After The Beautiful Woman Moves Into The Jock's Dorm Room - Chapter 93

Chapter 93: “Let’s… separate for a while.”……

Shen Qingyu returned home in a daze. On the way, his mind replayed countless times the scene of Auntie Cheng’s shock and bewilderment when she saw their interlocked hands.

He remembered a very popular style at the jewelry store where he ran into Auntie Cheng and her friend, a trending design among young girls recently. Judging by the style Cheng Che prepared for his mother’s birthday last time, Auntie Cheng must not have been picking out a gift for herself at this jewelry store.

He also remembered how desperately Auntie Cheng had invited Cheng Che’s nonexistent girlfriend to visit their home…

Shen Qingyu couldn’t help but connect all the dots.

Was she picking out a gift for that so-called girlfriend at the jewelry store?

What kind of feelings did she have while picking out that gift? Yet, that emotion didn’t last long before she accidentally discovered her son’s relationship with the younger relative she cared for and loved.

The impact, the harm, and the pain this shock brought to her were immense.

Shen Qingyu felt that perhaps starting a relationship with Cheng Che was a mistake from the beginning. He knew very well that Cheng Che’s family hoped he would marry and have children, hoping he would have a normal, happy life, yet he still selfishly…

Physically exhausted, Shen Qingyu didn’t shower. He laboriously changed into his pajamas and lay face down on the bed. Countless images flooded his mind, and Auntie Cheng’s gentle, smiling face haunted him. He knew Auntie Cheng’s genuine affection for him, and now, he didn’t even have the courage to face her.

He felt so sad and confused.

They must be home by now, right? What would they talk about? Would Auntie Cheng cry?

Thinking of this, a piercing pain surged, and he tightly clutched his chest, his expression haggard and distorted. After a long while, the pain gradually subsided. Shen Qingyu gasped for air, as if reborn.

If he had known this day would come, he absolutely would not have made that choice.

But it was too late for anything now. The best solution was to cut it all off. The world would keep turning without him. Their separation would, at most, only cause sadness for a period of time.

Shen Qingyu admitted he was a selfish coward. Although he knew breaking up wouldn’t solve the problem—Cheng Che’s sexual orientation wouldn’t change—he stubbornly believed that doing this would make him feel better.

His thoughts were in chaos. Shen Qingyu slept soundly, and when he woke up, it was completely dark. The curtains weren’t drawn. Lying in bed, he looked out the window and could only see scattered lights. Even the moonlight and starlight were faint. Compared to the vast, boundless world, he felt even more like the most insignificant being in the universe.

He stood up, feeling parched. He dragged his heavy feet to drink a cup of warm water before remembering he hadn’t checked his phone yet.

He found his phone on the cabinet in the hallway. The battery was low. When he turned it on, the first thing he saw was a message from Cheng Che.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Cheng Che’s name. The soreness he had barely managed to suppress once again swept over him. His fingers trembled slightly as he opened their chat box, and his vision instantly blurred.

He quickly scanned all the messages, his gaze settling on the last message Cheng Che sent half an hour ago:

【Cheng Che: I’m at your door.】

Shen Qingyu wiped away the hot tears with the back of his hand, took a deep breath, patted his cheek, and bravely opened the front door.

Cheng Che was leaning against the door. It wasn’t cold here, but his limbs were numb. Hearing the faint sound of the door opening, his eyes suddenly lit up, as if starlight had flashed. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he stepped forward, his lips moving, but no sound came out.

“Come inside first,” Shen Qingyu lowered his head, avoiding his eyes. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to say what he needed to say. Knowing Cheng Che had waited outside for a long time, he worried he was cold or thirsty and wanted him to come in to warm up and have some water.

Cheng Che put on the slippers he wore when he used to live there, sitting somewhat awkwardly on the edge of the sofa, watching Shen Qingyu’s back as he poured hot water, his hands tightly clenched.

The moment Shen Qingyu turned around, Cheng Che instinctively stood up: “Let me.”

He took the cup, took a few small sips, and placed it on the table.

They sat facing each other, neither speaking for a while.

Shen Qingyu finally brought himself to look at him. His gaze paused on Cheng Che’s neck. He was wearing a fleece-lined hoodie, and perhaps because it was too warm inside, he tugged at the collar, exposing a red mark.

“Did Auntie Cheng hit you?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Cheng Che froze, then realized what he was looking at. He adjusted his collar, forcing a smile: “My mom wouldn’t hit me. It was my dad. He was angry and hit me twice with his belt. It looks worse than it is, it really doesn’t hurt.”

Shen Qingyu suddenly looked away, his nose tingling. His lips moved, silently forming the word: “Liar.”

How could it not hurt?

This further solidified Shen Qingyu’s decision. Perhaps this was the best possible outcome for everyone.

“I talked a lot with my mom. She’s finding it hard to accept, she thinks it’s wrong. She cried in front of me for a bit, then said she wanted some time to think,” Cheng Che said, his hands crossed on his knees, his expression tinged with pain. “Xiao Yu, please don’t worry. Just wait a little longer. My mom isn’t unreasonable. She’ll come around…”

“Cheng Che,” Shen Qingyu interrupted what he was trying to say.

As if by telepathy, Cheng Che vaguely guessed what he was about to say. His pupils contracted and then widened. He shook his head, trying to make Shen Qingyu stop.

