Top-Tier Omega: Chasing Alpha to the Crematorium – Chapter 65

Moving Out

The Starport. The night was as dark as ink; a cold wind howled.

Above the port, several warships from Military Headquarters hovered, their blinding searchlights illuminating the area as if it were broad daylight. On the ground, the elite troops led by Ming Yu had completely surrounded the members of Black Kite. Swords were drawn and bows bent—the atmosphere was so tense it felt ready to explode at the slightest touch.

            

The members of Black Kite stood back to back, weapons gripped tightly in their hands, their eyes full of vigilance and sheer resolve. Li Man stood at the very front. Her cold gaze swept over the surrounding soldiers before finally landing on Ming Yu.

Ming Yu wore a crisp military dress uniform. The medals on her epaulets glinted with a harsh, cold light beneath the searchlights.

She stared straight at Li Man, her gaze like a knife. “Li Man, surrender. You have no way out.”

            

Li Man let out a cold laugh, her eyes carrying a trace of mockery. “Admiral Ming, to think we would meet again under these circumstances. When did you start suspecting me?”

“From the moment you took the initiative to approach Qingpei at the banquet, I suspected you,” Ming Yu said coldly. “I simply wanted to see exactly what you were planning to do.”

Hearing this, a bitter smile tugged at the corners of Li Man’s lips. “As expected of Admiral Ming—truly meticulous. What a pity. In the end, you still underestimated her resolve.”

            

Hearing her words, Ming Yu’s gaze abruptly turned freezing. Terrified that Li Man might expose Song Qingpei’s identity, she stated with absolute finality, “Li Man, enough nonsense. Surrender, or die.”

“Ming Yu, do you really think you can kill all of us?” Li Man sneered. “Even if we die, there will naturally be others to continue—”

Before she could finish, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Ming Yu’s eyes. She raised her hand and issued a cold command.

            

“Attack!”

Following her order, the soldiers from Military Headquarters instantly launched their assault.

Gunfire and explosions immediately resounded throughout the entire starport. Flames surged into the sky; the air filled with the thick smoke of gunpowder.

            

The Black Kite members fought back desperately, but facing the military’s elite forces, they quickly fell to a disadvantage.

Li Man was pushed into a dead end. She took a bullet to the arm. Blood dripped down her fingertips to the ground.

Her face was pale, but her eyes remained resolute.

            

She glared at Ming Yu and roared in fury, “Ming Yu, do you really think killing us will cover up everything? You’re wrong! One day, the truth will be revealed to the world!”

A complex emotion flashed through Ming Yu’s eyes, but she quickly suppressed it, leaving nothing but icy indifference.

“Li Man, everything ends here.”

            

Right at that moment, Ming Yu’s communicator suddenly rang.

She glanced down. It was Song Qingpei’s number.

A terrible premonition instantly gripped Ming Yu’s heart. With trembling fingers, she answered the call.

            

“Ming Yu, I am at home.” Song Qingpei’s voice came through the communicator, carrying an unprecedented coldness. “Stop all of this. Otherwise, I will never forgive you for the rest of my life.”

Clear panic broke across Ming Yu’s face. “Qingpei, listen to my explanation—”

“Stop!” Song Qingpei’s voice sharply rose. “Or else, we are completely finished.”

            

Ming Yu struggled for a fraction of a second. Finally, she took a deep breath, her voice hoarse. “Cease fire. Take them alive.”

The soldiers immediately halted their bombardment. Yet the disparity in strength was simply too great; the Black Kite members were swiftly subdued. Even Li Man was forced to surrender without a fight.

Pinned by two soldiers, she was escorted past Ming Yu and sneered, “Ming Yu, you actually know fear? How truly unexpected.”

            

Ming Yu ignored her. She abruptly turned and walked toward the starport exit.

Her steps were hurried, her eyes full of panic and unease.

Wu Lan approached from the opposite direction. Seeing Ming Yu’s state, she laughed. “Admiral Ming, I really didn’t expect to see the day you’d be in such a panic.”

            

Ming Yu shot her a glacial look. “I’m leaving this to you. Don’t forget our agreement.”

“Relax, I know what to do.”

Wu Lan shrugged, her tone light. “Admiral Ming, is your backyard on fire¹? Why do you look so awful?”

            

“Fuck off!”

