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墨書 Inktalez
Is it really so calm? Is she truly not sad at all? Only she knows in her heart.
Wrapped in her blanket, there is still a muffled sobbing sound lingering in the deep night, not dissipating for a long time.
What is the greatest enemy of the relationship between two people?
It is when I need you the most, you are never by my side; it is when I just want to reveal my weaknesses to you, yet you appear with someone else.
Similarly, perhaps when you are exhausted, the person beside you is not me.
So, what is the purpose of being together yet feeling apart? Being together creates a certain possessiveness, and this possessiveness causes immense heartache.
Anna does not know how long she cried before falling asleep; she only feels discomfort from her swollen eyelids when she wakes up.
What should she do today?
No work, no need to go out. There is a deep hunger in her stomach, but Anna is too lazy to prepare something to eat. She pours dog food into Peter's bowl without brushing her teeth, washing her face, or combing her hair. She lies messily on the sofa, unaware of the weather outside because she does not want to draw back the curtains.
Turning on the television, she happens to see Andy on the news. He is dressed in a suit, walking through a magnificent hall with a crowd of people following him. Flashing lights go off intermittently, and his face radiates confidence. The news reports that Century Group has undergone a major reshuffle, and Zheng Andy has become the latest generation of group leader.
A faint smile appears on Anna's haggard face. Zheng Andy has finally succeeded.
The doorbell rings—once, twice. After a long while, Anna slowly sits up. Without putting on shoes, she walks to the door and opens it. The person looks familiar. After a moment of trying to recognize him, Anna finally remembers who he is when he speaks.
"Hello, Miss Anna Zheng. Do you remember me?"
Anna anticipated that this day would come, but she didn't expect it to arrive so quickly.
"Remember, you are Li Agent, the manager of exo, and we have met," Anna said with a smile.
She invited him to sit inside, and Anna first combed her hair, wiped her face with a towel, poured him a glass of water, and sat down across from him. Peter wanted to get closer to him, but noticing that Li Agent seemed a bit afraid of dogs, Anna called Peter over to her side and had him lie down and stay still.
"It seems that yesterday's press conference had quite an impact on Miss Anna," Li Agent said with a smile.
"You saw it too," Anna replied.
"Such things are certainly known in the entertainment industry."
Anna knew very well that his purpose for coming was not merely to express concern due to their previous encounters. She directly asked with a smile, "Li Agent, did you come here for something specific? Surely not just to comfort me."
Li Agent took a sip of water, placed the cup back on the Coffee Table, and asked with a smile, "May I ask who gave you that ruby on your neck, Miss Anna?"
"Li Agent, you must have seen many of these before; why ask when you already know?" Anna replied with a bitter smile.
Li Agent nodded and said, "Alright, I'll get straight to the point. Are you and Park Chan-yeol dating?"
Anna thought for a moment; she really couldn't deny it now. The fact that Li Agent came directly meant he had received accurate information. Coupled with the ruby around her neck, Anna said, "I suppose so... Anyway, someone must have already informed you about this matter and even provided you with my address. You must have already formed your own conclusions."
Li Agent nodded and said, "I know you've met with Miss Anna several times before. You're smart and beautiful, and during the filming of Running Man, I also noticed that your relationship with Park Chan-yeol seemed quite good. So when I learned about this matter, I wasn't too surprised. However, I still hope that Miss Anna can maintain some distance from him; it would be better for both of you."
Anna smiled helplessly and said, "Actually, the distance is already quite far."
"Miss Anna may not be aware, but take for example the ruby on your neck; every fan of Park Chan-yeol has seen this object around his neck and knows how important it is to him. Both Miss Anna and Park Chan-yeol are very careful, and nothing compromising has been captured, but once someone inadvertently sees the gem on Miss Anna's neck, even such a small detail could lead to exposure. You may be able to hide it for a while, but not for long. When the truth comes out, it won't just be Park Chan-yeol and our company that will be greatly affected; you, Miss Anna, will also face significant repercussions, potentially losing your job. I believe none of us want to see such a situation unfold."
Anna listened to every word he said. Each word had already been contemplated countless times in her mind, but hearing it from someone else made it sound so harsh. Their relationship had become a kind of unspeakable leverage.
"So there really are so many downsides," Anna said self-deprecatingly.
