After walking randomly for a while.
Just past Chinese New Year’s Eve, the streets were empty, all shops big and small had closed their doors. The temperature was low, making everything feel desolate and open. Xu You wandered through several streets before randomly finding a bench to sit on.
From the bushes nearby, a stray cat emerged, meowing softly.
—
Xie Ci kept dialing someone’s number over and over on his phone.
“What’s wrong… Brother Ci, are you going to hug her or not? The girl is waiting.”
Someone still tactlessly urged him with a laugh.
“—Fuck off.”
Xie Ci threw his phone aside, his sudden outburst startling everyone around.
“…”
His expression was terrible, making those who had gathered to watch afraid to speak, fearing they might step on a landmine or walk into the line of fire.
Song Yifan, sitting at the table, took a moment to react before belatedly asking: “By the way, where did Xu You go?”
As soon as this name was mentioned, Xie Ci’s face darkened further.
Song Yifan immediately shut up.
Fuck.
That was terrifying, he had just asked a casual question…
Everyone immediately understood – so it was girlfriend jealousy drama. Though some privately felt disdainful, because in their eyes, Xu You was no different from Qiu Qingqing. Those girls would just act dramatic until Xie Ci got tired of them. Wasn’t it always the same before?
So they naturally assumed Xie Ci was angry because Xu You had given him attitude and made him unhappy.
“Could it be… because…?” Deng Ying bit her lip, eyes lowered, looking somewhat guilty.
Just as Xie Ci’s eyes swept over, someone immediately put an arm around Deng Ying’s shoulders, softly consoling: “It’s not your fault, it’s just that Ci’s girlfriend 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 advanced class, it’s normal she doesn’t want to hang out with us.”
After speaking, she glanced at Xie Ci and found him staring at her. His gaze was calm and steady, just quietly fixed on her.
It somehow made her feel uneasy.
“Senior… don’t be angry at Senior Xu You.”
Deng Ying hesitated but still tried to comfort him.
Xie Ci had been looking down, but hearing this, his gaze moved to her face. He asked: “Who are you?”
Deng Ying’s fingers twisted together, the flush leaving her face as she turned pale. While she was still stunned, she heard his impatient voice:
“—Can you get the hell 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. Though he usually couldn’t be bothered dealing with girls, he generally wouldn’t get angry at them, at most just being indifferent. But making a girl lose face in public, Xie Ci basically had never done something like this…
Li Jieyi thought that Deng Ying really couldn’t read the room. At a time when even they didn’t dare say anything, she still brought up Xu You in front of Xie Ci.
Really…
The atmosphere had become very awkward. Li Jieyi pursed his lips, having to cough twice to smooth things over, “Alright alright, what kind of stupid game is this anyway, let’s stop…”
After speaking, he carefully glanced at Xie Ci, tentatively asking: “How about you go get sister-in-law back, and we’ll apologize?”
Tu Xiaocheng also chimed in, playfully slapping his own face, “Aiyoyo, look at this mess… it’s my fault, my fault.”
Seeing those who usually played closest with Xie Ci saying this, even the slower ones understood. Moreover, seeing Xie Ci’s attitude, he clearly cared a lot about his current girlfriend. Then everyone started chattering, all agreeing.
“Brother Ci don’t be angry, explain things properly to your girlfriend later.”
“Yeah, it’s just a game, no need to get so worked up.”
Just as Xie Ci was silently putting on his jacket from beside him and preparing to leave, the phone in his hand suddenly rang.
He saw the caller ID and paused.
“Hello.” Xie Ci immediately answered.
There seemed to be wind on Xu You’s end, her voice small, “Xie Ci?”
“Why did you hang up on me earlier?”
Her end was quiet for a long time before saying: “Because just then, I didn’t really want to talk to you.”
“…”
Xie Ci stood motionless. Song Yifan saw his brows furrow again and felt his heart tighten.
“Is the game over?” Xu You’s voice was flat.
Xie Ci stared unblinkingly at Tu Xiaocheng, wanted to explain but hesitated for a moment, the words reaching his lips came out as: “I didn’t play.”
“Then do you want to play?” she asked back.
“…”
“Xie Ci?”
“Mm…”
Tu Xiaocheng had initially felt uneasy under Xie Ci’s stare, but after a few minutes, he realized Xie Ci wasn’t actually looking at him, but just staring blankly in his direction.
His mind had already wandered far away.
—
Some children ran past playing at the street corner, the red light turned green. Cars with their lights on drove from the distance to the front, then away.
Xu You felt cold sitting there, so she simply stood up, “Are you listening?”
She asked.
He answered quickly: “Yes.”
“Okay…”
Xu You stood still, looking elsewhere, pausing before speaking.
“Actually, when I left, I was very angry.”
“But I didn’t want to fight with you. Just now I walked around the street for a while, let the wind cool me down, calmed my emotions, before deciding to make this call.”
“Don’t speak yet, let me finish.”
“Actually, I know there are many differences between you and me. You have many friends, I’ve never played the games you play, I don’t understand them. After getting together with you, I never know what’s the right thing to do. I heard before that you’ve had many girlfriends, there are many girls better than me, but you still broke up with them. I don’t know if you like me because of momentary interest or what. But I am a serious person, when I agreed to be with you…”
“…”
Song Yifan watched Xie Ci smiling strangely beside him. His eyes and brows had completely relaxed, the smile in his eyes unstoppable.
That instantly softened expression was completely different from his angry look just now, like two different people.
Tu Xiaocheng guessed who had called. He called out loudly from his side: “Sister-in-law, don’t be angry, Ci said he’ll kneel and sing Ra for you.”
