They had already deviated from the right track in their relationship, like walking on ice, carefully taking each step, afraid of stepping too deep and falling through.

But this kind of state couldn't last forever. Either they would fall through and drown, or they would find a good path and walk steadily on it.

Obviously, these two people had not found the right path.

In the end, they still separated.

Although Yuan Ye had said several times that they would not separate, and each time he said it with such conviction.

But in the end, they still drifted apart. 

This was perhaps a result that could have been predicted long ago. They were two different people at their core, and the love they shared over the years only served to mask the conflicts and friction that should have been there. It was something they would have to face eventually. 

Their separation didn't even need a reason, it just happened quietly, without any incident or event to trigger it. Sometimes, all it takes is a tiny hole the size of a finger to shatter a whole pane of glass. The cracks had been there for a long time. 

It's funny to think that their ending came down to just a jacket. 

It had been a few days since Fang Shaoyi finished filming his latest play. He had flown back from England less than a week ago, but the jet lag had not completely worn off yet. 

Yuan Ye's schedule was quite tight, this was already normal for them. Whenever Fang Shaoyi had a break, Yuan Ye was always busy. Fang Shaoyi had not taken on any new projects and wanted to take a long vacation with Yuan Ye after they finished their current work.

Yuan Ye had to frequently travel between two cities, so he was indeed very busy. 

One day, Yuan Ye drove back and picked up Fang Shaoyi from his company. They went to Yuan Ye's parents' house for dinner. Yuan Ye spoke with a bit of a nasal tone, sounding like he had a cold. 

The car was parked a bit far away, so after finishing their meal, they had to walk for a while. Yuan Ye was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and it had just rained, so the weather was a bit chilly. Fang Shaoyi frowned and said to him, "You're dressed too lightly."

Yuan Ye didn't really pay much attention to it. He was used to roughing it and was quite tough. He never paid attention to these things. On the other hand, Fang Shaoyi had a slight fever. He smiled and said, "It's okay, I'm not cold."

"You don't know you have a cold?" Fang Shaoyi took off his jacket and handed it to him. "Put it on."

Yuan Ye didn't take it and shook his head. "I'm not cold. You wear it."

Fang Shaoyi didn't say anything more. He just opened his jacket and tried to put it on Yuan Ye. But Yuan Ye dodged to the side and joked, "We're outside. Don't make a scene. We'll end up on Weibo again. You wear it." 

His exaggerated movement to the side caused Fang Shaoyi to pause for a moment, his hand motion falling short and his arm still stiff. 

Afterward, Fang Shaoyi didn't say anything, silently putting his coat back on. Yuan Ye, not realising anything was wrong, looked down at the messages on his phone without lifting his head. 

So when Fang Shaoyi suddenly spoke, Yuan Ye was still a bit confused and couldn't connect his thoughts. Fang Shaoyi asked him, "Why are you so stubborn?" 

"Huh?" Yuan Ye looked up at him, "What?" 

Fang Shaoyi didn't look at him, he just asked again, "Exactly what is bothering you?"  

As Yuan Ye blinked, it took a few seconds for his brain to catch up. Fang Shaoyi's expression was a bit dark. Yuan Ye had only replied to half of the messages on his phone. He pursed his lips, finished the message, then put his phone away. Reaching out, he touched Fang Shaoyi's hand, grabbing it and asking with a smile, "Are you angry?"

Fang Shaoyi said, "No, I just don't know what you're thinking."

Yuan Ye didn't know what had made Fang Shaoyi angry. They had been like this lately, getting frustrated over small things for no reason. Yuan Ye didn't know where Fang Shaoyi's anger came from, let alone how to respond to his words.

When they reached the car, Fang Shaoyi pulled his hand away. Yuan Ye's hand felt empty, and he instinctively clenched his fist, unable to hold onto anything. 

They are like this now, reconciling without reason, constantly cycling cautiously. 

Fang Shaoyi is not someone who cares about these small things. He rarely gets angry with Yuan Ye, including now, he shouldn't be angry. However, their nerves had been tense for a long time, making them too sensitive. The more they care, the more sensitive and sharp they become. No matter how high their status or fame, they are ultimately just ordinary people who cannot avoid these things. 

Emotions bring people down from their pedestals, and no one is more clear-headed than anyone else. 

After getting in the car, there was a long silence. Fang Shaoyi's eyes were dark, and Yuan Ye looked at him once before turning his head away. 

Later, it was Yuan Ye who broke the silence. He asked Fang Shaoyi, "Baby, you have to let me know what you're angry about so I can know how to coax you." 

