Sang Yu never expected she would return.
She lifted her hand in disbelief—it was no longer transparent.
Her memory still lingered on the day of the burial, when Lu Jiayu had spoken to her at length. At first, she had responded, but later, when she said she no longer loved him, her soul was scattered by a gust of wind.
In her final glimpse, she saw Lu Jiayu weeping over the fragments of her soul, desperately reaching out to hold on, but it was all in vain.
At that moment, Sang Yu thought she was finally free.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, she was back.
She froze for a few seconds.
The normal body temperature, the tangible flesh—it all told Sang Yu this was real.
She had been reborn!
Looking around, she was in Lu Jiayu’s home.
At that very moment, a slow-paced variety show was playing on the television.
It was the premiere of the first episode.
Lu Jiayu and Ye Fei were the regular guests.
The broadcast date made Sang Yu realize she had returned to two years ago, right after Lu Jiayu and Ye Fei had both won awards.
In other words, at this time, Lu Jiayu’s heart had already begun to wander.
“Xiao Yu, come in and taste this.”
In the kitchen, Lu Jiayu was cooking for her.
Everything overlapped with her memories.
Sang Yu would not cry, she would not make a scene, and she would not threaten suicide.
She didn’t want to embarrass Lu Jiayu—they hadn’t reached the point of wishing each other dead.
They were both adults. A dignified exit was a sign of respect for each other and for themselves.
Sang Yu had already decided: today was the day they would break up!
She couldn’t wait another day.
Though she knew the future Lu Jiayu would regret it, she wouldn’t retrieve money that had fallen into a toilet.
Nor would she keep a dog that longed for someone else’s embrace.
“Xiao Yu?”
Lu Jiayu pushed open the sliding kitchen door, thinking she was too engrossed in the TV to hear him.
“I made the tomato and beef soup you wanted today. Come taste it and see if it needs more seasoning. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I can still fix it.”
Sang Yu looked directly into Lu Jiayu’s eyes. The tenderness and affection in them didn’t seem fake.
Truly an actor—flawless.
No wonder he had deceived her for two years.
If he and Ye Fei hadn’t been unable to resist meeting up and were exposed by paparazzi, Sang Yu thought she might have become a complete fool.
“I don’t want tomato and beef soup today.”
Lu Jiayu had made this dish for Ye Fei before.
She would never eat it again.
Even hearing the words would remind her of Lu Jiayu’s betrayal.
“You don’t want it?” Lu Jiayu frowned in confusion. “Are you feeling unwell?”
This was a dish Sang Yu never tired of.
Only when she had a cold or fever would she refuse it.
Lu Jiayu put down the ladle in his hand, walked around the coffee table, and stood before Sang Yu.
He leaned down.
He wanted to press his forehead against hers to check if she had a fever.
The familiar scent of men’s cologne washed over her, and Sang Yu felt suffocated.
She turned her head away, reflexively pushing Lu Jiayu back.
Dirty.
So, so dirty!
Caught off guard, Lu Jiayu was pushed to the ground.
As an actor, he was sensitive to emotions. He genuinely felt Sang Yu’s rejection of him.
Wasn’t everything fine just a moment ago?
They had even gone grocery shopping together, buying the things she wanted to eat.
“Xiao Yu, what’s wrong?”
Lu Jiayu wasn’t angry about being pushed to the ground. His first concern was still Sang Yu. “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”
Sang Yu closed her eyes.
Look, who would believe that a Lu Jiayu like this could have changed his heart?
If she hadn’t heard his words with Ye Fei with her own ears, even Sang Yu wouldn’t have believed it!
She had overestimated herself.
Sharing the same space with Lu Jiayu, Sang Yu couldn’t bear it for another second.
“Lu Jiayu, we’re breaking up.”
She heard herself say it.
Instantly, it felt like a weight had been lifted.
Lu Jiayu seemed not to understand Sang Yu’s meaning and reached out to touch her hand.
Sang Yu abruptly stood up, her emotions somewhat agitated. “What are you doing?”
She instinctively hid her hands behind her back.
And rubbed them together.
Perfectly expressing the word “disgust.”
Lu Jiayu was at a loss. “Xiao Yu, is it because work has been stressful lately? Why don’t you ask your school leaders for leave, and we can go on a trip.”
“Wherever you want to go this time, I’ll go with you.”
Before, when Sang Yu had taken leave, Lu Jiayu’s schedule happened to be free. She had mentioned wanting to travel abroad.
Lu Jiayu had agreed to go with her.
But later, just before departure, he went to film a variety show.
Sang Yu now understood—it wasn’t for work; it was clearly to have a legitimate reason to spend time with Ye Fei.
“Lu Jiayu, we’re breaking up.” Sang Yu’s tone was flat, without a hint of fluctuation.
As if her heart, at this moment, held no ripples.
Dragging things out wasn’t her style.
Even though they had been in a long-term relationship, after witnessing Lu Jiayu and Ye Fei being affectionate with her own eyes, Sang Yu could no longer accept Lu Jiayu.
Her mind and body were rejecting him.
Lu Jiayu didn’t know why Sang Yu suddenly wanted to break up. He tried hard to recall if he had done something wrong.
He hadn’t missed their anniversary or her birthday.
When he went away for shoots, he would message her every day.
“Xiao Yu, did I do something wrong?”
He stubbornly tried to grab Sang Yu’s hand. “Just tell me, and I’ll change.”
Sang Yu took a few steps back. “I’m informing you.”
Love is a matter between two people.
But breaking up doesn’t require the other’s agreement.
In her past life, Lu Jiayu had done the same.
He had only informed her via text message.
Sang Yu picked up her phone from the coffee table, her handbag from the sofa, and her laptop bag.
She had just gotten off work, and these things hadn’t yet been moved to the guest room on the second floor.
That was it—she didn’t want any of it anymore.
Including Lu Jiayu.
Lu Jiayu looked anxious. “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“This is your home.” Lu Jiayu blocked Sang Yu’s path, not letting her leave.
He didn’t know why Sang Yu wanted to break up, only that if he let her leave today, things would become more complicated.
It was better to clear up misunderstandings promptly.
Sang Yu found it laughable. “We’re not married yet, and even if we were, this is your pre-marital property. How can this be considered my home?”
“Move aside!”
Now Sang Yu was truly angry. He clearly had someone he admired, yet he acted so devoted in front of her.
She wasn’t a concubine from ancient times, and he, Lu Jiayu, wasn’t an emperor.
Was she supposed to stay and let him choose?
Let him decide whether she stayed or left?