Walking randomly along the road for a while.

New Year’s Eve had just passed. The streets were empty, shops large and small had closed their doors, and with the low temperature, it was cold and desolate. Xu You wandered several streets and randomly found a bench to sit down.

From the nearby bushes, a stray cat darted out, meowing.

—

Xie Ci held his phone, dialing someone’s number over and over.

“What’s wrong… Brother Ci, are you carrying her or not? The girl is waiting.”

Someone still didn’t read the room, laughingly urging a couple of times.

“—Carry your mother’s cunt.”

Xie Ci threw his phone to the side. The sudden outburst scared everyone around him.

“…….”

His expression was extremely poor, making some people who had been making a fuss not dare speak anymore, afraid of touching some landmine and hitting the muzzle of a gun.

Song Yifan, sitting on the table, reacted after a while and belatedly said: “By the way, where did Xu You go?”

As soon as this name was spoken, they saw Xie Ci’s expression darken even more.

Song Yifan immediately shut up.

Fuck.

That was really scary. He just casually asked a question…

So everyone immediately understood – so the girlfriend was jealous and upset. But some people were somewhat disdainful in their hearts, because actually in their eyes, Xu You was no different from Qiu Qingqing. Anyway, those girls would just make a big fuss, and Xie Ci would always end up impatient. It was the same before too.

So they naturally assumed Xie Ci was angry because Xu You had given him attitude and he was unhappy.

“It can’t be… because of…?” Deng Ying bit her lips tight, her eyes lowered, looking somewhat guilty.

As soon as Xie Ci’s eyes swept over, someone immediately put their arm around Deng Ying’s shoulder, comforting her quietly: “It’s fine, what does it have to do with you? Brother Ci’s girlfriend just can’t take a joke…”

Deng Ying seemed anxious to explain: “Don’t say that. Senior Xu You has such good grades and is in the rocket class. It’s normal she doesn’t want to hang out with us.”

After saying this, she glanced at Xie Ci and found he was looking at her. His gaze was calm and waveless, just quietly staring at her.

Inexplicably making her feel a bit panicked.

“Senior… don’t be angry at Senior Xu You anymore.”

After hesitating for a while, Deng Ying still spoke up to comfort him.

Xie Ci’s eyelids had been lowered. After hearing this sentence, his gaze moved to her face again. He asked: “Who are you?”

Deng Ying’s ten fingers twisted tight. The blush on her face faded, becoming extremely pale. She was still in a daze when she heard his impatient voice:

“—Can you get the fuck away from me?”

Everyone: ……..

The remaining people in the room looked at each other, not knowing what Deng Ying had done to provoke Xie Ci like this. Although he was usually too lazy to deal with some girls, he generally wouldn’t lose his temper at them – at most he’d just ignore them. But publicly embarrassing a girl like this, Xie Ci basically had never done such a thing…

Li Jieyi thought to himself that this little girl Deng Ying really couldn’t read people’s expressions. At a time like this, even they didn’t dare say anything, yet she still mentioned Xu You in front of Xie Ci.

Seriously…

The atmosphere became very stiff. Li Jieyi pursed his lips, having to cough twice and come out to smooth things over: “Alright, alright, what kind of crappy game is this? Let’s not play anymore…”

After speaking, he carefully glanced at Xie Ci and tentatively asked: “How about you go chase sister-in-law back, and we’ll apologize?”

Xu Xiaocheng also chimed in, pretending to slap his own face: “Oh my, look at this mess… it’s my fault, my fault.”

Seeing the few people who usually played with Xie Ci the most all saying this, no matter how slow the others were, they understood. And looking at Xie Ci’s attitude, he obviously cared a lot about his current girlfriend. Then everyone started talking at once, all agreeing.

“Brother Ci, don’t be angry. Explain things properly to your girlfriend later.”

“Right, it’s just a game. Not worth making such a big deal out of it.”

Just as Xie Ci remained silent, grabbed the jacket beside him, put it on and prepared to leave, the phone in his hand suddenly rang.

He saw the caller ID and paused in his steps.

“Hello.” Xie Ci immediately answered.

