The tears continued to gather until she found herself sobbing. She raised her hand and bit on it to stop the tears. She curled deeper into her bed, wrapping herself up under the cover, before she granted herself the release of crying.

She thought she would never meet a person while she was still alive to draw her attention away from her Big Boss, but she really did. She really did want a genuine future with him, but she had squandered her chance. She didn't even have the courage left to apologize to him.

She had never been in a relationship, and she had never been the target of a boy's insistent pursue. This was the first time she had felt love, but her very first time had stung her so deeply.

If only I could stop loving him…

Every time Cheng Qingchong thought her tears had finished, a new batch would appear. After who knew how tears, even though her crying was soft, her throat still became raw, and she cried until her body started to shake. She gripped the mattress tightly to vent the waves of pain that assaulted her heart.

Suddenly, through the cover, Cheng Qingchong heard the phone ring. She stopped crying, used the cover to wipe away her tears, and poked her head out to grab her phone to look at the caller ID.

It was from Qin Yinan.

Her eyes widened with disbelief. She pinched herself on her leg, and the pain made her realize she wasn't dreaming. She quickly accepted the call.

"Hello?" It was after she spoke that Cheng Qingchong realized how hoarse she sounded. She swallowed once to push the "how can I help you?" down her throat.

On the other end of the phone, Qin Yinan didn't speak for a long time.

Even though Cheng Qingchong couldn't see him through the phone, she could feel something was off. The little hope resting at the bottom of her heart dissipated. She gripped the phone and asked cautiously, "Why are… you calling… so late…"

Qin Yinan cut her off. "Did the money in my bank account come from you?"

So, this is why he's calling me… Cheng Qingchong's eyes were filled with disappointment while she mocked herself in her heart. Why am I still holding onto hope? Thinking that he might call to apologize and make amends? I do know how to dream…

"Did the money come from you or not?" Qin Yinan asked again.

Cheng Qingchong came to and quickly answered, "Yes…"

"Why!" Qin Yinan's voice on the phone turned colder.

Cheng Qingchong bit on her lips and stammered timidly, "It's to pay for the ring… and the presents you've bought me…"

Those presents had been bought on the pretext of deceit, and they weren't cheap. If she hadn't lied to him earlier, she wouldn't have minded it so much, but since it was she who had disappointed him first, it was only fair for her to clear the tab. The ring had been lost, and she had already used those presents, so she decided to return them to him in terms of cash.

Hearing the explanation, Qin Yinan was silent.

His breathing was startlingly clear in the middle of the night, causing the phone to slip slightly from Cheng Qingchong's palm. She bit on her lips several times before saying, "I've made multiple calculations. That ring and those presents add up to about 230,000. The money I've paid you is still not enough, so I'll pay you the remaining several ten thousand RMB later…"