Night. The plaza outside Banxing Art Gallery still bustled with noise.
Bathed in starlight, even the stone floor seemed to shimmer with white light—cameras flashing, faces smiling. At the center of it all was Mo Yachen, radiant with confidence and joy.
At the plaza's edge, Ji Yu wandered aimlessly. She had already gone inside, seen every painting. Though her taste was "too common" to understand what made them great, each canvas still struck her with a certain brilliance.
Even his horror works were displayed—more numerous than his familiar Impressionist pieces.
Liuxi… she must have received his call by now.
It was 9:30 p.m. The exhibition's closing night. Painters, sculptors, critics, onlookers—the whole crowd swarmed the front steps.
Beyond them, the pedestrian bridge above the avenue was nearly empty. Cars sped beneath, headlights slicing through the night. The streetlamps glowed faintly, lonely sentinels lighting a road that hardly needed them.
From the plaza below, applause and voices rang.
Up on the bridge, Ji Yu stared at the passing cars—until she heard footsteps she already knew.
Mo Yachen stood beside her, washed in pale moonlight. Together, they looked at the endless road.
"…You could have come," he said softly. "My mother doesn't mind me having a girlfriend. Most of those photos—they were with strangers."
His gentle face turned toward her, softened by silver light.
"I called Liuxi. Just as you forgave me, I forgave her—for what happened five years ago."
"…I wanted closure. But reality is never that simple."
Clouds rolled across the sky, blotting the moon. Streetlamps below threw cold light across their faces.
"She's about my sister's age. Still doing music. Still running from the fact she was once my father's favorite guitarist. When I brought up the past, she thought I was threatening her—ruining her new life."
He gave a thin smile, cool as the night wind.
"Her voice shook. No matter how I said it, she only heard condemnation. She begged forgiveness while insisting she was the real victim."
A gust rattled the trees. A few leaves fluttered down, brushed their shoulders, hands, hair—and were lifted away again into the sky.
"…Even hearing that, in that tone… I still hoped she would just say, thank you."
"Was I wrong? Was forgiving her only self-righteousness—me standing on some moral high ground, forcing her pain? …Even so, I told her I no longer hated her. That much, at least, I won't regret."
He turned, voice quiet. "Because of you. You helped me. Thank you, Ji—"
"Stop."
Her voice cut in, cool enough to still the wind.
His eyes flickered in surprise. Quickly, he masked it with a childlike smile.
"…What is it, Ji Yu? Should I have gone to Wangjing in person instead of calling? Maybe I should have—but the exhibition kept me busy. My mother invested so much in this return. I couldn't disappoint her, right?"
Ji Yu's gaze was steady, expression calm as stone.
"Yes. You should see her in person. And yes—you should give your all for your art. But tonight, I have something to say."
The wind brushed her skirt, cold against her legs. She didn't flinch.
Her pale-blue eyes, lit by moonlight, glimmered with resolve. Yachen noticed then how lightly she was dressed. He hurried to shrug off his jacket—
But she stepped back.
A soft tap of her heel.
"…Ji Yu?"
"We should break up."
The words fell, clear and sharp.
"We've been together almost a year, haven't we? We saw each other often in school. But outside that… how many times did we really go on dates? Once? Twice? Three times?"
Her lips pressed tight, her voice so low the wind itself refused to carry it.
"I'm your girlfriend—at least in name. Why was there so little of you beside me?"
Her blue eyes widened, shimmering, her mouth set in solemn lines.
"Yes, I was happy with you. But now I finally understand why."
She caught a fallen leaf from her hair, raising her hand toward the sky.
"My life grew fuller. I changed. That happiness… wasn't really about you."
Her eyes glistened.
"No—it's not like that!" he burst out. "It was me! I planned it! The day I confessed, I swore—I'd fill your path with cheers and flowers!"
A tear slipped, swept away by the wind.
"But isn't my future mine to choose? I don't want my life dictated by someone else. And I refuse to be a substitute."
Her tear fell, striking the windshield of a passing car below—shattering into a fleeting jewel.
"I never saw you as her replacement! I love you! Ji Yu, don't—please don't say this. I've always loved you—always!"
She looked up, but her eyes did not focus on him. Her gaze drifted, scanning the night.
Her steps moved again.
The sky deepened. Bridge lights dimmed. Only headlights cut across their pale faces.
"…But what we have now can't hold the weight of 'love.'"
Rain began—fine, misty drops, drifting in the wind before they reached the ground.
Her footsteps echoed.
"Our relationship… has no real memories. And isn't that what love is? Without those moments—romantic, luminous, unforgettable—what's left of 'love'?"
"And your heart still belongs more to Liuxi, doesn't it? Since that day, you've never once called me. Not even a single message."
Her eyes lifted skyward. The leaf in her hand rose with the wind, back into the night.
Clouds parted. Moonlight spilled down, painting her in silver.
"…So let's end this here. From now on, we'll just…"