Do You Actually Love Me, or Are You Just Reluctant to Let Me Go

Chen Zhi sat in a wheelchair, his left leg in a cast, while a quiet Li Zhiyi stood behind him.

No matter how you looked at it, this scene didn’t exactly scream innocence.

Lin Jing didn’t wait for his answer. She turned her gaze to Li Zhiyi.

“Miss, who are you?”

Li Zhiyi gripped the armrests of the wheelchair.

She didn’t dodge the question but spoke softly.

“Hello, Auntie. My name is Li Zhiyi.”

“I asked what your relationship is with Chen Zhi.”

Chen Zhi cut in immediately. “Aunt Lin, she has nothing to do with this. She just gave me a ride home—my leg’s not good right now.”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

Lin Jing cut him off.

Chen Zhi shut his mouth.

Any more jokes now, and he’d be digging his own grave.

Li Zhiyi lowered her head and paused for a few seconds.

“I’m his classmate.”

Lin Jing stared at her.

“Just a classmate?”

Li Zhiyi didn’t reply.

She was never good at lying.

Chen Zhi’s chest tightened with frustration.

He pressed against the wheelchair armrest, trying to stand, but the moment he moved his left leg, a sharp pain in his ribs made him gasp.

Li Zhiyi instinctively reached out to steady him.

Lin Jing caught every movement.

She let out a faint laugh—not the gentle kind she usually had.

“Chen Zhi, you really are something.”

Chen Zhi looked up.

“Aunt Lin, let me go upstairs and explain everything to you.”

“No.”

Lin Jing stepped half a pace to the side, blocking the other entrance to the building.

“We’ll talk right here.”

“Wanwan’s light is still on.”

“Whether she hears this or not—that’s your problem.”

Chen Zhi’s heart sank.

Lin Wanwan hadn’t gone to sleep.

Which meant she might have already heard the commotion downstairs.

Chen Zhi gripped the wheelchair armrests, lowering his voice.

“Aunt Lin, when I was in Beijing… I did have more than just Wanwan as a girlfriend.”

Li Zhiyi’s head snapped up to look at him.

Lin Jing’s grip on the garbage bag tightened.

She’d already suspected it, but hearing it aloud still made her shake with rage.

“Say that again.”

Chen Zhi didn’t look away.

“I let Wanwan down.”

Slap!

Lin Jing threw the garbage bag straight at him.

There wasn’t anything heavy in it—it didn’t hurt.

But Chen Zhi didn’t flinch.

“You let her down?”

Lin Jing’s voice shot up, then she forced it back down.

“Do you even remember how you two grew up together?”

“When she was a kid, the first thing she thought of when she got something good was you.”

“You burned your hand saving her once, and she felt so guilty she cried secretly for months!”

“In high school, she wanted to study at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Her father was worried about her going alone, and you swore up and down you’d take care of her.”

“Chen Zhi, what was all that you said to our family?”

Chen Zhi couldn’t lift his head from shame.

He remembered it all—even more vividly than Lin Jing was describing.

Lin Jing’s eyes were red with anger.

“She gave up her career for you!”

“She’s been happy and outgoing since she was a little girl—we never let her shed a single tear.”

“Now, on her first day back home, she’s crying like crazy. I ask her what’s wrong, and she says nothing.”

“You tell me—does that sound like nothing?”

“What right do you have, Chen Zhi?”

Chen Zhi spoke with guilt.

“Aunt Lin, I’ll make it up to Wanwan.”

“Make it up?”

Lin Jing let out a bitter laugh.

“How? Buying her flowers? Gifts? Or fooling her again?”

The hallway entrance was suffocatingly tense in the early morning hours.

Just then, a door opened upstairs.

Zhang Guifang came down the stairs quickly, wearing a coat draped over her shoulders.

She had clearly heard the commotion.

The moment she saw the scene below, her face changed.

“Jingjie…”

Lin Jing turned to look at her.

“Guifang, perfect timing.”

Zhang Guifang glanced at Chen Zhi in the wheelchair, then at Li Zhiyi, and nearly blacked out on the spot.

“You brought her here too?”

Chen Zhi murmured, “Mom, Zhiyi just dropped me off.”

Zhang Guifang wanted to kick him.

