Torn Letter

Following the completion of crucial company matters at hand, Xia Lihua decided to take a break. She went to the Starbucks coffee shop conveniently located just across the street.

As she stepped through the welcoming doors, she felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. "One choco strawberry frappe, please."

"Yes, ma'am. It will take eight minutes."

"It's a takeout."

Xia Lihua made the choice to have her coffee in the comfort of her office. As she received the carefully packaged beverage from the kind barista, she turned around and unexpectedly collided with a man, causing her to accidentally hit her nose. Instantly, a sharp sensation of pain shot through her, making her eyes well up with tears and her nose feeling tender. "Ouch! Watch where you are going!"

"You still like strawberry frappe?"

"What?" She turned her head to look up at the man and was shocked. "Ding Feng! Ah senior, how are you?"

"I will have Iced Americano Blanco." Dong Feng notified the barista and redirected his attention towards Lihua, expressing his dissatisfaction. "Tsk. Are you still calling me 'senior'? Remember, I asked you to treat me like a friend. We're practically the same age, just a one-year difference. If you keep being so formal, I might start thinking that we're not as close as I thought."

"You are as melodramatic as ever Feng gege." Lihua rubbed her sore nose and said, "Long time no see."

"Yeah, I heard from Lingyun that you are back in the city."

"Naturally, he would keep you informed." Lihua chuckled and said, "After all you are his best friend. Do you two still hang around at pubs?"

Ding Feng affectionately tapped Xia Lihua's nose with a playful gesture. "If I don't keep him company, who else will? You know how terrible his temper can be. That jerk can be quite intimidating, and not many people dare to cross his path."

Xia Lihua playfully rolled her eyes and gestured by crossing her heart with her fingers. "Oh, trust me, I wouldn't even think of provoking him without a valid reason."

"Do you still have feelings for him?" A mysterious glimmer appeared in Ding Feng's eyes.

Lihua waved her hands in a dismissive manner, ensuring there was no room for misunderstandings. "No, no, no! I wouldn't dare to entertain such thoughts. He is a taken man now. Our engagement ended six years ago."

"Are you absolutely certain?" he asked, his tone slightly probing. "Remember, you used to record songs explicitly for him to listen to."

Lihua was stunned. "How..how do you know that? Did Lingyun say it you?"

Ding Feng paused for a moment, deep in thought, before a smile graced his face. "Ah, yes," he said, reflecting on the past. "He did mention that to me. I also saw the letter that you wrote to him."

"The one in which I mentioned that I recorded songs for him?"

"Yeah."

No way! How embarrassing!" A wave of sadness washed over her, leaving her with a hollow feeling in her heart. Yang Lingyun knew that she used to record songs for him, but still he choose someone else over her.

Xia Lihua had always been resilient and rarely shed tears, but when it came to Yang Lingyun, she couldn't help but feel weak and profoundly saddened. "Don't worry, I don't have any such feelings for him anymore."

She emphasized the clear boundaries in her relationship with Yang Lingyun and firmly indicated that any romantic feelings between them were firmly in the past. Her lighthearted tone aimed to dispel any notion of lingering affection, maintaining a playful and casual atmosphere.

After the high school festival, Lihua had written a straightforward and heartfelt letter to Yang Lingyun. In the letter, she expressed her love for him openly and revealed that she was aware of his struggles with insomnia which had caused Grandpa Yang to worry. She admitted that her motive behind recording songs for him was to bring him comfort and solace during difficult times.

She also mentioned that her performance at the high school festival had been affected by her illness and sore throat. However, she omitted the details about Mengrui's involvement in the mishap that occurred during the festival. Lihua kept this information hidden as she feared her father would be angry if he found out that she was running her mouth. Additionally, she chose not to disclose that she had sung Mengrui's song while Mengrui had sung for her as she wanted to avoid potential conflict or misunderstandings.

Why did she bother expressing her feelings and sharing her vulnerable thoughts if he was just going to crush her heart like that?

When Xia Lihua found that Yang Lingyun had callously discarded the heartfelt letter she had written to him added another layer of pain and betrayal to her already fragile state. Lihua, being young and deeply in love, had poured her whole heart into those words, hoping they would touch Lingyun's soul. The discovery that he had torn the letter and discarded it in the dustbin felt like a devastating blow, leaving her heartbroken and emotionally wounded.

"Nah you don't have to look so sullen. You know he is kind of a jerk." Ding Feng laughed, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "Let's focus on catching up instead! I almost forgot that you're a celebrity now."