Ming Yu’s defenses entirely broke². She spun around and stormed off.

Answering her from behind was Wu Lan’s genuinely delighted laughter.

            

---

Song Qingpei stood in the living room of her home, her heart aching so intensely it felt riddled with holes.

The scenes she had just witnessed on the news replayed over and over in her mind—the chaos at the starport, the Black Kite members being shoved into transports, and Li Man covered in blood. Her heart swelled with fury and despair. Ming Yu’s coldness and calculation made her feel incomparably chilled.

She could not help but ask herself again and again—how did things reach this point?

            

Why?

Why else?

Because she had been completely manipulated by Ming Yu. Ming Yu had continuously tested her limits. On the surface, it seemed Ming Yu was humbly showing goodwill, begging for forgiveness. But in reality, the very moment she forgave Ming Yu, her bottom line had been trampled.

            

From that point on, Ming Yu had operated with absolute impunity.

She would always be forgiven in the end anyway. At most, she just had to act a little more humble, a little more pitiful, play the victim³, and Song Qingpei would cheaply soften her heart, make peace, and then be played for a fool all over again.

How cheap!

            

Song Qingpei couldn’t resist raising a hand and viciously slapping herself across the face!

Slap—

The crisp, resounding slap echoed through the empty great hall, as if mocking her own stupidity.

            

Feeling increasingly pathetic, Song Qingpei ruthlessly slapped herself several more times in a bout of self-punishment. By the end, her fair face was covered in stark red finger marks, burning with a fiery pain.

Good that it hurt. Only pain would make her remember.

She laughed a bit neurotically. After her manic outburst, reason slowly began to return.

            

Song Qingpei first went to wash her face to force herself awake, then began to calculate her current situation.

The Black Kite members had essentially been caught in one net⁴ by Ming Yu and Wu Lan. She had effectively lost all contact with Murong Xia, and Ming Yu would undoubtedly place her movements under strict surveillance. In the short term, leaving was utterly impossible.

As for her auntie… Song Qingpei didn’t dare think about it. She tried her hardest not to.

            

Right now, she had only one path left…

As if clinging to a final lifeline, Song Qingpei found that mysterious number in her communicator. This person clearly knew everything that was happening. She fired off several messages in rapid succession.

【Are you part of Black Kite?】

            

【What exactly do you want?】

【Speak! Say something!】

…

            

The flurry of messages was like stones sinking into the ocean; there was absolutely no response.

Song Qingpei felt a wave of deflation and powerlessness. But her instinct told her this person didn’t mean her harm. Otherwise, knowing her identity, they could have easily turned her in for a reward.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time. Finally, she couldn’t help but send one last message:

            

【Please help me. What should I do now?】

After sending that message, she collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The room was terribly quiet, as if time had stopped flowing.

            

She didn’t know how long passed before her communicator suddenly vibrated.

Song Qingpei shot up straight and hurriedly clicked open the message. On the screen was only a short sentence:

【Learned your lesson this time, right? Love-brain is not advisable.⁵】

            

That sentence stabbed straight into her heart like a knife.

She bit her lip and quickly replied: 【Who exactly are you? What do you want?】

The other party didn’t reply immediately, but Song Qingpei’s heart beat faster and faster.

            

She stared at the screen. After a few minutes, the communicator vibrated again: 【First, paralyze Ming Yu’s vigilance. Make her let her guard down. I will find a way to get you out to meet Murong Xia.】

Song Qingpei’s brows furrowed deeply.

This person clearly knew her situation like the back of their hand, even knowing about her connection with Murong Xia. She couldn’t stop herself from pressing: 【Why are you helping me? Are you from Black Kite?】

            

The other party still refused to answer directly, simply sending back: 【You don’t need to know too much right now. Do as I say.】

Song Qingpei’s fingers flew across the keyboard: 【Why should I trust you? You won’t even reveal your identity. How do I know you aren’t using me?】

【Do you have any other choice but to trust me?】

            

Across the screen, through text alone, Song Qingpei could almost picture the other party’s smug face.

But they were right. She had no other choice.

After a long silence, she had no option but to type a few words: 【I’ll listen to you. What do I do now?】

            

【Two plans. One: Paralyze Ming Yu. Pretend to slowly reconcile with her and make her let her guard down. Two: Make her fear you and obediently let you go.】

Having just suffered a massive blow, Song Qingpei had little fighting spirit left. Weakly, she tapped out a reply: 【I am not willing to do plan one, and I’m afraid I cannot do plan two.】

This time, the other party remained silent for a long while.

