Stephen's messages hadn't stopped since morning. Jess kept sending him urgent and pressing messages, regardless of whether he was in a meeting or with clients.

Six months ago, when they first got together, Jess would call him every one or two hours, which had a considerable impact on his work. After multiple requests, it was finally changed to text messages.

Surprisingly, Stephen didn't mind Jess' excessive dependence and eager longing. The young man's burning passion, which consumed everything, honestly, touched him deeply.

Passion, desire, and intense sex... They filled his otherwise calm and stable life, becoming the primary reason for his infidelity.

He finished his work early and left the company at eleven o'clock. At eleven fifteen, he arrived at the residential area across from the company.

He had rented a house here for a long time, using it to accommodate his lover when they were together and occasionally staying overnight when work ran late.

He didn't ring the doorbell, but the sound of the electronic lock being unlocked had already alerted the person waiting inside the room. When the door was pulled open, Jess rushed into his arms, wrapping his arms around his neck and lifting his legs up.

Stephen held onto Jess' buttocks, carrying this beautiful boy, who was like a little cat, into the house and putting him on the couch.

"Honey, why are you here so late?"

"I have a lot of work to do at the company. 

"You said you were in charge of many people as a boss, but you're still busy. Are your employees not doing their job?"

Stephen sat across from him.

"I'm not the boss, I'm just responsible for managing the company. It's very busy." 

Jess couldn't quite figure out what Stephen did, but he had a rough idea that he was in charge of some company. He didn't intend to find out more. As long as this man came to him, he was happy. If Stephen could stay and not worry about work, let alone go back to that "home," it would be even better. 

"Oh, I haven't had the chance to cook yet, so no takeout today." Jess jumped up, a pampered look on his face, and gestured excitedly. "You said you'd come for lunch, so I went out to buy groceries in the morning. I've been learning to cook lately, let me show off my skills to you..." 

Jess, who was about to leave, was pulled back by Stephen's hand.

"Sit down first." 

There was a hint of displeasure in the man's voice, which left the boy somewhat bewildered. Out of habit, he was about to sit on Stephen's lap. 

"What's wrong, honey?" 

Stephen pushed him aside and took out a bracelet, tossing it into his arms. 

A tinge of embarrassment flashed across Jess' face, but he quickly put on his best adorable attitude. 

"Oh, this bracelet. I looked for it for a long time, thinking I had lost it. Turns out it was with you. That's great..."

He grabbed the bracelet and put it on his wrist, reaching out to wrap his arms around Stephen's neck. 

But Stephen dodged away. 

"Jess, let's end it here." 

"..." 

The boy raised his arm and froze for a moment. 

He put away his coquettish and obedient demeanor, a trace of panic freezing on his face. 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Exactly what you heard. Let's break up." 

"...I don't agree." 

The boy stood up with a jerk, breathing heavily in anger. He pointed at Stephen's nose. 

" What do you take me for? A little cat or dog? Can you just throw me away when you're done?" 

Stephen slowly lifted his eyelids, his tone unchanged. 

"This is the second time. The last time you attempted to follow me home, I warned you not to cross my bottom line and gave you a chance." 

"I can't divorce. That was the consensus we reached from the beginning. With your repeated flip-flopping, I really can't continue with you." 

"That's it, move out of here within a week. Use this money to ease your mind." 

"..."

The boy was furious, grabbing the card from the coffee table and forcefully throwing it at Stephen's face, but unfortunately, it was just a small card and couldn't even hurt him. 

"Do you think I'm with you for the money? Stephen, you bastard, asshole..." 

Jess grabbed his collar and pushed and shoved him, while Stephen lowered his gaze, letting the boy vent his anger.

Until tears gradually filled the boy's face, he no longer had the strength to continue and slowly squatted down, crying bitterly while hugging his knees.

Stephen handed him a stack of papers, and Jess grabbed his hand, dragging his sobbing voice. 

"I don't want to break up, I don't want to be apart from you. Can't I change and not force you to divorce? Don't throw me away..." 

"I didn't throw you away. You're still young, you will meet new people in the future who can give you everything you want." 

"I don't want... I only want you..." 

The boy stood up, holding his hand and once again pouncing into his arms. 

"Stephen, I really like you... I've never liked anyone like this before..."

Stephen allowed Jess to cry in his arms, without refusing or attempting to comfort him, waiting for him to cry it out.

This wasn't the first time a man cried in his arms during a breakup, and it probably wouldn't be the last. He knows, arguments, pushing and shoving, crying, and even slapping, were all side effects of a breakup. But after crying and arguing, people will eventually part ways. 

