Chapter 287: HE DIDN’T WAIT TEN YEARS JUST TO SEE HIM END UP WITH ANOTHER MAN

Bai Feng remained as composed as ever, his gaze resting briefly on Yun Shen before shifting toward the entrance of the firm. Ten years was more than enough time for people to become strangers, and whatever feelings had once existed between them had long since faded into memories that no longer stirred his heart.

To his own surprise, the person who came to mind wasn’t the man standing before him but Gu Yanchen, whose shameless smile had somehow become a familiar part of his everyday life. The realization didn’t trouble him in the slightest. If anything, it only confirmed that he had quietly moved on without ever noticing when it happened.

"You mentioned that you came here for legal advice." Bai Feng’s voice remained calm and even as he looked back at Yun Shen. "This is my law firm, so you’ve come to the right place. Unfortunately, I already have a client waiting for me, which means I won’t be able to receive you personally today. Still, every attorney working here is more than capable of assisting you with a consultation."

Yun Shen didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he closed the short distance between them, stopping close enough that only a single step separated the two of them before slowly lifting his hand toward Bai Feng’s face.

"Can’t you be the one?" His smile had already faded, leaving behind only quiet sincerity. "I’ve missed you."

Before Yun Shen’s fingertips could brush against his cheek, Bai Feng calmly stepped back, avoiding the gesture without the slightest hint of hesitation. His expression remained courteous, but the distance he created between them made his intentions unmistakably clear.

"Mr. Yun, please maintain appropriate boundaries."

Yun Shen’s hand remained suspended in the air for a brief moment before he slowly lowered it, his eyes never leaving Bai Feng’s face.

Bai Feng met his gaze without any visible emotion, speaking with the same steady tone he would have used with any other client who happened to be standing outside his office.

"Did you think I would wait for you for ten years?" His voice wasn’t cold, nor was it resentful. It simply carried the indifference of someone discussing a Chapter that had long since ended. "I stopped thinking about you after a while and continued living my life. I’ve already met someone I’m interested in, so I hope you won’t mistake basic courtesy for something more than it is. Whatever existed between us ended ten years ago, and I have no intention of reopening a door that’s already been closed."

Silence settled between them as the morning crowd continued moving around the entrance of the building, yet neither man seemed aware of the people passing by. Yun Shen lowered his eyes, the disappointment on his face appearing only for an instant before he quietly composed himself once more.

Bai Feng turned toward the reception area, where the young paralegal had already noticed the exchange from inside the lobby.

"Miss Fuyoko."

She immediately stepped forward.

"Yes, Managing Partner Bai?"

"Please escort Mr. Yun to Attorney Yoon Dojun’s office. If Attorney Yoon believes the matter requires my personal attention, he’ll let me know."

"Certainly."

Bai Feng gave Yun Shen a polite nod that was neither warm nor distant before turning toward the elevators.

"I hope your legal matter is resolved as quickly as possible."

He had only taken a few steps when he stopped, as though something had just occurred to him.

"One more thing, Miss Fuyoko."

"Yes, Managing Partner Bai?"

"Don’t waive his consultation fee."

Miss Fuyoko blinked in surprise.

"...Understood."

"He can afford it."

Without waiting for anyone’s response, Bai Feng continued toward the private elevator with the same unhurried pace he had maintained from the moment he arrived, leaving Yun Shen standing where he was as the corners of his lips curved into a faint, helpless smile.

It seemed that after ten years...

The only person who had remained exactly where the past had left him was himself.

Yun Shen’s smile gradually disappeared as he watched the private elevator doors close, the calm rejection Bai Feng had delivered only moments earlier replaying in his mind with unnerving clarity until every word seemed to weigh heavier than the last, leaving him standing alone in the lobby with an expression that no longer bothered to conceal his disappointment.

For ten years, he had devoted himself entirely to medicine, remaining overseas to pursue further studies, complete his residency, and establish a career that countless young doctors could only aspire to, always believing there would still be time to return once everything had settled, because some naïve part of him had been convinced that Bai Feng would still be there when he finally came home.

He had prepared himself for resentment, for accusations, and even for a door slammed in his face before he could explain. Yet, he had never imagined Bai Feng would move on, speaking of another person with such quiet certainty that it became painfully obvious there wasn’t the slightest trace of lingering affection left for him.

A low huff escaped his lips as he lowered his gaze, unable to suppress the bitterness spreading through his chest now that reality had stripped away the comforting illusion he had carried for an entire decade, forcing him to admit that he had been the only one stubborn enough to remain trapped in the past.

A selfish part of him had always hoped Bai Feng would never truly fall in love again, silently wishing every relationship would fail before it had the chance to blossom, because as long as Bai Feng remained alone, there would always be an opportunity for him to return and reclaim what he had once abandoned with his own hands.

"I didn’t spend ten years building my future..." Yun Shen murmured beneath his breath, his fingers tightening around the handle of his suitcase until his knuckles turned pale. "...just to watch him end up with another man."

His eyes lingered on the elevator one final time before he slowly composed himself, the disappointment that had clouded his expression gradually giving way to quiet resolve, because if fate had allowed them to meet again after ten years apart, then he refused to believe their story would end before he had even begun to fight for it.