            

Song Qingpei’s heart gradually sank. Just as she thought they wouldn’t reply again, the communicator suddenly received a voice message.

She clicked it open. A voice heavily distorted by a voice changer came through. “Do you know how to train a dog? Give a sweet date after a blow from a stick⁶. Make her fear you, cling to you, and be unable to leave you—just don’t let her climb over your head. Try plan two first. If you really can’t pull it off, pinch your nose and go with plan one.”

Song Qingpei froze.

            

Although the voice’s tone had been processed, that faint mockery and cold detachment gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

She closed her eyes, trying hard to search through her memories, but she couldn’t quite grasp that fleeting thought.

“Who exactly are you?”

            

She murmured softly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the communicator.

The other party did not reply again, as if they had vanished into the far end of the network.

Song Qingpei’s heart was filled with doubt and unease, but she knew she was out of options.

            

Regardless of who this person was, at least for now, they were standing on her side. And the only thing she could do was follow their instructions and stabilize Ming Yu first.

She stood up and walked over to the mirror. Looking at her red, swollen cheeks in the reflection, she thought about how she had been spun around and deceived like an idiot, and a surge of determination swelled in her chest.

She could no longer be as weak as she was before. Ming Yu’s coldness and calculation had thoroughly woken her up. She could no longer let her eyes be blinded by emotion. Only by removing herself from her feelings could she achieve absolute calm.

            

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

She knew it was Ming Yu returning.

A new battle was beginning. Song Qingpei quickly put away her communicator, adjusted her emotions, and sat on the sofa. Her face returned to a state of absolute tranquility.

            

Ming Yu practically ran through the front door, her breathing heavy. She had clearly rushed all the way back. Her gaze swept rapidly across the living room before finally locking onto Song Qingpei. However, when she saw Song Qingpei’s face clearly, her steps faltered. Shock and heartbreak instantly flashed through her eyes.

Song Qingpei’s cheeks were red and swollen, the finger marks starkly visible. Her eyes were icy, and a mocking smile hung at the corner of her lips, as if laughing at her own stupidity.

“Qingpei…” Ming Yu’s voice trembled. She hurried forward and reached out to touch her face, but Song Qingpei coldly dodged her hand.

            

“Don’t touch me.” Song Qingpei’s voice was as cold as ice, lacking a single degree of warmth.

Ming Yu’s hand froze in midair. “Your face… what happened? Who did this?”

“I did it myself.” Song Qingpei laughed coldly, self-derision bleeding into her eyes. “How about it, Admiral Ming, is it funny? This is the punishment for my own idiocy.”

            

Ming Yu’s heart felt as though it had been viciously squeezed.

She reached out and grabbed Song Qingpei’s wrist, her voice choking. “Qingpei, don’t do this… I was wrong, it’s all my fault. Hit me! As long as it makes you feel better, you can do whatever you want to me—”

Song Qingpei flung her hand away in disgust. “Don’t touch me!”

            

Pierced by her freezing tone, Ming Yu’s face turned deathly pale. She said softly, “Qingpei, I know you’re very angry right now, but things aren’t what you think. I can explain…”

“Explain? What else is there to explain?” Song Qingpei cut her off in a rage. “You knew Li Man’s identity long ago. You suspected her early on, yet you hid it from me this entire time! You used me—you used my trust in you—to catch the people from Black Kite, to catch Li Man! You even wanted to kill them!”

“Qingpei, it’s not like that… I only wanted to protect you. The people from Black Kite are too dangerous; I couldn’t let them hurt you—”

            

“Protect me?” Song Qingpei sneered, her eyes full of mockery. “Ming Yu, is your protection hiding things from me and controlling my every move? You planted a tracker in my brooch to monitor my whereabouts. This is your protection?”

Under Song Qingpei’s relentless pressing, Ming Yu became even more panicked. “Qingpei, I know what I did was wrong, but I truly only wanted to keep you safe. The people from Black Kite only want to use your identity to achieve their own goals. I couldn’t let them succeed and put you in danger.”

“I told you, I will find a way to save your auntie, and I absolutely will not expose your identity.”

