Second Male Lead to One, Male Lead to Another (Part 2)

219 He Wouldn't Fall for His Lies

Li Ming gave himself another moment before he finally slowly started to recount, hardly stopping to take a breath until he reached the end. "So, in retrospect, I'm realizing that nothing that happened in these months was real." He had put down the beer bottle sometime through the story and was now raising his hands in a motion of confusion and bewilderment.

"From the personality I thought he had, to the things we planned for our dates, to whatever happened, everything was either just something he acted out, embellished, or just straight up made up. I don't know. I just ... I can't live like this."

Rui Lan looked incredibly uncomfortable on the other side of the table while Cang Gui Ying looked downright horrified.

Li Ming shook his head, not sure whether it was at the situation, at his own decision to actually recount the story, or at the whole situation altogether. "I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't pull you into this matter. Especially you, Sis Cang. You're going to have to work with him and I really don't want to influence your perception of him."

"I mean it's not like you're making something up here. We saw how he was acting. He kind of pulled all of us into this by himself."

Rui Lan nodded. "Yes, that matter with Boss Mo throwing him out? I felt that it was strange back then already. Boss Mo has always made clear that his son is his absolute darling and the only person that might be more important is his wife. He would never throw him out. Well, it makes sense now if all of that was just a lie as well. Honestly, his poor father. It's no wonder he can't keep a relationship."

Li Ming faintly furrowed his brows. Yes, this did make him wonder just what was going on with Mo Fang's relationships. Was it always things like this that would make them end?

Could it be that while he had thought that Lan Heng was an abusive piece of shit, that there had actually been more to all of that and maybe it wasn't all his fault? Maybe Mo Fang himself had had a hand in that somehow?

He honestly wasn't sure anymore. And that was quite a lot considering that that guy had tried to hit him the first time they met. He was pretty sure that usually, he wouldn't doubt his judgment there. But now, Mo Fang had managed to make him reconsider everything. Yes, right now, it really felt as if his whole life was a lie.

"Anyway, after that phone call, it was just too much for me. I couldn't stay there. So I just prepared the food for tomorrow morning, and then I left and called you."

Rui Lan scoffed, reached over, and patted his leg. "Good decision! In any case, I also wouldn't have wanted to stay with him after that. Who knows what he would have come up with if you really stayed in your apartment with him? In the worst case, he might've wrapped you around his little finger again."

Li Ming nodded. "To be honest, I'm kind of afraid of that. I ... I just want to be done with this. There is no use in even trying. I couldn't trust him anymore. I also don't really want to see him anymore. To think that we will have to work together in the future ... I honestly don't know what to do."

"Hey!" Rui Lan shook his head. "Don't think about that. Not right now. You have a free day tomorrow so you don't need to consider that for now. Also, you're not the only one on the team and Boss Mo is really understanding.

"Also, he definitely knows how his son is. He'll probably be devastated that you broke up though. I think he really likes you. But honestly, he'll understand. He might even put you in another shift.

"And if he doesn't, then we'll cover for you. Just make your round somewhere else or maybe we'll switch you into one of the stationary positions. We'll figure something out. That's really the last thing that you need to worry about."

Li Ming nodded, feeling a little better about it. "Thanks."

"No problem. Look, when Xiao Ying and I broke up back then, you guys were also there for us." He originally wanted to say more but he slowly trailed off at that and looked away, feeling that this really wasn't the right thing to say.

He and Cang Gui Ying had actually gotten back together after being separated for several months so he didn't think that this was the type of example he should remind Li Ming of.

Because honestly, if he had thought that Mo Fang was bad news at the beginning of their relationship, then at the end of it, he was sure of it. And he didn't want any doubt to occur that he might approve of another attempt between them. He definitely didn't. In fact, he felt like he should make that clearer.

He motioned at Li Ming, his gaze serious. "Promise me you won't reconsider this. You'll definitely be broken up after this, right? No getting back together? No second chances? It's over once and for all?"

Li Ming smiled wryly at that. "Honestly? I wouldn't even know how we could get back together. This kind of breach of trust ... I don't see that ever healing. So there's really no reason to fear that." While he said so, his heart broke a little inside.

The perfect relationship he had wanted, that he had almost seen himself have, it was gone just like that. Just one conversation, one phone call, and now it was over.

This ... It really wasn't how he had thought it would end. If it would ever end. And even though he knew that he was making the right decision in breaking up, he had to admit that it still pained him greatly.

If there would have been another way, then he definitely wouldn't have wanted to do this. But it wasn't healthy to stay together. If they did, he would only lose himself. And that ... He couldn't do that. He had once made a mistake when he had believed Zhi Bao Yu's lies and done something unforgivable because of that. He wouldn't fall for Mo Fang's. He definitely wouldn't.