"Miss Anna, you are young and beautiful. Even if this matter is discovered, you could simply resign from your role on Running Man and find a decent man to marry. But Park Chan-yeol is different; as long as he remains an artist, you cannot get married. Moreover, he would lose a large number of fans who support him and miss out on many opportunities. All his previous efforts and years of hard work would go to waste," Li Agent said.
"Oh, I see."
"Miss Anna Zheng, if you truly love him, do not put him in such a dangerous position."
Anna weakly smiled slightly; she found herself unable to refute Li Agent's words. Thinking about it, ever since Park Chan-yeol got to know her, nothing good had happened, and he almost perished alongside her.
"Miss Anna, please think this over. I haven't mentioned this to anyone yet; if other executives in the company find out, this conversation would likely take a different turn."
Anna slowly spoke up, "Does Park Chan-yeol know that you are aware of this matter?"
Li Agent shook his head and said, "I haven't told him about it yet."
"Then let's keep it that way for now."
Li Agent looked at Anna's calm expression and understood her meaning. Given Park Chan-yeol's personality, if internal pressure were applied by company personnel, he would undoubtedly resist without regard for the consequences, leading to an unmanageable situation.
"Then I'll take my leave," Li Agent said.
"Wait a moment." Anna paused for a moment, stopping Li Agent in his tracks. "Li Agent, may I ask you one more question?"
"Miss Anna, please go ahead."
"Did a girl tell you about this matter?"
Li Agent seemed surprised. He sighed, lowered his head, and did not answer as he left the room...
Another day and night passed. Aside from taking Peter out for a walk, Anna spent the rest of her time lying on the sofa, expressionless. If someone had walked in at that moment, they would likely have been startled to think they had encountered a corpse.
Ji Hyo Kwang Soo and Brother Jae-seok also called, but Anna did not answer; she only replied to their messages later. Park Chan-yeol called many times, but Anna just smiled and told him everything was fine before ending the call.
He said, "Anna, I'll come find you as soon as I'm done with my work."
Anna knew he was telling the truth; she believed everything he said, so she smiled and replied, "Okay."
That morning, Anna got out of bed and finally pulled back the curtains. The sunlight flooded into the room, which was a bit blinding for her. After adjusting for a moment, she walked into the bathroom to wash up, changed into a fresh outfit, applied light makeup, and smiled at her reflection in the mirror.
She picked up her phone and dialed Park Chan-yeol's number. This time, surprisingly, it connected quickly.
"Hello, Anna."
Anna could hear the happiness in his voice; hearing him speak with a smile made her unable to resist smiling back.
"Chan-yeol, let's meet up," Anna said.
Hearing this, Park Chan-yeol seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, "We're about to start filming the MV, and I don't know how long it will take. How about we reschedule? In a week, I should have two days off." He was probably worried that Anna would be disappointed or angry, which is why he hesitated.
Unexpectedly, Anna still smiled calmly and said, "It's okay, no matter how late it is, I'll wait for you at that little restaurant in Seoul's Western Suburbs where we used to eat often. Let's not miss each other."
Noticing something unusual about Anna, Park Chan-yeol lost his smile and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing much, I just want to see you. Can you come alone this time? I want to talk to you," Anna said with a smile.
"Anna, before Jiang Baoyan was because..."
"It's all in the past now, isn't it?" Anna interrupted him.
Park Chan-yeol said, "Alright then, but you don't need to go out too early. Come over around dinner time. Eat something first so you won't be hungry, and then wait for me there. I'll make sure to arrive as soon as I can."
Anna smiled, and a couple of tears fell onto her hand as she said, "Okay, then you must come quickly."
"I will."
Getting up to look in the mirror, she realized her makeup had smudged without her noticing. Following the tears, dark streaks ran down her face. Anna mocked herself in the mirror like a clown and had no choice but to wash her face again and reapply her makeup. However, just after finishing, tears washed it away again. This cycle continued until Anna's eyes finally stopped shedding tears; they felt dry and somewhat painful before she could finally conclude this simple task.
Sensing Anna's sadness, Peter lay quietly by her feet, motionless except for his eyes following her movements.
As the streetlights turned on and she walked down the street, the air had become increasingly warm; the temperature in the breeze felt particularly comfortable.
"Looking so beautiful, where are you off to?" Kwang-soo's car suddenly stopped in front of Anna.
"Brother Kwangsoo..." Anna recognized the person in the car.
"Of course it's me," Kwang-soo replied with a bright smile.
"You, why are you here?"
