All Chapters of Tonight, I End a Four-Year Illusion: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The residential complex where my best friend, Jessica Nielsen, lived didn't allow visitor vehicles to stay overnight.Without even glancing at the registration form, Xavier Hillard wrote down her building and unit number from memory.Jessica didn't get out of the car. Instead, she clutched the grill pan and complained softly, "Xavier, the light in my living room seems to be broken."The property management said they can't come fix it until tomorrow. I'm a little scared to be alone."Xavier unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'll go up and take a look."It was only when he put his hand on the door handle that he finally looked at me through the rearview mirror."Wait here for me. Ten minutes at most," he said.The heater in the car was turned up high, yet before Xavier got out, he still tossed his scarf onto my lap."Don't open the window. You get a headache whenever the cold wind blows on you."Xavier was always like this. He remembered every one of my habits, yet he could still leave m

Chapter 2

At 2:00 am, I was jolted awake by the sound of shattering glass. When I rushed into the guest room, I saw Jessica standing barefoot amid shards scattered all over the floor.In her hands was the mechanical pocket watch my father had left me. The watch lid had already popped open, and the second hand remained completely still."Wen, I'm sorry!" Jessica's face was deathly pale as she reached out to grab me. "I was just trying to find a blanket. I didn't expect the watch to fall out the moment I opened the cabinet door."I snatched the pocket watch from her.Before Dad passed away, he had clutched it in his hand and waited for me for an entire night. Because Xavier had suddenly developed a high fever, I had missed the chance to see him one last time.From then on, this pocket watch became something I would never allow anyone to touch."I told you not to come in here!" I roared. It was only after I spoke that I realized just how badly I was shaking.Jessica's tears fell instantly. "

Chapter 3

The next day, Xavier had his assistant deliver an antique pocket watch. It was the same brand, from the same year of production, and had sold for seven figures at an auction.The assistant, David Porter, placed the velvet box in front of me."Mr. Hillard canceled two meetings this morning just to find it. He also said Ms. Nielsen already knows she made a mistake. He hopes you'll stop holding it against her."I didn't open the box.Xavier was always generous when it came to making amends, yet he always refused to truly understand why I had felt hurt.That afternoon, I rushed to the exhibition hall with the collection required by the academy for my admission. This collection was tied to my final scholarship evaluation, and it was also the last handover I had to complete before leaving.The car had just left home when Xavier's call came through."You went out?" he asked."Yeah. I'm delivering my work for the evaluation."The line went quiet for a moment."What time will you be f

Chapter 4

At seven in the evening, Xavier brought Jessica back to our home.I had just placed the last piece of clothing into my suitcase when I heard him calling me from the living room."Come out and sign the settlement agreement."On the coffee table lay the accident settlement agreement and a police report. It claimed that the driver had suddenly changed lanes because he was following my instructions, which caused the car behind to crash into us when it couldn't react in time.As long as I signed it, Jessica would bear no responsibility, and even the revocation of her driver's license could be avoided."The accident happened because she bent down to pick up her phone." I pushed the papers back. "The surveillance footage and the dashcam can both prove it."Jessica's eyes instantly welled with tears. "Wen, I know it was my fault, but I'm trying out for the charity racing team next month. If I get a reckless-driving record, I'll never be able to race again for the rest of my life."Jessi

Chapter 5

The day after I left, Jessica successfully passed the charity racing team tryout. Xavier was the one who personally put the medal around her neck too.Applause thundered below the stage, yet Jessica kept glancing toward the entrance. Even after the celebration banquet ended, she still hadn't seen me."Has Wen still not replied?" she asked, clutching her medal. The unease in her eyes grew stronger and stronger.Xavier glanced at his phone. In our three-person group chat, the messages he sent last night remained unanswered."The studio has been tidied up."Come back once you're done throwing your tantrum."Don't make me come after you."With a cold expression, he locked his phone screen. "She's deliberately ignoring us. She'll come back on her own in a couple of days."Jessica forced a smile, nodding. "You're right. Wen loves you so much. There's no way she'd really leave."That sentence pleased Xavier. For the past four years, no matter how fierce our arguments became, I would