            

“Once the affairs at the military academy are finished, I’ll apply to return to garrison the interstellar routes. Then, our family can finally live a good life.”

Song Qingpei was utterly furious. “What gives you the right to make decisions for me? What makes you think I don’t know what I’m doing? What gives you the right to decide that this is everything I want?!”

Ming Yu pleaded, “Qingpei, I’m sorry… but I really just didn’t want to lose you.”

            

Song Qingpei looked at Ming Yu’s pitiful appearance without a ripple of emotion.

Haha~, exactly as she expected. It was nothing more than continuing to beg, playing the victim, admitting fault, pleading for forgiveness, and then absolutely refusing to change. She really was an idiot. How could she forget? How could the effects of a Mental Imprint be broken so easily? Ming Yu had always possessed a self-centered nature. That had never changed.

She truly wanted to tear off all pretenses and slap her a few times.

            

Unfortunately, now was not the time. Suppressing her erupting anger, Song Qingpei struck preemptively.

“Ming Yu, there is nothing left to say between us. I am moving out. We both need some time to cool off.”

Ming Yu’s face instantly went ashen. Her eyes were wide with panic and helplessness.

            

She stepped forward, attempting to grab Song Qingpei’s hand, her voice laced with pleading. “Qingpei, don’t do this… I know I was wrong. Give me one more chance, okay? I promise I’ll never lie to you again…”

Song Qingpei coldly threw off her hand. “Ming Yu, your promises have completely lost their meaning. You lied to me and used me over and over again. How am I supposed to believe you?”

“Qingpei, I really only wanted to protect you… I didn’t want to put you in danger. I know I was wrong, but I really can’t lose you…”

            

Song Qingpei stared at Ming Yu with glacial detachment. “Stop acting pitiful. First, release Li Man and the others.”

Hesitation crept into Ming Yu’s eyes. “Qingpei, they definitely won’t give up trying to contact you. It’s too dangerous… I can’t—”

“Ming Yu!” Song Qingpei’s voice violently spiked. “If you don’t let them go, I will never forgive you in this lifetime!”

            

Ming Yu looked at Song Qingpei. The two engaged in a silent standoff.

It was a long time before she helplessly compromised. “Fine… I’ll release them. But I have one condition.”

Hah, she still dared to set conditions.

            

Swallowing her impulse, Song Qingpei sneered. “What?”

Ming Yu stared at her without blinking, her voice brimming with entreaty. “Qingpei, can you… not leave?”

Song Qingpei scoffed. “And if I say no? Are you going to lock me up?”

            

“I…” Ming Yu’s eyes flickered, her face twisting in agony.

Song Qingpei knew that the thought had absolutely crossed her mind. She couldn’t even rule out the possibility that Ming Yu would actually do it. It was just that, right now, she hadn’t been pushed to that extreme.

“Depends on your behavior.” Song Qingpei’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Release Li Man and the others first. Prove your sincerity. Your credibility is already bankrupt with me.”

            

“Okay. I promise you.”

Ming Yu looked at Song Qingpei, softly pleading, “Qingpei, Song Song is still young. She needs both of us by her side. You can’t just move out like this… She’ll be devastated.”

Song Qingpei’s heart gave a violent tremor. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Don’t worry. I’ll explain it clearly to Song Song. She’ll understand.”

            

Hearing this, Ming Yu thoroughly panicked, a tremble racking her voice. “Qingpei, don’t do this… I’m begging you, don’t leave me. As long as you don’t go, I’ll have Wu Lan release them immediately… Give me one more chance, please?”

She still hadn’t forgotten to lay down conditions, forbidding her from leaving.

But Song Qingpei had to seize the initiative. She needed to transform Ming Yu’s ‘you are not allowed to leave’ into ‘I’m begging you to come back.’

            

Song Qingpei looked at her without a trace of wavering. “Enough. I don’t want to hear any more of your excuses. Get out. I don’t want to see you.”

With that, she turned and marched toward the door. Without a second of hesitation, she shoved Ming Yu outside and slammed the door in her face.

“Qingpei! Qingpei!” Ming Yu frantically pounded on the wood, her voice laced with panic. “Open the door… let’s talk some more, okay? I’m begging you…”

            

Silence reigned inside. There was no response.