"I called you many times and you didn't answer, so I had to come see you. Otherwise, what if you really died alone at home? Peter can't let you starve to death," Kwang-soo joked.
Anna lowered her head and smiled weakly.
"Come on, get in the car," Kwang-soo said.
"Where to?" Anna asked.
"Wow, you really don't know? The cherry blossoms on Bongeun-ro in Seoul have bloomed. I'm taking you to see them," Kwang-soo said.
Anna said dazedly, "Ah... so the cherry blossoms in Seoul have bloomed. But I can't go, I have other things to do."
"What things?" Kwang-soo asked.
"I'll tell you later, I'm leaving now," Anna said as she walked towards the bus stop in the distance.
Kwang-soo drove up beside her again and stopped once more.
"Get in the car, I'll take you," Kwang-soo said.
Seeing such a strange scene, some passersby cast surprised glances.
Lee Kwang-soo got out of the car and was instantly recognized by some people. He opened the passenger door and forcefully shoved Anna inside.
Fortunately, he was quick enough that only his figure returning to the car was captured, and Anna was not photographed.
"Are you crazy? Brother Kwangsoo, what if someone takes a picture and writes nonsense? I really don't want to hold another press conference," Anna said, covering her face while secretly looking outside as people continued to take photos with their phones.
"It's fine, they don't have time to get a shot of you. Besides, even if they do, I wouldn't mind. At worst, I'll just go along with their intentions," Kwang-soo said with a smile as he started the car.
Anna sighed helplessly and said, "You must be relying on that mouth of yours to charm those girls."
Kwang-soo chuckled proudly. "So, where are we going?" he asked.
Anna hadn't expected Brother Kwangsoo to suddenly appear today and didn't know how to explain the situation to him.
Seeing Anna not responding, Kwang-soo said, "If you don't tell me, should I take you to see the cherry blossoms?"
"Don't!..." Anna replied. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Brother Kwangsoo, could you just wait for me in the car or drop me off and leave?"
"Am I your chauffeur?" Kwang-soo said unhappily.
"I'm really sorry, but I'm begging you."
Kwang-soo thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll wait for you in the car."
"Looks like it will take a while."
"It's okay, if I get impatient waiting, I'll just leave first," Kwang-soo said with a smile.
Anna glanced at him and nodded silently.
It was almost eleven o'clock, and Anna was the only customer left in the shop. She hadn't ordered anything yet, and the Boss Lady had already started yawning, clearly growing impatient as she watched Anna sitting there without making any purchases.
"Miss, we're about to close soon. If you're not going to order anything..." the Boss Lady said.
"I'm really sorry. How about this? I'll have two servings of Korean beef soup, one order of chicken feet, and some stir-fried rice cakes. Two bottles of Soju, please. Thank you," Anna said with a smile.
The Boss Lady still didn't seem very happy but agreed, saying, "Alright, I'll prepare that for you, but we will definitely close by midnight."
"Got it, thank you for your help."
With only one customer, the food was served quickly, but it also cooled down quickly. Anna stared at the soup in front of her as the steam gradually faded away until it completely disappeared, yet there was still no sign of Park Chan-yeol.
Checking the time, there were only two minutes left until midnight. Just like Cinderella in a fairy tale, no matter how splendid the prince's ballroom was, when the midnight bell rang, everything would return to its original state. No glass slipper, no gown, no pumpkin carriage, no prince. In the real world, there was only a dim attic and hands calloused from years of hard work.
In reality, there are no fairy tales; the midnight bell is not the beginning of a search but the end of all dreams.
Anna had originally thought about dressing up nicely to truly enjoy a simple yet happy date with Park Chan-yeol like before, but once again, her fantasies fell through.
With a helpless smile, Anna stood up and walked over to the Boss Lady to settle her bill.
Boss Lady finally smiled, collected the money, and before Anna could step out of the store, she hurriedly began to tidy up.
"I'm late, I'm sorry." Just as he stepped out of the store, he saw Park Chan-yeol running over, drenched in sweat.
Look, it's always so unfortunate, but no matter what, at least he showed up; he didn't stand her up.
Anna smiled and said, "We're already closed."
Park Chan-yeol was also panting and smiled back, saying, "Yeah."
Anna glanced at Kwang-soo's car waiting not far away, wondering if he had seen them or if he had fallen asleep from waiting too long.
"I saw a small park nearby when I came here. Let's go there," Anna suggested.
