But they had already lost each other in the crowd.

Chapter 24

Three days later, Julian returned to Shanghai alone.

When he arrived home, the lights in the villa next door were on again.

The butler mentioned that the Sterlings had liquidated all their domestic assets, and the new neighbors had moved in two days ago.

Hearing this, Julian finally felt the crushing reality that everything was truly beyond repair.

He stayed in his room alone, unable to sleep all night.

Early the next morning, he watched from his window as the new neighbors dismantled the swing set in the garden. The pink-and-white curtains were replaced with deep green ones, and the seashell wind chimes hanging by the door were snipped off and thrown away.

Everything related to the Sterlings and to Selina herself was gradually vanishing from his world.

He was powerless to stop it; he could only spend his days drinking, using alcohol to numb himself.

His riddled heart slowly became hollow, losing the ability to perceive emotion.

Love and hate, pain and regret, joy and hope...

They were all drifting away from him.

His room was filled with various items he had personally scavenged from next door.

Only in those moments did he experience brief flashes of sobriety.

The neighbor’s five-year-old child followed Julian every day, "treasure hunting" with him.

The large tree in the courtyard was cut down, the soil where roses once grew was hollowed out, and the stones painted with cartoons were smashed.

With every sight, Julian recalled countless memories.

The child kept chasing him, asking about the origins of these things.

He stared blankly, many words rising to his lips only to get stuck there.

Until, from a certain corner, a large wishing bottle was unearthed.

Opening it, he found a hundred love letters inside, written in that familiar handwriting.

In an instant, Julian’s eyes grew red.

The oblivious child, driven by curiosity, opened the top letter and read it aloud.

"Hi Julian, by the time you see these letters, we should be together, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't know these letters existed. We’ve known each other for nineteen years, and in all the years before this, you probably didn't know I’ve loved you for a long, long time. You might want to ask me: if I loved you, why didn't I tell you? What I want to say is, I knew the person you loved wasn't me; when you looked at her, there were stars dancing in your eyes, so I could only bury my love in my heart."

"But now she’s gone, and the person staying by your side is me. Although you never mention her name to me again, I think you must have moved on, which is why you’re with me now. Even though you aren't willing to go public with our relationship yet, I can wait. I’ll wait until the day you feel it’s right—whether it’s three years, five years, or ten years—as long as you have me in your heart, I can keep waiting."

"Do you think I’m stupid? But we’ve looked out for each other since our very first memories. Since my life started with you, I hope so much that it ends with you, too. Although I don't know what the future holds, the only thing I can be certain of is that as long as you have me in your heart and care for me even a little, I will wait for you to come back. Forever and ever."

By the end, Julian was already streaming with tears.

With trembling hands, he gathered the box of envelopes into his embrace, stumbling as he rose to head for the airport.

As if clutching onto a final shred of hope, he was desperate to go to that foreign land, wanting to win back the person he might have already missed.

During the long flight, Julian flipped through the letters without stopping for a moment.

The love hidden between the lines was like honey, and like arsenic.

It moved him to loud sobs, to light laughter, to gloom, and to joy.

Two extreme emotions constantly cycled through him, and that heart, which had been numbed by despair, flickered to life once more.

Was this a final flare before total darkness, or a rebirth through fire before the dawn?

Julian didn't know what kind of ending awaited him ahead.

He could only pray.

Praying that the teenage secrets penned by a nineteen-year-old Selina could save him from the abyss.

To give him one more chance to start over.

Just once. Just once would be enough.

Chapter 25

The deep winter dissipated, and the spring days grew warm again.

The Sterlings received news from their lawyer back home.

After rounds of processes including the first trial, the defendant's appeal, and the second trial, the facts of Nina’s incitement of a crime were confirmed, and she was sentenced according to the law.

The evildoer received her due punishment; for the victim, this was undoubtedly the best form of comfort.

This day also happened to be Mr. Sterling’s birthday.

