He had to do all this, making her start to fear him, even unwilling to think about the past.
He wanted the present pain to replace the past's happiness.
She didn't want it this way, she really didn't.
Even if he no longer loved her now, she kept telling herself that at least they once loved each other.
It was... right?
Even if he discarded her, the time they spent together couldn't have been a lie, right?
He might have grown tired of her and stopped loving her later.
But there must have been a time when he loved her, or at least liked her, right?
"I just want to preserve the memories of you once loving me, to hold on to the tenderness you once showed me. Is that too much to ask?"
She had been so humble and continually yielding, just to hold on to that small bit of beauty.
She didn't ask for anything else; she just wanted that little bit. Was that too greedy?
She cried for a long time, her sobs interspersed with hiccups.
After a while, she forced herself to calm down and dried her tears.
Then she took out tissues from her bag to fix her smudged makeup, followed by her cushion and loose powder to touch up.
She covered the panda eyes from crying and redid her eye makeup.
Looking at herself in the mirror, her dark circles were only a little red, most of it covered up by the makeup, and she didn't look too disheveled.
She forced a sarcastic smile.
Fu Yinxiu wasn't wrong about her; she had too many concerns and was reluctant to die.
Even when pushed to this extent, after crying, she still touched up her makeup and continued to live, pretending nothing was wrong, living strong in front of others.
Sometimes, she really hated being so strong. No matter how bitter or difficult things got, she could always grit her teeth and hold on.
Facing difficulties and solving problems.
While this was good, the process was too painful.
She would rather be a bit weaker, have moments she couldn't bear, and be able to collapse without caring about anything.
Then she wouldn't be so tired.
Ming Yutong sighed deeply, shook her head with a bitter smile.
Even under Fu Yinxiu's pressure, she managed to get through, but it was truly exhausting, so exhausting.
Ming Yutong listlessly leaned back in her seat, staring blankly, not knowing when it would end.
After a while, her phone suddenly rang.
Ming Yutong looked at it; it was a call from Little Jingshi.
She noted the time, 12:11. Little Jingshi must have just finished his class and was likely having lunch.
She sniffed, adjusted her mood, and answered the call, "Jingshi."
"Tong Tong, are you back at the office?" Little Jingshi asked.
His voice was crisp and full of vitality.
Hearing his voice, no matter how great the sorrow or heavy the mood, it lightened in an instant.
Ming Yutong took a deep breath, shaking off her previous negative emotions, not wanting them to affect even a bit of Little Jingshi's mood.
"Yeah, I'm here." Ming Yutong couldn't help but smile as she listened to Little Jingshi's voice. "Are you having lunch?"
"Yeah, we're having fried chicken and hash browns for lunch. I'm drinking peach juice." Little Jingshi replied happily, clearly enjoying the fried chicken.
Ming Yutong could almost hear the crispy sound of him biting into the fried chicken through the phone, making her appetite grow.
"Make sure to eat more fruits and vegetables. If you don't like vegetables, eat a vegetable salad instead. Too much fried food isn't good for you," Ming Yutong advised.
"Okay!" Little Jingshi responded cheerfully.
"Tong Tong, you're so thoughtful and caring!"
Ming Yutong chuckled. The little boy acted so grown-up, and his words were endearing.
"By the way, Tong Tong what are you having for lunch today?" Little Jingshi asked. "It's a pity we have another class after you left. If you weren't going back to work, I'd take you to our school's cafeteria. It's really delicious!"
Ming Yutong quickly looked around and saw a Western-style fast food restaurant nearby, so she got out of the car and went in.
At the same time, she told Little Jingshi, "I'm just leaving the company and getting ready for lunch. I'll send you a photo of my meal soon."
"Okay!" Little Jingshi cheerfully hung up the phone and focused on his fried chicken.
Ming Yutong ordered a plate of pasta and a salad at the fast food restaurant, then took a photo and sent it to Little Jingshi.
Little Jingshi shook his head while munching on a chicken leg, "Tong Tong, you're eating so healthily!"
Little Jingshi's words helped lift Ming Yutong's earlier gloomy mood.
Feeling that she wasn't quite full after the pasta and salad, she decided to order a slice of mousse cake.
Before leaving, she also packed a naked cake to take with her.
Back at the company, she bought a box of chocolates from a well-known chocolate shop next to the office.
Not long after she entered her office, Ming Yutong's brother, Ming Yuqian, came in.
Before he even sat down, he called out, "Sis, why are you back so late? Have you had lunch?"
Then he saw the desserts Ming Yutong had placed on the coffee table.
Ming Yuqian's mouth fell open in surprise as he stared at the desserts, looking a bit foolish.
Ming Yutong couldn't help but roll her eyes at his silly reaction. "Are you sure being the vice president is right for you with such a clueless expression?"
Seeing Ming Yuqian made Ming Yutong feel much lighter.
She realized that with Little Jingshi or Ming Yuqian around, she could completely relax.
Even though she might still be affected by negative emotions later, she could temporarily forget her worries when she was with Little Jingshi or Ming Yuqian.
Ming Yuqian didn't mind her teasing. He casually pulled over a swivel chair and sat down, unceremoniously opening the cake box.