She stood outside the door, looking as though all her strength had been drained. Utterly lost and crestfallen, she leaned heavily against the wall, her mind a total blank.

A long time passed before she slowly stood up, turned around, and headed to the Federation Bureau of Investigation.

            

---

Inside the Federation Bureau of Investigation, Wu Lan was sitting in her office, looking exceedingly relaxed.

She watched as a desolate Ming Yu pushed the door open and walked in.

Wu Lan raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk touching her lips. “Oh my, if it isn’t Admiral Ming. What’s wrong? You look awful. Don’t tell me you got kicked out of the house?”

            

Ming Yu cast a spiritless glance at her. “Wu Lan, I need something from you.”

Wu Lan shrugged smoothly. “Speak. What could bring Admiral Ming to seek me out in person?”

“Find a way to release Murong Ruixue and Li Man. Just exile them from Planet Lan.”

            

“Admiral Ming, are you joking?” Wu Lan paused for a second before bursting into laughter. “Right under the President’s nose, you want me to release prisoners? Members of Black Kite, no less? You’re trying to make me lose my job.”

Ming Yu was in no mood to bandy words. “Regardless, I want you to release them. As for how you manage it, that’s your problem. If you refuse, I wouldn’t mind bringing up the matter of the Interstellar Route Map to the President.”

“Admiral Ming, you really will do anything for Song Qingpei.”

            

Wu Lan fell silent for a few seconds before letting out a soft chuckle. “Still, let me offer you a piece of advice. Love-brain is not advisable. Having been taught a lesson this time, surely you’ve gained a little sense?”

Annoyance flashed through Ming Yu’s eyes, but she swiftly forced it down.

Wu Lan shrugged, her tone light. “Fine. It’s my fault you hold leverage over me. But Admiral Ming, you better think this through. Releasing them is tantamount to releasing the tiger back to the mountain⁷. If they stir up trouble again in the future, don’t come crying to me.”

            

Ming Yu stated with absolute resolve. “That is my business. I don’t need you worrying about it.”

With that, she turned and left the office.

Wu Lan watched her retreating figure, a profound, meaningful smile curving her lips. “Ming Yu, oh, Ming Yu. You really are hopelessly whipped by Song Qingpei. Then again, a version of you like this… is far more useful.”

            

---

Ming Yu returned home, her mind heavy with worries.

Instead, she found Song Song sitting on the sofa, her eyes rimmed with red, tears cascading continuously down her face.

“Song Song?” Ming Yu hurried over and crouched in front of her daughter, gently taking her small hands. “Why are you crying?”

            

Song Song looked up, her tear-filled eyes fixing on Ming Yu. Her voice carried grievances and bewilderment. “Mama said she’s moving out… Mommy, how did you make Mama so mad? Why doesn’t she want us anymore?”

Ming Yu’s heart wrenched violently. She opened her mouth, but found herself completely unable to explain.

How was she supposed to tell Song Song that she had completely broken Song Qingpei’s heart?

            

“Song Song…” Ming Yu’s fingers gently brushed across her daughter’s cheek, attempting to wipe away the tears. “Mommy did some bad things and made Mama angry. Could you… help Mommy plead with Mama? Ask her not to leave, okay?”

Song Song blinked, then pouted. “I’m not going to! Mama is really angry. I can’t make her angrier. I want to go with Mama!”

Ming Yu’s face instantly worsened, her eyes filling with panic and despair.

            

She tried to say something else, but then she heard the rolling wheels of a suitcase coming from upstairs. Her heart plummeted. She looked up and saw Song Qingpei walking down the stairs, dragging a suitcase behind her.

She wore a simple trench coat, her long hair draped casually over her shoulders. Her entire presence felt exceptionally cold. Her gaze swept over Ming Yu without lingering for a second, as if she were nothing more than an irrelevant stranger.

“Mama!” Seeing Song Qingpei, Song Song immediately jumped off the sofa and rushed over, tightly hugging her legs. The tears wouldn’t stop falling. “Mama, don’t go… don’t leave me behind…”

            

Song Qingpei knelt and gently stroked Song Song’s hair, her eyes brimming with tenderness and reluctance.

She used her thumb to softly wipe away the tears on her daughter’s face, her voice gentle yet firm. “Song Song, be good. Don’t cry. Mama isn’t leaving you behind. Mama is just moving out to stay somewhere else for a little while. Do you remember what you promised Mama?”

