Lu Lingchen followed him inside.
It had been a long time since he had seen his brother so defeated and dejected.
The lost and dispirited look in his eyes made Lu Lingchen's heart ache.
"Brother," Lu Lingchen couldn't help but speak up, "Some words aren't worth listening to. Life is your own, and only you know what truly makes you happy. No one has the right to make decisions for you, so Mom's words..."
"Do you have any cigarettes?" Lu Lingchuan interrupted him.
Lu Lingchen was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head, "I never smoke."
"Hmm." Lu Lingchuan responded faintly, then began searching his own pockets, actually finding a half-smoked pack of cigarettes.
It must have been left there earlier and forgotten.
He had both cigarettes and a lighter.
Lu Lingchuan took out a cigarette and put it between his lips, lighting it with the lighter. He took a drag and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.
Finally, he raised his head but didn't look at Lu Lingchen. He just sat there alone, smoking and staring at the artificial lake nearby.
He remained silent, looking extremely lonely.
He smoked one cigarette after another, until he started coughing violently, with more and more cigarette butts piling up on the ground.
Who would smoke so recklessly?
Lu Lingchen wanted to advise him against it, but then thought better of it and silently closed his mouth, just standing beside him, quietly keeping him company.
Lu Lingchuan quickly finished the small pack of cigarettes. Looking at the now empty cigarette box, he finally stopped smoking.
He remained seated, gazing at the artificial lake.
"Lingchen," he suddenly called out to Lu Lingchen.
His voice was hoarse and very low from smoking too much.
Hearing Lu Lingchuan call him, Lu Lingchen responded, "I'm here."
"..." Lu Lingchuan fell silent, not speaking.
Just when Lu Lingchen thought Lu Lingchuan wasn't going to say anything, he asked in a low voice, "All these years... how have I treated Shen Nian?"
He asked Lu Lingchen this question.
"..." Lu Lingchen was silent for a few seconds.
"We all know that Shen Nian... she and Ling Rui were both victims. Although she left Ling Rui behind and ran away back then, she wasn't escaping, but going to get help. It was just too late."
That year, Lu Lingrui, wanting to take a shortcut to reach A University where Lu Lingchuan was, had taken Shen Nian through a secluded alley. That's where they encountered those two beasts, Wang Yong and Yang Hao.
The place was very isolated, as it was being considered for demolition and reconstruction, so most of the residents had moved out. Shen Nian could only escape from the alley and run outside to seek help.
Unfortunately, it was too late. When Shen Nian returned with help, those two beasts had already fled, leaving behind only a shattered and dazed Lu Lingrui...
"..." Lu Lingchuan fell silent again, looking down at his hands.
He forced out an ugly smile, self-mockingly.
"Perhaps I'm still not awake."
After a pause, he continued, "Maybe I've never been awake."
He smiled, a smile filled with bitterness, pain, and... reluctance, which finally transformed into determination.
Lu Lingchuan stood up and strode away.
Seeing the look in his eyes, Lu Lingchen felt a sudden pang in his heart, vaguely sensing something was wrong.
He hurriedly chased after him, calling out repeatedly, "Brother? Brother!"
But Lu Lingchuan's steps were firm and resolute, and he didn't look back.
...........................
Lu Lingchuan had told her he would be back soon, but Shen Nian waited for a long time, until it was dark outside, without seeing any sign of him.
She ate something casually, then quietly curled up on the sofa, lost in thought.
When she had nothing to do, she would sit there hugging her legs, lost in her own world.
"Door unlocked." The mechanical female voice of the door lock sounded, immediately snapping Shen Nian back to reality.
She sat up straight, craning her neck to look at the door, and indeed saw that familiar figure.
Although it had only been a few hours since they last met, he looked much more haggard.
"You're back," Shen Nian said, putting on her slippers and going to help him take off his coat.
As she approached him, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the strong smell of cigarettes on him, causing her to cough incessantly.
The smell was so strong that Shen Nian could hardly catch her breath.
Lu Lingchuan took several steps to the side, keeping his distance from Shen Nian. "Don't come near me, I reek of cigarettes."
Shen Nian was indeed choking badly, coughing until tears came to her eyes. "Why did you smoke so much?"
Lu Lingchuan silently took off his coat and hung it nearby. The smell was mainly on the coat, and after taking it off, the smell on his body wasn't as strong.
"I didn't smoke," he lied with a straight face. "I was in the smoking area for a while, and someone kept smoking next to me, so the smell got on me."
"..." Who would believe that?
But Shen Nian didn't dwell on this issue, she just said, "Why don't you go rinse your mouth first? Should I heat up some food for you? Have you eaten?"
"No," he said.
"Then I'll go heat up the food, you go rinse your mouth," Shen Nian said.
"Okay."
After changing into slippers, he quietly went to the bathroom outside.
When he came out, Shen Nian had already set the table with the heated dishes.
Seeing Lu Lingchuan come out, Shen Nian pushed the food in front of him and handed him the chopsticks. "I learned to cook a few dishes from a food blog. Since you weren't home, I just made something simple. Try it and see how it tastes?"
"..." Lu Lingchuan remained silent, quietly taking the chopsticks, picking up some food and putting it in his mouth, chewing silently.
"Is it good?" Shen Nian asked as she ladled some soup for him.
Lu Lingchuan nodded heavily, "It's good."
Then he continued eating quietly.
"..." Shen Nian felt that Lu Lingchuan was preoccupied with something, but she didn't know how to bring it up.
Could it be... that something had happened to Auntie Lu?
He didn't say anything, and she didn't dare to ask.
Lu Lingchuan showed no intention of speaking up, just eating quietly.
Yes, just eating the dishes.
He didn't touch the rice at all, silently and intently eating one dish, finishing it until only the sauce remained, then moving on to the next dish, and then the next.
As if he could never be full.
Shen Nian was stunned, wanting to remind him, but seeing his expression, she swallowed her words.
Finally, Lu Lingchuan finished all the small dishes Shen Nian had cooked, then picked up the large bowl and drank all the soup.
Except for the rice, he had eaten all the dishes and drunk all the soup.
"..." Shen Nian had never known Lu Lingchuan to have such a large appetite.
Finding it incredible, she still managed a small smile, "I'll put the dishes in the dishwasher first."
With that, she stood up to clear the table.
"Nian Nian," he called her, his voice so gentle.
"Hmm?" Shen Nian asked.
"Do you remember our 100-day agreement?" Lu Lingchuan suddenly asked.
"..." Shen Nian's movements froze. She looked up at Lu Lingchuan, somewhat incredulously.
These past few days, they had been lovers in the honeymoon phase. Neither of them had brought up this topic, deliberately avoiding it.
"Hmm..." She made a sound of acknowledgment, then asked, "What is it?"
Lu Lingchuan looked at her. "Back then, you said you were giving me a right."
Shen Nian had given Lu Lingchuan a right.
During these 100 days, Lu Lingchuan could call it quits and end things at any time.
"..." Shen Nian fell silent for a few seconds, then sat down. "So?"
"Let's break up," Lu Lingchuan said.
