Love in the Depths of Time (GL) - Chapter 16

Lin Xi wiped away her tears and forced herself to calm down. She knew that simply feeling sad wouldn’t help—she had to take action. She started organizing her study materials and told herself that from now on, she would focus all her energy on her studies. She put her phone on silent, placed it in a drawer, and stopped checking any messages. She knew that Jia Le might still text her, but she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted. She reminded herself to stay strong and work hard for her future.

Early the next morning, Lin Xi got up. She washed up quietly, put on a plain T-shirt and jeans, and tied her long hair into a simple ponytail. Her eyes were still slightly swollen in the mirror. She splashed cold water on her face, forcing herself to wake up.

“Up so early?” Fu Mei mumbled sleepily.

“Yeah, going to the library,” Lin Xi replied calmly, as if she hadn’t been crying her heart out the night before.

She became even more focused on her studies and decided to learn finance to prepare for her future career. The campus was quiet in the early morning, with only a few students jogging. Lin Xi walked quickly to the library, carrying a heavy backpack filled with finance textbooks. She had ordered them online the night before and picked them up first thing in the morning. In her free time and on weekends, she borrowed finance books from the library, studying everything from basic accounting principles to complex financial market analysis. She also enrolled in online finance courses, learning through videos and discussions to broaden her perspective.

From that day on, Lin Xi’s life became highly disciplined. She woke up at six every morning, practiced martial arts for an hour, then went to the library before classes started. At noon, she would grab a quick meal—either bread or instant noodles—before continuing her studies in the afternoon. In the evening, she worked part-time at a convenience store and only returned to the dormitory right before curfew. During this time, she gradually reduced her contact with Jia Le. She knew that her feelings had no future, and holding on would only bring more pain. She shifted her focus to self-improvement, striving to become more independent and strong.

She stopped going to internet cafés and no longer paid attention to Jia Le and He Xiaoyong. Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, a month had gone by. Lin Xi’s grades had improved significantly, and she had slowly moved on from her past relationship. She started joining school clubs and making new friends. She realized that she could be happy—even without Wen Jia Le.

One day, Lin Xi ran into He Xiaoyong and Jia Le on campus. They were holding hands, looking happy together. A sharp pain flashed in Lin Xi’s heart, but she quickly composed herself, smiling as she greeted them.

“Hi, He Xiaoyong, Jia Le. How have you been?”

They were slightly surprised but soon smiled back.

“Lin Xi, you look great!”

Lin Xi nodded. “Thanks. You two as well. I hope you’ll always be happy.”

She turned around and walked away, looking up at the sky, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill. She had thought she could face them calmly, thought she had moved on—but now she realized she had just been lying to herself. The pain in her heart was deeper than before, more overwhelming than the heartbreak she had once felt.

“Lin Xi,” Fu Mei couldn’t help but ask one day, “Are you really okay?”

Lin Xi was arranging the shelves at the convenience store. She paused for a moment before replying, “What could be wrong?”

“You…” Fu Mei hesitated. “You haven’t talked to Jia Le for a month now.”

Lin Xi placed the last bottle of drinks on the shelf and turned to organize the cash register. “She’s busy. I’m busy too.”

It was true—Jia Le was busy. Lin Xi often saw her photos with He Xiaoyong on social media. Sometimes they were at the library, sometimes in the cafeteria, sometimes on the sports field. In every photo, Jia Le was smiling happily.

Lin Xi silently gave the post a like and then continued with her tasks.

Yang Sheng was Jia Le’s best friend and also Lin Xi’s friend. She knew about Lin Xi’s feelings for Jia Le and had always encouraged her to confess. But when Lin Xi decided to let go, Yang Sheng seemed unwilling to accept it.

Lin Xi understood Yang Sheng’s good intentions, but she knew she needed time to heal and to reevaluate her life. So, she started distancing herself from Yang Sheng. She no longer took the initiative to contact her or attend the gatherings she organized. Yang Sheng noticed the change and tried to reach out, but Lin Xi always declined, saying she was busy. Yang Sheng felt a bit disappointed, but she respected Lin Xi’s decision.

As the high school entrance exams approached, tension filled the air on campus. Every student was making their final efforts to prepare. During this time, cracks also began to appear in He Xiaoyong and Jia Le’s relationship. The stress of academics and their different future plans led to growing conflicts between them. Eventually, after a heated argument, they decided to break up.

Throughout their time together, Jia Le had always felt an emptiness inside her, as if something was missing. She had tried to communicate with He Xiaoyong, hoping to find a solution, but in the end, she realized that their personalities were just too different to continue. Making the decision to break up was painful, but she knew it was the best choice for both of them. Though heartbroken, Jia Le quickly realized that she couldn’t let emotions drag her down. She decided to devote all her energy to her studies, pushing herself to prepare for the upcoming high school entrance exam. In the end, her hard work paid off—she managed to score well enough to barely get into a top high school.

Meanwhile, Lin Xi was completely immersed in her own world. She focused entirely on studying and working part-time, completely unaware of Jia Le and He Xiaoyong’s breakup. She had only one goal in mind—to achieve excellent results in the entrance exam and get into her dream high school. She studied tirelessly, dedicating all her energy to her academics and chasing her dreams.