“You don’t want to reconcile?” Xia Xiaolan asked Kang Wei after dinner.

Kang Wei had a headache: “I don’t even understand why we broke up. Sister-in-law, do you think she’d been wanting to break up and was just waiting for this opportunity?”

Kang Wei didn’t want to make malicious assumptions about Shan Yujun; he was just confused.

He didn’t know where he’d fallen short.

Though Shan Yujun studied Civil Engineering, she had broad interests. Even if he didn’t understand her professional matters, he could still engage in conversation with her. It had started with something like love at first sight, and things progressed smoothly afterward – from exchanging letters to dating, everything had developed naturally… He just disagreed with her going to teach in rural areas.

But if Shan Yujun insisted on going, Kang Wei felt he couldn’t out-argue her and would eventually agree.

He’d thought this was something they could discuss, but Shan Yujun didn’t discuss it with him – she directly suggested breaking up.

Her words were gentle, but her meaning was firm.

Usually, when girls suggest breaking up, they’re sad or angry, and they accuse or blame the man, but Shan Yujun is calm.

Did she not take him seriously?

Breaking up seemed as simple to her as eating or drinking.

Or had she made the decision long ago and prepared her emotions…

Kang Wei was dispirited, and as a friend, Xia Xiaolan felt uncomfortable seeing him like this.

“Then go find out the reason. Whether Senior Sister Shan has difficulties or thinks you did something wrong, you can ask her to clarify. If there are difficulties, see if they can be resolved. If you did something wrong, see if you can correct it. Even if it truly can’t be salvaged, at least you can avoid making the same mistakes in your next relationship. What do you think?”

Kang Wei’s mind was in chaos.

Next relationship?

He couldn’t even figure out this one.

This relationship had started romantically but ended inexplicably – Sister-in-law Xiaolan was right. She suddenly dumped him; Shan Yujun owed him an explanation. There was no transition at all. Had all the sweet happiness during their relationship been just his imagination?

“I’ll go ask!”

Yes, he needed to ask.

As a man, he could take it or leave it, but Shan Yujun needed to give him a reason he could accept!

The next day, Kang Wei went to Huaqing again.

He waited outside Shan Yujun’s dormitory building.

With finals approaching, Shan Yujun needed to study and returned late from the library.

Kang Wei had been standing in the wind for hours. Early January weather in the capital was almost the coldest of the year, and Kang Wei kept jumping in place to stay warm.

Shan Yujun was with her roommates.

“You all go ahead, I’ll come up later.”

“Haha, we understand, we understand!”

“Your boyfriend’s here, go on, look how cold he is!”

The girls went upstairs giggling, some even greeting Kang Wei. After dating Shan Yujun for so long – starting as “pen pals” and later becoming a real boyfriend – he often came to the school to see her and had become familiar with her roommates.

Kang Wei knew how to maintain Shan Yujun’s face. He knew to please her roommates, never forgetting to treat them to meals and such, so they all knew him.

Seeing the girls acting normally, Kang Wei couldn’t help but prod Shan Yujun: “What, you haven’t told them you dumped me?”

Shan Yujun sighed helplessly; his face was white from the cold.

“Let’s find somewhere to eat and talk slowly… Also, I didn’t dump you, I gave you a choice.”

In Shan Yujun’s view, they weren’t broken up yet.

Kang Wei also felt they needed to talk.

But it was too late now, the cafeteria was closed – where could they go?

Unconsciously, Kang Wei had walked to the place where he first met Shan Yujun.

“Xiao Shan, I was taking shelter from the rain here when you came running with your books. Suddenly Dai Wangshu’s ‘Rain Alley’ came to mind – I felt I’d met a girl like Lilac. She wasn’t bearing sorrows, but she had a lilac fragrance… That feeling struck me, making my heart race, making me remember you.”

Shan Yujun couldn’t recall the scene Kang Wei described.

She might have had a vague impression, but it was mostly imagined based on Kang Wei’s description.

He had told her this story many times, and hearing it so often, she naturally reconstructed the scene in her subconscious according to his description.

“Kang Wei—”

“Xiao Shan, I think us being together is fate, heaven’s arrangement. Many people in this world can’t be with the ones they like – they don’t have the chance or conditions! Many don’t even know what liking feels like before getting married; they have no choice but to ‘like’ their husband or wife. Aren’t we lucky to be able to fall in love freely?”

Kang Wei looked at her, and Shan Yujun couldn’t help nodding.

Kang Wei forced a smile, “So Xiao Shan, if what you said yesterday was just anger speaking, I can forgive you. Though I hate when girls use ‘breaking up’ as a threat… this is the first time, so let’s just talk things through in the future and not let it happen again, okay? You’re a girl, and I’m a man who should accommodate you, so let’s put this behind us.”

This was what men were like.

They might talk tough in front of friends about not spoiling girlfriends, about breaking up if that’s what she wants… but when facing her, all that toughness melted away. People weren’t plants – this was the girlfriend he chose, the person he liked. She was usually so sensible; it wasn’t strange if she acted up occasionally.

Shan Yujun felt quite helpless.

Kang Wei hadn’t even shaved today.

“I was a bit impulsive yesterday, but I wasn’t speaking from anger. Kang Wei, can you agree to me joining the teaching support program?”

So if he didn’t agree, Shan Yujun really would break up?!

Was that program so important?

More important than him?

How much did he mean to Shan Yujun?

These questions one after another left Kang Wei completely defeated.

“We didn’t have time to talk in detail yesterday. First, tell me how long you plan to go.”

“Minimum two years… maximum, I don’t know.”

Oh, so even she wasn’t sure.

This meant if she liked that life, Shan Yujun might stay there 5 years, 10 years, or even a lifetime?!

No wonder she wanted to break up.

Indeed, it wasn’t impulsive but a well-thought-out decision.

Kang Wei’s throat itched; he wanted to smoke.

But he’d thrown away his cigarettes and lighter yesterday and hadn’t had time to buy more.

Unable to use smoking to relieve his anxiety and restlessness, he could only say hoarsely:

“One last question – can you compromise for me? Give me a definite return date, one year or even the two years you mentioned. I can accept either.”

Shan Yujun remained silent.

Time ticked by. Kang Wei waited three minutes which felt like three years. He wanted to maintain his last shred of dignity as a man:

“Alright, I understand. Xiao Shan, I wish you happiness.”

Being wishy-washy and crying wasn’t Kang Wei’s style. He liked Shan Yujun, but he couldn’t lose his self-respect and sense of self. Her silence meant the answer was too difficult to say out loud.

—The wind felt so cold on his face!

Something cool slid down, and Kang Wei roughly wiped his face with his sleeve.