Fang Shaoyi's expression remained unchanged as he stared ahead. After a while, he spoke in a low voice, "You also need to let me know what you're thinking. I really want to know." 

The weariness in his tone was evident, and Yuan Ye picked up on it immediately. They had more than just this one thing between them. They didn't know when it started, but their interactions had always been deliberate, yet the results were never satisfactory. 

They were both exhausted, and no one was at ease. 

Fang Shaoyi's tone of helplessness and powerlessness was like a jolt of electricity to Yuan Ye's heart, causing it to ache with a burning sensation. 

A thought flashed through Yuan Ye's mind, and he blurted out what he was thinking, "Since we're both so tired, then why don't we..." 

Fang Shaoyi turned his head and stared at him with a dead look in his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to say the two words behind Yuan Ye. It hurt too much to say them.

He didn't finish his sentence, and Fang Shaoyi turned his head back without even asking. 

The air in the car became heavy and suffocating as they drove in silence.

Finally, they arrived home and parked in the garage. Fang Shaoyi stepped on the brake and spoke up, "Finish what you were going to say."

Yuan Ye unbuckled his seatbelt and lowered his head, wanting to reach for a cigarette, but he had quit smoking for a while now. 

The reality was right in front of them, and they both knew that they couldn't sort out their feelings after such a long time. 

Some words that are hard to say must eventually be spoken. 

That night, before going to bed, Yuan Ye whispered in the darkness, "I want our love to always be young and vibrant. Let's not let it become old, weak, and sick." 

Fang Shaoyi remained silent, as if he didn't exist at all, even his breathing was so light.

Yuan Ye had used all his strength to say those words, all the strength he had accumulated over the past decade. 

Indeed, he had caught a cold. He didn't feel it before, but that morning his whole body, bones and flesh alike, ached. His throat was so sore that he couldn't speak. 

Fang Shaoyi had never looked at him from beginning to end. He went downstairs early in the morning, went to the company in the morning, and came back with porridge for Yuan Ye at noon.

Yuan Ye didn't have much of an appetite, but he still ate everything, not leaving a single grain of rice. 

Fang Shaoyi remained calm and collected as if nothing had happened. After Yuan Ye finished his porridge, the two of them sat at the table without moving. Suddenly, Fang Shaoyi reached out and touched Yuan Ye's forehead, saying, "Are you running a fever or am I?" 

Neither of them had a fever and both were quite clear-headed. 

Fang Shaoyi looked into Yuan Ye's eyes and asked him, "Have you made up your mind?" 

Yuan Ye had used all his strength before he finally uttered the words he said last night. No matter what, he couldn't come up with an answer to Fang Shaoyi's question. 

Fang Shaoyi waited for him for a long time. Eventually, Fang Shaoyi stood up, his voice low but calm, and asked him again, "Have you made up your mind?" 

Yuan Ye's head was throbbing, and he was in pain all over. He sat there, watching Fang Shaoyi's eyes gradually turn red. Their eyes met, and Yuan Ye blinked, his mouth tightly shut. Fang Shaoyi let out a long sigh. 

When Fang Shaoyi threw the ring he was wearing around his neck towards Yuan Ye, Yuan Ye reached out to catch it. They often threw things at each other like this, and Yuan Ye had never failed to catch them before. His hands were quick, but for some reason, whether it was because he was sick or something else, he missed the thin rope this time. 

The small metal ring fell to the ground with a faint sound.

That small sound hit Yuan Ye's heart directly, and his heart shattered like glass, leaving fragments that cut into his skin and flesh.

After Fang Shaoyi left, he never came back. Yuan Ye called him several times, but Fang Shaoyi never answered. Later, Yuan Ye called Ji Xiaotao, who could tell that something was wrong between the two of them. He spoke carefully, saying that Fang Shaoyi was fine and that Yuan Ye didn't need to worry.  

Yuan Ye rarely regretted his words, and he never hesitated in his decisions.

But this time, he felt uneasy and soon regretted it.

Yuan Ye, at the age of 32, had been with Fang Shaoyi for almost 15 years. He could hardly remember what life was like without Fang Shaoyi. How could they separate?

Yuan Ye truly regretted it, even though he knew that there was only one path for them now. But he still regretted it.

When Fang Shaoyi returned, he brought the divorce agreement and placed it in front of Yuan Ye, saying, "Sign it."

Yuan Ye's voice was hoarse and he could hardly speak. He asked, "Did you see the message I sent you?"

Fang Shaoyi did not answer his question and repeated, "Sign it." 

As Yuan Ye looked at the papers, they had no children and the divorce was mainly about dividing their assets. He quickly scanned the documents and chuckled to himself, thinking that Fang Shaoyi was quite generous.