Song Song tried hard to hold back her tears, her voice sounding incredibly wronged. “I remember… Mama said to be strong. I can’t always cry…”

            

Heartache flashed through Song Qingpei’s eyes. “That’s right. Song Song is the best,” she said softly. “When Mama isn’t here, you have to listen to Mommy, okay?”

Song Song nodded vigorously, but the tears still refused to stop.

She hugged Song Qingpei tightly, begging, “Mama, can you please not go… I don’t want you to leave…”

            

Song Qingpei embraced her, soothing her. “Song Song, Mama promises you I’ll come pick you up tomorrow. You have to be a good girl, okay?”

Ming Yu stood to the side, watching this scene with a face as pale as paper.

She stepped forward, her voice shaking. “Qingpei, don’t go… I’m begging you. Give me one more chance. I will change. I really will…”

            

Song Qingpei looked coldly at Ming Yu, her eyes showing no sign of yielding. “Ming Yu, if you keep pestering me, I wouldn’t mind taking Song Song with me as well.”

Ming Yu felt as if a basin of ice-cold water had been poured over her head.

Her lips trembled slightly. “Qingpei, don’t do this… Song Song is still little. She needs you…”

            

“Don’t use Song Song as an excuse. We’ve already discussed this.”

With that, she turned toward the door, her back radiating absolute finality.

“Mama!” Song Song chased after her in tears. “Mama! Don’t go…”

            

Song Qingpei’s steps paused briefly. Heartbroken yet helpless, she said, “Song Song, we agreed. You have to keep your word.”

Hearing this, Song Song forced herself to stop. She shed silent tears but made no more sound.

Song Qingpei tightened her grip on the suitcase handle. Steeling her heart, she pushed the door open and walked out.

            

The instant the door clicked shut, Ming Yu stood rooted to the spot. It was as if all her strength had been stripped away, leaving her whole body trembling.

Song Song’s tiny hands tightly gripped the hem of Ming Yu’s clothes. She cried urgently, “Mommy, go coax Mama back quickly… I don’t want Mama to leave…”

Ming Yu wrapped her arms around Song Song, choking on her words. “Song Song, Mommy will figure something out… Mommy will definitely coax Mama back…”

            

Song Song looked up with teary eyes. “Then go! Mama’s leaving… go stop her!”

Ming Yu’s face was etched with agony and impotence. Song Qingpei’s absolute resolve was like a sharp blade plunging ruthlessly into her heart. She had never seen such a chilling gaze from Song Qingpei before, as if everything between them had definitively ended.

“Song Song…” Ming Yu’s voice was hoarse as she gently consoled her. “Mama is very angry right now. Mommy needs a little time… Trust Mommy, okay?”

            

Song Song pouted, tears continuing to stream down her face. “But Mama already left… Is she never coming back?”

Ming Yu opened her mouth, but realized she couldn’t answer the question.

“Song Song, be good. Don’t cry…” Choking back a sob, Ming Yu hugged her daughter tightly. “Mommy promises you, I’ll definitely coax Mama into coming back. You trust Mommy, right?”

            

Song Song nodded firmly, though her tears refused to dry.

She clutched Ming Yu tight, her voice laced with grief. “Then you have to hurry… I don’t want Mama to go…”

Exhausted from crying, Song Song gradually fell asleep in Ming Yu’s arms.

            

Ming Yu gently carried her back to her room, carefully laid her on the bed, and tucked her in.

She sat on the edge of the bed. Looking at her daughter’s red, tear-stained eyes, her heart filled with self-blame and anguish.

“Song Song, I’m sorry…” she whispered, fighting through a choked sob. “Mommy will definitely bring Mama back… Definitely.”

            

Ming Yu stepped out of Song Song’s room and softly closed the door.

She stood in the hallway, her mind entirely blank. The deep night cast shadows over her solitary, lonely silhouette.

She walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. Song Qingpei’s retreating back played on an endless loop in her mind, suffusing her heart with pain and despair.

            

“Qingpei…”

She knew it wouldn’t be so easy this time.

But she didn’t regret it.

            

As long as Song Qingpei was still in her life, one day she could make her forgive her again. But if she were gone…

She didn’t dare to think about it, much less risk it.

---