Chapter 40

Chapter 40

It was still deep into the night when he left.

Ji Qingyu slowly retrieved his suitcase. His clothes, neatly folded in the closet, didn't seem to amount to much. Fu Han’s arms were wrapped around his waist, and even Ji Qingyu’s gentle movements caught his attention.

"Where are you going?"

"Can’t sleep. Going to get a glass of water."

Fu Han’s voice was a little hoarse. He released Ji Qingyu’s hand and made space beside him. "Come back quickly."

Ji Qingyu finished packing his suitcase. Besides the clothes he’d brought, the house now contained many new garments—Fu Han was always having people deliver more.

Beyond that, there was nothing else.

Ji Qingyu felt this day was inevitable between him and Fu Han, regardless of children or misunderstandings. Perhaps it had been so from the very beginning, from the moment he learned of Fu Han’s cavalier attitude toward relationships.

He once believed that a small corner, anywhere, where he could settle, survive, and earn a bit of money, would be enough.

But once a person tastes something illusory that resembles happiness, they can’t help but crave more. Moving forward, he suddenly found himself on the brink of a precipice.

The alpha’s breathing was a palpable presence, his arms long and his figure striking. Ji Qingyu took one last look, then quietly slipped away, disturbing no one.

Ma Yu was already waiting at their agreed-upon corner. There were no surveillance cameras here—Ji Qingyu had meticulously scouted the spot. They arrived in Jiangcheng by noon the following day.

Jiangcheng was a warm, watery town. A theater and music festival was soon to be held there, and compared to Jing City, its cultural atmosphere was far richer. Yu Yue’s new stage play was also scheduled to tour here.

Midway through their journey, Fu Han realized Ji Qingyu was gone. He called. Ji Qingyu paused for a few seconds and, almost against his better judgment, answered.

"Where did you go?" Fu Han’s voice was low. "Why are your belongings missing?"

It was surprising that Fu Han had even noticed his things. Ji Qingyu stated calmly, "I left."

"What do you mean? Where are you? Did the Ji family threaten you?" Fu Han’s questions tumbled out, his voice tight. "Come back. How many more times do you plan to lie to me?"

"Fu Han." Ji Qingyu gazed at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window. Ma Yu was so quiet he might as well have been invisible. Ji Qingyu clenched his hands tightly, taking two deep breaths. "I’ve never lied to you, and I’ve never owed you anything."

"What else do you want?" Fu Han’s voice was unprecedentedly grave, laced with a chilling fury. "Didn’t we just talk about this yesterday? Why do you always do things like this?"

"Do what? The past wasn’t my doing. I’ve told you countless times, but you just won’t believe me." Ji Qingyu didn’t know why, but as he spoke these words, his eyes welled up. "If you consider my leaving without a word this time as lying to you, then I apologize. Fu Han, I have indeed kept many things from you recently, but it wasn't intentional."

A long silence followed on the other end, then the sound of something shattering, followed by more things being smashed. Ji Qingyu thought, what a waste—there were still several bottles of champagne left from yesterday.

Ma Yu handed him a pack of tissues, and only then did he realize he was crying.

"...If you were so eager to leave, why did you marry me in the first place? Wasn't this what you always wanted?" Fu Han’s voice trembled.

"I never wanted it."

"All those times you said you loved me—were those lies too?"

Ji Qingyu’s hands clenched tightly. "Yes."

"So you planned to leave from the very beginning." Fu Han’s voice grew calm. "Fine. Just don’t let me find you."

The two fell silent for a moment. Just as Ji Qingyu was about to hang up, Fu Han suddenly asked, "If you were going to lie to me, why not keep lying?"

"There’s no reason anymore. To be honest with you—I married you because Ji Ran forced me. Now, the reason for that coercion... no longer exists."

There was no sound from the other end.

"So it was all a lie from start to finish?"

"Yes."

"Is there someone with you?"

"Yes." Ji Qingyu didn’t know why, but perhaps intending to deliberately hurt Fu Han, he blurted out, "It’s the alpha I deeply love. I was pregnant with his child."

"Originally, settling for you wouldn't have been so bad, but I got pregnant again, so I ran away with him."

"Isn’t the alpha you love Ma Yu?"

"...What?" This time, Ji Qingyu was genuinely surprised.

"He’s your childhood friend, always meticulously caring for you. After you dumped me in high school, weren’t you always with him?" Fu Han said. "I saw it—he held you, he stayed at your house from morning till night. I had people look into it—Ma Yu’s car is gone, he moved out. Where did you go?"

"When we were together, he could come and go from our home. Whenever something happened, he could find you faster than I could."

"Fu Han, are you out of your mind?" Ji Qingyu found it utterly absurd. If he and Ma Yu were meant to be together, they would have been together long ago. They would have fallen for each other in their teens—what did that have to do with Fu Han?

After a pause, the other end continued, "Someone intentionally damaged your throat. Tell me, was it the Ji family? Come back first, and let’s clarify everything. Why did you just leave like that? Why didn’t you tell me anything?"

"I have the right to decide who I’m with. We were an arranged marriage—there was never any real affection from beginning to end. You have omegas constantly around you—what right do you have to judge me? Do you think only you have feelings, only your heart can ache and feel sad? Why are your grievances valid while mine are dismissed as trivial? Why do you get to dictate everything? You can get angry, you can decide whether to forgive—do you think you’re an emperor granting pardons? Whoever you favor must worship you and obey your every whim?"

