Chapter 12: A Grand Apartment, A World Apart

"Are you really going to kick me out like this? What did I do wrong to deserve being thrown out?" The man's voice was stubborn and aggrieved.

"No, I'm not kicking you out... Didn't I say? I just need some personal space, it has nothing to do with you doing anything right or wrong!" The woman's voice was laced with helplessness and a hint of impatience.

"But I just want to be with you! Don't you want to be with me?"

"Don't twist my words... And why are you saying 'thrown out'? You have a home, you have a place to live. You don't have to stay at my place every single day, right?"

"Why do you say 'have to'... I just genuinely want to spend more time with you! You could stay at my place too, remember how much fun we had watching movies crammed on my little bed?"

"No... You have a roommate, it's inconvenient! We can still see each other often even if we live separately, can't we?"

"Li Xiang doesn't mind, his girlfriend stays over in his room all the time. That's not a real reason, is it?"

"I'm the one who minds! I don't feel comfortable staying at your place, I prefer living in my own home... Is that so hard to understand?"

"So I can come stay at your place! Problem solved!"

"How are we back here again...! I told you I need personal space! And I really don't want to come home from classes every day and have to clean up your empty juice boxes and takeout bags!"

"Ah, so you do find me annoying! It's not like I never clean up, I was just going to do it after reviewing my notes... If it's about chores, we can figure out a division of labor..."

"We're here. Oh, hold on a second, let me clear out a drawer for you? You can put your things down and sit for a bit. Call me if you need anything."

Unlike the sharp, fractured arguments from memory, Lin Xi's voice now was gentle and kind.

Gao Qinghe watched, somewhat dazed, as Lin Xi efficiently cleared out a small cabinet next to the sofa, stacking her own clothes neatly. As she bent over, her golden hair slipped from her shoulders, brushing past her cheeks and lightly veiling her delicate, beautiful face.

She never expected to enter this home again in this way.

Unlike Gao Qinghe's cramped, dimly lit rental room, Lin Xi's apartment was a property she owned outright.

The decor was still the same minimalist, almost sterile style: pure white furniture, a pure white sofa, the only dark colors being the stove and island countertop of the open-plan kitchen. The apartment was spacious and bright, with a thin layer of gauze curtains softening the afternoon sun, preventing the light from being too harsh. The living room held a large L-shaped sofa and a wall-mounted big-screen TV. The doors to the study and master bedroom were half-open, but Gao Qinghe remembered their layouts clearly.

The air carried a faint scent of aromatic oils, mixed with the metallic rose perfume that clung to Lin Xi, a familiar smell that made the tip of her nose ache.

The last time she was in this home... was a year ago, right?

They had already broken up and gotten back together a few times by then. But back then, he always held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that since they couldn't cleanly break it off, they could just keep tangling like this and eventually reconcile.

If he had tried harder back then, even just by doing more chores for her, or cooking for her and giving her a shoulder rub when she was tired from studying... would things have taken a different turn?

"You can use this cabinet and the shelf below for now," Lin Xi said, holding the clothes and gesturing with her chin. "I'll take these to my room first."

Gao Qinghe nodded at her, her feelings complicated.

Running her hand over the cabinet, she realized the beautiful, pale pink hourglass ornament he had given her for her birthday had been replaced by a vase.

"Ah, it's a bit strange to have a vase without flowers, isn't it?" Lin Xi said, coming out and seeing Gao Qinghe staring blankly at the vase. She walked over to the sofa, crossing her arms, her smile gentle yet carrying a hint of self-mockery. "I thought I could cultivate some flowers, elevate my spirit, you know? But everything I try to grow just dies. I simply don't have the time to take care of them."

But Gao Qinghe seemed not to hear. She turned her gaze towards the TV console.

Sure enough, the little bear plushie he had given her was gone too, replaced by a small aromatherapy diffuser.

...Had she already replaced all the things he gave her?

Did he really mean nothing to her anymore?

