In the office.
Faced with the request from this man who had not abandoned the company during its most difficult period, Brother Xu thought for a long time before speaking slowly:
"Have you really... thought it through? Now the company has finally gotten back on track, and we are waiting for the game license to come down, and for the new game to go online, so that everyone can get a salary increase and bonuses."
"I've thought it through, Brother Xu." Mei Fang nodded. "I can't let go of family matters, so I've handed over all the work that needs to be handed over. We can keep in touch online anytime for the rest, but today is officially my resignation."
"How about you be suspended from work, or work from home? Think about it again."
"Don't be like that, Brother Xu." Mei Fang shook his head gently. "My job is to plan. If I'm at home, I can't push forward the work at all, and I can't guarantee that I will always be in front of the computer. So, for the future of the company, it's better to let someone else do this job."
"Well... well, if you insist."
Brother Xu thought about it, and finally sighed and said, "I really haven't thought about the situation where you leave except the company's bankruptcy."
"I'm sorry." Mei Fang said softly, "I failed everyone's expectations."
"Don't say that. You didn't let the company down. It's me, the boss, who let you down."
Brother Xu thought about it and then said, "After you leave, I will ask HR to pay you six months' salary. Remember to check the payment then."
Mei Fang waved his hands and shook his head after hearing this, saying, "Brother Xu, I resigned on my own initiative, I was not fired by the company, so I don't need severance pay. The company hasn't completely gotten over the situation yet—"
"Hey, don't be so shameless. I know a little bit about your situation. You really need money right now. Besides, this money is not much. I owe you. Your ability and your salary are totally mismatched..."
It took Brother Xu a lot of persuasion to get Mei Fang to accept the compensation.
After coming out of the office, many people in the company stood up and looked at Mei Fang, which made him feel inexplicably touched.
So Mei Fang started packing her things, and her colleagues came over to help her.
An old subordinate named Xiao Cao asked Mei Fang timidly, "Would you like to have dinner together, Brother Fang? We'll treat you."
"Forget about today... Well, maybe another day."
"You are so stupid. Don't you know what day it is today? How can it be your turn to have dinner with Brother Fang?"
"Fuck, today is already Chinese Valentine's Day! It's so fast!"
Xiao Cao scratched his head and said speechlessly, "Why are there so many Valentine's Days every year? How can I, a single dog, live?"
Mei Fang followed Xiao Cao's words and teased, "Aren't you going to squat in the trash can today?"
"No more squatting, no more squatting, I'm happier playing games at home, Baldur's Gate 3 is number one in the world!"
"You kid..."
The laughter caused by Xiao Cao eased the sad farewell atmosphere.
After saying goodbye to all her colleagues and making plans to have dinner and chat together when they have time, Mei Fang dragged her suitcase and got on the car to go home.
Looking at the severance pay that had arrived in his account on his phone, Mei Fang let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.
The golden setting sun shone through the taxi window onto Mei Fang's face. The deep dark circles under his eyes were clearly visible, and he looked extremely tired without a trace of energy.
After getting off the car, Mei Fang ran back home quickly with her suitcase. When she opened the door, she heard a loud noise coming from inside the house. Mei Fang opened the door hurriedly and rushed into the bedroom without even changing her shoes. Then she saw Lin Youxi sitting on the floor.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Lin Youxi rubbed his eyes and the back of his head, his words full of grievance: "When I was sleeping, I turned over and fell to the ground... It hurts."
"Did you hit the back of your head? Let me see..."
Lin Youxi snuggled in Mei Fang's arms, lowered her head and let Mei Fang check on her condition.
"There's a bump here. I'll go get you some safflower oil to apply on it."
As soon as Mei Fang stood up, Lin Youxi grabbed the corner of his clothes.
"Afang..."
There was already a hint of tears in Lin Youxi's voice, and her messy hair covered her bangs.
"Don't abandon me... Don't leave me alone."
"How could that be? I just went to get some safflower oil."
"I just had a dream. I dreamed that you left me. You couldn't stand my torture and left me alone and went far away."
"Tell me, would it be better if I died?"
Lin Youxi rubbed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.
"You and Xiaoyu should be very happy..."
"Don't say that... Don't think that."
Mei Fang knelt down and hugged Lin Youxi, holding her hand tightly with her fingers interlocked—
Ever since they decided to walk towards destruction together, Lin Youxi has had several terrifying scars on her wrists.
Lin Youxi, who has been eroded by depression, is only awake for a short period of time every day. The rest of the time, he is either feeling sorry for himself or trying to destroy himself.
Mei Fang tried to spare as much time as possible to accompany her. Lin Youxi, who was in a frenzy, often stayed awake all night, and Mei Fang could only accompany her and watch over her to prevent her from doing anything unreasonable.