Even with a broken leg, he still managed to cause this much trouble.

Lin Jing looked at Zhang Guifang, her voice trembling.

“Guifang, did you already know?”

Zhang Guifang’s expression was grim.

“Jingjie, I only found out a few days ago.”

“A few days?”

Lin Jing nodded.

“So Shuxian and I were the only idiots, sitting at dinner praising your son—calling him promising, saying he took good care of Wanwan, calling him a good kid?”

Zhang Guifang didn’t know what to say.

She hadn’t slept well these past few days, crushed by this too.

On one side was her own son, on the other was Lin Wanwan, whom she had watched grow up.

Either way, it felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

“Jingjie, our family let Wanwan down.”

Zhang Guifang walked over to Chen Zhi and smacked him on the shoulder.

“What are you still sitting for? Apologize to your Aunt Lin!”

Chen Zhi braced himself on the armrests to stand.

Li Zhiyi quickly held him back.

“You can’t stand.”

“Let him stand!”

Lin Jing’s emotions surged.

“He knows pain now? When Wanwan was crying in her room, did he feel any of that?”

Chen Zhi pushed Li Zhiyi’s hand away.

“Zhiyi, it’s okay.”

He gripped the wheelchair armrests and forced himself up.

Unable to put weight on his left leg, he balanced on his right, wobbling dangerously as he nearly fell back.

Zhang Guifang gasped. “What are you trying to prove?!”

Chen Zhi didn’t sit down again.

He held onto the iron railing of the building’s entrance and bent over.

“Aunt Lin, I’m sorry.”

The movement pulled at his ribs, and sweat soon beaded on his forehead.

Lin Jing stared at him, pathetic as he was, but her fury didn’t subside.

“Don’t apologize to me.”

“The person you need to apologize to is upstairs.”

“But let me tell you, Chen Zhi—I won’t let her be won over by a few sweet words from you again.”

Chen Zhi looked up.

“I didn’t come back today to brush this under the rug.”

Lin Jing glared at him.

“Then what do you want?”

Chen Zhi took a breath.

“I want to tell her everything.”

“She already knows part of it. If I keep hiding the rest, it’ll only get uglier.”

“I am a bastard, Aunt Lin.”

“In Beijing, I had Wanwan, and I had Zhiyi, and also Pei Ningshuang.”

Zhang Guifang was so shocked she clutched her chest.

She only knew about two before.

She’d vaguely suspected there might be more, but hearing three names out loud nearly made her lose it.

Lin Jing thought she’d misheard.

“How many?”

Chen Zhi braced himself.

“Three.”

Slap!

This time, it wasn’t a garbage bag.

Lin Jing’s palm landed across his face.

The sound echoed far down the hallway.

Li Zhiyi flinched, her hand instinctively rising before she stopped herself.

Zhang Guifang didn’t intervene either.

That slap was deserved.

Chen Zhi’s head turned to the side, then he slowly straightened it.

“I deserved that.”

“I could hit you ten more times!”

Lin Jing’s hands were shaking with rage.

“Chen Zhi, you’re only nineteen. Who did you learn this from—all this messing around?”

“Did your parents teach you none of it?”

“What did Wanwan ever do to deserve this?”

“She used her first performance fee to buy you a birthday present.”

“When you hurt your leg, she flew back from Beijing in the middle of the night to see you—and instead, she caught another woman wearing your clothes!”

At that, Zhang Guifang whipped her head toward Chen Zhi.

“What?”

Li Zhiyi lowered her head.

Chen Zhi closed his eyes.

Lin Jing finally understood.

“Guifang, you didn’t know?”

Zhang Guifang’s face turned pale.

She truly had no idea what happened that night in Wanliu Shuyuan.

She only knew that Lin Wanwan had retired from the entertainment circle and gone home. She never expected to witness it with her own eyes.

Zhang Guifang stepped forward and directly twisted Chen Zhi’s ear half a turn.

"How much else are you hiding?"

Chen Zhi’s pain nearly made him lose his composure.

"Mom, Mom, go easy."

"Still cracking jokes!"

Zhang Guifang twisted harder in anger.

"You brought that girl home, and let Wanwan see it? Did a dog chew up your brain?"

Chen Zhi didn’t dare dodge.

"An accident."

