Li Yue was silent for a long time, then suddenly looked into her eyes and asked, "Have you ever thought about marrying me?"
Feng Feng had been asked this question a few weeks prior, but she still hadn't figured out an answer.
She hadn't expected Li Yue to ask her so abruptly.
He had probably been holding it in for a while.
Feng Feng was stunned for a moment before saying, "You're still young."
Li Yue: "I know the answer."
She was never one to beat around the bush. Avoiding a question was essentially a denial. In fact, he should have expected it. They had been clear with each other when they were together before.
After talking with Feng Feng this time, Li Yue replied to the United States the following afternoon, agreeing to the job offer. They gave him a little over a week to fly over and start.
Shen Su was the first to receive the news after Li Yue responded.
He wasn't surprised by Li Yue's decision. If he could give up his ex for studying abroad, he certainly wouldn't stay put for Feng Feng now. Ambitious people wouldn't let anything tie their hands.
In this regard, he and Feng Feng were quite similar.
Shen Su received this reply while he was with Gu Song.
Seeing Shen Su smile, Gu Song raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have that sly smile?"
Shen Su didn't hide it from him. He said calmly, "Li Yue accepted the offer from the US. He'll be leaving in about a week."
Gu Song: "He actually accepted?"
Shen Su: "He has no reason not to."
Men understood men best. Such a good opportunity, there was no reason to refuse it.
Gu Song: "Alright, your trick is quite devious. Now they'll be in a long-distance relationship. I doubt they'll last long before breaking up."
Shen Su played with his phone and after a moment of thought, asked Gu Song, "Is Zhang Shuang still working for your friend?"
Gu Song and Shen Su had a friendship spanning many years. Some things didn't need to be explained too clearly. With a single sentence, he understood what Shen Su was planning. "You want to arrange for her to go too?"
Shen Su: "Find another company. Don't arrange for her to go to the same one."
Li Yue wasn't stupid. Going to the same company one after another, with a little probing, he would become suspicious.
Gu Song tutted and began to applaud Shen Su, appraising him with a playful gaze. "Not bad, you've returned to your old devious ways recently."
Shen Su didn't engage with Gu Song's joke. He had his own plans regarding his breakdown and loss of composure a few days prior.
He had indeed been provoked too much, his emotions unstable, which prevented him from calmly thinking about the matter.
Now that he was calm, he reverted to his usual methods. Breaking up Feng Feng and Li Yue wouldn't be difficult.
After a period of silence, Shen Su suddenly thought of something and reminded Gu Song, "For now, don't let Xing Zheng and Yu Feng know about this."
Gu Song: "I understand."
Those two were married men. If they said too much back home, it would be exposed, and Lin Mei and Lan Lan were so close, they definitely wouldn't keep it from her.
After reminding Gu Song, Shen Su contacted another friend in New York, sent him Zhang Shuang's resume, and quickly found a suitable job for Zhang Shuang.
Zhang Shuang's grades weren't bad, and her IELTS score was high. The only reason she didn't study abroad back then was due to insufficient family conditions. Finding her a job wouldn't be difficult.
Li Yue would definitely have an adaptation period in New York, both in life and work, requiring adjustment. He and Feng Feng would also have a time difference, and with their busy work schedules, their communication would become less frequent.
At this time, if a familiar Zhang Shuang appeared beside Li Yue, especially since they had dated before, many things would happen naturally. Gu Song could only give Shen Su a thumbs-up after considering his series of actions.
When dealing with Feng Feng, outright possession was indeed less effective than this. Strictly speaking, Shen Su wasn't even breaking them up.
If Li Yue hadn't applied for that job, he wouldn't have been able to find a channel to implement such a plan even if he wanted to.
From Feng Feng, Shen Su learned the most important lesson: one must have patience.
He had been impatient to get ahead, to become the "exception" in Feng Feng's life, but in the end, he had disrupted his own plans and pushed her further away.
Now, he no longer hoped for Feng Feng to love him. As long as she separated from Li Yue first, everything would be fine.
That evening, after Li Yue asked about marriage, Feng Feng sensed a subtle change in him.
Although he wasn't angry and still treated her with the same care as before, Feng Feng could still clearly feel that something was different.
A person's sixth sense was very accurate, and she knew where the problem lay.
Feng Feng knew her answer was not very responsible, but marriage was something she had never included in her life plans, and she hadn't intended to marry Li Yue when they started.
Perhaps in a couple of years, she might change her mind, but she had no such thoughts now.
Li Yue was scheduled to leave in a week, which happened to be a Wednesday. Feng Feng took a day off to see Li Yue off at the airport.
Li Yue had an early flight, and his parents were also there. Feng Feng hadn't known his parents would be there, so she met the two elders unexpectedly.
Li Yue's parents looked very young, and they were clearly educated and cultured. They were also very polite to Feng Feng.
Although Feng Feng hadn't expected to meet them, she quickly adjusted and greeted them, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
Li Yue's parents were only in their early forties, and Feng Feng was in her early thirties. Calling them this felt quite awkward.
Fortunately, they didn't mind. Li Yue's parents smiled and responded to Feng Feng. Li Yue's mother even added, "He often mentions you. I'm finally meeting you today. You're even prettier in person than in photos."
Li Yue's parents were very friendly, and Feng Feng smiled and replied, "Thank you."
Feng Feng, along with Li Yue's parents, saw Li Yue off to the immigration check. Beyond that point, family members were not allowed to accompany them.
After Li Yue's parents gave him a few instructions, they left first, leaving the time for Feng Feng.
After Li Yue's parents left, Feng Feng took a step closer to Li Yue, hugged him, and kissed his chin. This was a common interaction between them.
Feng Feng: "Take care of yourself. Text me when you arrive."
Li Yue kissed her forehead. "You too. Remember to eat on time and don't drink on an empty stomach."
Feng Feng: "Okay, I'll come to see you next month."
Li Yue: "Mm."
Feng Feng released him. "Go through immigration. Don't be late."
Li Yue: "Okay."
Feng Feng stood there, watching Li Yue turn and enter immigration, and only left after his figure disappeared.
She had experienced too many partings over the years, even separations by death, and had gained a new understanding of farewells, so she didn't feel overly sad.
Everyone had their own life, and she didn't want Li Yue to be confined by her.
Feng Feng picked up her bag and walked towards the exit. Unexpectedly, a few minutes later, she ran into Li Yue's mother again.