Fu Han was furious, his tone growing urgent: "I can change. Just come back first."

Ji Qingyu sighed. "Plenty of people like you, plenty are willing to have your child. Go find them."

"My child is mine alone. Don't you dare touch him."

Fu Han paused, then suddenly, and quite abruptly, asked, "Ji Qingyu, whose child is this, really?"

Ji Qingyu hesitated, realizing that if he said more, Fu Han might sense something was amiss. He hurriedly hung up.

Ma Yu handed Ji Qingyu another tissue, then pulled into the nearest rest stop. Ji Qingyu washed his face and tied up his hair. He bought a cup of ice water and pressed it against his eyes to reduce the swelling.

When he walked out, Ma Yu was lost in thought by the car. Seeing Ji Qingyu, he said awkwardly, "Qingyu, I just remembered something. Back then, I ran into Fu Han a few times. I thought he was there for revenge—he was terrifying—so once I tried to scare him off."

Ma Yu scratched his head. "He asked me what my relationship with you was, and I said I was your boyfriend. I didn’t mean any harm—I just wanted to scare him away..."

Ji Qingyu paused. "It’s not your fault. Brother Ma, I’m the one who should apologize for dragging you into this."

The pickup truck rattled along, and after a night of travel, they finally reached Jiangcheng in the afternoon. Jing City and Jiangcheng were worlds apart. Ji Qingyu broke his phone card and tossed it into a stream in Jiangcheng.

Jiangcheng was a place of beautiful scenery—blue-gray bricks and green tiles, with a warm breeze caressing their faces. Even in winter, there was no need for heavy coats; a light jacket sufficed.

Upon arrival, they first ate local specialty noodles. Ma Yu had already found a place to stay—a rented guesthouse for Ji Qingyu right next to the theater, clean and charming. Ji Qingyu arranged his few belongings, went out to buy daily necessities, and then contacted Yu Yue.

They had arrived early. The new script was handed to Ji Qingyu, and though he received many offers, he still favored the one Yu Yue had invited him to join. The workload wasn’t heavy, the schedule was flexible, and it suited him perfectly.

Jiangcheng was different from Jing City—the water town had a mild, humid climate, the food consisted of noodle soups and delicately crafted pastries, and the local customs were gentle. Jing City’s climate wasn’t great, often plagued by sandstorms and dryness. Ji Qingyu remembered once returning from work to find his bicycle covered in yellow sand.

"Qingyu, I’m going to discuss buying land with the boss. I’m familiar with this boss—the land I leased in Jing City was also his. If you want to lease land later, come to me. We’ll get together another time."

Ji Qingyu nodded. "Brother Ma, thank you. I’ll treat you to a meal later."

Ma Yu helped Ji Qingyu move the newly bought bedding and plants into the house, then waved goodbye. The house even had a small yard. If there was a chance in the future, Ji Qingyu even thought about inviting Luo Sheng to visit.

He pulled up a chair, lay down on the recliner, and slowly closed his eyes, quietly zoning out. It was rare for him to feel so peaceful, not thinking about anything. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed until he finally stood up, feeling hungry, and decided to walk along the bluestone-paved path to buy some food.

He found a noodle shop packed with customers. While eating, he opened his phone, originally intending to delete his WeChat account and switch to a new one, but he noticed many messages popping up.

Both Luo Sheng and Nannan were asking if he was okay—it seemed Fu Han had contacted them.

Ji Qingyu replied to each of them, assuring them he was fine and not to worry, then gave them his new number and repeatedly emphasized not to tell Fu Han.

Then he glanced at the account that had sent him the most messages and was somewhat surprised—how could there be so many? Ji Qingyu didn’t tap on the red notification dot; instead, after a brief pause, he went ahead and deleted the account.

The owner brought the noodles over, and he lowered his head to eat.

Thankfully, everything was going fairly well—not as difficult as he had imagined.

Nearby, customers were chatting: "No way, I heard he got sued again for personal injury."

"For what?"

"His wife’s throat. They’re saying Ji Ran poisoned her. And those songs—they were all written by his wife."

"How is that possible?"

"Why not? Check it out yourself—the officials even posted evidence."

Luo Sheng called: "Xiaoyu, what about your mom? Now that you’ve left, how is she? Do you need me to help look after her? And… your child…"

Ji Qingyu finished the last strand of noodles: "Uncle, don’t worry. I’m doing well now, and the child is fine too. My mom… she has already passed away."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, followed by the sound of a cup being knocked over. After a long while, Luo Sheng said, "Xiaoyu, do you want me to come keep you company?"

"No need, Uncle. It’s nice here, and I’m doing fine. For me now, everything is moving in a better direction. Come visit me when you have time—I’d really miss you."

He didn’t ask for much, nor was he overly greedy. A good bowl of noodles was enough to fill him up.

He set down his chopsticks and walked out. On the way back, he chatted with Luo Sheng the entire time. As the evening breeze brushed past, he suddenly realized that there had always been people who cared about him. Didn’t that mean he wasn’t as bad as some people said? Perhaps he had already done well enough—maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.