“Including being together with me?”
“Yes.”
“Including us becoming true husband and wife, and you loving me the best you can, having children with me, and keeping me happy for the rest of my life?”
Wen He tilted her head and threw question after question at him. She asked about things like love and happiness but with an out-of-place stone-cold attitude.
Huo Chen hesitated for merely a second before he nodded.
“Yes.”
“Hah…”
Wen He chuckled with dripping sarcasm and impassivity.
“You know, the way you nodded just now was just like a man handing out charity. I, on the other hand, am the beggar asking for love.”
Before Huo Chen could deny anything, she added, “Perhaps you think the word ‘charity’ is too extreme. Let me try something else. How about ‘sympathy’, ‘pity’, or ‘compensation’? Which one do you prefer?”
Huo Chen went pale, shocked by her words.
“Wen He…”
“‘Compensation’, then. It sounds better.”
Wen He continued speaking, oblivious to his stunned reaction. “You want to be with me not because of love, but because I saved your life and nearly died for it. You feel that you owe me, that is why you are willing to spend the rest of your life making it up to me by making my wishes come true.”
Wen He said those words without any hint of anger, but with horrible detachment.
Huo Chen felt a huge weight on his chest and found it difficult to breathe.
He wanted to tell her that she was wrong.
However, she was not.
“The way you treat me is exactly like that. Huo Chen, love cannot be given as a present or compensation.”
Wen He sighed and tucked away all her misery and pain into the deepest, darkest corner of her heart.
“I appreciate your kindness, but I will not accept it.”
“…”
Huo Chen was speechless.
This was the key to the mess between them.
Even if he could convince himself to be together with her, he could not fake both his and her true feelings.
“You should go, Huo Chen.”
Wen He smiled at him. Unlike her usual charming and alluring smile, it felt more gentle and warm, much like her name [1].
“I don’t blame you. After all, you did nothing wrong, so you have no reason to feel guilty toward me. For all the times that you have helped me, it is only fair that I pay you back this once. Besides, I am still alive, so technically you do not owe me anything.”
She inhaled deeply and smiled more brightly at the man she had given her heart to.
“In fact, I was not lying earlier. I really don’t like you that way anymore.”
Huo Chen felt dizzy from the confession like someone had punched him in the face. After a long while, he heard himself asking, “You don’t?”
“Mmhmm.” Wen He shrugged and kept her tone light. “Humans can love more than one person in their lives. I am not so foolish as to wait forever for a man who will not reciprocate my love. Huo Chen, since we have everything out in the open now, you should let go, like me, and live your life the way you want.”
“…”
Huo Chen looked at Wen He’s clear expression and felt confused.
She seemed to have really let go of him.
He should have felt happy about it, right?
“Leave,” Wen He asked for the third time.
Huo Chen knew that there was no reason left for him to stay. All the emotions roaring inside him and the alcohol he drank were messing up his head.
Unable to regain his rationality, he turned away dispiritedly and started taking step after mechanical step toward the door.
When he reached the door and opened it, he spoke softly, “I’m sorry, Wen He.”
