A Bitter Farewell

‘…’ Bai Qiao entered the house in silence. Bai Chen had yet to return, and Bai mother, seemingly oblivious, even inquired why Bai Qiao hadn’t come back with him. Bai Qiao merely shook her head, then turned and ascended the stairs.

Bai mother stood downstairs, gazing in a daze at Bai Qiao’s ascending form. That particular posture eerily overlapped with her memories of Bai Chen from before his disappearance. Bai mother had often marvelled at Bai Chen’s transformation; though his fundamental tastes and personality remained, his aura had distinctly changed. Yet, Bai Qiao… why did she consistently evoke such a profound sense of familiarity and closeness in her?

Bai Qiao stood silently before the floor-to-ceiling window. ‘What does this… make me?’ she wondered.

A sudden burst of laughter drifted up from downstairs, causing Bai Qiao’s gaze to sharpen ever so slightly.

In an instant, however, that clarity dulled, her gaze clouding over as Bai Chen entered from downstairs, his arm casually around Miko’s waist. Soon after, a knock resounded at the front door.

Hearing the knock, Bai mother hurried to the door. She watched, utterly stunned, as Bai Chen entered, holding a remarkably charming young woman. Although the newcomer’s allure fell far short of Bai Qiao’s captivating blend of gentle grace and underlying resilience, she possessed an inherent, innocent radiance—a purely delicate charm.

In the presence of Bai mother, a formidable director of a large corporation, this aura was considerably less striking, for Bai mother generally favored Bai Qiao’s more complex character. Yet, her impeccable manners allowed her to suppress her surprise, and she smiled, warmly inviting Miko inside.

Listening to the commotion downstairs, Bai Qiao unconsciously clenched her fists, desperately suppressing the urge to charge down and shatter everything in sight. Her temperament, much like Bai Chen’s, typically remained impassive, rarely betraying inner turmoil.

Yet, when pushed beyond a certain threshold, her patience would snap, leading to severe repercussions. The table beside Bai Qiao already bore deep, raw marks from her grip. In her turmoil, Bai Qiao could only try to soothe herself, attributing this loss of control to Bai Chen having snatched Miko away, rather than… rather than…

“Miko, is it? What a lovely girl,” Bai mother said, her smile warm.

“Tha-thank you, Auntie…” Miko stammered, her face flushing a deep crimson.

“Miko, are you A-Chen’s friend?” Bai mother inquired, her tone perfectly nonchalant.

“Ah…” Miko paused, momentarily stunned. ‘Friend? What was this strange mix of joy and sorrow she felt?’

“She’s my girlfriend.” Bai Chen’s voice cut through the silence without warning. Miko’s eyes instantly widened, her entire body trembling with a sudden surge of excitement. Bai mother, too, was visibly startled, though she quickly composed herself, offering nothing more than a faint, enigmatic smile.

“A-Qiao, come down for dinner,” Bai mother called, her voice carrying up the stairs.

! Bai Qiao’s body instinctively shivered. Her gaze flickered to the nearby window. ‘Perhaps I should simply jump out and flee?’ She lowered her head in silent contemplation.

Though this villa had been her home for over a decade, her own sanctuary, for her current self… Bai Qiao couldn’t help but let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. ‘Was this still my home?’ she wondered. She had resided here as Bai Chen’s girlfriend, but now, stripped of that identity, she had likely forfeited any right to remain.

Despite her overwhelming desire to simply leap out, her dignity forbade it. If she were to leave, she would exit through the front door! Bai Qiao took a profound breath, striving to compose her features into an unreadable mask of calm.

“Ah! Qiao-chan!” Miko gasped instinctively the moment Bai Qiao appeared at the top of the staircase. It was inconceivable to Miko that Bai Qiao also resided here, and with Bai Chen, no less…

“Um… do you both live here?” Miko ventured cautiously, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

Bai Qiao observed Miko, who now wore an expression of mild fear—a look Bai Qiao had never witnessed on her before. It was as though Miko feared her precious treasure was about to be snatched away. ‘Never mind,’ Bai Qiao mused. ‘Since that’s how she feels, and given I’m an open-minded guy, it’s better to just let Miko continue being happy.’ With that thought, Bai Qiao donned an enthusiastic smile.

“Yes, Bai Chen and I are distant relatives,” she explained. “I’ve been staying here temporarily, but I was just about to head back home.”

“Ah, I see…” Miko’s face visibly relaxed, a sight that, for reasons unknown, pierced Bai Qiao’s heart with a sharp pang. Bai Chen, meanwhile, remained utterly silent, his expression an inscrutable mask.

“Eh? A-Qiao, where are you going?” Bai mother, who had just emerged, quickly called out, spotting Bai Qiao on the verge of departure. “Dinner’s ready, come quickly!”

“Ah, right, Qiao-chan, please eat first before you go,” Miko interjected, suddenly remembering something as she quickly stood.

“Leave? Leave for what?” Bai mother asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Uh, well… Mother… Auntie, I apologize for the trouble these past few days. My parents have returned, so I’ll be heading back now,” Bai Qiao said, a hint of apology in her tone.

“Ah… your parents are back? Won’t you stay for dinner first?”

“No, it’s alright. I’ll just head back and have dinner with them,” Bai Qiao replied with a small smile.

“Mm, alright then,” Bai mother conceded. “A-Qiao, do come visit often when you have the time.”

“Okay.” With that, Bai Qiao turned and closed the door. From the window, Bai mother watched Bai Qiao’s retreating figure. ‘No matter how I look, she truly resembles A-Chen,’ she mused.

Standing at the community crossroads, Bai Qiao experienced a profound sense of disorientation, a bewilderment far surpassing anything she’d felt upon first arriving in another world. She thought of the lie she had just told: her parents had returned.

‘Heh.’ Bai Qiao couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. ‘Parents… I just walked out of my own home; where else could I possibly go?’

‘If this body were still as it once was, it would be simple; I could just find a brother to stay with. But now…’

The cold autumn wind swept past, and Bai Qiao instinctively hugged her arms tightly. ‘So cold…’ ‘Where should I go?’

A crushing feeling that the entire world was thousands of miles away from her enveloped her. She glanced back at the brightly lit villa. They were likely having dinner already, no doubt filled with laughter and warmth.

In stark contrast to the inviting glow from the villa, the few remaining streetlights in the community cast only a desolate, faint white luminescence. Night had only just begun to fall…