Worlds Apart | Chapter 53 | The Price of a Dream | Novela.app

The day after he blacklisted Xiao Fengtai, Jiang Tong received his offer. It was a full-ride offer from the world’s leading immunology laboratory, his top choice that he hadn't even dared to dream of. The email was written with effusive warmth, praising Jiang Tong’s resume and research achievements, naming him the top global recruit for the program this year. Jiang Tong had fantasized about this moment countless times, leaning on this fictional happiness to endure innumerable lonely and grueling nights in the lab. Yet, now that the day had finally arrived, the joy felt as though it had been overdrawn and depleted during the agonizingly long wait. He spent the afternoon relaying the good news to the seniors and professors who had helped him, and half the night replying to everyone’s enthusiastic congratulations. Even the joy of others seemed more tangible than his own. To celebrate his offer, Pei Jing took it upon himself to grant him a day off on behalf of Professor Gu. However, though Jiang Tong expressed his thanks, he still showed up at the lab the next day on time, backpack in tow. "Ample rest is the source of a scientist's inspiration," Pei Jing said, unable to watch any longer. "Go back and do whatever you want, just don't show your face in front of me today." "I’m not working part-time lately, so I’ve had plenty of rest," Jiang Tong replied quietly, giving him a soft rebuff. "Besides, I don't really have anywhere else to go except the lab." The days continued to pass. He had finally taken the first step onto the broad road of success; his once-untouchable ideal was now revealing a faint golden light at the end of the dark clouds. But everything was different. It was as if a part of himself had died the moment he deleted Xiao Fengtai’s contact information. Joy, sorrow, anger—even the most intense and pure emotions felt like scratching an itch through a thick boot, lacking any sense of reality. Was a life devoid of 'want' and filled only with 'must' still considered living? His life was a tower built of blocks, its foundation unstable; the higher it was stacked, the more it teetered. To trade for a crucial load-bearing stone, he had removed a tiny block, thinking it was merely an ornamental, dispensable part of the structure. Yet, without that small block, the castle in the air he had painstakingly built collapsed entirely with incredible speed. That day, as usual, he returned to the lab after class to prepare cell samples. Jiang Tong was operating the microscope when someone lightly tapped his shoulder. "Come out for a moment." Pei Jing’s expression was strange. "Someone is outside looking for you." Jiang Tong quickly understood the reason for Pei Jing’s abnormality—Xiao Fengtai was standing outside the door. In the thirty-degree heat of Singapore, he was wearing long sleeves and trousers. His hair was disheveled, his face pale, and his eyes bloodshot. The deep dark circles under his eyes made him look haggard and wretched, stripped of all his usual arrogance. "What happened?" Jiang Tong was startled, forgetting to question why Xiao Fengtai was even here. "Are you sick?" "Why?" Xiao Fengtai interrupted him. He stared straight into Jiang Tong’s eyes, like a drowning man searching for a piece of driftwood. "Why did you do it?" His question was abrupt and lacked context, yet both of them understood the subtext perfectly. Jiang Tong remained silent. Xiao Fengtai stared him down relentlessly, looking as though he wouldn't leave until he got an answer. "Sorry to interrupt you two," Pei Jing, standing nearby, finally couldn't help but speak up. "Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to linger at the lab entrance." "Let’s go." Jiang Tong snapped out of it and took the lead, walking a few steps outward. Xiao Fengtai remained rooted to the spot. "I’ll buy you dinner. We can find a place to talk properly," Jiang Tong said with a bitter smile. "Don't worry, I won't run away." Jiang Tong took him to a high-end Western restaurant near the university. Lunch hour was nearly over, and the guests were sparse, making the waiters seem more numerous by comparison. Shortly after they had started dating, Xiao Fengtai had brought Jiang Tong here once. Jiang Tong had wanted to split the bill, only to find that Xiao Fengtai had already paid in secret. They were led to a prime spot on the second floor overlooking the sea. Jiang Tong pushed the menu toward Xiao Fengtai. "What would you like to eat? It’s my treat." The youth’s face remained expressionless, but the muscles in his cheek twitched. "Why did you take my grandmother’s money?" Jiang Tong’s entire body froze. He managed a smile at Xiao Fengtai; he could actually still smile. "I’m sorry," he said slowly, very slowly, maintaining that smile. "Forget about me." The light in the youth’s eyes extinguished in an instant. Xiao Fengtai gritted his teeth and asked, "How much did she give you? A million? Five million?" "You sold me out; you should at least let me know the price." Jiang Tong said nothing. Silence, more silence. Was he afraid, or did he simply disdain to tell him the truth? When had he ever truly cared about him? Grandmother was right; he had foolishly offered up his heart, only for it to be trampled and then sold by the pound. Xiao Fengtai let out a cold laugh and leaned back against his chair. His churning anger and grievance transformed into hatred—a hatred that was sour, bitter, and toxic. His heart was soaking in this venom, stinging so much he couldn't sit still. He was desperate to release this hatred, to make Jiang Tong feel his torment and pain. "Jiang Tong, selling your feelings and dignity for such a small amount of money... aren't you cheap?" That overbearing manner was something Jiang Tong was all too familiar with. The more Xiao Fengtai spoke, the more natural and familiar it felt. Yes, this was his true self. To have suppressed those stinging thorns for Jiang Tong’s sake, to have acted with such careful caution in every move—how foolish that had been. He even began to laugh. "You’ve never seen real money; your vision is too narrow. If you had withstood the pressure and stayed with me, what you could have gotten in the future would be far more than a mere few million." "My father was smarter than you. By clinging to my mother, that golden brick, he transformed himself within a few years. Who could tell now that he was once so poor in England he had to buy expired bread from the supermarket?" A person like Jiang Tong valued his pride above all else. Xiao Fengtai intentionally chose the most cutting words to provoke him. Jiang Tong’s silence made the youth feel as though his punches were landing on cotton, causing his emotions to become even more agitated. "Why aren't you saying anything? Weren't you very sharp-tongued when we first met?" "Refute me! Tell me if you have some hidden hardship! Say you had some unavoidable reason to bow to my grandmother! As long as you tell me, I’ll... I’ll... just say something!" Jiang Tong looked down at his phone. "The car is here." Xiao Fengtai froze, and then he heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the stairwell. His expression changed instantly. "You called my family?" He tried to leave, but in the blink of an eye, the restaurant’s entrance was blocked tight. Xiao Fengtai slumped back into his chair. "Teacher Jiang, I admire you," he said hatefully. "Two-faced and sanctimonious. Doing research is a waste of your talents." Amidst the chaos, Jiang Tong finally spoke. "You’re right. I have nothing to say in my defense." He was still smiling, his tone extremely steady and calm. Only by leaning very close could one detect the nearly imperceptible sob in his breath. "It is I who am not good enough for you." We were never from the same world. "I wish you good health, a bright future, and that all your heart's desires come true." There was no need to wish for him to find true love soon. Someone as wonderful as him, once out in the vast world, would naturally be pursued and surrounded by countless beautiful people. He would easily obtain a great deal of love. A love that was shining, sincere, substantial, and untainted. "Don't come looking for me again." This was the last time they would ever meet.