Chapter 8 — The One Who Once Was My Light

I looked into his striking blue eyes and slowly shook my head.

"You are a wonderful man, but you simply are not my type."

He merely shrugged, feigning a handsome look of deep regret. Once dinner had drawn to a close, I stepped out alone onto the open-air observation deck of the hotel to admire the night sky. The canopy of stars stretching across the vast expanse of the Alps was breathtakingly magnificent and utterly pristine. Right at that very moment, a familiar voice drifted softly to my ears.

"Shen Ning."

I turned my head swiftly and caught sight of Lu Yan. He stood just a few paces away from me, bundled up in a thick skiing outfit, with a tinted wind shield resting against his forehead. I recognized him instantly. He had grown noticeably leaner, yet the harrowing expression of agonizing torment and inner conflict that once defined his gaze was entirely gone. Instead, his eyes held a profound and detached serenity.

"It has been a long time," I nodded in greeting.

"It has indeed been a long time."

"What brings you all the way here?"

"I work as a ski instructor in these parts now."

A wave of genuine surprise washed over me.

"Given your immense wealth and background, surely you have no need to toil at a job like this?"

"It is not about the money," he replied with a faint, self-aware smile. "I simply grew to love this place. It possesses a rare, healing tranquility."

Silence settled comfortably between us for a lingering moment.

"And what about you? Are you here on holiday?"

"I am attending a conference, and decided to stay a couple of extra days to enjoy the snow."

"Ah, I see."

He fell silent once more for a long stretch before finally asking:

"So... are you living a good life?"

"A wonderful one."

"That is good to hear. Truly."

He nodded slowly, as if a heavy burden he had carried for years had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

"I must be heading back now. I have clients booked for early tomorrow morning."

He raised a gloved hand in a gentle wave, turned on his heel, and prepared to walk away into the biting cold.

"Lu Yan," I called out, stopping him in his tracks.

He paused, turning his head back to look at me. I walked steadily until I was standing right before him.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"Thank you? For what?"

"Thank you for pushing me away back then."

A flash of utter astonishment crossed his features.

"Had it not been for your cruelty, I would likely have remained trapped in that stifling little town forever, never once laying eyes on the magnificent, boundless world outside."

"Had it not been for you, I never would have grown into the woman I am today."

"So, for all of that, I truly thank you."

I looked directly into his eyes, my voice steady and filled with sincerity. He stared back at me, and slowly, the rims of his eyes began to turn red. He parted his lips as though wanting to say something meaningful, but in the end, he merely offered a quiet, bitter smile—one that carried both profound relief and a lingering trace of sorrow.

"There is no need for such formalities."

He spoke softly. With those final words, he turned completely away and strode steadily into the swirling embrace of the night. I watched his solitary figure gradually fade into the fierce, whipping blizzard. I knew then that whatever had once existed between us had truly reached its end. All the love, the bitter resentment, the deep wounds, and the tangled, exhausting entanglements of the past had finally vanished into thin air, swept away by this magnificent, all-consuming snowstorm. I raised my head once more to gaze upon the endless sea of stars above. A shooting star streaked brilliantly across the dark firmament. I pressed my hands together in front of my chest and made a silent wish. I genuinely hoped that he, too, would eventually find a vast starlit sky of his own. From this moment onward, may we each walk our separate paths in peace. We no longer owe each other a single thing.