Mei Fang coaxed her to sleep during the day before dragging his tired body to work. Now he is exhausted.
For Lin Youxi now, the best treatment is to go to a mental hospital for physical therapy.
This is called electrotherapy.
However, after several electric shocks, Lin Youxi's symptoms were not effectively relieved. On the contrary, the sight of her struggling in pain and crying made Mei Fang feel distressed and desperate.
After rejecting the doctor's suggestion of hospitalization, Mei Fang thought about it and finally made up her mind to resign. She returned to Lin Youxi's side and served as her 24-hour caregiver.
We will never be separated again.
Neither does death.
Mei Fang, who was holding Lin Youxi, felt that the other party's emotions were gradually calming down, so he asked softly:
"Youxi, today is Chinese Valentine's Day. How about we go out for a walk? Let's go on a date after a long time to celebrate the end of my working life. How about it?"
Lin Youxi shook his head.
"No... I'm old and ugly... I'll only embarrass you if I go out..."
"How could that be? My Youxi is pretty and beautiful. She is a beauty that everyone envies, okay?"
Mei Fang coaxed Lin Youxi to take a bath and wash her hair, helped her blow dry her hair, and when she was braiding her hair, Lin Youxi looked at her decadent and deranged self in the mirror, and suddenly felt extremely scared and wanted to retreat.
"Fang, I still... I still don't go out. My cosmetics are either expired or I've run out of them."
"It's my fault! I was so busy with work that I didn't buy these for you. I'll buy them for you now."
As Mei Fang spoke, he opened his phone tremblingly to place an order, but Lin Youxi snatched the phone away.
"I can't deliver it even if I buy it now. I won't go out. There must be a lot of people here today."
"Wait a minute... Can I ask Xiaoyu? I can borrow some from her, or ask her to help you with your makeup? Okay?"
After hesitating for a while, Lin Youxi nodded slightly.
At the same time, Liu Xiaoyu was invited by her good friend Yue Xinyi to go out for dinner.
After finally getting into the crowded restaurant, Liu Xiaoyu rested his chin on his hand and watched Yue Xinyi order dishes. He immediately asked curiously:
"Why did you choose this day to have dinner?"
"Humph! I just want to take the seats of those loving couples, so that they can't get in line at the restaurant, get mad, blame each other, and then break up! Humph!"
"Please be kind... Don't take revenge on society just because you don't have a partner."
"What do you care about me? I'm going to blow this unfriendly Earth to pieces with one punch!"
"Okay, okay..."
Liu Xiaoyu smiled helplessly, while Yue Xinyi chatted while flipping through the menu:
"Speaking of which, I haven't heard from Mei Fang and You Xi in a while. They haven't updated their Moments in a long time. How are they doing recently... do you know?"
"Um… "
Liu Xiaoyu shook his head. "I heard that Mei Fang didn't seem to be at work anymore."
"You're taking care of her, right? Didn't you let her be hospitalized for treatment? The first few times she made such a big fuss, I almost thought Youxi was hopeless."
"The hospital environment... he must be worried."
"I see you're worried too."
Yue Xinyi closed the menu and pointed at Liu Xiaoyu:
"Don't let them get you into trouble. I've noticed that you look pretty bad lately. You've been worrying about that ill-fated couple, right?"
"Really? I didn't even mention it today."
"You were scrolling through your phone while I was talking to you. You must be waiting for messages from other people."
Yue Xinyi sighed, "To be honest, it's a relief for them to leave together. What are you doing here? You were happier before you met Mei Fang, but now you're like a female lickspittle."
Liu Xiaoyu frowned slightly and smiled bitterly: "It's a bit unpleasant to say that..."
"Can I not say something unpleasant? Look at you now—"
Liu Xiaoyu and Yue Xinyi were talking when they saw a message pop up on their phones. Liu Xiaoyu's attention was diverted and he immediately replied with a few words, then made a voice call and left his seat.
After a while, Liu Xiaoyu returned to her seat. Yue Xinyi looked dissatisfied as she watched her busying around:
"Today is Chinese Valentine's Day, what do they want you to do?"
Liu Xiaoyu said this as she packed her bag.
"They want to go shopping, but Youxi has no makeup to use, so I'll go and help her put on some makeup... You eat first, it's my treat today."
"Liu Xiaoyu, are you sick?"
Yue Xinyi finally couldn't help but slammed the table and yelled at Liu Xiaoyu. The other customers in the restaurant looked at them:
"They are seeking death together, why are you trying to make it up? Are you trying to please yourself? Even if Lin Youxi dies, Mei Fang will die with her. What is your place in that?"
Liu Xiaoyu lowered his head and accepted Yue Xinyi's scolding, "I didn't intend to interfere with their relationship... I just... just-"
“I long for their feelings.”
"And I also believe that there must be a reason why he and I met again, and there must be some way I can help them."
