Is This Goodbye?
1392 Words
After hearing Tang Yuxin’s declaration, the entire hall fell into a heavy silence.
Li Chen’s expression turned bitter. He had suspected this was the reason—but to hear it confirmed, spoken aloud in front of everyone, still crushed him.
What Tang Yuxin said was true. Because of a failed investment, the Li family’s company had fallen into massive debt—more than a billion yuan. The bank had begun seizing their collateral. Just two days ago, Li Chen had learned the full extent of the situation from his father.
It was devastating. If an ordinary family faced this kind of crisis, the pressure alone could destroy them.
His father had no other choice but to pay off what he could using their remaining assets.
Li Chen hadn’t wanted to hide it. There was no point—it would come out sooner or later. So he told Tang Yuxin honestly.
She had seemed surprised, yes—but she hadn’t changed toward him. In fact, she had encouraged him, comforted him.
That moment had reassured Li Chen. He believed it meant she truly loved him—not just for his wealth. He believed their relationship was real, strong, built on years of connection.
He thought it meant she was ready to face the future by his side.
After all, even if he’d lost everything, he was still healthy, still capable. He didn’t believe he’d starve. As long as a man worked hard, success would come again.
But tonight, she’d suddenly withdrawn. Rejected not only their engagement—but everything they’d shared. And she did it at the worst possible moment—right in the middle of their engagement ceremony.
Was their relationship only perfect on the surface? Was it always this fragile underneath? What went wrong?
Li Chen’s heart was breaking.
Even though he was reeling from the shock, he still tried to salvage their bond. He pleaded with her. But Tang Yuxin’s decision was firm. Despite the guilt on her face, she stood her ground.
“Xiao Chen, you’re a good man—the best I’ve ever met. But let’s be honest… you and I both know our relationship was never truly ours. It was pushed along by our families’ expectations and business ties.”
“Now that the Li family is bankrupt… even though I do care about you, I can’t let this engagement bring harm to my family. This is where it ends.”
“Thank you—for everything over the years,” she added with a soft, almost tender voice.
Li Chen could only smile bitterly. He had lost—completely.
He once believed the girl in front of him would choose to walk life’s path with him, through thick and thin. That she would treat him like treasure. But no matter how beautiful a dream is, it can’t defy reality.
He looked at Tang Yuxin again—so stunning in her red dress—but now, something felt off. Something distant.
There was a wall between them now. Solid and unbreakable.
Many of the guests were their former university classmates. None of them could believe what they were seeing.
In college, Li Chen and Tang Yuxin had been inseparable—openly affectionate, almost annoyingly so. People envied them, even resented them. They were the perfect couple: handsome, wealthy, with family backgrounds that aligned.
Their relationship had even sparked a kind of “romantic movement” on campus—dozens of new couples had formed during their time at Tianhai University, inspired by the two of them.
Everyone believed they would have a perfect ending—success, love, and a beautiful future.
But now, reality had slapped everyone in the face.
“Tang Yuxin… she’s gone too far.”
“She caused this whole mess herself.”
“Is there really no such thing as true love anymore?”
“Ugh… I don’t think I can believe in love again.”
Whispers and sighs of disappointment echoed across the room.
Their classmates had seen everything—how Li Chen had always given more, always cared more. He treated Tang Yuxin like a princess: picking her up from her dorm every day no matter the weather, delivering milk tea between classes, going out of his way just to make her smile. Even her roommates admired how well he treated her.
Li Chen wasn’t just handsome. He was warm-hearted. Thoughtful. The kind of man who was nearly impossible to find these days.
To be abandoned just because his family went bankrupt—people couldn’t understand it. And many of their classmates took his side.
“So what if he’s broke? I believe Li Chen will bounce back.”
Tang Weimin, still furious, barked back, “Even if the Li family is struggling now, that doesn’t mean we have to end this engagement! I believe in Li Chen’s future!”
But Tang Yuxin shook her head with conviction.
“Dad, I know you want to keep your promise. But I can’t go along with it—not this time. This is my life. My happiness. I have the right to choose.”
“This decision is for the good of the Tang family too,” she added.
“You… you unfilial girl!” Tang Weimin shouted, face red with rage.
Lin Meifang, her mother, and Tang Zichen, her older brother, quickly stepped in to defend her.
“My daughter is right. She’s the one getting married. She has the right to decide.”
Tang Zichen added, “Even though I think Li Chen’s a good guy, the company’s gone. He can’t give my sister the life she deserves anymore. I can understand her decision.”
Seeing the conflict about to explode in front of all the guests, Li Jianhong, Li Chen’s father, stepped forward to calm things down.
“Brother Tang, let it go,” he said with a sigh. “The young have their own minds. We can’t force them.”
“I’m… I’m so sorry, Brother Li,” Tang Weimin replied, his voice laced with guilt.
“It’s alright,” Li Jianhong said.
And with that, the matter was settled. The engagement was officially over.
Tang Yuxin turned to Li Chen one last time as his fiancée.
“Xiao Chen, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I let you down. But I know you’ll find someone better than me one day.”
“We shared beautiful memories… and I’ll try to forget them. Thank you for being there for me.”
“Even if we’re not husband and wife, we can still be friends. And if you ever need help in the future, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Li Chen gave a broken smile.
Friends? After this?
Thanks for being there?
Now he was just someone she used to know—soon to be forgotten.
Every word from Tang Yuxin felt like an arrow piercing his heart. A thousand invisible wounds bled silently within him.
His mind was flooded with memories. Her face—once so familiar—now looked like a stranger’s.
Was she really my childhood sweetheart? My girlfriend? The woman who stood beside me all these years? Was this really the Tang Yuxin I knew?
He realized something painful—he had never truly known her at all.
Had love blinded me? Had I misunderstood everything?
****，********* flower falls with intention, but the flowing water feels nothing.
—A poetic line to describe one-sided love:
The flower falls with hope, but the water never stops to care.
Li Chen smiled again—bitterly, helplessly.
He felt like a pathetic, abandoned dog.
Even though they had dated for years and known each other since childhood, their relationship had never gone beyond hugs, holding hands, and kisses.
Tang Yuxin had always been conservative, insisting on no intimacy before marriage.
And Li Chen respected that. Never once did he pressure her.
Now, all of it felt meaningless.
He was completely, utterly broken.
“Xiao Yu, are you really going to end your engagement with Li Chen?”
A calm yet striking voice cut through the silence.
A woman rose from among the guests. Her long black dress hugged her tall, slender figure with graceful elegance.
Tang Yuxin turned to face her.
It was her best friend—Su Yue.
- Writer
