Scolding

Seeing that she had recognized it, Shen Yi wasn’t surprised. His intention had always been to make Shu Yunyi drink less, but he still argued stubbornly,

“It’s really low-alcohol. Look, it’s labeled on the bottle.”

“Ugh, do you really think I’m a three-year-old you can fool?”

Shu Yunyi had been struggling without alcohol for days, and now, feeling tricked by Shen Yi, she began to grow restless and uneasy.

“I see it now. Everything you did before was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

“Beer, wine—you were just lying to me!”

Her anger wasn’t just about being deceived; there was also a rising sense of panic, a fear of facing the truth that made her lash out uncontrollably.

Seeing that he had been exposed, Shen Yi decided not to pretend anymore. Shu Yunyi needed a harsh wake-up call.

“Lying to you? Me? Aren’t you the one lying to yourself?”

Shen Yi’s expression was cold, his words sharp as he criticized her mercilessly.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately? Look at yourself! Messy hair, unwashed face, unchanged clothes—is this still the person you used to be?”

“You’re in your thirties, but you’re regressing. What kind of life is this? You’ve become a child who can’t even take care of yourself!”

“Every day, you wake up and drink, pass out, then wake up and look for more alcohol. Don’t you realize you’ve become a slave to alcohol?”

“Do you think I’m doing this for no reason? If you keep drinking like this, I’m afraid you’ll drink yourself to death within six months!”

Shen Yi’s piercing gaze bore into Shu Yunyi, as if he wanted to expose her completely under the scorching sun.

His harsh words left Shu Yunyi stunned. Her face burned, and her heart trembled.

Even in her drunken state, she still had some pride, especially since Shen Yi had once been her student. She instinctively retorted with anger:

“So what if I like drinking?”

“If I drink myself to death, so be it. It’s my body, my choice!”

Shen Yi sneered,

“Oh? So you’re proud of it? I didn’t know you were so fearless about death!”

“I had no idea this was the kind of mindset you were teaching your students back in the classroom. To give up? To self-destruct?”

With that, Shen Yi slammed the table and stood up, towering over her with an intimidating presence.

“What are you running away from?!”

Shu Yunyi was forced to avert her gaze. Her body felt as if it were crawling with insects, making her squirm uncomfortably.

As long as she still had a sense of shame, there was hope. If she had lost even that, Shen Yi wouldn’t know what to do.

Seizing the moment, Shen Yi wasn’t ready to let her off. This time, he wanted to strip away her last shred of dignity and trample on her pride.

“Shu Yunyi, Teacher Shu, Professor Shu! Do you even deserve the title of a teacher?”

“Look at what you’ve done. To satisfy your cravings, you’ve lowered your standards, your posture, even your dignity—just to beg a former student for a few drinks.”

“Don’t you feel pathetic letting a few glasses of alcohol control your life?”

Under the table, Shu Yunyi’s hands trembled as she clenched her fists tightly, gripping the hem of her clothes. Deep down, she was just lonely and wanted someone to drink with.

But Shen Yi’s words were like a sharp blade, cutting deeply into her heart.

The atmosphere grew heavy, the room eerily silent.

Shu Yunyi hung her head, a dark cloud of despair hovering over her.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to maintain the last bit of dignity she no longer had, stubbornly insisting,

“Why do you care?”

“Who are you? What right do you have to meddle in my life?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

Wasn’t Shen Yi doing all this for her? Shu Yunyi’s heart churned, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something to make amends, but no words came out.

She looked up and met Shen Yi’s gaze, freezing in place. His eyes were filled with disappointment, pain, regret, and anger, all intertwined.

Her words had hurt him deeply. Shen Yi stood there, his emotions a tangled mess, feeling as though his efforts had been wasted. For the first time, he understood the frustration of watching someone you care about throw their life away.

After a moment, Shen Yi let out a bitter laugh and softened his tone.

“You’re right. I’m not anyone important to you, and I have no right to interfere. Consider me foolish.”

“Perhaps the teacher I admired that summer has long been carried away by the evening breeze…”

“Goodbye, Teacher Shu.”

The softer his voice, the more respectful his tone, the colder Shu Yunyi’s heart grew.

Seeing no point in continuing, Shen Yi turned and left without hesitation.

The door clicked shut. Shu Yunyi reached out, her mouth opening as if to call him back.

“You…”

Her arm froze mid-air, her words cut off by the closed door.

Turning back to the table, she stared at the bottle of alcohol, the clear liquid sloshing inside. Suddenly, she swiped it off the table.

“Crash!”

The bottle shattered, liquid splashing everywhere, shards of glass scattering across the floor.

She stomped on the broken pieces, venting her regret and anger.

The cold liquid evaporated, releasing a strong smell of alcohol that made Shu Yunyi gag.

Covering her face, she slowly crouched down, tears streaming uncontrollably as she sobbed.

Shen Yi’s departure left her heart burning with torment, the pain almost unbearable.

A flood of negative emotions overwhelmed her, leaving her in a tangled mess, unable to see any light in the future.

The cicadas chirped outside, and the evening breeze gently swayed the curtains.

Shu Yunyi looked toward the window, her lifeless eyes flickering with a faint light. She murmured to herself,

“Maybe it’s better to let the evening breeze carry it all away…”

She stood up, moving like a lifeless shell.

Slowly, she climbed onto the balcony railing and sat down, gazing at the moon as if it could reveal the truth within her.

Her legs dangled over the edge, swaying slightly. She took out her phone and typed a long message to her mother, confessing her thoughts and expressing remorse for her actions.

Then she typed a short message to Shen Yi:

“I’m sorry for disappointing you.”

She hit send, then looked down at the neatly trimmed lawn below and leaped.

“Ah!”

Her scream pierced the night.

“Thud!”

A crystal-clear sandal fell from over ten stories high, landing with a muffled thud.

Shu Yunyi’s upper body dangled over the edge, her sandal slipping off. The cool wind made her heart race, her hands and feet sweating, her strength failing.

“Are you insane?!”

Shen Yi’s furious shout came from behind her. Shu Yunyi realized that an arm was wrapped around her waist, preventing her from falling.

Unbeknownst to her, Shen Yi had secretly returned just in time to witness this scene.

Cursing, Shen Yi used both hands to grip her waist tightly, pulling her back onto the balcony with all his strength.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Shu Yunyi collapsed weakly against Shen Yi.

Her heart pounded like a drum, filled with the relief of having narrowly escaped death.