I took Chen Jingming’s signed resignation letter to the HR department and then to the finance department. After completing all the procedures, I returned to the office.

I approached Circle and said, “I’ve applied for resignation with Chen Jingming, and he agreed. You should arrange someone to take over my duties.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the office fell silent. Even the sound of typing on the keyboard ceased. All eyes were on me. Like Chen Jingming, they didn’t expect me to suddenly resign.

However, Circle wasn’t surprised at all. He said, “I’m well aware of your workload. There’s no need for a handover. I’ll arrange for someone to take over.”

I nodded without saying much, then walked to my desk and started packing up my things. Apart from feeling sad, there was a sense of relief after the suppression. Maybe I never belonged to this city. I was bound to leave one day, and this time, I just moved up the timeline.

Zhao Li came over, tugged at my clothes, and asked in a low voice, “Zhao Yang, why did you suddenly resign?”

I smiled and said, “Aren’t you happy that I resigned? There’s no one to suppress you in this company anymore.”

Although I was joking with Zhao Li, he seriously said, “Zhao Yang, don’t say that. We’ve worked together for so long. We’re colleagues and friends.”

“Do you consider me a friend?”

Zhao Li nodded and said, “Although you’re a bit of a trickster, you’re not a bad person. Every time I took a leave, you willingly took care of my work. Others may not understand you, but I do.”

I smiled, feeling a strange mix of emotions. I just patted Zhao Li on the shoulder without saying anything more, then bent down to continue packing up my office supplies. Zhao Li helped me pack.

A moment later, I finally finished packing. I said goodbye to my colleagues, with whom I had worked for over two years. Everyone stood up to bid me farewell. Perhaps over the years, they had been suppressed by me in various ways, but they didn’t hold it against me. In Zhao Li’s words: although I was a trickster, I was fair and square in this planning department. I never marginalized or slandered anyone at work.

I nodded to my colleagues, then went to Circle, who was the only one still sitting. I patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’m leaving, bro.”

Circle didn’t look up or respond to me. His behavior surprised everyone. They wondered why we, who were usually as close as brothers, were so cold to each other at this moment.

Finally, without getting a response, I gave a bitter smile, waved to everyone, and walked towards the company’s exit with my box.

So, my world was free, but only for now! The future has turned into a trap, blocking my life’s path, waiting for me to fall. Maybe it will break me, or maybe in the desire to survive, I will become stronger, struggle to escape the trap, and become a master of life. But what the outcome will be, only time can tell. So, I don’t need to speculate, I just need to tread carefully with a desire to survive!

……

After leaving the company, I went straight back to my newly rented apartment. The first thing I did after closing the door was to take off my shoes and lie down on the bed, covering myself with a blanket, hoping to shake off all the heaviness and get a good night’s sleep.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel sleepy at all that afternoon. Most of the time, I was just staring at the ceiling, lighting a cigarette in panic, and repeating the process as the sky outside the window gradually darkened. So, the city was once again enveloped in light and shadow, but I was isolated in a dark space by the four walls, unable to feel the warmth of the light and shadow. It seemed that my winter had arrived before winter itself!

Looking at the sky outside the window, which was already dyed red by the city’s neon lights, I felt a bit dazed. In my daze, I lit another cigarette. After only one puff, I felt a sharp pain in my lungs. I realized that I had smoked too many cigarettes that afternoon. But what could I do? At least the smoke filled the room, saving me from my loneliness and helplessness. So, I took another deep puff, breaking down the helplessness, dissipating the loneliness, only to be replaced by a heavy cough. Ah, it’s hard to have it all in life!

As the night deepened, I felt as if I had been forgotten by the world in this cold corner, still lost, still in a daze, until my phone rang, waking me up.

I turned over and picked up the phone from the bedside table. I was surprised to see that it was Yan Yan who had called.

I hesitated for a long time before answering Yan Yan’s call. I didn’t speak first, waiting for Yan Yan’s questioning. By this time, Circle must have told her everything that happened today.

“Zhao Yang, where are you?” Yan Yan’s voice wasn’t as stern as I had imagined.

Caught off guard, I hesitated before answering, “At my place.”

“Have you had dinner?”

“I don’t think so.” I answered vaguely.

“You don’t think so?… Are you out of your mind? You can’t even give me a definite answer about whether you’ve eaten or not!” Yan Yan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.So I immediately gave her a definite answer: “I’ve eaten.”

“What did you eat?”

Finally, I said impatiently, “Do I have to report to you every time I go to the bathroom today?”

Yan Yan retorted irritably, “Stop pretending, just come over to my house for dinner.”

“I won’t go, your husband doesn’t like me!” I firmly refused, but in reality, I was afraid to face Circle. No matter how justified my reasons were, I had ruined his and Chen Jingming’s career prospects.

“Then let’s go out to eat alone. I heard from Circle today that you quit your job. He wouldn’t tell me why, and he’s always looking so gloomy…” Yan Yan didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear. She wanted to know why I quit my job, why Circle was looking so gloomy, and why I said Circle didn’t like me.

I weighed it up a bit and agreed to Yan Yan’s request to go out to eat alone. There were some things that I needed to clarify with her before leaving this city. In the end, I also hoped that Circle could understand me and forgive me.

……

I was waiting outside the restaurant where I had arranged to meet Yan Yan. Since Yan Yan drove a Mazda 6, I paid special attention to whether there was a Mazda 6 among the passing cars. However, what finally stopped in front of me was a red Cadillac CTS. I took a closer look and realized it was Jian Wei’s car, and then I saw Jian Wei and Yan Yan sitting in the car.

Yan Yan, this big pit of a woman, said she would go out to eat with me alone, but she brought Jian Wei… After a flash of dissatisfaction, I was deeply puzzled. Why would Jian Wei come? Had she been staying in Suzhou all these days and not left? And had Yan Yan already told her that Mi Cai was just a fake girlfriend I had forcibly made up?

These unanswered questions made me surprised, nervous, and somewhat embarrassed. Because I knew Yan Yan, she would definitely tell Jian Wei after finding out that Mi Cai was not my girlfriend.

I sighed again in my heart. It seemed to be another night of adding insult to injury!