Chapter 28: Parting

Chapter 28: Parting Ways

In romantic relationships, Gao Yun had a peculiar flaw: he never asked anyone to stay. When Daria left Hushi last time, he hadn’t uttered a single word of persuasion.

The same applied to breakups. If a girlfriend brought up breaking up—whether she was serious, just angry, or joking—Gao Yun would agree without a moment’s hesitation, never dragging things out.

However, girls these days often kept the word "breakup" on their lips. Especially when they were in a fit of rage; if you handed them a shovel, they’d be bold enough to dig up your ancestors' graves.

This was the reason Gao Yun had been dumped five times. Yet, he stubbornly held onto the belief that while a woman might be entitled to say anything without consequence in other matters—standing you up, throwing tantrums, or going back on her word—the matter of a breakup required accountability.

Gao Yun knew this trait of his was pathologically stubborn. Expecting a woman to mean what she says is like waiting for the sun to rise in the west, but it was a bottom line and a principle he simply could not compromise on.

This time was no exception. Gao Yun didn’t ask her to stay, but unlike before, he sang a song to express his feelings.

On the night before her departure, they had a bit to drink. Gao Yun took out the guitar he hadn’t touched in a long time and sang a Russian love song, "I Just Want to Be With You," which he had learned specifically for Daria after a previous breakup.

The soft, lyrical sound of the guitar, accompanied by Gao Yun’s low, affectionate Russian vocals, filled the room.

"Beautiful melodies played only for you.
Only for you.
In the dead of night, I wait bitterly for your call.
Don’t leave me in this endless void.
The distance between you and me cannot be measured.
Singing this song at a rainy dawn, cooling the tears.
Beautiful melodies played only for you, I only want to look into your eyes.
I just want to be with you.
Dreams are like being in a trance.
The most important thing is that we will be together forever."

Perhaps all lovers in the world face similar problems; as Daria listened to the song, she felt it described their story of breaking up and reconciling across the distance.

When the song ended, Daria opened her arms and hugged him, her pale blue eyes brimming with tears, looking incredibly touched. "Love me!"

Then, fueled by the alcohol, the two began to wrestle. After a long period of passion, reason returned, and they eventually collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

Daria lit a cigarette, propped herself up on one elbow, and looked at Gao Yun. Seeing him staring blankly at the ceiling, she deliberately took a deep drag and blew the smoke directly at him. When she saw him frown, she flashed a mischievous, triumphant grin.

"Quit," Gao Yun finally couldn't help but say. He knew it was useless; never try to change your girlfriend—it’s impossible. All you can do is find one who doesn't need changing.

Daria chuckled dismissively. "There’s a Russian saying: quitting smoking and drinking makes your body healthy, but it won’t make you happy." She countered, "Do you want me to be unhappy?"

Sophistry—it’s a woman’s prerogative.

Gao Yun took a deep breath and blew the smoke near her away from himself.

Silence followed. Then, Daria spoke again: "Why don't we continue? We could travel while filming, and I could even put my modeling work on hold for a while."

Sometimes Gao Yun wondered how a girl who understood Marxist philosophy could be such a thorough hedonist.

"Actually, I love sweets, but I rarely eat them; I only have them once a month. Travel is the same. It’s wonderful, but it’s only a part of my life, not the main plot."

"You know me, Daria."

Gao Yun paused and said earnestly, "Fitness—the repetitive, dull training day after day, feeling the breakthrough of every physical attribute, the change in muscle mass and definition—I am obsessed with this."

"Even with other hobbies: fighting, guitar, street dance... whenever I train hard, gradually master them, and improve little by little, when I can skillfully utilize them, I love that feeling so much."

"I feel this is the meaning of life: progress! Constant progress! Whether it’s my body or anything else, only progress makes me feel real joy."

"Video games don't do it, movies don't do it, travel doesn't do it. I used to be obsessed with those forms of entertainment, but now, I’ve moved past that stage. I enjoy these things more."