"Accident, my foot!"

After scolding him, Zhang Guifang glanced at Li Zhiyi.

Li Zhiyi stood there, her expression grim.

Zhang Guifang’s fiery temper got stifled again.

This girl wasn’t a bad person either.

But this mess—it all just happened to pile up together.

Lin Jing took a deep breath.

"Fine."

"Since you’ve admitted it, I’m not going to argue with you downstairs."

She turned and pressed the button for the unit door.

"Upstairs."

Chen Zhi froze for a moment.

Lin Jing looked back.

"Didn’t you say you wanted to come clean?"

"I’m letting you go up and say it in front of Wanwan."

Zhang Guifang’s face changed.

"Sister Jing, it’s not even dawn yet, and Wanwan’s emotions are fragile. Maybe let her rest first—"

"How can she rest?"

Lin Jing’s voice choked.

"The light in her room was on all night."

Chen Zhi knew he was in the wrong.

So he asked Li Zhiyi to help him back into his wheelchair.

Li Zhiyi didn’t move.

Chen Zhi turned to look at her.

"Zhiyi, go to the hotel first."

Li Zhiyi shook her head.

"I’ll take you upstairs."

"Don’t go."

Chen Zhi’s voice softened, almost pleading.

"This is a mess I made myself. Let me handle it."

Li Zhiyi looked at the red palm print on his face and was silent for a few seconds.

"You haven’t taken your medicine yet."

"I’ll take it later."

Li Zhiyi took out the pill bottle and water cup from her bag and handed them to Zhang Guifang.

"Auntie, his ribs are badly injured. He can’t stand for long, and he can’t get too emotional."

Zhang Guifang took the things, feeling even more uneasy.

Li Zhiyi then pulled the jacket over Chen Zhi’s legs again.

"I’ll wait downstairs."

Chen Zhi frowned.

"Go to the hotel."

"I’ll wait downstairs."

She repeated it, not backing down.

Chen Zhi looked at her for a while.

"Okay."

Lin Jing walked ahead.

Zhang Guifang pushed the wheelchair as Chen Zhi was rolled all the way up the stairs.

Lin Jing unlocked the security door.

The living room light was still on.

Lin Shuxian was sitting on the sofa. When he heard the noise, he stood up.

Seeing Chen Zhi in this state, he froze at first, then his face darkened.

"You’re here?"

Chen Zhi held onto the doorframe.

"Uncle Lin."

Lin Shuxian didn’t look at his leg.

"Can you still talk?"

"Yes."

"Then come in."

Lin Jing glanced toward Lin Wanwan’s room.

The door was closed, and light seeped through the crack underneath.

She walked over and knocked gently.

"Wanwan."

There was no response from inside.

Lin Jing knocked again.

"Chen Zhi is here."

The room was quiet for a while.

Then came Lin Wanwan’s very hoarse voice.

"Mom, I don’t want to see him."

Chen Zhi’s fingers tightened on the armrest of the wheelchair.

Lin Jing didn’t turn around. She just pressed against the door.

"He says he wants to explain everything."

There was silence again from inside.

After a long time, the lock clicked softly.

Lin Wanwan opened the door.

She was wearing pajamas, her hair a bit messy, her face seemingly thinner than a few days ago.

When she saw Chen Zhi in the wheelchair, her first instinct was still a flash of panic.

Her eyes fell on his leg and chest, and her hand even lifted slightly.

But soon, she put her hand down again.

"What are you here for?"

Chen Zhi looked at her.

"I came to see you."

Lin Wanwan lowered her head and let out a soft laugh, tears dripping onto the floor.

"To see me make a fool of myself?"

Chen Zhi didn’t know how to face Lin Wanwan either.

"No."

"Then go back."

Lin Wanwan held onto the door.

"I don’t want to argue right now. I don’t want to hear your excuses either."

Before Chen Zhi could say anything, Lin Shuxian suddenly spoke up.

"Wanwan, let him talk."

Lin Wanwan was stunned.

Lin Shuxian walked over to her. "If you don’t listen, he’ll always owe you an honest answer."

Lin Wanwan bit her lip. She didn’t close the door again.

Chen Zhi was wheeled to the center of the living room.

