Chapter 22: Goodbye, Never Again

Xianyu still clung to a shred of hope. No matter what Du Ruanruan said, all she needed was for Liang Youjia to return tomorrow.

Xianyu took a deep breath, put away her phone, and made herself a cup of coffee. This sequence of actions was incredibly therapeutic, finally calming her tightly coiled nerves. She went back upstairs, recorded a video of herself dancing, and prepared for bed.

The next day, when the time came for them to leave, Liang Youjia was still nowhere to be found. She messaged him, "Where are you?" There was no response. Several times, her hands trembled as she reached to contact Du Ruanruan, but in the end, she gave up.

Just then, her grandmother called. Xianyu composed herself before answering. A frail, kind voice drifted from the other end: "Yuyu, are you coming back this year?"

"Of course I am. How could I forget Grandma's eightieth birthday?"

"Even if no one else comes back, Yuyu must come home to keep Grandma company."

With just those two sentences, she had her grandmother beaming. Xianyu was right; among two nephews, one niece, and one granddaughter, she was the favorite. It wasn't because of any bias toward a son's child, but because of the long, enduring companionship.

"Then when will you arrive, Yuyu? I’ll have your cousin come pick you up."

"Well, I should be there by noon tomorrow. No need for my cousin; I’ll just take a taxi."

Grandmother fell silent for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Yuyu, are you... are you alone?"

What a heartbreaking question. Xianyu looked around the empty house, feeling a chill seep into her bones, her body trembling uncontrollably. She fought back the sting in her nose and the bitterness in her eyes, forcing a wry smile. "Yes, I'm alone."

"Is Xiao Jia not coming back with you again this year?" Grandmother sounded puzzled; Xianyu had previously said she would bring her boyfriend home for the birthday celebration. Why had things changed so suddenly?

"He has some urgent matters, so he can't make it for now."

"I see. I was worried there might be trouble in your relationship."

"Grandma, you're overthinking it," Xianyu cooed, trying to soothe her.

"Yes, yes, it's my fault. I was just too impatient," her grandmother replied.

Xianyu felt a growing bitterness. How could she blame her grandmother for being impatient? In a normal five-year relationship, how many people go without ever meeting their partner's family? Her grandmother was old, and no one knew how much time she had left; she simply wanted to meet her granddaughter’s partner and see her settled. And Xianyu, in turn, only wanted to ensure her grandmother had no regrets.

"Once he’s free, I will definitely bring him to see you."

"Good, good. Grandma will be waiting."

Xianyu hung up, her mood plummeting to the depths as she stared blankly into space. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She instinctively wiped the corners of her eyes, a bad premonition washing over her. Could it be Yu Qingzhou? No, she decided, Ms. Yu wasn't that idle, and she wouldn't bother targeting her now that she had already achieved her goals.

Peering through the peephole before opening the door, she saw it was Liang Youjia's assistant and felt a wave of relief. Upon opening the door, she saw the valuable gifts the assistant was carrying—items from specialty stores that cost over a hundred thousand each. It felt overly grandiose.

Xianyu had her suspicions, and the assistant immediately offered an explanation: "Mr. Liang asked me to deliver these as birthday gifts for your family elders, Miss Yu."

Xianyu nodded, thanked him, and took the gifts, though her expression remained grim. "Did A-You say when he would be back?"

Facing her earnest gaze, the assistant scratched his head apologetically. "I’m afraid Mr. Liang didn't tell me. These were gifts he ordered last month, with instructions to deliver them to the villa today."

"I see. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Liang Youjia hadn't contacted his assistant today; he must have been held up by Du Ruanruan. Immersed in the comfort of her company, how could he possibly remember what day it was?

Xianyu stood dazed for a while before coming to a decision. She went upstairs to retrieve her photo album. Along with the old pictures, she added the three she had taken in Phuket. Running her fingers over the yellowing, curled cover, she remembered buying the album exactly five years ago.

She tucked the album into her bag and called Zhu Yue. "Xiao Yue, I’m heading back to my hometown. You take care of things with your aunt, and I’ll reach out to you when I return."

Zhu Yue knew about the birthday plans but worried about Xianyu traveling alone. "Is Mr. Liang going with you?"

Xianyu remained silent. Zhu Yue frowned, her face etched with anxiety. "Please be careful on your way if you're going alone."

"I know, I’m grown up now. Nothing will happen." It wasn't her first time traveling home; she had enough basic awareness to stay safe.

Zhu Yue still couldn't shake her worry. "Send me a message the moment you arrive."

"I will."

Zhu Yue was the person in this villa Xianyu cared for most, aside from Liang Youjia. The other nannies and servants were all Liang Youjia's people.

Xianyu prepared to leave quietly, not wanting to alert anyone or leave a trail behind. For a moment, she felt foolish. Liang Youjia clearly didn't want her anymore; why should she, the discarded one, continue to struggle and deceive herself?

Xianyu grabbed her bag, looking as if she were just heading out for a stroll. She didn't carry a suitcase or look like someone moving out. Her handbag was an old, non-branded canvas tote she had used in college six years ago, worth less than a hundred yuan. Inside, it held the photo album and all her worldly possessions.

As she sat in the taxi, she turned off her phone and paid with cash.

She didn't know that the moment she left, Liang Youjia returned to the villa. He looked travel-worn and pale, his usually calm and steady demeanor uncharacteristically rattled. He scanned his fingerprint to open the door and immediately caught a servant. "Is Yuyu home?"

"Miss Yu... Miss Yu just left." The servant was stunned; when had they ever seen Mr. Liang like this?

Liang Youjia had been calling her on the way, but none of the calls went through. He furrowed his brows, sensing something was wrong. "What did Yuyu take with her?"

Did she realize he had broken his promise and choose to leave? The feeling of sand slipping through his fingers made his heart race.

"Miss Yu only took one bag; she didn't take anything else. Mr. Liang, I’m sure Miss Yu just went shopping. Please don't worry." The servant, feeling the intensity of his grip on her arm, tried to reassure him.

Liang Youjia released her and rushed upstairs, searching every room. It was true, as the servant said—Xianyu hadn't taken much. Her clothes and shoes were still in the walk-in closet.