Shen Qingyu closed his eyes. “Let’s… separate now.” His heart felt like it was being squeezed, and he felt breathless as he said the words.

When Shen Qingyu’s words fell, the air instantly solidified.

Cheng Che’s pupils shrunk violently. His eyes, which always held such tenderness, were now filled only with unbelievable pain. He refuted almost instinctively, his voice carrying a subtle plea: “No… Xiao Yu, don’t say that. This isn’t how you solve the prob—”

“This is how you solve the problem!” Shen Qingyu cut him off sharply, his voice rising, carrying a near-breaking point shrillness.

He abruptly stood up, turning his back to Cheng Che, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. “Cheng Che, don’t you understand? The problem isn’t whether Auntie Cheng can come around—the problem is me! I can’t take it anymore!”

He turned back around, his face already streaked with tears. His usually bright eyes were now red and swollen, filled with pain and self-loathing.

He pointed to his face, his voice choked and almost fragmented, “I don’t even dare to think about Auntie Cheng’s face! I feel guilty! I feel like I’m the one who changed you like this, that I’m the one who ruined the peace your family should have had! I can’t bear this pressure!”

Cheng Che’s heart ached unbearably. He wanted to step forward and hug this fragile person, who looked like he would shatter at a touch, but Shen Qingyu raised a hand to stop him.

“No, let me finish!” Shen Qingyu took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging emotions, but the tears flowed even harder.

“You always think I’m great, that I’m good in every way… But I’m not! Cheng Che, I’m selfish and cowardly! I knew your feelings, I knew your commitment, but now all I want to do is run away! Because I can’t handle the possible look of disgust from your mother, I can’t handle you clashing with your father because of me, and I certainly can’t handle the injuries on your body…”

His gaze fell again on Cheng Che’s neck. The mark stung Shen Qingyu’s eyes.

“I keep thinking, if it wasn’t for me, you would now be dating a girl, just as they wished. Maybe you would even take her to that jewelry store. Auntie Cheng would happily help her choose jewelry, and your family would be harmonious and joyful… instead of being in chaos like this… and you having to be hit…”

Shen Qingyu’s voice dropped lower and lower, filled with a brutal honesty: “See? This is who I am. I’m not as determined as you imagine, and I’m not that brave. Compared to your devotion and commitment, I just look like a coward… I’m not as wonderful as you think… I’ve lied to you so much, so much.”

He had concealed many things that happened between him, Song Yu, and Lu Xiao from Cheng Che. He was a liar, always trying to cover things up with white lies, but the fact was he couldn’t handle the consequences. This led to his image in Cheng Che’s mind becoming increasingly perfect, and his pressure grew immensely. Auntie Cheng discovering their relationship was perhaps just the trigger. Shen Qingyu felt incapable of managing their relationship.

After saying all this, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He stumbled back, desperately covering his mouth with the back of his hand, but he couldn’t stop the broken sobs.

Tears streamed relentlessly through his fingers, soaking the front of his pajamas. He looked like a lost child, helpless and despairing, his entire body slightly curled up from the intense emotional turmoil.

Cheng Che listened quietly, his heart feeling like it had been repeatedly struck, each blow bringing sharp pain. He saw Shen Qingyu’s tear-streaked face, the bottomless guilt and self-denial in his eyes, and all his attempts at persuasion and refutation were caught in his throat.

He suddenly understood that the agony Shen Qingyu was enduring right now was no less than his own. The family’s resistance was an external storm, but this inner self-examination Shen Qingyu was facing was a desperation that could truly destroy him.

He couldn’t push him any further.

Cheng Che slowly stood up and walked step by step toward Shen Qingyu. He didn’t try to hug him, but just reached out, using his thumb to gently wipe away the tears on his face, his movements cautious, as if handling a treasure.

His fingertip felt the coldness and dampness of Shen Qingyu’s skin. Cheng Che’s heart ached even more intensely.

“Don’t cry…” Cheng Che’s voice was terribly hoarse, thick with emotion. “Don’t say those things about yourself. In my heart, you will always be the best.”

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they held the same profound pain, but also a hint of compromise and understanding.

“Okay,” he finally uttered the difficult word. “Let’s… separate for a while.”

Shen Qingyu sharply lifted his head. Through his blurry tears, he saw the same watery sheen in Cheng Che’s eyes.

“But Xiao Yu, remember this,” Cheng Che looked deeply into him. “This is not the end. I’m agreeing to separate because I don’t want to see you in so much pain, I don’t want to force you. Give me some time, and give yourself some time. Once I’ve handled things at home, once my mother can accept this… I will come back for you. I will not give up on you.”

“I have decided on you,” his tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

Shen Qingyu looked at him, opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn’t say anything. His tears flowed even faster, a mix of relief from having finally said the words and the pain of parting and heartache. He nodded, then quickly shook his head, his emotions too complex to properly decipher even by himself.

Cheng Che took one last look at him, as if to imprint his appearance at this moment forever in his memory. Then, he resolutely turned around, changed his shoes, opened the door, and left, his actions fluid and without another word.

The door gently closed, separating two worlds.

Shen Qingyu’s legs gave out, and he slid weakly onto the cold floor, burying his face deep into his knees. The repressed agony finally erupted into uncontrollable, painful sobbing.