Fang Zhiyuan found himself utterly unable to resist, and could only accept Yang Li's cold disdain.
In his memory, Yang Li had always been straightforward, never one to shy away from expressing her feelings—love, hate, or anything in between. So much so that, six years ago, when he was at the airport about to board his flight, she had called him and launched into a furious tirade.
"Fang Zhiyuan, you bastard! Cheng Yi will definitely find a man better than you, and I'll make sure she forgets you. Just you wait!"
And how had he responded back then?
He had hung up on her without a second thought, tossing his SIM card into the bin without a hint of regret. So now, when others wouldn't even deign to spit in his face, merely offering cold, mocking words, it seemed almost courteous, given the cruelty he himself had once shown.
Six years later, Fang Zhiyuan was finally tasting the bitter fruit of his own making.
Even Yang Li had no news of her? Guo, disheartened, had left him with just one piece of advice: "Report her as missing." Those words sent a shiver of fear through him.
When the shadows provided no answers, his only option was turn to the authorities and officially report her as missing. No loan records. No social security contributions. Not even an updated ID. Everything had gone cold.His psychological defences were completely shattered, especially after the police "kindly" reminded him: if someone is missing for more than four years, you can consider declaring them deceased.
Her parents had passed away early, her relatives were distant, and friends were few—only Yang Li, Xie Yufan, and himself.
Life had to go on. Life had to go on. He didn't have the luxury of drowning in alcohol. All he could do was bury himself in work. For the first twenty-four years of his life, Fang Zhiyuan had believed success meant nothing more than career and wealth. But over the next five years, he slowly realised that the joy of success, when not shared, only drives a relentless pursuit of more, to fill the emptiness inside.
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Half a year ago, on a cold, rainy night, Xie Yufan showed up at his door, dripping wet, clutching a package.
"A gift."
"Thanks."
As a senior international lawyer, what time off did he have over the Spring Festival? Fang Zhiyuan's eyes hadn't left his computer screen.
"It's from her."
"Business so bad the firm's making you run errands for Miss Hu during the holidays?"
"It's from Yi—to Yang Li."
The sound of typing abruptly stopped. Fang Zhiyuan's eyes fell on the plain white parcel in front of him. After a moment of silence, then suddenly lunged forward, ripping it open with trembling hands. Inside, a delicate white necklace lay quietly in a maroon velvet box. The red packaging was festive, and the elegant white crystal star pendant, simple yet stylish, was perfectly suited to Yang Li's taste. It was clear the gift-giver had put a lot of thought into choosing it.
Fang Zhiyuan's eyes glimmered with delight as he ran his fingers over the necklace again and again. but after a moment, reality snapped back. The gift was bought online, the delivery note only shown the shop's address—still no contact details for her.
"How did Yang Li know...?"
Before Fang Zhiyuan could finish, Xie Yufan handed him a small card. Cheng Yi's delicate handwriting appeared on the paper. It wasn't the original; it seemed to have been handwritten, photographed, and then printed by the shop.
To my Li,
Happy birthday. I'm doing well.
Yi
"Every year, a few days before Yang Li's birthday, she gets a gift from Yi. No contact—but enough to know Yi's alright."
"My Li." Fang Zhiyuan had to admit, he was deeply, bitterly jealous of Yang Li. His email address hadn't changed, why hadn't she ever sent him a single message, just to ask how he was? Even if they couldn't end up as lovers, surely they could still be friends, especially since they had grown up together as childhood companions, couldn't they?"
Then again, why should she? He had let her down back then, after all.
"How did you know Yang Li had this?"
Xie Yufan didn't answer right away. Instead, He simply turned, looking out at the cold, glittering city lights.
"It's just logic. With Yang Li's temper, she wouldn't have been indifferent to Yi's disappearance."
Indeed, why hadn't he thought of that?
The two of them were like sisters, if Yang Li knew Yi had gone missing, how could she not be worried? She must have been sulking. That would explain the look of disdain and twisted satisfaction on her face that day.
The usually composed and courteous Fang Zhiyuan was gone, his bright eyes now dull and unfocused, his face showing signs of exhaustion, his entire being exuding fatigue and a faint sadness. Of course, Xie Yufan knew, with Fang Zhiyuan's tenacity, he would cling to this lead through Yang Li.
"I trust Yang Li. There's nothing more "
If Fang Zhiyuan had faced cold rejection from Yang Li before, today Xie Yufan was walking straight into the line of fire. Heaven knows, Xie Yufan was the last person Yang Li ever wanted to see.
Coming from a poor family, Yang Li had a strong sense of pride. She and the well-off Xie Yufan once shared an ambiguous, unspoken bond. But for some reason, they had ended up avoiding each other. Now, reflecting on his inaction back then, Fang Zhiyuan felt deeply ashamed of his failure to support them during those times.
"I believe."
Did he even have the right not to?
"Yang Li said... three days. Return it by then."
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Things that don't belong to you will eventually leave.
No matter how much he wanted to keep it, Fang Zhiyuan would have to return the necklace. Xie Yufan didn't rush to leave. He kept staring at the delicate necklace, murmuring to himself.
"When did you fall in love with her?"
Was he asking Fang Zhiyuan, or himself?
When, indeed? Fang Zhiyuan couldn't even say. He couldn't remember the first time they met—she had always been there, by his side.
Aunt Fang was the only person his mother ever called a "close friend," so naturally, they had spent a lot of time together as children.
He had grown up with her always following behind him, quiet and undemanding. She liked to share her last piece of candy with him, and he would play along with her childish games of house.
They promised to always stay together, never to part.
He had always believed it. If he could find her again, everything would be just like before.
At ten, his parents divorced, and his mother struggled to make a living. He was fostered in her home. Unlike his own parents, who were always fighting, her family was loving and supportive, weathering the occasional hardship together. During those years, Uncle Ping and Aunt Fang treated him like their own, showing him a side of family life he had never known: that love could be given unconditionally, without needing to be earned through grades or achievements; that a home could be a place to let go of everything outside, not a battleground of endless arguments and mutual harm.
So this is what a happy family looks like, he realised.
He wanted to build a family just like that with her, to live a simple, peaceful life together.
But when did it all change?
When did he start seeing a simple, steady life as wasting time, and a peaceful existence as achieving nothing?
The happiness he had longed for as a child vanished the moment he turned away.
Why had he lost her? Why had he thrown away the happiness he once had?
Xie Yufan had already left, leaving Fang Zhiyuan alone to ponder in silence.