Shaking his head, Yuan Ye cleared his throat and said, "Brother Yi, let's talk some more."

Fang Shaoyi handed him a pen and his voice grew colder as he said, "No need to talk, just sign."

Yuan Ye's nose began to tingle and he put down the pen to rub it. Then he said softly, "This division of assets doesn't seem right. Let's split it up again."

Fang Shaoyi pulled up a chair and sat down, nodding his head. "Okay, how do you want to split it?"

Yuan Ye put both hands on his head and scratched his hair. With his face buried in his arms, he said, "It's all yours..." 

Fang Shaoyi closed his eyes and took a moment before saying, "If there's anything else you want, just say it. If not, sign the papers." 

Yuan Ye remained motionless in his position, clearing his throat several times before finally speaking. His voice was unsteady and his hoarse throat made it difficult to hear him clearly. He rarely allowed himself to appear so vulnerable, but he said, "...I don't want to sign. I don't want to divorce." 

Fang Shaoyi remained silent as he watched him. Yuan Ye lowered his arms and slumped down, burying his face in the table. He rubbed his forehead against his wrist a few times and his voice broke as he said, "Can I take back what I said? Can I make it up to you... Can I? How can I sign... Can you chop off my hand and sign with it?" 

Outside, the rain continued to fall, the pitter-patter of droplets against the window adding a chilly atmosphere to the room. Fang Shaoyi looked at Yuan Ye's head, which was resting on the ground, his eyes as dark as ink, bottomless. His eyes were also red, with broken red spots scattered throughout.

"Say something," Yuan Ye continued to speak while lying on the ground. "Can I coax you?... Let's tear this up."

Yuan Ye rarely spoke in such a submissive tone and posture, truly surrendering. He still didn't lift his head, keeping his words bottled up inside, his voice nasal and heavy. 

He had never asked Fang Shaoyi for anything like this before, except for occasionally begging him during lovemaking. He didn't need to say what he wanted, it wasn't necessary. And there was nothing he wanted more in this lifetime than Fang Shaoyi. 

Yuan Ye pushed the papers back towards Fang Shaoyi and sat up straight, looking at him. "Shall we start over, brother?" 

Yuan Ye knew how to be stubborn, and Fang Shaoyi was willing to indulge him. But this time, Yuan Ye refused to sign the papers, and Fang Shaoyi wasn't having it. He grabbed the papers, crumpling them in his hand. Fang Shaoyi stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound. He threw the papers back at Yuan Ye with a loud "thud". 

Fang Shaoyi walked over and stood behind Yuan Ye, shoving a pen in his hand. He then grabbed Yuan Ye's hand tightly and squeezed it with force. 

"How long have you been thinking about this?" Fang Shaoyi's voice was filled with icy anger. Their hands were clasped together, each one struggling against the other, causing the pen to tremble in their grip. This position was like Fang Shaoyi holding Yuan Ye in his arms, with his mouth close to Yuan Ye's ear, creating an intimate posture. 

"You've been wanting to say this for a long time, so don't take it back now." Fang Shaoyi's breath sprayed into Yuan Ye's ear as he spoke, causing Yuan Ye's body to go numb. Fang Shaoyi continued, "It's been fifteen years, what do you want that I haven't given you?" 

Fang Shaoyi clenched his hand tightly and slammed it onto the paper, causing both of them to feel the pain. The tip of the pen left a small black dot on the paper. "You said you wanted it, so why hesitate?" Fang Shaoyi said.

There was no way Yuan Ye could match Fang Shaoyi's strength. Fang Shaoyi had been practicing martial arts for years and had acted in many fight scenes. Yuan Ye's bones were almost crushed by Fang Shaoyi's grip as he made him sign "Yuan Ye" on the paper.

Yuan Ye was always a man of his word, and was Fang Shaoyi any different? When Fang Shaoyi made a decision, he rarely changed his mind or showed strong emotions. But when he was determined to do something, Yuan Ye knew he couldn't stop him.

Fang Shaoyi wanted a divorce, so the marriage was definitely going to end.  

Yuan Ye shook his hand that was previously held by Fang Shaoyi, opening and closing his fingers before placing it on his chest, feeling numbness.

It felt empty.

Fang Shaoyi was twenty years old while Yuan Ye was seventeen when they were both passionate youths, exploring and colliding until they naturally fell in love.

They loved each other for five years, two crazy young people who didn't care about anything, announcing their love to the world. What was there to fear? They didn't need marriage to prove their love.

Ten years later, with a single agreement and a stamp, they exchanged a divorce certificate.