"Because I've been thinking of you," she turned her face, her voice thick with sobs. "Because I've missed you to the point of madness! I never wanted to call you Mr. Long—Beibei, I regret everything so terribly that I'd rather die than go on like this! It's bad enough having no money, but watching the man I love be with another woman—it's humiliating, it's unbearable… I feel like I'm drowning in pain and disgrace…"
"How easy it is to die," he said coldly. "Find a place where no one will discover you, end it quietly. Spare the rest of us your self-pity. I don't want to hear another word of this nonsense."
His voice was devoid of warmth, piercing her ears like shards of ice.
"You're encouraging me to kill myself?" she asked, her chest tightening with grief.
"If someone truly wishes to die, no one can stop them. But at least die with dignity—don't burden others with your mess."
Her breath caught painfully. She looked at his profile, frustration and helplessness raging in her chest.
She closed her eyes, and silent tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I've already paid your rent," he said, slipping his phone into his pocket. "The landlord will bring your belongings shortly. The hospital fees are covered too. I'm leaving."
"Beibei!" she cried out in desperation. "Please, just help me one last time, I beg you. I have nothing. The salary I earn at your company barely covers food and shelter—I can't afford my medical bills. I have nowhere left to turn!"
"And what does your hopelessness have to do with me?" he lifted his gaze. "Am I now responsible for arranging your future? What are you to me? Why should I repeatedly help a woman who is ungrateful, blind to kindness, and utterly lacking in self-awareness?"
He delivered his condemnation with three strikes—each "not" hitting like a hammer.
The blow left He Meiwei in a state of utter despair.
"I was someone you once loved," she said through tears. "Can you really bear to watch me wander the streets with nothing? I love you, Beibei, I love you with all that's left of me. I was wrong, terribly wrong, but I truly have no way forward…"
Long Yubei looked at her and finally said, "I'll rent you an apartment. Take care of yourself. Beyond that, there's nothing more I can do."
"Thank you," she replied faintly, attempting politeness.
Silence fell between them. When the landlord arrived with her clothes, he couldn't hold back and grumbled, "You're a young girl—how could you be so foolish? If you really wanted to die, why not go jump in a river or off a cliff in the middle of the night where no one would find you? Die somewhere discreet, at least! If you'd died in my property, how could I ever rent it out again? I'd even have to compensate your family!"
…
Considering her financial situation, Long Yubei rented her a modest flat in a working-class neighborhood.
At her insistence, he escorted her from the hospital to the new apartment.
The moment she saw the building, He Meiwei stared in disbelief. "You rented this for me?"
"What's wrong with it? It's a standard residential complex—affordable, with all basic appliances included. If you don't want it, go find a luxury one yourself."
She gave a bitter smile. "I haven't changed, but you… you're no longer the man you used to be. Back then, you would never have let me live in a place like this."
"I haven't changed," he replied. "Only time has."
"No—you have changed. If you hadn't, how could I still love you so deeply after all this time, while you've stopped loving me? You even married Gu Lili. Yes, I left without a word, but you've never left my heart. I think of you every hour of every day—you have no idea how much it hurts."