This time, Li Younan didn't choose to hang up immediately; after all, he still had to end things.
The call connected, but neither side spoke at first, and they fell into a brief silence.
As if in a fit of pique, Yang Ting didn't want to say the first word. To her, whoever spoke first would lose.
It was Li Younan who spoke first, because in his view, it was a trivial matter — there was no need to compete over it.
"Hello?"
On the other end of the line, upon hearing Li Younan's voice, Yang Ting finally spoke: "Where are you now?"
Li Younan simply replied, "Are you at home now? If you are, I'll come back."
Yang Ting gave a slight "mm" in agreement, and Li Younan hung up the phone.
Listening to the busy tone, Yang Ting placed her phone on the coffee table and slowly lost herself in thought.
A moment later, she took a deep breath, having made up her mind.
This time, Li Younan went too far; hanging up the call, not coming home all night — this crossed the line. This time, when he came back, she had to tell him clearly about the seriousness of this matter, to make him deeply reflect on how his behavior damaged their relationship.
Yang Ting's mind began to plan what to say later.
Oh right, there's also what Li Younan said about breaking up.
Yang Ting, of course, didn't believe that Li Younan would be willing to break up with her.
Not to be boastful, but with her Binhai City residency, house, and her parents' income, apart from these material conditions, she herself was highly educated and good-looking, and never pursued the man's material conditions — a genuinely high-quality woman. Could he find someone better than her?
Impossible.
She didn't care for his dowry nor his background from a small county. With just this point, she could outshine 99% of women.
So Yang Ting firmly believed that Li Younan spoke impulsively, without thinking. By this time, he must have regretted it.
However, discussing a breakup is not something that can be easily forgiven, so when he returned, he must be made to reflect properly, otherwise, she would truly let him experience what it feels like to be without her. Only by feeling the pain would he cherish it.
Yang Ting thought all this to herself and finally sighed slightly, murmuring, "Anyway, let's see how he behaves."
...
Li Younan didn't go back directly; instead, he went to the supermarket near the community, casually bought a suitcase, and then leisurely returned to Yang Ting's home.
When the doorbell rang, Yang Ting looked at the time; it had been a full two hours since Li Younan called. To be honest, even if he were at the airport, he should have taken a taxi home by now.
She snorted coldly, and on that point alone, it was already enough to make someone angry.
So Yang Ting didn't get up to open the door right away. The doorbell rang twice more before Yang Ting, with her arms folded in front of her chest, slowly walked to the door, opened it, and then turned away without even looking to see who was outside.
It wasn't until she heard the sound of suitcase wheels scraping against the floor that she turned her head in confusion and frowned, "Whose suitcase is this?"
Li Younan smiled and said, "It's mine."
But Yang Ting didn't consider what Li Younan was going to do with this suitcase; instead, she focused on the smile on his face, which made her even angrier.
How can he still smile?
What she didn't know was that after seeing Yang Ting's expression, the last bit of hope in Li Younan's heart completely vanished.
At the moment, he felt no psychological burden in packing his things.
Yang Ting directly sat down on the sofa, ignoring Li Younan, waiting for him to come over and apologize. But Li Younan didn't pay attention to Yang Ting; seeing that she ignored him, he dragged his suitcase into the room by himself.
At that moment, Yang Ting was imagining what it would be like when Li Younan apologized, what he might say, and how she would respond. But after a while, there was still no sign of Li Younan coming out.
In her confusion, Li Younan finally emerged with the suitcase. Yang Ting was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"
Li Younan sighed softly, looking at Yang Ting with an unfamiliar gaze, and said, "I've packed all my things."
Yang Ting was silent for a moment, suddenly realizing something, and a terrifying thought exploded in her mind: was he really going to break up with her?
Not just a slip of the tongue?
The moment this thought arose, a strong sinking feeling overwhelmed her heart, and each breath amplified that feeling. She suddenly stood up: "What do you mean?"
Li Younan was silent for a moment. Throughout their time living together, he had never blamed Yang Ting nor condescendingly critiqued her life.
But this time, he spoke earnestly, "There are some feelings I've wanted to share with you for a while. Being with you, I've not been happy, truly not happy."
"We grew up in two completely different family environments, experiencing different ways of relating intimately, and each of us saw our way as the right way."
"Unfortunately, I can't adapt to your way of relating to loved ones. I don't want my life to be filled with criticism, belittlement, and opposition moving forward."
"So this time, I'm serious about the breakup. But I wish you well and also wish myself well in finding true happiness in the future."
Li Younan spoke with extreme sincerity, subtly touching something within Yang Ting. But she instinctively said, "You mean it's my fault, that I'm the reason for the breakup, right? It's all my problem?"
Upon hearing this, Li Younan knew he had nothing more to say. In this girl's life, she would never be wrong. He chuckled lightly and walked out, pulling the suitcase without looking back.
Yang Ting shouted loudly from behind, "Fine, it's your choice. Don't come back once you walk out that door!"
The only response was the cold sound of the door closing.
After Li Younan left, Yang Ting's heart couldn't help but ache intensely.
She stared blankly at the door, the large house feeling empty, as she sat on the sofa in disappointment, not understanding why things turned out this way.
Li Younan's words echoed in her mind over and over.
And the bits and pieces of time spent with Li Younan began to play in her mind like a movie.
Li Younan, who would never argue back no matter what she said…
The same Li Younan who never criticized her for her mistakes but instead comforted her first, finding reasons and excuses to help her out…
Li Younan, who wouldn't stop praising her whenever she achieved a little success…
All those countless moments she never noticed before started to gather in her mind, flashing by faster and faster, hitting a critical point where Yang Ting felt the world lost its sound, leaving only the thumping sound of her heartbeat.
The next moment, her emotions burst like an atom bomb in a silent vacuum.
Her tears, uncontrollable, silently streamed down.