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Chapter 4

Author: Double Check
The next morning, Celia woke up early and headed to the dining room, only to notice someone already in the kitchen.

It was Lucas, wearing an apron as he prepared breakfast, with Yvonne wrapped around him from behind. He didn’t push her away.

Instead, he would glance back at her occasionally, his expression soft with affection, even smiling indulgently.

Their intimacy played out clearly before Celia’s eyes, bringing a sudden wave of memories from the past.

Back then, the house was full of staff, but Lucas was always too busy working late into the night and often not coming home. The staff, seeing her as just a helpless child, took advantage of the situation by neglecting their duties, sometimes even withholding her meals.

When Lucas discovered their behavior, he fired every single one of them. Determined to care for her himself, he learned to cook and handled every meal for her, three times a day with no detail overlooked.

But now, she couldn’t let herself love him anymore.

If Yvonne was the one who could bring him happiness, then all she could do was offer them her blessing.

Celia quietly shifted her gaze away, walking once again to the calendar without realizing it.

Yvonne, at some point, had stepped out of the kitchen and noticed the calendar. Her curiosity was piqued, and she suddenly asked, “What’s with this countdown calendar? Why does it only have a few pages?”

Hearing her question, Lucas instinctively looked over, his attention also landing on the calendar.

Seeing both of them focused on it, Celia paused and came up with a quick excuse. “I saw it while out with a friend the other day. I thought it was interesting, so I bought it.”

It was a weak explanation, but Lucas didn’t press further and instead changed the topic. “I’m taking Yvonne out for a date today.”

His words were blunt as if gauging her reaction. He expected her to protest or create a scene, but to his surprise, she simply nodded obediently. “Have fun.”

The lack of a response left Lucas momentarily at a loss. He should’ve been pleased, but as he looked at Celia, a strange heaviness settled in his chest, inexplicably stifling.

The atmosphere grew awkwardly quiet until Yvonne suddenly broke the silence. “If you’re going to be alone here, why not come with us?”

Celia hadn’t expected Yvonne to invite her along, and for a moment, she froze. But she quickly shook her head. “I have plans. I promised to meet up with some friends to say goodbye, so I’ll pass.”

With only half a month left before college started, the gathering was filled with her friends’ excitement for the future. But Celia sat alone on the sidelines, silent and withdrawn.

After all, she only had five days left. Five days before she would vanish completely, leaving no future to dream about.

Noticing her quietness, someone approached her with a teasing grin.

“Celia, you like your uncle, don’t you? Why not make a move before the summer’s over?”

“Exactly! They say it’s hard for a guy to win over a girl, but for a girl, it’s easy as pie. You’re not even blood-related. Why not go for it? Stop being so shy and make your move!”

The mention of Lucas sparked a lively buzz among the group. Ideas flew as they excitedly egged her on, some even joking about taking drastic measures. But Celia simply shook her head, her expression calm.

“No. I can’t and won’t like him anymore.”

The gathering didn’t last long, and when it was time to leave, Celia made her rounds to say goodbye to each of them.

“Lila, congratulations on getting into the school you wanted. I’m sure you’ll have a bright future ahead of you.”

“Sophie, you need to take better care of yourself. You’re always skipping breakfast—you have to start taking your health seriously.”

“Annie, Sarah, I’ll always miss you both.”

One by one, she hugged them, her demeanor serious and sincere. Her unusual solemnity made the others laugh, brushing it off as a quirky show of sentimentality.

“Celia, your goodbye is way too formal, like we’ll never see each other again. Don’t worry, just because we’re going to different colleges doesn’t mean we’ll forget about you.”

After bidding farewell, the group gradually dispersed, leaving Celia as the last to leave.

She watched their retreating figures, a faint sadness welling up in her heart.

No, they would never meet again.

“Goodbye, my friends.”

When Celia returned home, Lucas was already back. The moment she stepped through the door, she saw him sitting on the sofa, his expression dark and stormy.

Her gaze swept the room, but Yvonne was nowhere to be seen. She casually asked, “Where’s Yvonne?”

“She’s on a business trip.”

Accepting his answer without much thought, Celia nodded and was about to head upstairs when Lucas’ cold voice stopped her.

“Hold it!”

She turned to see him pulling out several items, his face etched with displeasure.

“Care to explain these?” he demanded, holding up a collection of things—a receipt of her purchased casket and funeral outfit.
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    Lucas eventually left. Not long after Celia finished handling her discharge paperwork, he received a notification that she had transferred the medical expenses back to him. He didn’t want to accept it, but her next message left him without an excuse to refuse. “Lucas, considering your financial situation, there’s no need to push yourself too hard. I can easily cover my own medical bills. I’d feel guilty if helping me meant you had to take on another part-time job.” Lucas lowered his head in embarrassment. Lately, the dreams he’d been having had grown more frequent, and his actions in real life were starting to mirror the person he saw in those dreams. But the man in his dreams was the heir to the Shaw Group—a rising star in the business world who could build an empire from scratch even after severing ties with his powerful family. Lucas, on the other hand, was just a penniless student who hadn’t even graduated yet. Back at his dorm, he collapsed onto his bed in frustration.