There seemed to be wind on Xu You’s side. Her voice was small: “Xie Ci?”

“Why did you hang up on me just now?”

Her side was quiet for a long time before she said: “Because just now, I didn’t really want to talk to you.”

“…..”

Xie Ci didn’t move. Song Yifan saw his brows furrow again, his heart inevitably tightening.

“Is the game over?” Xu You’s voice was flat.

Xie Ci stared intently at Xu Xiaocheng. Just about to explain, he hesitated for a moment, and the words on his lips only became: “I didn’t play.”

“Then do you want to play?” she asked back.

“…….”

“Xie Ci?”

“Mm…”

At first, Xu Xiaocheng felt uneasy being stared at by Xie Ci. After a few minutes, he realized Xie Ci wasn’t looking at him at all, but was just spacing out in this direction.

His mind had already wandered far away.

—

At the street corner, a few children ran past laughing and playing. The red light turned green. Cars with their lights on drove from the distance to the front, then left.

Xu You felt cold sitting, so she simply stood up: “Are you listening?”

She asked.

The other side answered quickly: “Yes.”

“Okay…”

Xu You stood still, looking elsewhere, pausing before speaking.

“Actually when I left, I was very angry inside.”

“But I’m not trying to make a fuss with you. Just now on the street, I walked for a while, felt the wind for a bit, calmed my emotions down before deciding to make this call to you.”

“Don’t talk yet, let me finish.”

“Actually I know that you and I are different in many ways. You have many friends. I’ve never played the games you play, and I don’t understand them. After being with you, I always don’t know what to do. I’ve heard others say before that you’ve had many girlfriends, and there are many girls more outstanding than me, but you still broke up with them. I don’t know if you like me because of temporary interest or what. But I’m a serious person. I agreed to be with you…”

“……..”

—-

Song Yifan watched Xie Ci laughing strangely on the side. His eyes and brows completely relaxed, the smile in his eyes couldn’t be stopped.

That instantly softened expression was completely different from his angry look just moments ago, like two completely different people.

Xu Xiaocheng guessed who was calling. He loudly interjected from here: “Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. Brother Ci says he’ll kneel and sing conquest for you.”

“Kneeling and singing conquest works too.” Song Yifan agreed.

The two laughed.

But Xie Ci gradually put away his smile. He had been absent-minded to begin with, not hearing what others said at all.

—

Xie Ci frowned, suddenly pushing aside the person in front of him, walking toward the door while saying: “Wait, don’t say anymore. Let me come find you and we can talk face to face, okay? I’m begging you, I don’t want to talk on the phone…”

He had always been admired by girls, had a proud temperament, and never learned to please anyone. Now his tone and attitude were so low, truly making those around him drop their jaws.

A group of people listened with perked ears to the gossip, but didn’t get to listen long before the main character walked out.

Several people stared wide-eyed at each other in silence.

Chen Jing, as the main culprit, only dared to speak after Xie Ci left. He swallowed and said hesitantly: “Do you think… I was just an idiot?”

Song Yifan looked up at him and said coolly: “I suggest you go to the hospital to get your brain checked.”

“……..”

“God, how the fuck was I supposed to know A’Ci was so serious about Xu You…”

Chen Jing spread his hands innocently: “And A’Ci isn’t someone who can’t play around, so I just thought…”

“Good thing you fucking didn’t make Xie Ci kiss the underclassman in front of Xu You just now.” Xu Xiaocheng shook his head.

Li Jieyi came out of the bathroom and found Xie Ci was completely gone. He looked around: “That bastard A’Ci, why did he suddenly leave? Aren’t we going to play pool later?”

“What pool? Young Master Xie went to chase his girlfriend.” Xu Xiaocheng explained.

After listening to them talk for a while, a girl couldn’t help her gossipy heart and curiously asked: “Does Brother Ci… really like that girl who left just now?”

“Xu You?”

“Mm…”

“Fuck, it’s way more than just liking.”

“I’m starting to suspect Xu You put a spell on A’Ci, making him completely possessed.”

Song Yifan was angry and had long wanted to complain: “A whole group of you surrounded him just now, making Xu You leave angrily… I was really afraid that bear Xie Ci would flip the table. Luckily Xu You called him.”