Mrs. Sterling personally cooked a large table of dishes, and the family of three raised their glasses in celebration.

Having been in Spain for nearly half a year, Selina had grown accustomed to life here.

Although there were still many inconveniences, finding interesting things through constant exploration was a joy in itself.

She had made many new friends and gradually found where her interests lay.

On this auspicious day, she also happily announced an important decision to her family.

"Dad, Mom, I've made up my mind. I'm going to form a band with some friends. I’ll be the guitarist, and we’ve already finished composing our first song. Our debut performance is next week, and on behalf of the whole band, I sincerely invite you to be there!"

Mr. Sterling, coming from a family of musicians, was incredibly moved to hear that his daughter decided to devote herself to music.

"Wonderful! Selina, if you face any difficulties in your creative process, just say the word. I will tell you everything I know and support your dreams with all my heart!"

Mrs. Sterling also began to clap, her eyes full of relief and pride.

"Your father always hoped you would follow in his footsteps, but we always thought you were young and had infinite possibilities ahead. We didn't want to bind you with rules and traditions, so we never mentioned it. Now that you've chosen this path yourself, go forth with courage and confidence. Your father and I will always be your strongest supporters!"

Gaining the trust and support of her family was enough to make Selina feel content.

In the following period, she practiced until the early hours of the morning every day for the performance, working exceptionally hard.

The day before the show, she returned home early to ensure she would be in peak condition for the next day.

In the evening, the clouds at the horizon were brilliant, and the night breeze was gentle.

She got out of the car with her guitar on her back, and when she looked up, she unexpectedly saw someone she hadn't seen in a long time.

After two months, Julian looked even more haggard. He was so thin that his eye sockets were sunken, and his complexion was as dark as if shrouded by a storm cloud.

At first glance, Selina didn't even recognize him; it wasn't until she heard his voice that she realized who it was.

"Selina, long time no see. Are you... are you doing well?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Julian realized how inappropriate they were.

The vivid face before him, with a hint of a smile at the corners of her eyes and lips, was no different from when she was eighteen.

She was doing very well.

Unlike him, who was sinking into endless guilt and regret, unable to find release.

And indeed, it was the truth.

The look in Selina’s eyes as she watched him was no longer one of deliberate coldness or ignorance like before.

What remained was only the indifference and calm one feels when facing a stranger.

She had truly let go of everything.

Whether it was love, hate, passion, or resentment, they were all in the past tense.

So, she only gave him a faint glance.

"Very well."

Seeing her about to leave again, Julian, in his desperation, held those cherished letters up before her eyes.

"Selina, I found the letters you wrote to me in your teens. At that time, you..."

Seeing those papers that had begun to yellow, Selina’s sealed memories stirred slightly.

But after a moment of surprise, she used just one sentence to state her position.

"That time was that time. Now is now."

"But you said that as long as I cared for you and loved you even a little, you would wait for me forever. Now you are the only one in my heart—can you please give me one more chance?"

By the end, Julian’s voice was choked with sobs.

Selina said nothing; she simply took all the letters from him.

Then, under his incredulous gaze, she personally tore those letters, so full of memories, into shreds.

"There. Now everything is reset to zero. We no longer have any connection. Please do not come to disturb me again in the future."

She raised her hand, and the fragments scattered like snowflakes.

In an instant, they vanished into the wind.

Selina did not look at his expression as she strode toward the house.

After the door closed, the twilight deepened, and the lights in the courtyard turned on one by one.

The warm yellow light shone on the weeping crabapple trees in full bloom in the yard; when the evening breeze blew, they swayed gently.

The sound of a soothing piano drifted from the living room. Hearing the cheerful rhythm, Selina’s steps became much lighter.

"You're back? How are the preparations for tomorrow's performance going?"

Hearing her mother’s gentle tone, Selina set down her guitar and walked over to her parents, her voice full of excitement.

"Please look forward to it!"

Look forward to her standing on a brand-new stage.

To welcome her own brilliant future.

[THE END]