Gao Yun was speaking from the heart. Even without the system, he would have thought this way; it was just that back then, he had to struggle for a living and had to give up many things. Only fitness and his work were things he had managed to stick with.

Daria felt helpless about this and sighed, "Alright, Yun, I feel like you’re even more ambitious than before."

*Well, it might also be because of the money.*

Gao Yun thought this to himself, but said, "I’m just sticking to what I like; it’s not really ambition."

Afterward, the couple had a deep and direct conversation about their respective futures.

Daria’s attitude remained the same: she wanted to be a famous model, earn more money to buy expensive things, live in more prosperous cities or developed countries, and travel the world.

Gao Yun also made his thoughts clear: travel would only be a seasoning; one must eventually return to reality. As a man, he had to have a career to support himself and couldn't spend every day wandering around with her. He told Daria he wouldn't live in a small place like Hushi for long; his next stop would definitely be one of the country’s first-tier cities, where he would continue to invest in the fitness industry and grow it into a powerhouse.

Daria agreed with Gao Yun’s plan to leave Hushi for a first-tier city, so they barely managed to reach a consensus.

The next morning, Gao Yun drove Daria to the airport in a neighboring city. In front of the departure hall, they hugged for a long time.

A few curious passengers passed by, and seeing the affectionate couple, they secretly took out their phones to record videos. Gao Yun didn't care; he gave his girlfriend a deep kiss.

After a long while, they parted.

Gao Yun said affectionately in Russian, "Ya lyublyu tebya, moy angel." (I love you, my angel.)

Daria’s eyes filled with tears. She nodded heavily and responded in Russian, "Kogda ya smotryu v tvoi glaza, ya vizhu, kak sil'no ty menya lyubish'." (When I look into your eyes, I can see how much you love me.)

Coincidentally, Daria had said this exact sentence to Gao Yun via a voice message while he was sitting in a taxi on the eve of their reconciliation.

Now, as they were about to part, hearing these words again left Gao Yun with mixed emotions.

After more lingering, as the flight departure time approached, they finally said their goodbyes.

One returned to Hushi, the other flew toward Shanghai.

There was emotion, certainly, but was he heartbroken?

Gao Yun honestly didn't feel it.

On the contrary, on the way back, while driving his Ferrari 812 GTS with one hand on the highway, he almost laughed out loud as he looked at his skill panel.

[Russian; (Advanced) 1%]
[Reward of 5 million RMB available, claim now?]

"Oh, wow. Maybe I can find a few foreign girlfriends who speak English later to level up my English."

This thought flashed through Gao Yun’s mind, making him feel deeply guilty.

*How could I be like this? We haven't even officially broken up yet, and I'm already thinking about the next one!*

Gao Yun hated his own lack of morality and slammed the steering wheel in condemnation, "You scumbag! Couldn't you wait until after the breakup to think about that?! Is a few days really that big a deal?!"

...

In the days that followed, Gao Yun continued to busy himself with the initial setup of the gym.

He didn't need to participate in the pre-sales; a few experts had taken full charge, and their commissions were tied to the results. They were capable and hardworking, and the pre-sales were going very well. Even before the grand opening, the whole city basically knew about "Yunhai Fitness."

The recruitment of new coaches, instructors, and cleaning staff was underway. His four old subordinates were in charge of interviews, and they, along with Liu Xingsheng, kept an eye on the renovation progress, so Gao Yun didn't need to worry too much.

The only remaining task was the selection of fitness equipment, which was a bit of a hassle. Gao Yun spent five days traveling across the country, personally visiting various manufacturers to test the gear.

In the end, he selected several brands recognized in the industry for their quality and feel. Due to certain well-known reasons, the prices were actually much lower than before, which was an unexpected bonus.

Gao Yun paid the deposit. The renovation was expected to be finished in two months; the timing was perfect.