“Kneeling and singing ‘Conquest’ works too!” Song Yifan chimed in.
The two laughed.
But Xie Ci’s smile gradually faded. He had been distracted the whole time, not hearing what others were saying at all.
—
Xie Ci frowned, suddenly pushing past the people in front of him, walking towards the door while saying: “Wait, don’t say anymore, can I come find you and we talk in person? Please, I don’t want to talk on the phone…”
He had always been admired by girls, with a proud temperament, never learning to please anyone. Now his tone and attitude were so humble, truly shocking those around him.
The crowd strained their ears to listen to the gossip, but couldn’t hear for long as the main character walked out.
The group stared at each other, speechless.
Chen Jing, as the main culprit, only dared speak after Xie Ci left. He swallowed and hesitantly said: “Say… was I being an idiot just now?”
Song Yifan looked up at him and said coolly: “I suggest you go to the hospital to check your brain.”
“…”
“God, how was I supposed to know Ci was so serious about Xu You…”
Chen Jing spread his hands innocently, “And it’s not like Ci can’t play around, I just thought…”
“Lucky you didn’t make Xie Ci kiss the junior girl in front of Xu You.” Tu Xiaocheng shook his head.
Li Jieyi came back from the bathroom to find Xie Ci gone. He looked around, “Where did that bastard Ci suddenly go, aren’t we playing pool later?”
“What pool, Young Master Xie went to chase his girlfriend.” Tu Xiaocheng explained.
After they talked for a while, a girl couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked: “Does Brother Ci… really like that girl who just left?”
“Xu You?”
“Mm…”
“Fuck, it’s way more than just like.”
“I’m starting to suspect Xu You put some spell on Ci, making him completely bewitched.”
Song Yifan was bursting to complain, having wanted to rant for a while, “You all just crowded around him like that earlier, making Xu You leave angry… I was really afraid that beast Xie Ci would flip the table, lucky Xu You called him.”
“Wasn’t Shen Jiayi the same before… Ci didn’t react much,” someone else said.
“Fuck, how is that the same?”
“All those previous ones, which one didn’t keep calling Xie Ci constantly? Even girls like Qiu Qingqing were no exception, always checking up on him. When Xie Ci was out with us, he usually couldn’t be bothered to answer calls, just glancing at them and tossing the phone aside. How is that like Xu You… Xie Ci practically wants to stick to her all the time, and likes to randomly go guard where she lives, like some stalker. You don’t know sometimes when we’re eating together, probably because Xu You is slow to reply messages, Xie Ci just starts frantically calling…”
Making Song Yifan and the others feel like Xie Ci had become a complete obsessed lover, turning into a maniac…
Song Yifan rolled his eyes, adding: “Let me tell you, from now on when we hang out, just don’t provoke anything about Xu You in front of Xie Ci… get a clue.”
“Where are you, I’ll come find you.”
Xie Ci ran all the way to the bottom of the building, looking everywhere, his brows furrowing then relaxing. Having come down in such a hurry, he hadn’t even put on his coat, wearing just a thin wool sweater.
Xu You remained silent for a while.
“Don’t get excited.” She sniffled, collecting her emotions, “I just told you so much…”
Xie Ci excitedly interrupted her: “—Xu You I’ve told you many times, I’m not interested in touching anyone else, I’m not messing around with any girls… I wasn’t actually going to hug that girl but then you left, okay fine, I really know I was wrong okay? I shouldn’t have… in front of you with others… really don’t say those things to me…”
He finished his rapid-fire speech.
Actually, even Xie Ci himself hadn’t realized that all his pretended indifference and coldness towards her was just naked passion at its core, and childish desire for her attention.
“Do you like me?” Xu You’s voice was very calm.
“Obviously, why the fuck would I chase you for so long if I didn’t like you, am I sick?”
“Then how much do you like me?”
He seemed choked.
She continued asking, “Is it different from your previous girlfriends?”
“Qiu Qingqing, Chen Jingyi…”
Xu You listed names one by one, “Am I any different from them? Will I also become like all your ex-girlfriends once you lose interest?”
“Xie Ci… I can’t play these games, maybe my wording is wrong… but I really don’t dare. My parents have high expectations for me, always have since I was little, 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 get sad, I’m not as good as you imagine, then slowly you’ll discover that I’m actually no different from your previous girlfriends…”
Her voice was broken, as if suppressing some emotion to continue speaking, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say this… don’t mind it… let me think…”
But hearing these words, Xie Ci became anxious, his mind 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…
Also didn’t know why things had become like this. Initially she just wanted to have a calm discussion with him, but became increasingly unable to control her emotions. Or perhaps she had always been concerned, afraid. Those insecurities buried in her heart all exploded at this moment. She didn’t dare get too close to Xie Ci, fully incorporating him into her life, yet unconsciously indulged his recklessness.
“…”
“Don’t come find me.”
Xu You crouched on the ground, face buried in her scarf, speaking softly and gently, “Xie Ci, will you let me finish?”
“No, I don’t want to listen, I don’t want to hear any of what you’re saying.” His voice sounded a bit hurt.
Xu You bit her teeth, her stomach painfully uncomfortable.
“I know I can’t change anyone, including you. So what I can choose is to either accept you or leave you…”
“—No! I don’t agree to breaking up! Don’t even think about it!!”
Finally, Xu You heard Xie Ci’s shout through the phone.
But she had no strength to continue talking, directly hanging up as cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
She didn’t dare presume too much.
But even if Xu You tightly covered her mouth, liking him would still leak out through her eyes.
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