How We Love - Volume 2 Chapter 10
Chapter 10 – Goodbye
When Mu Xiaonian said goodbye to Wu Jiaying and returned to the store, he found a large White Rabbit Candy on the counter. He asked the head stylist where the candy came from and the head stylist told him that Xu Zhifei gave it to him. Mu Xiaonian felt ringing in his ears, he finally remembered today was her birthday.
He turned and ran out, hailing a taxi and rushed to Xu Zhifei’s residence. Along the way, he was almost drowning in remorse and self-blame. This was her first birthday after her family’s downfall. It meant a lot to her. She needed more warmth and care than any of her previous birthdays. However, during the moment she most needed others’ warmth, she came to him and yet he wasn’t there.
Mu Xiaonian suddenly wanted to punch himself. She was clearly so important to him, he had always carefully kept her in his heart, but he actually forgot her birthday of all days. He desperately rushed to Xu Zhifei’s residence. The lights in her room were dark, she had not returned.
He sat down next to the flower bed and waited for her. After a long wait, he saw a car coming in. After the car stopped, Xu Zhifei came down. He was about to rush over when he suddenly saw Xu Zhifei smiling at the person in the driver’s seat through the window. With the light from the streetlamp, he squinted his eyes and finally saw that the person sitting in the driver’s seat was Yi Hua.
His feet that were prepared to make a run for her slowly… came to a stop.
***
When Xu Zhifei came to the store again, a month had already passed.
Mu Xiaonian told her that Wu Jiaying was going to fund his development abroad.
Xu Zhifei’s expression froze for two seconds. Two seconds later, she smiled brightly at him, “That’s great! You’re going to become big when you go! It’s just a pity that I can’t have you do my hair anymore.”
After hesitating and hesitating some more, Mu Xiaonian finally blurted, “Do you… do you want me to stay?”
Xu Zhifei smiled, until her eyes turned a little red. She shook her head, telling him, “The me before would ask you to stay. The me now… wouldn’t.”
Mu Xiaonian didn’t know if he was just acting out, but he retorted, “Then I’m going. For real.”
Xu Zhifei nodded vigorously, “Yeah! Go! I wish you great success over there. I’ll brag to others and say I know you when you become an international celebrity in the future! But when that time comes, you better not pretend to not know me!”
Xu Zhifei had never expected Mu Xiaonian would be so active. Immediately after he told her he would go abroad for a short while, he had already taken care of everything and was ready to go. Of course, this was because Wu Jiaying was helping him. With her help, there was nothing he couldn’t do. Xu Zhifei smiled bitterly, unlike her. She couldn’t help with anything now, except be a burden.
Their parting came in the same quick manner. When Mu Xiaonian told her over the phone that he and Wu Jiaying were going to board the next day’s flight, Xu Zhifei didn’t know how to react. Mu Xiaonian asked her if she was going to the airport to see him off. Xu Zhifei told him that it was better for her not to. She had experienced too many separations in the past two years. She was a little afraid to do it again.
Mu Xiaonian said, “Okay, then, Xiaofei, goodbye.”
Xu Zhifei hung up the phone and sat in a daze all night.
Bright and early the next day, she drove straight to the airport. She hid amongst the crowd, listening to the flight announcements and watched Mu Xiaonian and Wu Jiaying walk side by side through the security checkpoint. She looked at his departing silhouette, with all her strength, without blinking until she couldn’t see him anymore.
Then she squatted on the ground, sobbing alone.
***
In the year Mu Xiaonian left, Xu Zhifei lived a quiet life. She would occasionally go to his salon to take a look. It was now managed by the head stylist. He didn’t treat Xu Zhifei too badly and she would always get a high discount when she went to get her hair done.
Half a year later, Xu Zhifei began to write novels on the internet in her loneliness. Slowly, she found that the payment she received for her novels was actually higher than her salary, so she quit her job and concentrated on writing the story her heart wanted to tell. Three months later, she completed her first novel, titled “Twenty-Three”, which told a story about a fallen heiress falling in love with her hairdresser.
Several publishers sought to publish her novel. She finally chose the one with the best reputation. As a result, the publishing house didn’t disappoint. As soon as her book was for sale, it climbed to the top of the bestseller list and she became a bestselling author. Many TV stations invited her to participate in their program, many film and television companies came to her to purchase copyrights for adaptation of her works and many universities invited her to teach a lecture.
While promoting, everyone would ask her the same question: Why is your novel called “Twenty-Three”?
She would then tell them: Because my male lead was born on the small Spring Festival.
They would also ask: Your novel is very touching, was its story inspired by real people?
She would then answer them casually: Yes, real people and real events.