  • He Went to Hell for Me, But I Let Him Go   Chapter 23

    Celia didn’t regret her choices. Even the words she spoke before her soul scattered remained true. Even though there was disappointment, she felt no regret. But there was one thing she hadn’t said back then—if fate offered her another chance, she didn’t want to love Lucas again. That day, she truly believed she would fade into nothingness. Now that she had the chance to live again, she didn’t want to get entangled with him anymore. This time, she wanted to live for herself. When Celia awoke from her deep sleep, it was already the afternoon of the next day. The sharp scent of disinfectant, the stark white ceiling, the dull ache from the needle in her hand, and the IV drip hanging by her side made her immediately realize where she was. She turned her head and saw Lucas keeping watch by her bedside. He was slumped forward, resting his head on the edge of the bed. His sleep seemed restless; she could faintly see the stubble on his jawline. It was clear he hadn’t rested properl

  • He Went to Hell for Me, But I Let Him Go   Chapter 22

    Celia had a long vivid dream. The faces in the dream were blurred, yet she inexplicably knew who they were. It was them. In this dream, there was a man with the same first name but a different surname as Lucas. He wasn’t a struggling college student but the heir to a vast corporate empire, the Shaw Group. This man had willingly given up his inheritance and chosen to leave his family behind, all to care for a frail, sickly girl who bore Celia’s name. From the time she was eight until she turned eighteen, he doted on her and lavished her with the kind of affection that made her feel like the center of his world. But somewhere along the way, she began loving him not as a guardian but as a man. And for that, no one understood her, not even the once-doting Lucas. The moment she confessed her feelings, everything changed. He withdrew all the warmth and affection he once lavished on her. He started dating other women, parading them in front of her until he finally settled on one

  • He Went to Hell for Me, But I Let Him Go   Chapter 21

    “Did you have something you wanted to tell me?” Celia asked, working hard to suppress the strange fluttering in her chest. She kept her tone as neutral as possible, but her eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity. Lucas, his face still flushed, grew even redder at her question. He fumbled for a moment before pulling out a small bag and handing it to her. “This is for you,” he said, his voice noticeably softer. Seeing the gesture, Celia instinctively pushed the bag back toward him, shaking her head. “Oh, no, I can’t accept this.” But Lucas, as if anticipating her reaction, quickly pulled the item out of the bag. It was a white knitted scarf. The uneven stitches hinted that it was handmade, something Celia immediately picked up on. “I don’t have much money right now,” Lucas admitted, holding the scarf out to her. “I can’t give you anything expensive, but I made this myself. It’s my first attempt, so it’s not perfect, but I hope you won’t mind.” His words, coupled with his blushin

  • He Went to Hell for Me, But I Let Him Go   Chapter 20

    After finally calming down the lively chatter in the dorm, Celia was just about to relax when her phone chimed with a new message notification. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was from Lucas. “Senior, I’m really sorry for spilling your soup today. How about I make it up to you by treating you to a meal sometime?”Before she could respond, Sasha’s head peeked over her shoulder, her eyes lighting up at the message on Celia’s screen. “See? I told you! He’s even offering to take you out for a meal. And you know his family’s not well-off. It’s obvious he likes you!” Celia frowned slightly at the mention of Lucas’ financial situation. For some inexplicable reason, when she thought of him, her mind conjured an image of someone from a wealthy background. But Sasha’s comment brought her back to reality, and Celia suddenly remembered why Lucas’ name had sounded familiar. He wasn’t just any freshman—he was last year’s top science student in the region, making headlines for his acad

  • He Went to Hell for Me, But I Let Him Go   Chapter 19

    The bowl tipped over, spilling most of its steaming contents in one direction and splashing the rest onto the passerby. Fortunately, Celia hadn’t been burned, but the same couldn’t be said for the unlucky student. “Ah!” Lucas inhaled sharply, the scalding sensation on his chest making him wince. Hearing his pained reaction, Celia’s heart leaped with worry. She hurriedly asked, “Are you okay?” Lucas took a moment, breathing deeply to steady himself before waving her concern away. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry—this is my fault for walking into you. Let me get you another bowl of soup."His quick apology and offer to make amends caught Celia off guard. “How could someone who just got burned be more concerned about replacing my breakfast?” she thought. “It’s okay,” she said, shaking her head with a slight smile. “I can get another bowl myself.” Celia glanced regretfully at the mess on the floor before pulling out a pack of tissues and handing him one. She pointe

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