Chapter Eleven: Learning to Breathe Again

1. A Life Without Her

Lin Ge wandered the streets, feeling lighter and heavier at the same time.

For so long, his world had revolved around Qiu Qian—chasing her, protecting her, fighting time itself just to keep her by his side.

And now?

She was gone.

Or rather—she was still here, but without him.

And for the first time, Lin Ge wasn't trying to fix it.

He had let go.

But what now?

What did a future without her even look like?

He had spent so many lifetimes stuck in the same loop, repeating the same love story, making the same impossible choices.

But now there was no loop.

No past to return to.

Only forward.

And Lin Ge had no idea how to live in it.

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2. A Ghost of His Own Making

Days turned into weeks.

Lin Ge found himself drifting—a ghost in his own life.

The people around him kept moving, kept laughing, kept chasing dreams.

And Lin Ge?

He just existed.

He went to work. Ate. Slept. Walked through the city without direction.

But everything felt… distant.

Like he was watching life from the outside, but never really stepping into it.

There were times when he would pass by the bookstore, his heart clenching instinctively.

But he never went in.

Not again.

Because he had made his choice.

And for better or worse, he was going to live with it.

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3. The Kindness of Strangers

One evening, Lin Ge found himself at a small café, staring at a cup of coffee he had no intention of drinking.

The air smelled of rain. The streets outside were wet, reflecting the glow of streetlights.

And then—

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Excuse me. Is this seat taken?"

Lin Ge looked up.

A woman stood there—mid-twenties, sharp eyes, an easy smile.

Something about her felt familiar, though he was sure they had never met before.

Lin Ge shook his head. "No. Go ahead."

She sat down, placing her own coffee on the table. "You look like someone who's been sitting in that same spot for a while."

Lin Ge blinked, caught off guard. "…I guess I lost track of time."

She chuckled. "Happens to the best of us."

A pause.

Then she leaned forward slightly, studying him.

"You're waiting for someone?" she asked.

Lin Ge hesitated.

Because wasn't that what he had always been doing?

Waiting for Qiu Qian. Waiting for time to fix itself. Waiting for something, anything, to change.

But now…

Lin Ge exhaled. "No," he said. "Not anymore."

The woman tilted her head. "Then maybe it's time to start moving again."

Lin Ge blinked.

For the first time in weeks, something in his chest loosened.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe it was time.

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4. The First Step Forward

Lin Ge didn't wake up the next morning expecting to feel different.

And he didn't.

But as he stood in front of the mirror, staring at his own reflection, he made a decision.

To try.

To exist again.

Not just as a shadow, not just as someone watching from the sidelines—

But as someone who still had a life to live.

It wasn't about forgetting Qiu Qian.

It wasn't even about moving on.

It was simply about learning how to be himself again.

And that?

That was enough.

For now.

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5. A Future He Hadn't Considered

Days passed. Then weeks.

Lin Ge slowly found a rhythm.

He started going to work with a little more focus.

He let himself laugh at things he hadn't noticed before.

And when he passed by the bookstore, he didn't stop.

Not because it didn't hurt—it still did.

But because he was finally starting to understand.

Some people weren't meant to stay in your life forever.

Some love stories weren't meant to have a perfect ending.

And sometimes—

The best thing you could do for someone you loved was to let them go.

Lin Ge didn't know where life would take him next.

But for the first time in a long, long time—

He was willing to find out.