A flight attendant passed by and noticed the illuminated screen of Lin Jing's phone, gently reminding her, "Passenger, please set your phone to airplane mode."
Lin Jing didn't speak, pursed her lips, and her fingertip moved to the power button. She long-pressed it, turning off the phone.
As the plane took off, Lin Jing looked out the window, recalling the last time she saw Sheng Kuang standing proudly on the podium.
That was the first time she failed her college entrance exam. At that time, Jiang Wan hadn't spoken to her for a month. She was at her most lost and directionless.
After that day, she found a new direction, chose to repeat her studies, and finally succeeded. Meanwhile, he had slipped from his peak to the depths.
Today, before she left, she once again saw Sheng Kuang looking as vibrant and magnificent as she had wished.
It felt as though the intervening years were just a dream.
Considering it, she hadn't spent much time with Sheng Kuang, but she found his lingering effect to be surprisingly strong.
As soon as they separated, she could barely stand it.
Lin Jing was unsure if there would be a future for her and Sheng Kuang after she left.
But she was certain that one day she would return to find him.
Thinking this, Lin Jing felt like a morally bankrupt scumbag, selfish and cowardly. Not only did she not dare to say goodbye in person, but she also fantasized about leaving and coming back. She was completely like the innocent white lotus in old romance novels who abandoned the male lead to go abroad.
Perhaps by the time she returned, he would already have his true female lead by his side.
Even though nothing had happened yet, just thinking about it made Lin Jing's heart churn with sourness.
So, while others received a "chasing his wife through a funeral pyre" script, she had received a "chasing her husband through a funeral pyre" script? Reading Books
The thought was amusing, but Lin Jing couldn't laugh at all. Her eyes even welled up with tears.
She really, really, really, really, really liked that boy named Sheng Kuang.
He was the one she considered her lifelong partner.
This might sound mushy and overly sentimental, but he was truly her lifelong partner.
After the interview, the YLs team returned to the car. Sheng Kuang's first instinct was to check his phone for any congratulatory messages from his girlfriend.
He was very disappointed; there were none.
However, considering he had won the championship, Sheng Kuang magnanimously overlooked his girlfriend's occasional absentmindedness.
He thought, perhaps his girlfriend had a bigger surprise planned for later.
Their celebration banquet was quite simple, just a gathering of the team members for hot pot.
Lan Bowen had already sent the address to Lin Jing, and Jiang Xin had watched the competition with Lin Jing, so they might have already gone.
Sheng Kuang didn't think much of it. Having played many matches, he was indeed tired and leaned back against the car seat, closing his eyes to rest.
Upon arrival, the group entered a private room and found only Jiang Xin there. Sheng Kuang was about to ask when Chen Jing quickly blurted out what he was thinking, "Huh, where's Xiao Jing-chan? Went to the restroom?"
Jiang Xin looked confused and said, "Isn't she waiting in the car for you guys to finish the match and come over together?"
Chen Jing looked at Sheng Kuang with confusion, "What's going on?"
Sheng Kuang frowned and took out his phone to call Lin Jing.
No answer.
Lan Bowen, seeing Sheng Kuang try multiple times and knowing everyone was hungry, said, "Maybe she got delayed by something. Let's eat first. We might see her when we get back to the hotel." Reading Books
Jiang Xin added, "That's right, right. Maybe Jing-mei is preparing some surprise."
Chen Jing misinterpreted and teased, "Wow."
Sheng Kuang kicked him and put his phone away, "Let's order."
After dinner, Lin Jing still hadn't appeared. The group took a bus back to the hotel.
Back in their hotel rooms, the surprises they had imagined during dinner didn't materialize, and Sheng Kuang's mood was noticeably down.
After returning to his hotel room, Sheng Kuang took a shower and, upon emerging, continued to call Lin Jing.
None of the calls were answered. Eventually, his phone even turned off.
He was both worried and frustrated. That anxiety weighed on him, making him incredibly agitated.
The next day, everyone took a plane back home early in the morning. Sheng Kuang wore a favorite casual outfit. As he entered the airport, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone.
He was already holding another phone in his other hand.
He was momentarily stunned until Chen Jing asked him, "A-Kuang, why do you have two phones?"
Sheng Kuang snapped back to attention. He glanced at the phone case on the back of the phone and recognized it as Lin Jing's.
However, the phone was out of battery.
Initially, Sheng Kuang couldn't quite understand why Lin Jing would have put her phone in his pocket.
Her phone didn't even have a password. He turned it on and read all her chat records. There was nothing unusual. He went to her school to look for her, and Lan Tingting told him that his girlfriend had gone abroad as an exchange student.
He would never forget Lan Tingting's gaze as she looked at him. It was strange: "Great God, you don't know about something this important?"
"Only two people from our school went as exchange students. One was Lin Jing, and the other was our class monitor, He Lin."
Sheng Kuang found this whole thing absurd.
At first, he truly didn't want to face it. He continued his life as usual, still sending WeChat messages to Lin Jing as before. He even used Lin Jing's phone to reply to his own messages.
He was indulging himself, deceiving himself, like a madman.
One day passed, and another day passed.
More than half a month went by without him realizing it.
Until one morning, Sheng Kuang was woken by the barking of a dog downstairs. He groggily opened his eyes. Looking at the bright sunlight outside the window, he let out a slow chuckle, finally facing reality.
He... seemed to have been dumped by a girl named Lin Jing without any explanation.