Chapter 116: Candle Tears

He Yunqing’s magnetic voice carried a hint of hoarseness. "I am doing well, A-Yao."

Jiang Yao lowered her head, hiding her expression in the shadows. She knew this was his way of asking if she was happy.

"I’m doing well, too," Jiang Yao said, sniffing. When she looked up again, a nonchalant smile was plastered on her face. "You’ve seen it yourself; I’m the girlfriend of the Cheng Group’s second young master now. I go everywhere with him, no longer needing to hide or skulk about. It’s quite glorious, isn't it?"

"If I'm lucky enough to marry into the Cheng family, it will be a lifetime of wealth and splendor. I’ll never have to worry about my future again."

"So, He Yunqing, you don’t need to worry about me. Not at all."

The smile on He Yunqing’s lips turned bitter.

"Is that so?" he asked faintly.

The two simplest words in the world, coming from his lips, struck her straight to the heart. Jiang Yao couldn't help but bite her lip.

No, that was not it at all. She was not doing well.

The first thing she did every morning upon waking was think of him. She thought of him while eating, while working, and even in her dreams while she slept. Every time she thought of him, her heart ached. Yet, he had become the one person she could never see again.

How she longed to tell him this. But all the words, thousands upon thousands of them, vanished into thin air when they reached her lips. She could only swallow her sorrow, forcing that bright, beaming smile back onto her face. "Of course it’s true. Can’t you see the smile on my face? Smiles don't lie."

A flicker of imperceptible loneliness flashed through He Yunqing’s obsidian eyes. He could be certain of one thing: Cheng Yanchi would treat her well. And as long as she was happy, that was enough.

At that moment, He Yunqing felt a sudden sense of gratitude—thankfully, Jiang Yao hadn't loved him that much. Thankfully, she was able to move on from the pain of their breakup so quickly. This soul-crushing agony, which consumed him every waking moment, was something he could bear alone.

"That’s good, then."

He Yunqing’s tone was calm, devoid of any ripples. He raised his hand and pressed a paper bag into Jiang Yao’s palm.

"What is this?"

"A gift."

The thin candle was about to burn out, much like their fleeting love. Jiang Yao looked at the dripping wax and silently blew it out. "I’ll accept the cake, but the gift... let's skip it."

"It’s something I’ve wanted to give you for a long time, but never had the chance." He Yunqing did not give her a chance to refuse. "Go back now. Your boyfriend is still waiting for you."

The word "boyfriend," coming from him, sounded jarringly harsh. Jiang Yao gripped the paper bag tighter, a surge of petulance rising within her. "Fine. I shouldn't keep him waiting too long."

With that, she turned and left the stairwell.

She regretted it before she had even taken two steps. It had been so hard to get a chance to see him, even if their relationship was no longer what it once was—even if she could only watch him in silence, how could she have walked away out of spite?

Jiang Yao tapped her own head and turned back to the stairwell. But it was already empty; the shadow of He Yunqing was gone. She stood in the darkness, dazed.

*Jiang Yao, you are such a fool!*

Returning to the private room, she set down the cake and the gift bag. Cheng Yanchi glanced over. "Since when did you and Jin Nana become so close?"

Jiang Yao shook her head, staring at the large "26" on the cake, her mind drifting. Another year gone; she was twenty-six now.

"Cheng Yanchi, I don't want to hide it from you," she said, regaining her focus. "This gift wasn't from Jin Nana."

At this, Cheng Yanchi likely understood, and his laugh carried a dry edge. "Haha, I thought as much. Your friendship isn't exactly at that level yet."

"You... you aren't angry, are you?" she asked tentatively.

Cheng Yanchi waved his hand, patting her shoulder with his large palm. "Do you take me for such a petty man? Besides..." He lowered his voice, leaning toward her ear. "We are only a couple for appearances, anyway."

Jiang Yao nodded. "That’s good."

"Mhm." Cheng Yanchi responded, raised his glass of red wine, and downed it in one gulp.

Back in the room, it was as if nothing had happened; the lively clinking of glasses resumed. Whether it was the blinding lights, the noisy atmosphere, or the lingering unrest from seeing He Yunqing, Jiang Yao—who usually held her liquor well—found her head throbbing after only two glasses.

"What’s wrong?" Cheng Yanchi asked.

Jiang Yao shook her head. "It’s nothing, just a bit of a headache."

Remembering her recent head injury, Cheng Yanchi didn't dare to be careless. "I’ll take you to the hospital to get it checked."

"No need, I’ll just go home and rest."

The party ended early. Cheng Yanchi dropped her off, and only after seeing her drink a glass of warm water and lie down to sleep did he feel at ease enough to leave.

Alone in bed, Jiang Yao couldn't fall asleep. Her head felt dizzy and painful. She sat up again and opened the gift bag He Yunqing had given her.

Inside was a bowl of longevity noodles—the exact same kind he had bought for her the day they first met. She remembered now; they had agreed some time ago that he would treat her to longevity noodles on her birthday.

Jiang Yao’s eyes grew sore. She looked at the congealed noodles, picked up a chopstick, and forced a bite into her mouth.

Beside the bowl was an exquisite little jewelry box. She opened it to find a uniquely designed necklace. It didn't look particularly expensive, nor did it look brand new. Engraved clearly on the box were two words: *Xin Meng*.

Jiang Yao twirled the pendant on her fingertip, puzzled, and held it under the light to inspect it.

Downstairs, a car horn honked. She casually dropped the pendant back into the box and leaned out the window to look. A car that had been parked there for some time flashed its lights twice, as if signaling a greeting.

From the second floor, she could see everything below. A middle-aged man stepped out of the car and bowed politely toward her window.

Jiang Yao recognized him. He was the driver for the Jin family patriarch.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, she bowed back, threw on a coat, and hurried downstairs.

"Miss Jiang, the master would like to see you," the driver said courteously.

"See me?" Jiang Yao was puzzled. She had only met the old man a handful of times and had no real ties to him. Even for the sake of his daughter, there was no reason for him to seek her out now. "What does he want with me?"

The driver opened the car door and gestured for her to enter. "You will know once you arrive."