The thought made Gao Qinghe's mood sink. She subconsciously bit her lower lip, her fingertips pressing against the edge of the cabinet.

"...Cousin really doesn't mean to drive you away. Would you like some water? I'll get you some." Seeing Gao Qinghe's teary-eyed expression again, Lin Xi thought she was still upset about what happened earlier. She motioned for Gao Qinghe to sit on the sofa, then turned and walked towards the kitchen, her movements brisk yet tinged with a concerned haste.

Lin Xi opened a kitchen cabinet and took out two mugs.

One of them was a mug Gao Jingdong had given her one Valentine's Day. It was a beige mug with a strange shape, painted with warm, multi-colored pigments. Back then, he had seen it in her online shopping cart, gritted his teeth, and spent three hundred yuan to buy it for her.

At the time, when Lin Xi received the mug, she hadn't seemed particularly happy, just thanked him quietly, so he had assumed she didn't like it much.

Gao Qinghe felt a small wave of relief.

Lin Xi filled the strange mug about two-thirds full with filtered water and handed it to Gao Qinghe.

Gao Qinghe held the mug, studying it for a long moment before speaking. "This mug is..."

"This one? It's from a designer brand I quite like. It's pretty cute, isn't it?" Lin Xi smiled, sitting down on the sofa, her knee lightly touching Gao Qinghe's. "Oh, come to think of it, your cousin gave this to me last Valentine's Day."

"My cousin..." Gao Qinghe mulled over the term, her voice soft. "My cousin... what about the other things he gave you?"

"Huh?" Lin Xi was clearly taken aback by the question, her cat-like eyes widening slightly before her eyelids lowered. "...The other things, most of them, I threw away."

...Threw away?

Gao Qinghe felt as if a sledgehammer had hit her chest, a dull, heavy pain spreading.

She thought she would have at least kept them, stored them away properly in a cabinet somewhere. She never expected her to be so decisive.

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Gao Qinghe clenched her lower lip tightly, her fingertips gripping the rim of the mug hard.

"You... you don't have any feelings left for my cousin at all?"

"We broke up almost a year ago. What feelings could possibly remain?" Lin Xi's tone was resolute. But seeing the profound grief on Gao Qinghe's face, her heart softened. She moved closer, her fingers lightly resting on Gao Qinghe's shoulder, her thumb gently stroking the fabric. "Hey, I'm not saying I hate him or despise him or anything. It's just how I am. I don't like dwelling on the past. Getting rid of the things helps me move on faster..."

"You do hate... him! Otherwise, why would you be so cruel to him?!" Gao Qinghe burst into tears, her voice soft and muffled yet filled with heart-wrenching pain. Large teardrops rolled down, dripping into the water in the mug. She leaned forward, her shoulders trembling slightly, her long hair falling down and brushing her cheeks, making her distress even more pitiful.

"Ah..." Lin Xi was clearly at a loss facing her tears, her voice full of concern. She grabbed a box of tissues from the side and handed it to Gao Qinghe, then sat down beside her, gently patting her back. "I know you and Gao Jingdong were very close... But sometimes, a long-drawn-out pain is worse than a short, sharp one. You have to move on eventually. The two of us were clearly not a good match."

"Why weren't you a good match? What was wrong... If something was wrong, we could have worked on it, solved it... Waaah..." Gao Qinghe cried harder and harder, her shoulders shaking with each sob, the rise and fall of her chest becoming more pronounced. She turned, pressing her cheek against Lin Xi's shoulder, her hot, wet tears soaking the other woman's blouse.

"There, there..." Lin Xi rubbed her back, her palm movements growing increasingly gentle, her voice softer. "I know, I know. You're really a good kid, always thinking of your cousin... It's okay, I understand..."

You don't understand...!

Gao Qinghe thought indignantly, yet she was also greedy for Lin Xi's tenderness. She buried her face in Lin Xi's embrace, letting the scent of metallic roses envelop her, and cried even louder.