This profound gesture left He Qimo truly puzzled.

However, upon seeing Feng Chengjin’s action of lighting a cigarette, He Qimo seemed to understand everything, and an indescribable pain rose in his heart.

Did he think Qiu Yuan was pitying him?

So, faced with such an illusion that could make him indulge in too many fantasies, he would rather not touch it. He feared that after experiencing this once, he would only be more disappointed the next time.

For a moment, He Qimo found it very ironic, yet so real.

He Qimo never thought that one day, as a rival in love, he would have such feelings when looking at another man.

But facing this profound Feng Chengjin...it truly is...

He Qimo’s body went stiff, unable to speak.

Feng Chengjin seemed to validate He Qimo’s suspicion. After lighting a cigarette, he looked at his clothes with self-ridicule, smiled faintly, and said, "Sit down."

He indeed didn’t want to touch his clothes; the Gu Family’s attitude was already very clear.

The things of the past were not something the Gu Family would forget.

Why deceive oneself?

So, stay cold like this, keep the heart calm, and stop thinking wildly.

Feng Chengjin’s arms were turning a bit blue from the cold.

The icy flower stand was definitely not a good place to rest.

He Qimo didn’t approve of what he saw.

But he understood Feng Chengjin’s desire to have some quiet.

This place, He Qimo had often sat here too, especially in the past eight years after countless arguments with Gu Zixuan, sitting all night by the flower bed...

So faced with this moment’s atmosphere, after adjusting his gaze slightly, he sat down as well.

The moonlight was deep and serene.

After sitting down, the two remained silent for a long time.

It was only after a long while, when Feng Chengjin’s cigarette was nearly finished, that he flicked the ash and said, "Are you quitting smoking?"

He Qimo didn’t know what Feng Chengjin was getting at, and nodded, "Yes."

Feng Chengjin smiled, gazing at the moonlight, "Did you learn to smoke eight years ago?"

In an instant...

Something touched the deepest part of He Qimo’s heart. Understanding what Feng Chengjin wanted to discuss, he adjusted his gaze deeply, silently picking up the cigarette pack to light one.

After taking a couple of puffs, he said, "Yes, I was very depressed at the time, didn’t know what to do, felt quite ironic, yet couldn’t explain anything. Facing Zixuan’s eager eyes, I always had to remember that those smiles were for you. With nowhere to vent, I learned."

Upon hearing this, Feng Chengjin curled his lips, glanced at He Qimo, and said, "Sorry, I didn’t mean to bully your girlfriend back then. Someone misled me; I thought you two had broken up."

Hearing this, He Qimo was briefly stunned, feeling shocked by the utterly unknown sequence of events, and finally having a realization.

Looking into each other’s eyes for a long while, a self-mocking smile lingered at the corner of his lips, "So, that’s how it was..."

Feng Chengjin chuckled, lowering his head, "I pretended to be you believing that Zixuan was your girlfriend; we even accidentally went on a blind date once. Caring for her was neither logical nor suitable."

The brief conversation allowed He Qimo to fully understand Feng Chengjin as a person.

Realizing how much he had misunderstood, he admired Feng Chengjin’s straightforwardness, comprehending that Feng Chengjin’s journey to this point perhaps wasn’t intentional but rather, as things developed, he truly got trapped in Gu Zixuan’s emotions, unable to get out.

Understanding that emotions have no right or wrong, Feng Chengjin didn’t deliberately oppress others; He Qimo chuckled at his former pettiness and said, "Sorry, but in the end, it was I who took away your letter and the ring you used to propose, causing you and her to be apart for eight years."

As He Qimo exhaled smoke, Feng Chengjin glanced at him with a smile and shook his head, "You did nothing wrong. If I were you and Zixuan was my rightful girlfriend, I would marry her and deal with the men bullying her. In this aspect, even if we swapped roles, I would do what you did."

The total understanding made He Qimo look at the man six years older than himself, seemingly more mature and always providing a way out for others.

Finally realizing why Gu Zixuan fell in love with him.

Any woman would admire him, unlike himself... always rough around the edges, hurting others and himself.

He Qimo gave a bitter smile.

Heaving a sigh, he took out the letter and ring box from his pocket, handing them to Feng Chengjin.

"I’ve always wanted to return these to you, but never had the chance. Here you go now."

Feng Chengjin stiffened his fingers slightly, paused, and then accepted them.

He understood very well what He Qimo meant.

But...

The bluish-grey letter paper, accompanied by the retreating years, had become somewhat worn, and the fountain pen calligraphy inside had faded significantly.

Looking again at the best velvet box of that time, Feng Chengjin opened it.

Inside, the 1.5-carat diamond ring still glinted with its former brilliance.

Gu Zixuan had very slender fingers, so he didn’t choose a particularly large style; too extravagant, and of course, too small would not match her status and demeanor.

Just about right, just like love, which he once thought was nonsense.

But once met, once hearts touched, when they were the most suitable for each other, it was enough.

But...

Taking out the ring again.

The diamond’s brilliance hadn’t changed a bit with time’s passage.

Just as it represented the moment he chose the ring, the faint trembling yet fervent sincerity in his heart.

Diamonds last forever; one will last a lifetime?

At this moment, through the glimmer reflecting under the street lamp, Feng Chengjin saw the faint glimmer mirrored in that brilliance and his heart, which had loved Gu Zixuan from the very beginning, unchanged after eight years.

Looking again at the tightly shut door of the Gu house...

It was still impassively as ever.

Yet they had grown older, the letters turned old, the environment changed...

With a bitter smile, he snapped the ring box shut with a "pop."

But in the next second, Feng Chengjin did something that shocked He Qimo.

The letter he had kept for eight years was set alight by Feng Chengjin with a lighter, instantly igniting...

"Hey, what are you doing?" He Qimo attempted to stop him.

But the thin letter papers could not withstand the flame’s assault and, within barely five seconds, aided by the north wind, were reduced to a pile of ashes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com