Lin Jing stood nearby, Zhang Guifang at the door, and Lin Shuxian sat back on the sofa.

Chen Zhi paused to steady himself.

"Wanwan, what you saw that night was true."

Lin Wanwan’s lashes trembled.

Chen Zhi continued.

"Li Zhiyi is my girlfriend."

"Pei Ningxue is too."

"I’m sorry, I let you down."

Lin Wanwan didn’t curse at him or cry out loud.

She just stared at him.

"So how long have you been lying to me?"

Chen Zhi gritted his teeth. "From the very beginning."

Lin Wanwan’s body swayed.

Lin Jing quickly reached to support her.

But Lin Wanwan pushed her mother’s hand away and took two steps forward.

"From the very beginning?"

"Chen Zhi, on your birthday, at the hotel, you held me and said you would never leave me."

"Were they already in your heart then?"

Chen Zhi’s voice was low.

"Yes."

Lin Wanwan raised her hand to cover her face. After a few seconds, she lowered it again.

"Then what am I to you?"

Chen Zhi didn’t answer immediately.

That question was too heavy.

No words could make it light.

Lin Wanwan just kept looking at him.

"You don’t have to try to say something nice."

"I just want the truth."

Chen Zhi looked up.

"You’re not a joke."

"You’re not a backup either."

"I like you. I’ve liked you since we were kids."

Lin Wanwan laughed, but tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. "And your way of liking someone is keeping me in the dark, making me feel like a fool?"

Chen Zhi was left speechless.

Then Lin Shuxian suddenly spoke.

"Chen Zhi."

Lin Shuxian’s tone was calmer than Lin Jing’s, but it pressed down on him even harder.

"I’m not asking how much money you have, or how big your company is."

"I only have one question."

"Are you here now to ask Wanwan to accept your madness and keep following you?"

Chen Zhi was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

Zhang Guifang nearly choked on her own breath.

"You actually dare to say that!"

Lin Jing was shaking with anger too.

Lin Shuxian raised his hand, signaling them to hold back.

"Then what makes you think you deserve that?"

Chen Zhi looked him in the eye.

"Because I’ll treat her well."

Lin Shuxian let out a dry laugh.

"You can find any random kid in this neighborhood who’ll say that."

"You need to give something concrete."

Chen Zhi paused.

"Uncle Lin, if Wanwan wants to keep singing, I’ll put her on the best stage there is."

"If she doesn’t want to sing, I can make sure she never suffers in this life."

"If she doesn’t want to see me, I can wait."

"But I won’t let go."

Lin Jing was furious. "You call that not letting go? I call it shameless!"

Chen Zhi nodded.

"Yes."

Lin Jing was taken aback, never having encountered such audacity.

Lin Wanwan suddenly spoke.

"What about them?"

The living room fell silent.

Lin Wanwan stared at Chen Zhi.

"You won’t let go of me, and you won’t let go of them, right?"

Chen Zhi didn’t dodge.

"Right."

Lin Wanwan’s tears stop.

It was like she had finally heard the cruelest answer.

"Chen Zhi, you’re really selfish."

Chen Zhi’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

"Yeah."

Lin Wanwan stepped back.

"I used to think that as long as you turned to look at me, I’d be happy."

"Then I became your girlfriend, and I thought I’d finally won."

"Now I realize—I’ve never won at all."

She reached out and grabbed the doorframe.

"I’m tired."

Chen Zhi wanted to move toward her, but he couldn’t.

Lin Wanwan saw his movement, and her voice was very gentle.

"Don't move."

"I'm afraid I'll soften my heart."

These words left Chen Zhi with an incredibly complicated feeling.

Lin Wanwan went back to her room, took out a small box, and placed it on the coffee table.

She pushed the box toward him.

"This was the second gift I originally prepared."

Chen Zhi stared at the box.

"Wanwan…"

"Don't open it."

Lin Wanwan interrupted him.

"Open it only when you've figured out whether you're in love with me or just can't bear to let me go."

She paused.

"Don't come looking for me during this time."

"And don't call me either."

"If you suddenly show up like you did tonight, I'll move away."

"How long?" Chen Zhi asked.

Lin Wanwan looked at him.

"One year."

"After a year, if I still want to see you, I'll send you word."

"If I don't, then pretend we never knew each other."