Su Yuxin poured a glass of water in the kitchen and carried it out. The tall figure of Chi Ye came into view, his back facing her, and his silhouette seemed coated in a layer of frost.
Suddenly, Chi Ye turned around. Su Yuxin quickly averted her gaze, trying to calm her slightly disordered thoughts, and forced a laugh. "Just getting some water." He didn’t respond, just coldly glancing at her, making her feel uneasy. There's a saying, "If you don’t have a guilty conscience, you won’t fear a knock on the door," but why couldn't she face him now?
After a long moment, Chi Ye lowered his eyes, his voice carrying a mature tone, “Are you avoiding me?” Faced with his blunt question, Su Yuxin’s breath caught, her face shifting from red to black to white. She turned away and denied it, “No.”
Upon hearing this, Chi Ye’s gaze turned even more sinister, filled with a bloodthirsty edge, as he took threatening steps toward her, his thin lips curling. He spoke each word slowly, “Really?”
Su Yuxin instinctively swallowed twice, her face slightly panicked. She didn’t understand why Chi Ye was acting like this. She had always seen him as a younger brother. Her life’s motto was to avoid marriage and children.
Seeing her silence, Chi Ye’s expression grew even colder, as if covered in a layer of frost.
"Xiao Ye... What's wrong with you? Why are you saying these things?" Su Yuxin couldn’t help but ask, although deep down she had long suspected that this young man liked her. She feared he really did, but she couldn’t promise him anything now, nor could she guarantee they would grow old together.
Su Yuxin’s mind was in turmoil, and the air around them felt suffocating.
"Why am I saying these things?" Chi Ye let out a cold laugh, so different from his usual self. At that moment, he resembled a demon from the depths of hell, icy and foreboding.
Su Yuxin was at a loss for words.
"I think I’ve fallen for you."
"What?"
"I think I’ve fallen for you." Su Yuxin’s eyes widened in shock, her mind going blank. Even though she had rejected countless young and promising men during her school years, she had never expected to hear these words from Chi Ye. After witnessing her parents’ betrayal and abandonment, she had lost faith in love long ago.
She no longer believed in love—men weren’t worth it!
Su Yuxin’s throat tightened, unable to speak. Chi Ye stared at her, hope gleaming in his eyes, searching her face for an answer. Yet, she felt like she was under a spell, unable to utter a single word.
She could clearly see the disappointment in Chi Ye’s eyes. Hurt?
Time passed by slowly. She didn’t know when Chi Ye left, but she vividly remembered the sadness and disappointment in his eyes as he did. Realizing this, Su Yuxin’s heart twisted in pain, the feeling spreading through her entire body.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her hands and patted her face, trying to snap herself out of it.
A week later, Su Yuxin returned to her usual calm life. During these days, Chi Ye hadn’t contacted her again, as if he had vanished from her world. Something felt missing, but she couldn’t quite place it.
Noticing her absentmindedness, Luo Wei approached and nudged her arm. "Xin Xin-jie, what’s been going on these past few days? You seem so out of it." Su Yuxin snapped back to reality and forced a smile. "Nothing, maybe my period is coming." She gave an excuse.
Luo Wei sighed. Anyone could see that "troubled by love" was written all over Su Yuxin’s forehead.
"Xiao Ye seems to be in a bad mood recently. I haven’t seen him for a few days, and he hasn’t posted anything on his social media either," Luo Wei said cautiously.
Su Yuxin froze for a moment, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes, though she quickly hid it. "I don’t know either." Luo Wei noticed her fleeting sigh and said earnestly, "I’ve always seen Xiao Ye as a younger brother. He’s been a great support when facing the bullying from the Luo family over the years. Whether as a brother or a lover, he’s an excellent choice."
She understood the underlying message in Luo Wei’s words, and her mind became a chaotic mess. That night, she had rejected Chi Ye, and now, even if she regretted it, she couldn’t bring herself to chase after him.
She couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t let go of her pride.
Su Yuxin’s head was about to explode, so she quickly found an excuse to escape.
She needed time to think things through and decide on her future when it came to relationships. After much deliberation, she made her decision.
Her resolve to never marry or have children remained firm.
She leisurely strolled down the street, glancing around, and for the first time in a while, a smile appeared on her face.
As she looked up at the sky and took a deep breath of fresh air, a gentle breeze brushed against her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she happened to glance toward the left street corner.
In an instant, as if struck by lightning, she froze, her pupils dilating.
Gao Zhenni was walking down the street arm in arm with Chi Ye. To anyone else, they looked like a couple on a casual date, especially with the bright smile on Gao Zhenni’s face. It felt as though a crack had opened in Su Yuxin’s heart.
It wasn’t until the two of them disappeared from her sight that she finally snapped out of it. Her mind spun with one thought: Chi Ye and Gao Zhenni were dating?
As this thought crossed her mind, a mocking smile flashed across Su Yuxin’s face, and a coldness crept into her heart. Just a week ago, he had confessed his feelings to her, and now he was holding hands with another woman.
But why did her heart ache faintly? One moment the sky had been clear, the next it was pouring rain.
Like a wounded rabbit, she just wanted to find a hole to crawl into and heal.
Ever since seeing Chi Ye and Gao Zhenni together, Su Yuxin had been a mess. She kept giving customers the wrong change or mixing up their pets.
Luo Wei was full of concern. Heartache, it seemed, had stolen Su Yuxin’s once cheerful personality. Luo Wei couldn’t bear to watch, but there was nothing she could do. Relationships were personal matters, and she couldn’t interfere.
"Xin Xin-jie, with me, Xiao Qiu, and Xiao Li here, why don’t you take a break and rest?" Luo Wei said, worried. Seeing Su Yuxin in this state made her heart ache as well.
"When have I ever taken time off? I’m fine, really," Su Yuxin forced a smile, refusing to take a break.
As she cleaned, Xiao Qiu approached her. "Yuxin, you don’t seem yourself lately. Is something bothering you? Maybe I can help?" Su Yuxin laughed heartily, trying to dismiss Xiao Qiu’s suspicions. "I’m fine, Xiao Qiu. I’ll just go back to work now."
With that, Su Yuxin hurried into the back room. Leaning against the door, she raised her hand to her forehead, her face devoid of energy.
In the days that followed, Su Yuxin buried herself in work, refusing to let herself have any free time to think about her feelings. She wouldn’t allow herself to spiral into endless thoughts.
But in the end, she worked herself into sickness.
This time, she had no choice but to take a break. She left the store in the hands of Luo Wei, Xiao Qiu, and Xiao Li and resigned herself to some much-needed rest.
Luo Wei called her, reminding her to eat well, take her medicine, and call if anything came up.
After a brief chat, Luo Wei had to end the call because of the store’s busy schedule. Lying weakly in bed, Su Yuxin stared blankly at the ceiling.
Ding-dong, ding-dong—
The doorbell rang. Su Yuxin struggled to get up and walked slowly to the door. When she opened it, she was once again stunned, her breathing quickening.
Why was he here?
[You can read ahead to final chapterr here]
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