51 1.2.14: Breaking Up III

Xiao Yunhua had to blink a few times to see if she was seeing correctly. The former, playfully arrogant Zhou young master now held dark circles around his eyes. His physique was much more lean, meaning he had lost a lot of weight like her.

Not only had he grown his hair out which now reached his shoulders, but he had also the hints of a five o'clock shadow. His aura was much more mature than ever before, making Xiao Yunhua seriously contemplate on whether or not she was seeing the right person.

His eyes were dull and zoned out, but once he saw Xiao Yunhua, it was like a switch was flipped and they glowed with vitality. "Yunhua..." he breathed, making sure the woman in front of him wasn't an illusion.

To his delight, she wasn't, as she moved closer and closer in his direction. While she walked, Zhou Lang took the time to analyze her. She had definitely lost much weight and her face had become much more prominent, especially her jawline. Her former dark brown eyes were now a honey color, completely different yet surprisingly fitting. Despite her new appearance, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Zhou Lang..." she greeted, albeit with not as much excitement as the former. Her face was neutral and she kept polite distances. This fact, Zhou Lang immediately saw and panicked. She didn't treat him as her boyfriend, but she treated him as an acquaintance.

Zhou Lang pulled up her for her and sat at the chair across from her. A few moments of awkward silence passed between the couple as they scrutinized each other. It had been too long.

No longer able to tolerate the quiet setting, Xiao Yunhua politely asked, "How have you been?"

"I've been doing fine! You're the one with the accident, are you okay?" Seeing Zhou Lang's eyes that were full of adoration and concern, Xiao Yunhua felt another prick at her guilty conscience. This man had clearly not been 'fine', yet he insisted and asked about her well-being instead.

"I... I've been okay." Her mouth was dry and she didn't know what to say. Her heart throbbed at an unhealthy pace and her sweaty palms became even sweatier. Anxiety dripped from every one of her movements as she raised the cup of water beside her to drink.

"That's good! I'm so happy that you're okay. You have no idea how worried I have been. Yunhua—"

"We need to talk." Her voice was slightly shaking, but her gaze was firm. She was still nervous, but the more she delayed this 'talk', the more that he would be hurt in the future.

Zhou Lang's heart skipped a beat and before Xia Yunhua could continue her words, he quickly interrupted, "Well, the waiter is here! Let's order food."

Xiao Yunhua clenched her fists underneath the table and nodded. A few seconds ago, she was absolutely resolute and now, that resolution had crumbled again. She picked up the menu and mindlessly ordered the first thing on the list. Zhou Lang saw her empty eyes and he became even more restless.

He murmured for the waiter to bring what they had discussed earlier with the meals. The waiter nodded and swiftly disappeared, leaving the couple alone again. "Zhou Lang—"

"Yunhua, I missed you so much." Zhou Lang sighed as his dark eyes took in every detail of the woman in front of him. "Without you, life was a living Hell. Don't leave me again okay?" His voice turned hoarse at his last sentence, desperation evident.

Xiao Yunhua felt her heart thumping even harder. "Zhou Lang, we need to talk." She repeated, although much softer. It seemed like other than these words, Xiao Yunhua didn't know what else to say. Didn't know how else to bring it up.

"Yunhua..." Of course he knew what she wanted to say. He had uttered those words to many women before he met Xiahu Yunhua. Now, he felt like the accumulated Karma was finally going to strike him at his weakest moment.

"I'm sorry... but I think we have to end it. I..." Xiao Yunhua took a deep breath, her clenched fists turning white, "I'm breaking up with you, Zhou Lang."

"Xiahu Yunhua!" Zhou Lang's eyes were widened and he clutched the table with frustration. His heart was beating so quickly that the organ was beginning to hurt. "Why would you... Please don't." His voice cracked as he searched in her eyes for a sign that she was simply jesting. That she wasn't going to end everything after not meeting for so long.

"I'm sorry." As sincere as those words, to Zhou Lang, they were the cue to his very first heartbreak, all because this woman did not love him back.

"Why!? Is it because of Zhou Feng!?" Seeing Xiahu Yunhua turn pale, Zhou Lang immediately assumed that his assumptions were correct. His brother had coveted his woman and she was finally leaving him because of it.

"No, there's nothing going on between us!" Her denial was ignored as Zhou Lang began to mutter that he had seen the signs. He had seen them together on multiple occasions.

"Zhou Lang, I can promise you, it's not because of your brother. It's not because of you either... I just..." Xiao Yunhua hesitated as tears began to fill her eyes. "I need a break." From everything. Even though she had initially planned to immediately try to make Qiang Yue fall in love with her, at this moment, with her unforeseen headache, she needed to have a vacation somewhere.

"You're welcome to hate me, no, don't even waste your hatred on me. Just don't think of me. Consider me an insignificant fling in your life that you'll forget." Xiao Yunhua sadly smiled as more tears streamed down the sides of her cheeks, "From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other."

She turned around to leave, but she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her. Zhou Lang hugged her from behind and murmured, "Don't leave me." His grip was firm, like he wanted to never let her go.

But Xiao Yunhua had already come so far, she didn't mind going a bit further. She pulled his arms away and whispered, "I'm sorry." And then leaving the room without turning back.

Zhou Lang slumped back in a chair with his hands covering his face. The waiter had come back with a grin, carrying their food and the item that Zhou Lang wanted.

When he walked in, he noticed the woman that he brought in was missing and Zhou Lang looking depressed, so he immediately understood the gist and sneaked out after leaving the food on the table with the item.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Lang raised his head and his eyes fell on the item that he asked the waiter to bring earlier.

He picked it up and self-mockingly smiled. He thought he could finally use this after not using it last time, but who knew that it was merely his delusions? Zhou Lang harshly gripped the item and and threw it on the floor.

The small black box opened and a ring fell out. Zhou Lang stood up and walked past it, leaving for the door. Before he left, he turned around and looked at the fallen ring one last time.

"Zhou Feng, I hope you're happy..." he quietly seethed, his eyes full of hatred...