TVSFPAG -Chapter 169 A Grand Yet Silent Loneliness

No one knew how much time had passed when Quanquan finally got up on its own and walked toward its familiar dog bowl.

It stood in front of the bowl and glanced back at its owner.

Seeing that its owner wasn’t paying attention, it stretched out a paw and nudged the bowl, producing a sudden clattering sound.

The man, who had been immersed in his memories, finally noticed it. He slightly turned his head and looked toward where Quanquan was.

The room was too dark. Only the fleeting flashes of fireworks provided brief illumination, just enough to faintly reveal Quanquan’s glowing eyes.

Chu Jinhan put down his phone, first turned on the lights, then took out the dog food. He checked the expiration date—it hadn’t expired—before pouring it into the bowl.

However, Quanquan sniffed at it and walked away with clear disdain.

Chu Jinhan stood there in a daze, holding the bag of dog food.

Quanquan lay on the ground, looking at him with a pitiful, aggrieved expression.

Silently, he put away the dog food. Then, almost instinctively, he walked toward the door and picked up his car keys.

The supermarket was bustling with voices. New Year goods were piled up like mountains, and everywhere was decorated in a festive atmosphere.

Pushing a shopping cart, he glanced across the shelves, moving through the noisy crowd, mechanically and efficiently picking up various ingredients and placing them into the cart.

Forty minutes later, Chu Jinhan carried the groceries he had bought from the supermarket into the kitchen.

Amid the sounds of children playing downstairs and the popping of firecrackers, the pan sizzled.

Before long, a table full of dishes was laid out.

Standing in front of the table, he looked at the two sets of bowls and chopsticks in his hands and once again fell into prolonged silence.

The laughter from downstairs grew clearer and more distinct, while inside the room, only the food quietly gave off steam. A dog whimpered expectantly, and a man sat in wordless emptiness.

After a long while, he finally moved, pushing one set of bowls and chopsticks to the empty seat across from him.

He poured a portion of food for Quanquan, then walked back and sat down at his own seat.

Picking up his chopsticks, he picked an egg and put it into his mouth, chewing slowly.

In the end, this carefully prepared table of dishes was shared only with a dog—accompanying him in this grand yet silent loneliness.

After eating just a couple of bites, he put his chopsticks down.

Leaning back in his chair, he listened to the noise outside, staring at the untouched set of bowls and chopsticks across from him, and at the table of dishes that gradually lost their warmth.

——

Chu Jinhan stood beneath an old residential building, holding Quanquan’s leash, looking up at the lit windows on each floor.

A faint cold wind blew, ruffling his hair.

“Hey, Chu brother, what are you doing here?”

Chu Jinhan turned around to see Wang Yi riding over on an electric scooter, with his son sitting in the middle and his wife Li Jiao on the back seat.

Wang Yi parked the scooter and walked over enthusiastically to greet him. “I heard you moved. You didn’t even tell me where you went—I thought I’d never see you again.”

They had been neighbors for half a year, and Wang Yi had even taken him out delivering food before, so he still felt some attachment to Chu Jinhan.

“Mm.” Chu Jinhan responded briefly.

Wang Yi was already used to his quiet nature and grinned. “Where’s Xiao Song? Why are you the only one here?”

Chu Jinhan moved his lips, but no sound came out. The darkness in his eyes deepened further.

Li Jiao’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment. Noticing his loneliness, she gently nudged Wang Yi with her elbow, signaling him to stop asking.

But Wang Yi didn’t seem to understand. He turned to her and said, “Why are you poking me? Go upstairs first. I haven’t seen Chu brother in a long time—I’ll chat with him for a bit.”

Li Jiao almost rolled her eyes in frustration and didn’t bother with him anymore. She took their son and went upstairs.

Wang Yi enthusiastically invited Chu Jinhan to go upstairs and sit for a while, but Chu Jinhan shook his head and declined. Instead, he asked, “Is the apartment next door rented out?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. Why? You want to rent it back?”

“Just asking.”

