Zhou Ji had a domineering personality and a violent side. He had never been so humble to anyone before. She was already standing in front of someone else, so what more did he have to say here?
He was clearly extremely angry, his lungs hurting from the anger, but he still held back.
So this is what it’s like to like someone, subconsciously prioritizing the other party. He didn’t want to cut off all paths with her, so all the harsh words he wanted to say and the punches he wanted to throw were all cowardly suppressed.
Ning Zhiyu stared blankly at Zhou Jili’s departing figure, still not coming back to her senses.
Ye Wenxu looked down and stared at her.
“Are you okay?” he said apologetically. “I shouldn’t have come to see you so late. But I have something important to ask you, and I can’t wait any longer. I’m sorry.”
Ning Zhiyu turned to look at this boy she had once had a good impression of, and her heart was unusually calm.
It was as if those good feelings had never existed. That’s just the kind of person she is. If she develops even a little bit of affection for someone and realizes that person will hurt her, she will unhesitatingly withdraw her feelings. So when she found out that Shen Yawei liked him, she didn’t even consider asking him what he was thinking and came to Fifth High without hesitation. From the beginning of high school until now, she has been determined not to have any relationship with Shen Yawei or him.
“Are you asking me if…” Ning Zhiyu lowered her gaze. “The crystal ball you gave away, is it in Jiang Yumo’s hands?”
Ye Wenxu, being so smart, had already guessed, but he still wanted to confirm it.
“It really is her.”
Ning Zhiyu lifted her head and said, “Shen Yawei came to see me. She told me that she saw you buying a crystal ball and saw you at Fifth High. Today, I saw Yumo came out from the security room with a package. She said it was sent by an online friend, and I suddenly realized it might be you. Ye Wenxu, do you…” She paused, “Do you like her?”
—Like her?
Ye Wenxu looked at Ning Zhiyu in confusion.
He wanted to nod and shake his head at the same time, not knowing how to respond. Indeed, he had thought about meeting Xiao Jiang after the college entrance exam, but he hadn’t thought about what would happen after that. He wasn’t that conceited. Xiao Jiang was a friend, but also not quite a friend. She was special. However, after he found out that Xiao Jiang was that bold and lively girl, his feelings became complicated. They were so complicated that he came out of his house late at night, wanting to get a definite answer.
Ning Zhiyu pursed her lips. “Don’t be like this. Whether you have a good impression of her or like her, it’s best not to disturb her.”
She felt she was cruel, but there were some things that had to be said. “She can’t handle this kind of thing, and moreover, she won’t fall for any guy other than Duan Ye.”
Ye Wenxu also knew that very well.
His mind was a mess, a mess… This kind of dilemma was something he had never encountered before.
“I know.” Ye Wenxu nodded, “Thank you.”
He knew, but his disappointed expression couldn’t be concealed.
Even Ye Wenxu himself didn’t know whether he was disappointed about losing an ‘online friend’ with whom he could talk freely without worrying about his negative energy, or if he was disappointed about those feelings he couldn’t even distinguish clearly being declared over.
He is the kind of person whose upbringing by his parents and teachers has been ingrained in his bones since childhood.
Being helpful, standing up for justice, being kind and upright, and supporting the weak are all things he knows how to do, but he has never forgotten about propriety and integrity.
He won’t chat with Xiao Jiang anymore.
Because Xiao Jiang is Jiang Yumo, and Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye… they are so suitable for each other, he can see that they like each other. His sense of morality doesn’t allow him to get closer to Xiao Jiang.
Ye Wenxu has also left.
Ning Zhuyu breathed a sigh of relief imperceptibly. Shouldn’t this matter be resolved like this?
Tomorrow she will tell Jiang Yumo about this.
She just hopes that life will continue like this, and they will continue like this, without anyone disturbing them.
On the other side, Duan Ye walked Jiang Yumo home. They walked slowly, and there were hardly any people on this road anymore, except for a spicy hot pot restaurant across the street that was still open.
Duan Ye noticed her looking at the restaurant and asked her softly, “Do you want to eat?”
Jiang Yumo quickly shook her head, “No, no, no, this hot pot restaurant tastes good, but the smell is strong. Every time I eat there, my clothes end up smelling, and my Mom says they put something in it. If my Mom finds out that I ate hot pot outside, she’ll scold me.”
Duan Ye laughed and said, “What are you thinking?”
Jiang Yumo smiled at him and replied, “She always says that I love to eat junk food. When I was young, she caught me secretly eating spicy strips, and she would lecture me every day, saying that eating spicy strips can cause cancer. But she eats them herself! One time I caught her red-handed, and she actually claimed that she was eating bean products, not spicy strips. Hmph, that’s a weak argument.”
“My Mom is the same,” Duan Ye laughed. “When I was in primary school, she learned to smoke. Every time I saw her smoking, she would tell me not to smoke in the future, that smoking is harmful to health and can cause lung cancer.”
“But Aunt looks cool when she smokes,” Jiang Yumo said lightly.
Duan Ye replied calmly, “As long as she’s happy.”
“Yeah, that’s right. People live to make themselves happy,” Jiang Yumo said seriously, then looked at him, “But you still can’t smoke, okay? Smoking is bad for your health. My uncle is a doctor, and he said so.”
“Don’t worry,” Duan Ye assured her. “I won’t.”
“I hear my upstairs neighbor Auntie say every day that if her husband didn’t smoke, maybe they could afford a BMW,” Jiang Yumo giggled. “Is it really that exaggerated?”
“It might accumulate over time,” Duan Ye replied. “Not smoking does save a lot of money, indeed.”
“Oh!” Jiang Yumo put her hands behind her back. “Are you implying that you’re thrifty?”
Duan Ye lightly coughed and said, “Being thrifty is only natural.”
Smiling and chatting, they arrived at the entrance of Jiang Yumo’s residential area. Jiang Yumo took the backpack from his hand and felt its different weight. It reminded her that she almost forgot to talk to him about Traveler.
She unzipped the backpack and took out the crystal ball from inside. “My Brother wrote the wrong number, and I added the wrong person. But we still had a good chat, and he helped me a lot. Recently, I found out that this online friend goes to First High School, and he also knows I go to Fifth High School. A few days ago, he left this in the security room for me…”
Duan Ye’s expression turned serious.
Jiang Yumo sighed. “When I accidentally found out that he goes to First High, I didn’t chat much anymore, plus I have to focus on preparing for the art exam, who knows…” She was conflicted. “What do you think I should do about this?”
This was the first time she had received a gift from a stranger.
She had received love letters and gifts before, but they were all signed, and she knew they were from students at her school.
Should she accept this gift or not?
If she didn’t accept it, how could she return it? If she accepted it, should she also give a gift of similar value in return?
Just thinking about all this gave Jiang Yumo a headache.