taken great care of Xiao Han, who was now a fluffy, round ball of energy. When Xiao Han saw Mo Ming, his tail wagged furiously, like a rattlesnake’s.

Mo Ming held Xiao Han in his arms, and the little dog placed its paws on Mo Ming’s chest, standing up to nuzzle his neck.

Mo Ming chuckled, “I’m here to take you home, aren’t I?”

“You seem to be in a good mood.” the store owner remarked as she stocked dog food on the shelves. She glanced at Mo Ming with a smile. “Did something good happen?”

Mo Ming smiled back, “Not really.”

“Then you must have come to some kind of realization.”

Mo Ming didn’t answer, just smiled lightly, which the store owner took as agreement.

The store owner didn’t press for details and instead said cheerfully, “That’s how it should be. Life is short, so don’t let the past weigh you down. Smile more, Xiao Mo, you look really good when you smile.”

Mo Ming had been to the store many times and was familiar with the owner. To support her business, he bought all the supplies he needed for raising a dog from her.

Seeing that Mo Ming had stocked up on a lot of dog food, the owner kindly reminded him, “You don’t have to buy so much at once. Since you live nearby, you can always come back for more.”

Mo Ming smiled and told her that he was moving.

When the owner asked why, Mo Ming simply said it was due to work.

Everything here was great, but he wouldn’t be living here anymore.

It started raining on the way back, with small raindrops pattering against the car’s windshield.

A song by Gao Chen, playing on the radio, was currently topping the music charts, helping him regain his former glory…

The song was titled Not the End.

*[I once feared that tomorrow would be darker than today]
*[Suddenly I remembered, yesterday also felt like the end]
*[Yet today, I’m still standing]
*[Walking the path toward the sea]
*[Through greed and struggle, under a lonely lamp]
[But it’s not the end, for my love is without regret]
[…]

The rain intensified.

Inside the car, with the heater on, the air was warm and fragrant. In the front passenger seat, Xiao Han, buckled in his dog carrier, tilted his head, watching his handsome owner drive, his tail still wagging inside the bag.

Mo Ming’s phone rang—it was his friend Qi Yue.

Zhou Yixiang’s birthday was approaching, and Qi Yue was calling to discuss plans for their teacher’s birthday celebration with Mo Ming.

Zhou Yixiang had always been nonchalant about his birthday, but every year, his students, especially Qi Yue and Mo Ming, took it seriously and organized something for him. They had always been the students Zhou Yixiang favored the most…

Last year, Mo Ming had been filming in another city and couldn’t make it back, so he sent a gift instead.

This year, he had plenty of time…

“Alright, that’s settled then. Now that I know what you’re getting him, Xiao Tang and I won’t get the same thing.” Qi Yue said before pausing. “By the way, Mo Ming, is it true that you’ll be returning to the theater company this month?”

“Yeah, I just finished my work in the industry. I’m planning to take a couple of days to rest before heading back.”

“That’s great! We’ll be able to hang out more often, and you’ll be just in time for the new script at the end of the month. You can even join the rehearsals.”

As the car pulled into the garage, the rain outside had turned into a downpour.

Mo Ming had packed most of his things in the afternoon, moving what he needed into his current apartment and selling the rest to a second-hand market.

After eating and drinking, Xiao Han eagerly ran to the bedroom window seat.

Mo Ming sat by the window, covered with a thick blanket, with his knees propped up to hold the photo album on his lap. The room was warm, lit by the orange glow of the lamp, while outside, the rain almost obscured the city lights…

The little dog placed his paws on the edge of the window seat, looking up at his dad and wagging his tail while making excited whimpering sounds.

Mo Ming leaned over, scooping Xiao Han up from the floor.

Feeling triumphant, the little dog curled up on Mo Ming’s lap, blinking at the photos in the album, but soon fell asleep.

Mo Ming gently petted Xiao Han’s head before turning to look out the window.

The rain was pouring down, and the city seemed as though it was about to be reset or completely covered…

Having wrapped up his work in T City, Han Shao Zhou finally had two days of rare free time.

Coincidentally, Qin You had just returned from a business trip, so Han Shao Zhou invited him and the also-free Cai Zhao to join him at Zhao Cheng’s bar.

Han Shao Zhou was calm about the recent “breakup” with Mo Ming, having gone through this twice before. He had made up his mind to teach Mo Ming a lesson this time, so he was mentally prepared for a cold war between them.

Last time, it lasted two days; this time, he figured Mo Ming could hold out for three.

But he planned to give Mo Ming a five-day break… at most five days because five days later would be Han Shao Zhou’s birthday, and it was a rare occasion for him to spend it in Chuanhai.

He hadn’t mentioned the “cold war” to his friends because, as the saying goes, “don’t air your dirty laundry in public.” Besides, this kind of monthly routine wasn’t worth bringing up.

This time, the conversation didn’t revolve around him, as Zhao Cheng was the center of attention.

Zhao Cheng had just gone through a breakup.