Chapter 6

The smile on Jessica's face slowly faded away. "What's wrong, Xavier?""I told you to get out."Xavier brushed past her, but she grabbed his sleeve. "Did Wen say something again? She's always like this. Every time she's upset, she wants you to be the first to give in. But this time, she's the one who refused to forgive me. She's also still trying to destroy my career…"Xavier stopped in his tracks. "She left."Jessica was stunned for a moment. "Where did she go?""Londwick.""That's impossible!" she blurted, her face even paler than Xavier's. "She promised me she wouldn't apply to schools in Londwick anymore."Xavier slowly turned to look back at Jessica. "When did she promise you that?"Jessica opened her mouth, but no sound came out.Xavier stared at her, the last trace of warmth in his eyes disappearing completely as he questioned, "Jessica, what else have you been hiding from me?"…Xavier had David retrieve the surveillance footage from the hallway of our home.At 1:47

Chapter 7

After arriving in Londwick, Xavier waited at the academy gates for an entire day.In the evening, a light drizzle began to fall. When I walked out of the academic building carrying my restored piece, I spotted him with just a glance.He hadn't brought an umbrella. His black coat was soaked through by the rain, yet he was tightly shielding an old wooden box with his hands.I recognized it as the manus from Dad's studio, the ones that had been drenched in the rain.He walked toward me, his voice incredibly hoarse as he called out, "Wen."I stopped where I was. "What are you doing here?"My tone was so calm that it even surprised me. There was once a time when, if I couldn't reach him for just a few hours, I would be so frantic that I couldn't sleep all night.Yet now, even after he had crossed half the world and stood before me, my heart remained completely unmoved.Xavier held the wooden box out to me. "I had someone restore every manu that could still be saved."I also found t

Chapter 8

Xavier didn't leave Londwick. Instead, he rented an apartment near the academy. Every morning, he would bring me a cup of hot chocolate with no sugar added.The first day, I had the security guard throw it away.The second day, I returned it untouched.Later on, he stopped writing his name on it and just left the cup at the entrance.I still didn't drink it.…When winter arrived, the academy held its annual exhibition. I had reassembled the piece that had broken into three parts, preserving every crack.Embedded in the center of the piece was Dad's pocket watch, its hands forever frozen still.I named my work "Departure".When the judges asked me why I hadn't hidden the cracks, I gently traced the sharp edges where the piece had broken and explained, "Because some things, once shattered, can never go back to the way they were. Forcefully covering up the damage doesn't mean it never happened.""Departure" won that year's highest award.On the day of the award ceremony, Xavie

Chapter 9

One year later, I brought my work back to my home country for a touring exhibition.On the day I landed, Jessica stopped me outside the airport. She had lost a lot of weight, and her long hair, which she once cherished so dearly, had been cut short to her ears. There was also a faint scar on her right wrist."Wen, I'll only take five minutes."She handed me the commemorative grill pan. The engraving on the back had been worn away, leaving behind nothing but an ugly scratch."Xavier never saw me again. The passcode to the house was changed too. After he bought the barbecue restaurant we used to frequent, he shut it down immediately."I didn't take the grill pan. "None of this has anything to do with me."Jessica's tears fell as she said, "I know. I used to think you were the one who took him from me. But later, I came to understand that if he really loved me, he would have chosen me at some point during those ten years."He protected me only because it had become a habit, and bec

Chapter 10

Before the touring exhibition ended, I finally met with Xavier once. He was sitting inside the barbecue restaurant that had already been shut down.The two-seater by the window was still there, and the extra chair added by the aisle hadn't been removed either.Three sets of tableware were laid out on the table, and only my spot still had no condiment tray.When Xavier saw me, he immediately stood up.After a year apart, he had grown much thinner. His shirt, always perfectly pressed in the past, was now wrinkled, and he was still wearing the old watch I had given him."Have a seat." He pulled out the seat by the window for me.That had once been Jessica's seat.I didn't sit. Instead, I said, "I received the pocket watch. Thank you.""I wasn't the one who fixed it." Xavier's voice was very soft. "Mr. Goodwin spent an entire year searching for the part. I only returned it to you."He opened the grill pan. The edges of the meat had slowly curled, and as fat dripped onto the charco

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