"Okay."
They walked in silence. Anna gently held his hand, and Park Chan-yeol felt his previously unsettled heart suddenly calm down as he tightly grasped Anna's hand in his palm.
Though the night wind was a bit chilly, the moonlight was particularly beautiful. Their silhouettes were cast on the ground. Anna remembered her past hopes: a quiet afternoon walking down a small path with a gentle breeze, white clouds, birds singing in the woods, and distant melodies floating in the air. Beside her was someone who should be her lover.
Now it seemed to have come true, even if it was just this short stretch of road and only during such a quiet night.
It felt like there were always various misunderstandings between them, coming day after day.
No one could say for sure whether this was a test specially arranged by fate or if it was meant to keep them apart forever.
"I'm sorry, Anna, I just can't..." Park Chan-yeol furrowed his brows.
Anna smiled lightly and pointed at his wrinkled forehead, saying, "Do you know that the thing you've said to me the most recently is 'I'm sorry'?"
Anna released her hand and sat on the swing, gently swaying.
"Chan-yeol, when we were talking on the phone before, we always shared stories about the filming of Running Man. Have you told anyone else about it?" Anna asked softly, lowering her head.
Park Chan-yeol didn't understand why she was asking this, so he replied, "The only one who knows about us is Jiang Baoyan. Occasionally, I share some interesting things with her. She really likes you and loves to hear your stories."
Anna smiled helplessly, lost in thought. Regardless of whether her guess was right or wrong, she still felt a bit envious of Jang Bo-Yeon, envious that she could spend so much time by Park Chan-yeol's side, listening to him share interesting things. With a hint of bitterness, Anna said, "Actually, it's me who should be sorry. You're definitely more tired and busy than I am. But human hearts are always greedy; I keep hoping to receive a lot of comfort and love from you. I feel like I've become someone I'm not anymore. I used to be so independent and could bear any sadness on my own."
Hearing this, Park Chan-yeol felt much more comforted and said, "Anna, I'm happy to hear you say that. I like seeing you rely on me. Trust me; I will be the person you can depend on."
Anna looked up to meet his gaze and smiled slightly, saying, "No, Chan-yeol, you can't."
Park Chan-yeol looked at Anna Zheng, whose face was filled with a calm smile, in surprise.
"When you treated me as a shadow of Sister Yura, you could do it. But now that you've recognized that I am me, you can no longer do it," Anna continued, her tone carrying a chilling hint of laughter.
They hadn't mentioned Yura's name in a long time. When Park Chan-yeol was with Anna Zheng, he truly hadn't thought of her again, nor had Anna brought her up. "What are you talking about? I've already made it clear about Sister Yura. Why are you bringing this up now?" Park Chan-yeol grabbed the swinging swing that Anna was on and stopped it.
"Yes, it was made clear, which is why I've come to understand," Anna scoffed, standing up and looking at him. "You see, Sister Yura is still a taboo. Every time her name comes up, you get so agitated. Hmph, it's better to be a shadow of a dead person; at least when you need me, I'll be right there."
Park Chan-yeol found it hard to believe that the Anna Zheng in front of him was completely different from the one he knew before.
He stared at Anna, suppressing the slowly rising anger, and said, "Anna Zheng, tell me, what exactly happened? Why are you saying this?"
Anna chuckled lightly and replied, "Nothing happened. It's just that I've seen through you, Park Chan-yeol, and the true nature of your kindness towards me."
"You’re lying!" Park Chan-yeol grabbed Anna's wrist. "Anna Zheng, look at me! I ask you, is it because of Jiang Baoyan that you're saying these angry words?!"
"Jiang Baoyan? Huh, when did we add Jang Bo-Yeon into the mix? I really didn't notice."
"I've said it so many times, Jang Bo-Yeon is just a childhood friend, the daughter of my father's friend. That's why I take care of her more. We have no other feelings for each other."
Anna smiled and said, "I believe you. I’ve said before that as long as it's what you say, I believe it."
"Then why exactly?!"
"There’s no reason; I just want to break up. It’s that simple," Anna said casually.
Park Chan-yeol stared in shock at Anna's face. Her calm expression combined with the faint smile throughout pierced him deeply.
"What did you say? Say it again." Park Chan-yeol's hand tightened around Anna's neck, his large eyes glistening red.
Anna smiled and said, "I said, let's break up, Park Chan-yeol. I don't love you anymore."
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