I never told Chu Xunnan the truth.
Not when I packed my things.
Not when I blocked every way he could contact me.
Not when I left the city where we had spent five years together.
Because I suddenly realized something.
The person who loved more would always be the one waiting.
Waiting for a promise.
Waiting for a future.
Waiting for a “next time.”
And I was tired of waiting.
The day I left, Chu Xunnan didn’t come to stop me.
Just like his friends said.
He never forced me to stay.
He believed that was enough.
He thought giving me freedom was a kind of love.
But what he didn’t understand was that sometimes…
Not holding someone back was also a way of losing them.
I returned to my hometown.
I stopped designing jewelry for others.
I opened my own small studio.
At first, everyone asked me:
—Did you really give up on Chu Xunnan?
—After five years together?
—You two seemed inseparable.
I always smiled.
—Some people are suitable for loving.
But not necessarily suitable for spending a lifetime with.
Six months after leaving him, I met my current husband.
His name was Shen Yichen.
He was not as outstanding as Chu Xunnan.
He didn’t have a powerful family.
He wasn’t surrounded by people praising him.
The first time we met, I was sitting in my studio, working until midnight.
The lights suddenly went out.
I thought it was another power outage.
Then someone knocked on the door.
When I opened it, I saw a man holding a flashlight.
—The whole street lost electricity.
—Are you alone?
I nodded.
He looked at the dark room behind me.
—Have you eaten?
I was stunned.
Why was the first thing he asked whether I had eaten?
Not why I was alone.
Not why I worked so late.
Just whether I had eaten.
I shook my head.
He handed me a bag.
—Then eat first.
Inside was a simple bowl of hot noodles.
That night, sitting in my dark studio, I suddenly cried.
Not because the noodles were delicious.
But because for the first time in years…
Someone noticed that I was tired.
Shen Yichen never asked me to wait.
He never said:
“Next time.”
He never asked me to understand him endlessly.
When he wanted to marry me, he simply bought a ring.
He didn’t prepare a grand stage.
No crowd.
No applause.
No dramatic confession.
Just one evening, after dinner, he took my hand.
—I’ve thought about it carefully.
—Will you marry me?
That was all.
Simple.
Direct.
But I cried for a long time.
Because I finally understood.
A person who truly wants to give you a future…
doesn’t need five years to decide.
When I became pregnant, Shen Yichen was happier than anyone.
He accompanied me to every checkup.
He learned how to prepare baby food.
He remembered every small change in my body.
When I gave birth, he stayed beside me the entire night.
Holding my hand.
Telling me:
—You worked hard.
—Thank you for giving me this family.
Those words were ordinary.
But to me…
they were everything I had waited years to hear.
Three years later.
I met Chu Xunnan again.
In the supermarket.
At first, I didn’t recognize him.
The man who once stood in front of me with endless confidence…
had become thinner.
His eyes were darker.
But his voice was still the same.
—It’s been a long time.
I nodded.
—Yes.
He looked at the cart filled with baby products.
For the first time, his calm expression disappeared.
—You really got married?
I smiled.
—Didn’t you already see?
His fingers tightened slightly.
Then he laughed.
A little bitter.
—You moved on pretty fast.
I looked at him.
—Fast?
He didn’t answer.
Maybe he remembered.
Five years.
Five years when I was beside him.
Five years when I waited.
Five years when everyone believed I would never leave.
I looked down at the ring on my finger.
Then back at him.
—Chu Xunnan.
—Do you know why I left?
His expression changed.
I continued:
—Not because you didn’t propose.
—Not because you needed more time.
—Because I finally realized…
I paused.
—You weren’t preparing to marry me.
—You were just certain I would always be there.
The supermarket became strangely quiet.
His lips moved.
But he didn’t say anything.
At that moment, a small voice came from behind me.
—Mom.
I turned around.
My son was standing there holding his father’s hand.
—Dad said we should go home.
Shen Yichen smiled at me.
—Are you done?
I nodded.
—Yes.
He naturally took the shopping cart from me.
Then he looked at Chu Xunnan.
Not with hostility.
Not with jealousy.
Just calmly.
—Let’s go.
My son grabbed my hand.
We walked away.
I didn’t look back.
But I knew Chu Xunnan was still standing there.
Watching.
Watching the woman who once begged him not to leave…
leave him behind forever.
That night, Chu Xunnan’s friend asked him:
—Did you regret it?
He sat silently for a long time.
Then he said:
—She really got married.
His friend laughed.
—Of course.
—You thought she would wait forever?
Chu Xunnan lowered his eyes.
For the first time, he understood.
The woman who loved him the most…
was also the woman who gave up on him completely when she finally stopped loving.
And the “next time” he always promised…
never came.
