The air feels so lonely without you (Dedicated anew to the Purple Bamboo Crown)

"If this is what you wish, I promise you, I will let you go!"

When Ling Lan jolted awake, it was four in the morning. She felt a dazed, hollow sensation as she realized the space beside her was empty. For so many days and nights, she had drifted into consciousness nestled in that man’s steady, reassuring embrace. In this moment, the coldness of the bed served as a cruel reminder.

Suddenly, she felt a profound yearning for his hold. Within his arms, she had felt a blend of heartache, excitement, and trepidation. Yet, after just one night, everything had changed.

It was all over.

Through the thin, sheer curtains by the window, she watched the horizon. It was still a murky gray, adorned with a few sparse, fading stars, while scattered raindrops tapped against the glass.

She rose and draped a coat over her shoulders, standing by the window to gently brush against the wind chimes. They emitted a melancholy, ethereal sound. As she listened to them swaying in the dim light of dawn, her heart was overcome with an unbearable ache. You once pulled me out of the darkness, yet you have left me behind in another unfathomable night.

The farewell text message was etched deep into her mind, like a new life residing within her new phone. He would never know that she, too, had begun to fear waking up alone in the dead of night, guarding the silence all by herself. Did he, at this moment, feel as she did?

Ling Lan sighed. Another week had passed, and Mo Zhicheng still had not returned to Tiancheng, leaving her resignation letter without a response.

On the day Ye Shenghan was discharged from the hospital, Bai Yuchen went alone to fetch him. It was dusk, and the sky was heavy, with the setting sun clinging to half the horizon. His solitary figure stood against the backdrop. When Bai Yuchen pulled open the car door, Ye Shenghan glanced over, noticing only Bai Yuchen had arrived. He fell silent. Seeing this, Bai Yuchen simply said, "Don't bother looking. She didn't come."

Upon hearing this, Ye Shenghan’s expression faltered. Bai Yuchen leaned in close with a faint, teasing smile, "She asked me to pick you up. She’s at home making dinner for you."

Ye Shenghan looked down at the man. When he first heard she wasn't coming, he felt as though something had been shattered in his heart, a crushing sense of loss. Only after hearing the second half of Bai Yuchen’s sentence did he realize the man was intentionally baiting him. Still, for that fleeting second, he had truly been thrown into disarray. Ye Shenghan shot him a glare and climbed into the passenger seat. Bai Yuchen chuckled and shut the door.

"She’s waiting for me at home?"

As the engine roared to life, Bai Yuchen heard the deep, hopeful note in the man's voice. He kept his eyes on the road, replying casually, "Yes, she’s waiting for you. She didn't come to avoid drawing attention. She’s been leaving work early lately, and I’ve been sounding things out—it seems Mo Zhicheng hasn't shown his face in a long time. Her resignation hasn't been processed, but she can't just vanish from Tiancheng without raising suspicion."

Ye Shenghan nodded thoughtfully, the earlier joy now veiled by a hint of gloom.

Bai Yuchen glanced at the man beside him. "Are you really determined not to leak the story?"

The man remained silent.

"The scandal combined with the pressure of public opinion is not to be underestimated. This is the perfect opportunity to strike a heavy blow to Tiancheng. Are you really planning to give it up?"

Ye Shenghan gazed silently into the distance, offering no response, lost in his own stillness. Reclaiming the Ye family business was a mission he could not shirk; in that moment, he felt as though half his life had been shackled to the glory of his lineage.

Seeing his silence, Bai Yuchen shook his head and sighed helplessly, "Truly, lust is a blade hanging over one's head!"

The phrase fit him just as well. Bai Yuchen felt dejected; he had been troubled by Ye Shenghan’s affairs for days, yet his heart remained tethered to the woman he had encountered at the casino. Searching for her with no leads was rapidly wearing down his patience.