“No need to tell Ye Rong. But I’m relieved now.” He very slowly put his hands in his suit pockets. “How laughable, some people’s promises are so worthless, changing at a moment’s notice.”

He… was he talking about me?

Promises?

When did we ever make promises? Was he referring to my ridiculous declaration from so long ago? — “Zhuang Xu, I’ll always like you. Even if you don’t accept me now, I won’t change. Just wait for me to win you over!”

It was bad enough that you didn’t like me, that you were already with someone else. Why come here now, bringing up the past, making me feel ashamed?

Worthless promises — even if the promises were valuable, who would care? Did you?

Fighting back the sting in my eyes, I said softly: “I’m not heartless. When someone likes me and treats me well, I can develop feelings, I can… change my heart. What’s so strange about that?”

Another silence, and then he laughed mockingly: “You’re right. Not being heartless, what’s so strange about changing your heart? Everyone changes.”

“Nie Xiguang, thank you for helping me find my way back.”

What lost path? What path had he ever lost? This was… too absurd.

Wasn’t I the one who had been lost all along?

My eyes burned terribly. I forced them wide open, desperately holding back tears, but couldn’t control the tightening in my chest, desperately wanting to curl up into myself.

Zhuang Xu’s figure completely disappeared around the corner.

I leaned weakly against the wall, finally sliding down slowly along it, burying my head against my knees.

I knew this was too conspicuous, knew people could pass through this corridor at any time, but I couldn’t help it. Couldn’t muster the strength to pretend to act naturally, to pretend nothing was wrong.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, how foolish to still cry over him.”

Only these words kept repeating in my mind.

But I was still a fool after all.

In this corridor where anyone could appear at any moment, I buried my head and cried silently and messily.

Until someone forcefully pulled me up.

Lin Yusen stared intently into my eyes, his expression complex and indecipherable.

How embarrassing. I turned away, wiping my eyes roughly.

“Don’t worry about me,” I said sullenly. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”

“How can I not worry? You’re being so undignified.”

He sighed softly.

“Confessing here really lowers my standards, but seeing you cry like this, if I don’t take advantage of the situation, I’d be insulting my intelligence. Nie Xiguang, tell me, what should I do?”

His voice was low and gentle, like a soft breeze passing by, his tone carrying what seemed like genuine confusion, lightly brushing against my heart.

But as I gradually understood his meaning, I suddenly felt as if I’d been struck dizzy by a gust of wind.

Confessing? What did he mean?

Take advantage? What did he mean?

“Just now at the banquet hall entrance, I met your classmate who works at Sheng Yuan. I told her, ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t go over there.’ But I broke my word. I told myself to wait two more years, almost thirty, don’t be as impatient as a young boy, but I couldn’t help being impatient.”

“I’m completely devoted, yet hoping she’ll change her heart quickly.” He looked at me, his tone so soft. “Nie Xiguang, don’t pretend to be dense.”

“I’m not pretending,” I said, my mind completely muddled, staring at him blankly. “I just realized it myself, no time to pretend.”

He suddenly laughed softly, his laughter full of joy.

“Nie Xiguang, you are…”

He lowered his head, his warm breath suddenly incredibly close, enveloping me from top to bottom, leaving me almost no room to move. I looked up awkwardly, and he paused, suddenly stepping back, and releasing my hand.

Only then did I realize he had been holding my hand the entire time?

Time seemed to stand still for a long while. He steadied his breathing and handed me the bag he was holding.

“I got it from the car. Go change into it. You bought so many beautiful dresses, it would be a shame not to show them off.”

I took the clothes that had been pressed into my hands and walked back to the restroom, my steps feeling as if I were walking on clouds.

At the turn, I couldn’t help but stop and look back at Lin Yusen. He was leaning against the wall, his gaze fixed on the floor. He was always so confident and composed, but at this moment, I felt his posture was incredibly lonely.

Did he just say… he liked me?

Lin Yusen…

…Me?

I changed clothes and returned to the banquet with Lin Yusen. After sitting for a short while, we got up to say goodbye.

The bride and groom, best man, and bridesmaid were already at the hotel entrance seeing guests off.

Lao Da patted me: “No way, you changed outfits? Hey, this one’s beautiful too. Young lady, you brought more clothes than me, the bride!”

I looked at her dully, unable to form words to respond for a moment.

Lin Yusen smiled beside me and said: “It’s supposed to snow again this afternoon. Traffic will be difficult then, so we should leave now.”