Then Liu Xiaoyu looked up and smiled.
"If you insist, just treat it as me collecting materials, right?"
"I'm really impressed. You can't even live a good life as a young lady, but you're just trying to get material here. You're also—"
Yue Xinyi bit her lip and let out a long sigh, then continued to look at the menu and prepared to order. "Just be a licking dog. It's better to blow up the earth with one punch. Everyone is going crazy."
Liu Xiaoyu even stuck out his tongue playfully and teased Yue Xinyi, "Of all novel writers, there are few who are not crazy..."
Liu Xiaoyu quickly calmed down in the taxi.
She went home to tidy up first, and then went to Mei Fang and Lin Youxi's home.
After opening the door, she saw Mei Fang with a dazed look in his eyes.
It has been a while since they last saw Lin Youxi after the accident. His spirit and energy are completely different from before the game was released.
The change was so great that Liu Xiaoyu couldn't help but tear up.
"M-Sorry for bothering you to come... Thank you so much for coming."
"It's okay. I should have come to see you guys a long time ago."
Liu Xiaoyu's voice was a little choked, but she tried to lower her voice so that Mei Fang would not notice.
"Is Youxi awake now?"
"In the bedroom, I'll take you there..."
Mei Fang said softly to Liu Xiaoyu, "Please don't be afraid of her. She won't hurt you."
"I'm not afraid of her, I'm not afraid."
Liu Xiaoyu smiled gently and shook his head.
Lin Youxi's consciousness has returned to an unconscious state. She ignored Liu Xiaoyu's words, but she was very cooperative when Liu Xiaoyu was doing her makeup. Mei Fang was also waiting in the living room.
Lin Youxi calmly looked at Liu Xiaoyu applying foundation in the mirror. She was silent, but when she saw Liu Xiaoyu sniffing uncontrollably, she suddenly asked:
"Are you crying?"
"No, no... Look at you now, don't you look much better like this?"
With Liu Xiaoyu's carefully applied makeup, Lin Youxi regained 70% to 80% of her usual pretty face. With her expressionless face, she looked like a cold and taciturn ice beauty, but there was still some sense of dementia in her lifeless eyes.
"It looks great, thank you... Thank you so much."
Lin Youxi held Liu Xiaoyu's hand and said, "But I have to say sorry to you, too. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry... what?"
"Afang can't give it to you now."
Lin Youxi said softly, "I have an appointment with him."
"I won't steal it." Liu Xiaoyu smiled.
Liu Xiaoyu led Lin Youxi, who had changed her clothes and put on makeup, out of the bedroom.
Mei Fang, who was waiting in the living room, was very happy when she saw Lin Youxi's appearance.
"I told you that you are still very beautiful, right? You can look like this after a simple make-up."
"This is not easy at all." Lin Youxi smiled and shook her head, then looked at Liu Xiaoyu and said, "Can you help Ah Fang clean up as well?"
"Me? I don't need it... No, I really don't need it." Mei Fang waved his hand immediately.
"You've already caused Xiaoyu a lot of trouble, so don't cause any more trouble."
"It's okay... It's no trouble, I'll help you style it quickly."
Liu Xiaoyu said softly, "You guys go out on a date, you have to take pictures... It's not good for you to be like this."
"I think Xiaoyu is right."
Lin Youxi nodded and smiled, then pushed Mei Fang into the bedroom and locked him and Liu Xiaoyu in the same room.
"… "
Liu Xiaoyu didn't expect Lin Youxi to suddenly close the door, but Mei Fang didn't get up to open the door at this time. Instead, he took this opportunity to pick up his mobile phone and transferred three thousand yuan to Liu Xiaoyu.
“I don’t know what to buy you to thank you… This is just a small token of my appreciation, so please accept it.”
"What do I need your money for? I, I... You're really being disheartening."
Facing Mei Fang's words, Liu Xiaoyu seemed very angry, but she spoke very softly, as if she was afraid that Lin Youxi would hear. Her sudden anger made Mei Fang a little at a loss:
"S-Sorry... I really want to repay you."
"We are friends. We have been friends for so many years. Friends should help each other, right?"
"That's why..."
Mei Fang bit her lip. "I no longer have the ability to help you, or... if there is anything you want me to do for you, I can do it, I can-"
He stood in front of him, looking haggard and depressed, completely different from the high-spirited game producer in Nuclear Fusion when they met again. This servile posture was quite ugly in the eyes of ordinary people.
But Liu Xiaoyu did not dislike it.
She held Mei Fang's arm to support him, then took him to sit on the chair in front of the dressing table. The two people looked at each other in the mirror.
"I only ask one thing of you, that you live with her, okay?"
Liu Xiaoyu said softly, "I still want to drink at your wedding.
"We will try our best."
"Don't be so depressed, cheer up!"