“Wasn’t Shen Jiayi like that before too… A’Ci didn’t react much.” Another person said.

“Fuck, that’s not the same at all.”

“All those before, which one wasn’t constantly calling Xie Ci? Even a girl like Qiu Qingqing was no exception, always checking on him. When Xie Ci was out playing with us, he was generally too lazy to answer calls, just glanced and tossed the phone aside. Not like Xu You… Xie Ci really wishes he could stick to her 24/7, and he likes to keep running to where she lives to guard her, like some kind of stalker. You guys don’t know, sometimes when we’re eating out together, while eating, probably because Xu You was a bit slow replying to messages, Xie Ci would take his phone and frantically call…”

Making Song Yifan and them feel like Xie Ci was a resentful wife in the boudoir, completely becoming abnormal…

Song Yifan rolled his eyes and added: “I’m telling you, when you go out to play in the future, just don’t provoke Xu You in front of Xie Ci… use your brains.”

—-

“Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

Xie Ci ran all the way to downstairs. He looked around everywhere, his brow slightly furrowing then relaxing. Because he came down in such a rush, he didn’t even have time to put on his jacket, just wearing a thin wool sweater.

Xu You remained silent, quiet for a while.

“Don’t get excited.” She sniffed, organizing her emotions: “What I just told you…”

Xie Ci excitedly interrupted her: “—Xu You, I’ve told you many times, I’m not interested in touching anyone else, and I haven’t been messing around with girls… Just now I had no intention of carrying that girl and then you left. Okay, I really know I was wrong this time, okay? I shouldn’t have been with others in front of you… Really, don’t say those kinds of things to me…”

He finished this whole pile in one breath.

Actually, even Xie Ci himself hadn’t realized that all the indifference and coldness he showed her, in his bones, were naked enthusiasm and a childish desire to get her attention.

“Do you like me?” Xu You’s voice was very calm.

“Isn’t that obvious? If I didn’t fucking like you, would I chase you for so long? Do I have a problem?”

“Then how much do you like me?”

He seemed choked.

She continued asking: “Is there a difference from your previous girlfriends?”

“Qiu Qingqing, Chen Jingyi…”

Xu You listed names one by one: “Is there a difference between me and them? When your interest wanes, will I also be like all your ex-girlfriends?”

“Xie Ci… I can’t play around with you. Maybe my wording has some problems… but I really don’t dare. My parents have very high expectations of me, always have since childhood. I can’t abandon many things I must do because of you…”

“I’m also a normal girl. I get angry, I get jealous, I feel sad. I’m not as good as you imagine, and then gradually you’ll discover that I’m actually no different from your previous girlfriends…”

Her voice was intermittent, as if suppressing some emotion to continue: “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say this to you… don’t mind it… let me think…”

But hearing these words, Xie Ci panicked, his brain about to explode: “Fuck, where exactly are you? Can I come find you?”

“I don’t know…”

Really, Xu You didn’t know, didn’t know…

Didn’t know why things had turned out like this either. At first, she only wanted to talk with him calmly, but her emotions became increasingly uncontrollable. Or perhaps she had actually always minded, always been afraid. All the insecurity buried in her heart exploded at this moment. She didn’t dare get too close to Xie Ci, to completely include him in her life, yet unconsciously indulged his recklessness.

“………”

“Don’t come find me.”

Xu You squatted on the ground, her face buried in her scarf, saying softly and lightly: “Xie Ci, let me finish talking, okay?”

“No, I don’t want to listen. I don’t want to hear anything you’re saying.” His voice sounded a bit aggrieved.

Xu You bit her teeth tight, her stomach hurting uncomfortably.

“I know I can’t change anyone, including you. So what I can choose is to accept you, or leave you…”

“—No! I don’t agree to break up! Don’t even think about it!!”

The last thing Xu You heard was Xie Ci’s roar coming through the phone.

But she already had no strength to continue talking. She directly hung up the call, cold sweat emerging from her forehead.

She didn’t dare to be presumptuous about his feelings.

But even if Xu You tightly covered her mouth, her love for him would still run out from her eyes.