Unlike his usual amicable splits that happened every few months, this time, he was the one who got dumped—it was a breakup he hadn’t wanted at all.

Zhao Cheng sat slumped on the sofa, staring blankly at the drink in his hand, his expression dark and brooding…

Han Shao Zhou had never seen Zhao Cheng so down about a relationship before, but he found it rather satisfying. After all, Zhao Cheng was always playing the love expert, flaunting his dating history in front of him. It was about time he had a taste of failure.

Han Shao Zhou moved to sit next to Zhao Cheng, who had been his childhood friend and partner in mischief. As a good brother, he couldn’t just sit by without saying something.

“So, tell us how you and Miss Rose broke up.” Han Shao Zhou said. “Give us something to laugh about.”

Zhao Cheng closed his eyes. “Old Han, if you’re not going to comfort me, just leave it.”

“Comfort you?” Han Shao Zhou chuckled. “You gave me all sorts of advice back then. If I’d listened to you, I’d probably be just like you now… So you nearly dragged me down with you, and now you want my sympathy?”

“This was different… I…”

Zhao Cheng couldn’t find the words to explain himself. He leaned back on the sofa, covering his eyes with one hand, his teeth gritting in frustration…

Han Shao Zhou noticed that Zhao Cheng wasn’t just hurt—he was also holding back anger.

Everyone knew Zhao Cheng was a player, so no one felt particularly sorry for him. They all assumed he’d be back to his old self, chasing after new girls in a few days.

“How long were you two together?” Cai Zhao asked curiously.

Han Shao Zhou answered for the dejected Zhao Cheng, “Seems like just a month. Last time he told me that girl was really into him, but now, well, here we are.”

“If such a short relationship has him this upset, he must’ve really had feelings for her.”

“He’s not capable of real feelings.” Han Shao Zhou said dismissively. “He’s just upset because he didn’t get enough out of it before being dumped. It’s just a bruised ego.”

Zhao Cheng suddenly sat up straight, snapping back, “I’m serious about every relationship! It’s just that the feelings don’t last long. But this time, I really fell for her. I thought she was in love with me at first sight, but she… she…”

Han Shao Zhou glanced at him and took a sip of his drink. “From how you described her before, she seemed pretty serious. How could she just dump you after a month? Did you do something wrong?”

“I treated her like a queen, doing everything I could to make her happy.” Zhao Cheng said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I even bought us matching diamond rings. It was the first time I ever wore a couple’s ring in a relationship. I even told my family about her—my sister and younger sister know about her…”

Everyone went silent, finally mustering a bit of sympathy.

Cai Zhao frowned and asked, “If that’s the case, why did she break up with you?”

Zhao Cheng gripped his drink so tightly it looked like it might shatter. Finally, he spat out the truth, full of resentment, “She was using me as a stand-in for her ex…”

Everyone: “…”

“There was no love at first sight. The deep affection in her eyes wasn’t for me…” Zhao Cheng slumped in his seat, defeated. “She got back together with the guy she really loved, so now I’m the ex.”

Everyone: “…”

Zhao Cheng bowed his head, his voice filled with pain and bitterness. “How could she do this to me? How could she…”

Han Shao Zhou’s initial amusement faded, replaced with a mix of frustration and pity. “Are you an idiot? You didn’t even realize you were just a stand-in.”

Zhao Cheng’s voice dropped to a whisper, “How was I supposed to know? She looked at me with such affection. I… I never imagined…”

“You had it coming. It’s your own fault for being so stupid.” Han Shao Zhou said.

Zhao Cheng was almost in tears. “Is it wrong to fall for someone? Old Han, you don’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand?”

“You’re the one with the upper hand, so you wouldn’t get it.” Zhao Cheng sniffled, looking at Han Shao Zhou. “You treated Mo Ming the same way she treated me. Only Mo Ming would understand how I feel…”

“Bullshit!” Han Shao Zhou lost all patience.

“When you first got together with Mo Ming, wasn’t he just a stand-in for you?”

“Don’t drag me into this. What I had with Mo Ming is nothing like your situation.” Han Shao Zhou said, completely serious. “I made it clear to Mo Ming from the start that we were just in a casual relationship. I didn’t explicitly say he was a stand-in, but I did tell him that we weren’t responsible for each other’s feelings. I laid everything out upfront, so even if I broke up with him, he has no right to resent me. I’m not a scumbag, and that’s the truth.”

“I…”

Zhao Cheng downed his drink, unable to find a rebuttal to Han Shao Zhou’s argument.

Relationships that start as casual affairs are always a gamble—whoever falls first, loses. But Mo Ming and Han Shao Zhou had defied the odds, their relationship growing stronger despite the odds. After three years of genuine feelings, Mo Ming was spared from the heartbreak that usually followed such relationships…

When Mo Ming was mentioned, Qin You asked Han Shao Zhou why he hadn’t brought him along tonight.

“He’s been busy with work lately.” Han Shao Zhou replied, leaning back on the sofa with an air of indifference. “He’ll be busy for four or five days.”