Lao Da acted the proper host: “Thank you for attending our wedding.”

As we left the hotel, Zhuang Xu had just finished seeing off a guest and turned back, his tall figure barely brushing past me, bringing in the biting cold from outside. I unconsciously moved closer to Lin Yusen’s side.

Outside, scattered snowflakes had already started falling.

Walking beside Lin Yusen, I had never felt so unnatural before, suddenly feeling his presence was so overwhelming I didn’t know how to act. He walked with his hands in his coat pockets, unhurried for a while, then suddenly spoke.

“I didn’t know my confession had such an anesthetic effect.”

I stopped stiffly, looking down at my feet.

“I’m sorry!”

Silence above my head.

“Nie Xiguang, this isn’t how you should reject me.”

“You should confidently say, ‘Lin Yusen, I’m not interested in you yet, you haven’t met my standards.’ Not like this, as if you’ve done something wrong to me.”

“That’s not it.”

I quickly raised my head, almost instinctively denying his words.

How could he not meet my standards? Such a talented, outstanding man — even in my youthful fantasies about a partner, I wouldn’t have dared imagine someone so perfect.

But if I still felt heartache and couldn’t forget someone else, how could I deserve to accept another person?

“I just,” I paused, “I just haven’t forgotten someone I used to like… Just now, you saw too. If two people are to be together, it should be wholeheartedly, and right now, I can’t do that.”

Lin Yusen looked at me with a slight smile.

“Just now at the hotel, I lied to you.”

What? I looked at him in surprise, my heart suddenly jumping.

“I said not taking advantage of the situation would insult my intelligence, but in fact, confessing then was what insulted my intelligence, insulted my all-night work on the annual plan, but… it turns out these things are beyond our control, impossible to calculate.”

He smiled, “It’s my first time experiencing this feeling, quite novel.”

“I knew you would reject me. But so quickly… what to do, now I’m a bit, well, too ashamed to face everyone. Though it was within expectations, and feels like, although it’s a tumor, at least it’s benign.”

He nodded, seeming satisfied, “Well, looks like we can only progress gradually. Shall we continue this discussion when we’re back in Suzhou?”

Continue what discussion?

Can you see how dizzy and star-struck I am?

I was trying to express my feelings seriously, but why do I feel so suddenly out of sync with the pace?

And that tumor metaphor suddenly appearing in our conversation, is that really okay?

I tried to organize my thoughts that he had completely scattered, but after a minute, failed. I could only grasp the simpler issues.

“I’m not going back to Suzhou, I… want to visit Wuxi.” I explained quickly, “Since we still have one and a half days off, and I haven’t been back to see my mom for a while, and I want to drink her soup, I…”

“Do you need so many reasons to go home?” Lin Yusen was almost laughing, “Alright, then I’ll take you to… the train station.”

“…No need, I can take a taxi myself.”

He finally sighed again.

“Nie Xiguang, are you planning to avoid me forever?”

“No.” I bit my lip troubledly, not knowing how to express my thoughts tactfully. Finally, defeated by my confused mind, I decided to be direct.

He’s so smart, that being direct or tactful probably wouldn’t make much difference.

“If I haven’t accepted you, wouldn’t it be too much to carelessly enjoy someone else’s care?”

He slightly furrowed his brows, appearing to think, “I don’t have much experience with this either, but isn’t this the normal process of pursuit? So you mean, not only won’t you accept me, but you won’t let me pursue you?”

Hearing the words “pursue you” from Lin Yusen’s mouth, I immediately became flustered again. And why did his summary make it sound like I was making unreasonable demands?

“If in the end I still don’t… why waste your time?”

“Nie Xiguang, it’s one thing to lack confidence in yourself, but why do you lack confidence in me?” Lin Yusen looked at me, his gaze gentle.

“Didn’t you say I was excellent at everything?” His eyebrows lifted slightly, “A girl like you, who can’t even bring herself to say ‘in the end, I still won’t accept you,’ with such a soft heart, how stupid would I have to be not to win you over?”

Was that a compliment or mockery…

I looked at him speechlessly, suddenly finding it a bit funny despite the awkwardness.

“So scared you won’t even ride in my car…” he sighed, “I’m just pursuing you, not discussing a business collaboration with return on investment rates. Why do you have to think that not accepting me means letting me down?”

“My pursuit of you is your benefit, not your burden.”

I stared at him blankly.

“You say you still like someone else, what’s the problem with that?” He smiled as he gazed at me, saying decisively, “I’ll let you choose.”