The End of the Past

Xueyao sat in her car, her fingers tapping anxiously on the steering wheel as she scrolled through her phone. She hadn't heard from Ming in a while, and that bothered her more than she wanted to admit. Ever since he had started distancing himself, she knew something had changed.

She couldn't help but feel a surge of panic when she saw a picture posted by Zihan on social media. It was a photo of Hua and Ming together, smiling—happy. Her worst fear had come true: Ming and Hua had gotten back together.

"No," she whispered under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the screen. "This can't be happening. Not after everything I've done."

Determined, Xueyao threw her phone into her bag and sped off toward Ming's apartment. She wasn't going to let Hua win. Not after everything she had sacrificed to get Ming back into her life.

When she arrived at his apartment, Xueyao marched up to the door and knocked furiously. It wasn't long before the door opened, and there stood Ming, his expression shifting from surprise to annoyance the moment he saw her.

"Xueyao, what are you doing here?" Ming asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I need to talk to you," Xueyao said, pushing past him and stepping into the apartment. "About us."

"There is no 'us' anymore," Ming replied, his voice firm as he closed the door behind her. "I thought I made that clear."

Xueyao ignored his words and turned to face him, her eyes pleading. "Ming, we've been through so much together. You can't just walk away from that. You loved me once, you can love me again. We can fix this."

But Ming wasn't swayed by her words. He took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. "Xueyao, I don't love you anymore. That part of my life is over. I've moved on."

Xueyao's face twisted in desperation, her voice rising. "No, you don't mean that! You loved me! We were perfect together. Don't you remember what we had?"

Ming's patience snapped. He took a step forward, his voice sharp. "Stop, Xueyao! I don't love you anymore, and you need to accept that. I'm with Hua now, and nothing you say or do is going to change that."

Xueyao froze, her heart racing as his words sank in. "But… you promised me… we were supposed to be together," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Ming shook his head, his expression softening slightly. "I'm sorry, Xueyao, but that was a long time ago. I've realized that my heart has always belonged to Hua. She's the one I want to be with."

Tears welled up in Xueyao's eyes, but instead of backing down, she stepped closer to him, her hands reaching out to grab his arm. "Ming, please… you can't do this to me. You can't throw me away like this."

But Ming gently pulled his arm away from her grasp, his voice steady. "Xueyao, leave me alone. You need to move on, just like I have."

"Go!" he said more forcefully this time. "Go and live your life without me. It's over."

Xueyao stood there, her chest heaving as she fought back the tears. She could see it in his eyes—the finality of his decision. There was no going back. Ming was done with her, and nothing she could say would change that.

Feeling the weight of defeat crush her, Xueyao stumbled back toward the door, her heart shattering with every step. She glanced back at Ming one last time, hoping to see a flicker of hesitation or regret in his eyes, but all she saw was resolve.

She turned and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Ming exhaled deeply, leaning against the door for a moment as the tension drained from his body. He had finally put an end to the chapter with Xueyao, and it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Hua's number. When she answered, her voice was soft and comforting, and he smiled.

"I told her," Ming said quietly. "It's over."

"I'm glad," Hua replied gently. "You don't have to carry that anymore."

"I know," Ming said, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. "And I'm ready to start this new chapter with you."