Liu Xiaoyu patted Mei Fang on the shoulder and said, "Recall your omnipotent attitude in high school, and you will be able to solve all difficulties."
"You must have a confused memory. How could I be omnipotent when I was in high school?" Mei Fang couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"No? I just felt that when we were deskmates, you seemed to know everything... You dared to try everything, you were fearless, and you would do what you said. Even if the results were not satisfactory, you could have a clear conscience..."
"Is that so?"
Mei Fang smiled and shook her head, "Now I only remember that I was very humble at that time. After seeing you shine on the stage of the Top Ten Singers, I didn't even dare to say hello to you."
"Is... is it because I participated in the Top Ten Singers?"
Liu Xiaoyu was surprised and said, "No wonder I felt that you suddenly became indifferent to me after that. Later, when we sat apart, you didn't talk to me anymore. I thought I did something to make you hate me..."
"How could it be..."
Mei Fang smiled and shook his head, "At that time—"
"At that time, I liked you."
After hearing Mei Fang's words, Liu Xiaoyu's hand hanging in the air suddenly stopped for a long time and never lifted up.
"Huh?"
"Just kidding..."
"No kidding, it should be okay to talk about this now, right?"
Mei Fang smiled and shook her head. "It was at that time that I felt inferior, fragile, and sensitive. When I saw you shining brightly on the stage, I had many ideas, but most of them ended up failing. When I saw you coming down from the stage and being surrounded by everyone, I suddenly felt that we were not from the same world. I felt that I was not worthy of standing with you. Do you know that..."
"How could they not be a match? Didn't we talk nonstop when we were at the same table? I thought—"
"You're like this to everyone. You have something to talk about with everyone, right?"
"Well... yes... I don't like fighting with others..." Liu Xiaoyu bit her lip.
"so."
Mei Fang nodded gently, "But it's all in the past."
"Yeah, it's all over."
Liu Xiaoyu continued to take care of Mei Fang, helped him with his hairstyle, then took him out of the bedroom and sent him to Lin Youxi, who was about to fall asleep on the sofa in the living room.
Lin Youxi rubbed his eyes, and when he saw Mei Fang cheering up and smiling, his expression also became a little happier.
"Afang is so handsome!"
Lin Youxi smiled and took Mei Fang's arm, then bowed hard to Liu Xiaoyu behind her, "Thank you, thank you, Xiaoyu."
"You're welcome, you're welcome..." Liu Xiaoyu smiled softly, "Today is Chinese Valentine's Day, let's have fun."
"We'll take you back."
"No, no, can I stay at your house for a while? I'll go back later and I'll close the door for you."
"Then...then—"
Mei Fang and Lin Youxi thanked Liu Xiaoyu for his kindness, and then went out together to celebrate the Chinese Valentine's Day.
"Remember, Youxi?"
"Remember what?"
"The first time I met you was on Valentine's Day."
"Remember... I was drunk at the time, and you were on the phone with your mother, talking about whether you had a date—"
"Now I finally have it."
"Does it feel worse now than being single? It's still more comfortable to be single."
"No, it's great." Mei Fang paused, "I feel very happy."
Mei Fang and Lin Youxi finished their date chatting and laughing as they hadn't done in a long time.
Liu Xiaoyu stayed in their home. She sat quietly on the sofa. She had been patient for a long time since she started styling Mei Fang's hair. Finally, she didn't have to endure it anymore and let her tears flow down.
Happy Chinese Valentine's Day, Afang, Youxi.
This is the first Valentine's Day that Mei Fang and Lin Youxi have experienced since they agreed to go to destruction together.
If you want to celebrate Valentine's Day again, you have to survive this winter...
[I still remember]
[The feeling you once gave me]
[There is a thunder and rain in my heart]
[You change the weather with a wave of your hand]
You fell in love with me
[But it is the perfect version of me]
Now I worry about falling
[Cliffs and steep cliffs]
[Friends told me]
[Let me stop being obsessed]
You probably shouldn’t forget
[We were once as sweet as honey]
[Your performance is horrible]
[I don't want to see you like this anymore]
But in the morning of the next day
[You're sorry]
[No more mentioning]
I don't need a bouquet of flowers from you
Don't give me a knife either.
I try to change
[It has changed countless times]
All the rainy nights
[I always wish you were by my side]
I want to know why.
[Time cannot be reversed—]
—"Perfect Version Of Me"
Well, now the revision is finished, everyone, happy Chinese Valentine's Day! Thank you to my pure female high school reader Xiao Ningmeng who has been with me and chatting with me today, especially during this period of time, she often asked me (sao) how I am (rao), showed me her sweet girl photos, and brought very, very healing comfort to my sick and boring writing life!
By the way, Xiao Lemon is in the V5 group, and group members can find her from her name!
(End of this chapter)