Wang Yi grinned. “Didn’t realize you’re quite nostalgic. By the way, you two are about to get married, right? Don’t forget to invite me to your wedding then—I’ll come drink your wedding wine!”

Chu Jinhan remained silent, his hand hanging by his side tightening slightly.

“You’re getting more and more quiet. Did you and Xiao Song have a falling out?” Wang Yi asked again.

He patted Chu Jinhan on the shoulder, speaking like someone experienced. “It’s just a small argument—just coax her a bit and it’ll be fine.”

“I already felt that with your reserved personality, if you ever argued with her, you definitely wouldn’t be able to say the right words.”

Chu Jinhan looked at him. “You seem very experienced?”

Wang Yi chuckled. “Not exactly very experienced, but it’s just the usual between us couples. Transfer some money, buy some gifts, say a few soft words—it usually passes.”

Chu Jinhan nodded thoughtfully, though his eyes remained calm and unmoved.

Wang Yi invited him upstairs again, but Chu Jinhan still refused. He turned and left with Quanquan in tow.

After returning, Chu Jinhan sat on the sofa and faced Quanquan.

Man and dog once again fell into silence.

He took out his phone again, leaning back on the sofa as he scrolled through the photos one by one.

For an entire week, Chu Jinhan lived alone in this small apartment.

He woke up on time every morning to make breakfast, then went to work at Manager He’s factory.

The factory was nearing its holiday break, and Manager He had been busy with expansion plans lately, leaving him without time to manage Chu Jinhan.

As long as Chu Jinhan could bring in orders, whether he came to work or not didn’t really matter.

After work in the evening, he would go to the supermarket to buy groceries, come back to cook, and then take Quanquan out for a walk.

To outsiders, everything about him seemed normal—he was living the most ordinary and uneventful daily life of an average person.

But in Wei Ke’s eyes, Chu, who had abandoned the company’s core responsibilities to live such an ordinary life here, seemed both strange and unsettling.

Wei Ke had already been here for three days, watching Chu Jinhan repeat the same routine every day, as if he had fallen into some strange world.

At times, he even had the illusion that this man, walking along, might suddenly jump off a bridge somewhere.

Mrs. Chu called again. Wei Ke glanced at the man sitting on the bench ahead, gritted his teeth, and switched his phone to silent.

He walked up to Chu Jinhan and called softly, “Mr. Chu.”

The man kept his eyes lowered, absentmindedly stroking the dog’s head, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Wei Ke raised his voice slightly. “Madam has called me several times. You should head back soon, otherwise I’m afraid she might come here herself.”

After he spoke, the only response was a stretch of dead silence.

“Ah.” Wei Ke sighed helplessly and turned to leave.

Just as he turned away in disappointment, the man’s calm voice came from behind him. “I’ll go back in a few days.”

Wei Ke paused and turned back, asking in confusion, “Why are you staying here alone?”

“To change certain habits.”

“Habits?” Wei Ke’s confusion deepened, but being quick-witted, he immediately understood. “Oh, I get it—desensitization therapy!”

The man’s hand paused slightly as he stroked the dog. He neither denied it nor confirmed it.

He continued to lower his gaze, his long fingers gently combing through the smooth fur on Quanquan’s back, his expression dark and unreadable.

Wei Ke still didn’t understand. He was repeating his previous lifestyle, trying to get used to a life without that woman again.

Wouldn’t it be better to just go back?

When others suffer heartbreak, they try to escape familiar places. But he, on the other hand, had walked right back into it—wasn’t that just throwing himself into trouble? Wouldn’t this make him more depressed?

For a moment, Wei Ke couldn’t tell whether he was trying to break a habit—or deepening a memory over and over again.

“But, sir… how long do you plan to stay like this?”

“Until,” Chu Jinhan said slowly, “when I see this chair, it’s just a chair; when I see the kitchen, I think of the food I like; and when I see it…”

He glanced at Quanquan lying comfortably by his feet.

“…it’s just a dog.”

Wei Ke’s brows furrowed tightly. What kind of tongue twister was that?