Even if the other person hasn't loved enough, "love" is something that requires two people to arise and be maintained, while parting ways only demands the agreement of one person.

Stephen enjoyed love and was more than willing to reciprocate with love, money, time, and even more. But the possessiveness that love derived always forced him to destroy his family, attempted to make him divorce, and that was the only thing Stephen couldn't accept. 

Even though in all his relationships, he would make it clear from the beginning that he was married and wouldn't divorce, and he would never take off the ring on his ring finger. 

There was a lover who once said that his behavior was ridiculous—clearly cheating, yet still wearing a wedding ring that symbolized loyalty and vows. 

Ridiculous, perhaps, life itself is perhaps a comedy. And at this moment, he played the role of the heartless person who initiated the breakup. 

"You said you loved me, Stephen, you said you only loved me..." 

"I'm sorry." 

This apology once again stirred up the boy's emotions, and he began to wildly beat Stephen's body, "I don't want to be sorry... why are you treating me like this... why..." 

"I'm sorry." 

This back-and-forth continued from the morning until the afternoon, and Jess finally became exhausted and could no longer cry. 

The two sat at one end of the sofa, with only their respective silence and Jess' occasional sobbing. 

When the clock on the wall reached three in the afternoon, Stephen stood up, "I'm leaving." 

"Stephen..." Jess looked at him with a pair of swollen, tear-filled eyes. 

"Is loving someone a form of punishment?" 

"...I'm sorry." He walked towards the door. 

"Stephen..." Jess looked back, his eyes following Stephen's figure, tears once again wetting his eyes. 

Stephen turned around, waiting for his last question. 

"Did you really love me?" 

"... It's meaningless to say these things now." Stephen turned the doorknob.

Jess raised his voice, pursuing him once again, "Did you ever love me?"

As the entrance door closed with a "bang," something slammed against the door from behind.

Walking to the elevator, Stephen took a deep breath. As he exhaled slowly, he grew listless. Even before leaving the building, he already recalled the good things about Jess. The boy was willful and had a bad temper, but would listen to him. 

Jess loved him deeply and admired him greatly. 

Did he love him? Of course, he loved him.

Even now, in the midst of severing their relationship, he still had feelings and regrets. Emotions and rationality were not always in sync. People said they no longer loved. It didn't mean they truly stopped loving. But it had indeed reached the time to separate, and he could tolerate and endure everything else except for destroying his marriage. 

At his age, he wasn't as sentimental anymore. Weighing the pros and cons, he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice his family for a lover, no matter what. 

Arriving at the first floor, he went to find the building management. He asked them to help keep an eye out and notify him when the boy from Apartment 2008 upstairs moved out. 

Jess wouldn't stay here for long. His father was the boss of Huirun Group, and his father didn't even know that Jess was involved with a married man. 

Reality was always colder than imagination. When it came to long-term relationships, Stephen would always consider the risks of breaking up in advance and wouldn't intentionally get involved with someone he couldn't shake off. 

There was still work to be done at the company. He planned to take care of things here first before returning to the office, but he realized he had overestimated himself. Now he felt extremely frustrated and tired, longing to find a place to rest. 

He couldn't go back home, so he found a nearby hotel, rented a room, and ordered a meal. Although his stomach was growling with hunger, he couldn't eat now. 

His phone started ringing incessantly. After blocking Jess' communication, he began bombarding him with text messages, so he decided to turn it off. He collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep slumber. 

When he woke up, it was already pitch black outside. For a moment, Stephen didn't know where he was. He was in a state of immense emptiness and confusion, where everything was nothingness, and he was nothingness itself. 

After lying silently for a while, his consciousness slowly returned. He turned on his phone, and it was already after work hours. Countless messages and call logs followed. 

He ignored Jess' communications and returned calls to two work-related numbers. Then he called Joshua. 

"Josh, the company needs me to go on a sudden business trip. I'll leave tonight, just let you know." 

"How many days?" 

"Five days..." As the words came out, not knowing if it was because of this terrible time, he found some comfort in his husband's familiar and gentle voice. "I'll try to come back in three days." 

"Okay, take care of yourself outside, pay attention to your diet. It's terrible to have stomachaches when you're away from home."

In that moment, a hint of guilt resurfaced, causing him to pause. 

"Yeah, I know. You take care at home too."

Ending the call, he once again let out a long breath. Perhaps it was because he had slept for a while, his emotions had improved a bit since leaving the apartment. For the next three to five days, he could only temporarily stay in a hotel.