"Then she must not be good enough."

  "No!" He said it even faster, the quickness of his reaction surprising even him. "She's wonderful! She's the best girl I've ever met!"

  "Oh?" Old Madam Bai murmured, her gaze thoughtful and searching as she looked at the troubled face before her. "Did you meet her at a social event?" she asked cautiously.

  "No."

  "Then, what does her family do? Are they in business?"

  "No, no, it's not that," he said again, pcing the cup down. He hadn′t even taken a sip of the water. "Don′t ask, Mom. I′ve already told you, it′s in the past; it's over. I′m tired." He gnced at the stairs. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

  "You go to sleep," Old Madam Bai said, watching his weary, fatigued, and powerless steps as he made his way up the stairs. She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the shadows of the flowers in the garden. "In the past? Over? No, this hasn′t passed, and it isn′t over. He really is in love."

  Yes, this matter had neither passed nor ended. The next day, as Bai Peiwen went to the factory to work, his mind was constantly occupied with thoughts about what to say when he met Han Yan. How could he speak in a way that wouldn't hurt her feelings while making her understand that everything was over? Of course, she could no longer stay at the factory. He could give her some money and write a letter of introduction to help her find another job.

  With his social standing, it would be easy for him to find her an appropriate position. After all, she hadn′t done anything terribly wrong. Even though their retionship had ended, he couldn′t bear the thought of her becoming a dancer again or staying as a factory worker. He was determined to set everything up for her.

  As he drove, his mind was consumed with these thoughts, and he felt that he had managed to calm himself. However, as the car got closer and closer to the factory, his heart began to race, his blood flowing faster. Subconsciously, he found himself looking forward to the moment when he would see her again. Her face began to float before his eyes, and he seemed to see her sorrowful eyes staring at him, lost in thought. He took a deep breath and, without realizing it, accelerated the car.

  He walked into the factory, heading straight for his office. He was te today, and Han Yan must have already arrived. However, as soon as he entered the door, he froze. Han Yan's seat was empty. What greeted him was the cold, silent emptiness of the room—Han Yan hadn't come. He stood motionless at the doorway for several seconds.

  Then, a strong wave of disappointment washed over him, quickly engulfing him. It took him a long moment before he walked to his desk and sank into the chair, resting his head in his hands. He closed his eyes, falling into a deep sense of loneliness and frustration.

  There was a knock on the door. He looked up, and for a moment, his blood rushed to his head—she had come! He thought, his eyes fixed nervously on the door. But when the door opened, it wasn′t her. It was the supervisor, Cai Jinhua. He exhaled a long breath, and that weak, powerless feeling settled over him once more. He muttered quietly,

  "Is there something wrong?"

  "Yan Lili asked me to give you this letter. It was brought by Miss Zhang."

  "Miss Zhang?" He froze for a moment before realizing it was Han Yan. He took the letter, unable to stop his heart from pounding wildly. Cai Jinhua withdrew from the room, casting a curious gnce at him as she left. He shut the door behind her, sank into the sofa, and eagerly opened the envelope. He pulled out the letter, and Han Yan's delicate handwriting appeared before his eyes:

  "Mr. Bai..."

  The way she addressed him stung, causing him to bite his lip sharply before continuing to read. The letter was very brief:

  "Mr. Bai,I am deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused you and grateful for the many kindnesses you have shown me over the past few months. Given the current situation, I believe it is no longer appropriate for me to continue working at your factory, so I am resigning. I trust that you will soon find someone to take my pce."

  He put the letter down, his heart filled with bitterness and sorrow. She had left before he could even speak to her. This had solved one of his problems, yet he couldn't shake the indescribable mencholy and discomfort that lingered. He picked up the letter again and read it several more times. Han Yan, you′re wrong, he thought. You don′t have to just drift along with the waves. I will always make sure you are well taken care of.

  He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, walking from one end to the other, at least a few hundred times. Then, he sat back at his desk, took an envelope, sealed five thousand yuan inside, and wrote a short note:

  "Han Yan,Please keep the five thousand yuan for your daily needs. In the next few days, I will make arrangements for you. Please wait, and do not reject my good intentions. After all, you are the best girl I′ve ever met, and I will never forget you, nor could I ever forget you. So, please don′t refuse my friendship. Wishing you all the best.”“Pei Wen"

  Cai Jinhua returned two hours ter and pced the five thousand yuan untouched on Pei Wen's desk. Pei Wen stared at the money, his brow furrowed, and asked, "She didn't accept it."

  "No," Cai Jinhua replied.

  "What did she say?"

  "She didn't say anything. She just asked me to bring it back to you."

  "No reply?" he asked, his voice tense.

  "No, nothing at all," Cai Jinhua said, watching him for a moment before hesitating. It seemed as though she wanted to say something but couldn′t quite bring herself to. She stood there, silently looking at him.

  "What's the matter?" Pei Wen asked, his tone a little sharper. "What do you want to say?"

  Finally, after a moment of hesitation, Cai Jinhua asked, "Did you fire Miss Zhang, Mr. Bai?"

  "Hmm," he stammered, avoiding her gaze. "It was her decision to leave."

  "Oh," Cai Jinhua lowered her head. "I think she is willing to do it; otherwise, she wouldn't have cried over your letter."

  Bai Peiwen was shaken. "You mean, she cried?" he asked uneasily.

  "She cried quite hard, sir."

  Bai Peiwen gritted his teeth; his heart seemed to contract into a knot. Cai Jinhua left the room, and he sat motionless, staring at the pile of cash on the desk. For a moment, he had an impulse to take the money and drive to Han Yan's house. However, he restrained himself. What would the consequences of such an action be? Unless he was still prepared to accept Han Yan... No, no, he couldn't! After learning about her past, everything must end here. He couldn′t ignore that matter! He covered his face with his hand, painfully shaking his head in his palm. He couldn′t ignore that matter! He couldn′t!

  He did not go to find Han Yan. The next day, he didn't go either. On the third day, he still didn't go. However, he became irritable and easily angered, anxious, and haggard.