The endless staircase stretched out before her, with no end in sight. It was as if it symbolized the narrowing path between her and Chi Xu.
Jiang Yuan rushed down the stairs, the sound of her footsteps echoing loudly. She walked quickly and urgently, not knowing what she was really doing.
According to her original plan, she should have happily accepted his confession and then cruelly abandoned Chi Xu.
Her heart ached with each step. Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes and continued walking in silence, eager to leave this place full of turmoil.
She was also afraid that if she softened, she would lose control and turn back to tell Chi Xu that:
Actually, she liked him. All the words she said just now were not true; they were lies.
She wanted to ask him why he had left without saying a word all those years ago. Since he had already abandoned her, why did he come back to find her now?
Was it really all her own fault?
But why didn't he take the initiative to explain? Was it out of guilt or fear?
Jiang Yuan gave a bitter smile. If she were the one to bring it up, the nature of the situation would be different. It would make her seem too eager and still obsessed with Chi Xu's departure all those years ago.
Even though Chi Xu liked her now, liked her so much, who could predict the future?
Just like three years ago, after they had accompanied each other for twelve years, Chi Xu suddenly left without a word.
If one day in the future Chi Xu stopped liking her, it would become a handle he could use against her.
Jiang Yuan quickly reached the first floor. Behind her came the shouts of her friends.
She slowed down a bit, and Lin Suye, Yu Huan, and Su Kexin caught up with her.
Lin Suye looked up at Jiang Yuan, out of breath. She was surprised to see that Jiang Yuan was completely calm, with no trace of emotion on her face, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Suye was stunned for a moment, and the words stuck in her throat didn't come out.
"Why did you come?" Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes and asked softly. "Today is Jia Fang's birthday. You should be with him."
Although they all knew that today wasn't really Jia Fang's birthday but a carefully - planned confession by Chi Xu.
Su Kexin said carelessly, "We've only known Jia Fang for how long? Jiang Yuan, you're our friend. There's no way you can push us to that guy."
"That's right. Men are all bad. None of them are good..." Yu Huan said boldly. But halfway through her words, Lin Suye quickly pulled her and sighed.
This was getting out of hand.
She was afraid of making things worse, as Jiang Yuan already had some prejudice against Chi Xu.
Lin Suye forced a smile and pretended to be nonchalant. "Yuanyuan, it's still early. Where do you want to go? Let's go together."
"I want to go back directly." Jiang Yuan rubbed her temples. Her friends had covered up the confession so well that she was caught off - guard. The words she said were inevitably sharp.
They were like knives stabbing into Chi Xu's heart, and at the same time, into her own.
The dull pain came later. Jiang Yuan only then realized how excessive her words had been.
But she didn't regret it. Even though this unexpected event had disrupted her later plans, she didn't want to continue.
Jiang Yuan found that she simply couldn't deceive and play with Chi Xu's feelings because she had fallen in love with him.
Even if they were together, the beautiful dream built on lies would eventually shatter, and Chi Xu would surely find out.
By then, it would be impossible to make up for it.
For the time being, she didn't want to go back to the apartment. Chi Xu... should go back there, and Jiaojiao would be taken care of.
Jiang Yuan decided to quickly go to the apartment to pack some of her regular clothes and take them back to the dormitory before Chi Xu had a chance to return.
She was grateful to the school for not taking back her dormitory bed just because she had been living off - campus. That way, she still had a place to stay.
"Yuanyuan, are you really okay?" Su Kexin asked repeatedly, uncertain.
There was a kind of sadness that was hidden beneath the surface, invisible and inaudible to everyone.
Everyone knew that Jiang Yuan liked Chi Xu, but now... Su Kexin sighed. She suspected that Jiang Yuan was just putting on a brave front.
"I'm okay. I've already booked a taxi. You guys go back to the dormitory first. I'll go to the apartment to get a few sets of clothes. After all, we haven't lived together for a long time. Aren't you happy?"
Jiang Yuan asked jokingly, with a slight curve of her eyebrows, but there was no smile in her eyes. Her emotions were fermenting silently.
"No, we'll go to the apartment with you and then go back to school with you." Yu Huan rejected her proposal and strongly insisted on staying with Jiang Yuan the whole time.
It was Jiang Yuan who had rejected Chi Xu. It should be Chi Xu who was sad. But they were so worried about Jiang Yuan... They were afraid that something bad might happen, and they would regret it for the rest of their lives.
Seeing that her roommates were so insistent on accompanying her, Jiang Yuan had no choice but to nod in agreement.
She wasn't stupid. How could she do something that she would regret?
She still had parents who loved her very much, a bunch of good friends and sisters, and... Chi Xu, who liked her.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the apartment near the school. They stood at the door of the fourth - floor room and watched Jiang Yuan pack her things.
When Jiang Yuan was almost done packing, Jiaojiao anxiously circled around her, meowing one long meow after another. Her big, watery eyes showed confusion.
She was afraid that her sister was leaving her.
Jiang Yuan stroked the top of Jiaojiao's head and whispered to her, "Jiaojiao, sister is going to leave for a while. Your brother will take good care of you these days. Don't miss sister too much."
Jiang Yuan thought for a moment, then poured a big bowl of cat food into the cat litter box, filled it to the brim, changed the water, and also replaced the cat litter.
Lin Suye and the others helped her with these things.
An hour later, everything was sorted out.
Jiang Yuan dragged her suitcase and looked around. The scenes of her and Chi Xu playing on the sofa and eating in the dining room were vivid in her mind.
She lowered her eyes and gave a self - mocking smile.
It was all like a mirage. When she woke up, maybe it had all been a dream.
She really didn't dare to trust Chi Xu anymore.
She was afraid of being abandoned again.
"Jiaojiao, I'm leaving. You have to take good care of yourself."
Jiang Yuan said reluctantly to Jiaojiao, then turned around and left with her suitcase. She closed the door, and Jiaojiao's urgent meows came through the door.
She steeled herself, dragged her suitcase, and took the elevator with Lin Suye and the others.
When they reached the first floor, Jiang Yuan and her friends slowly walked back to the dormitory.
Maybe to take care of Jiang Yuan's feelings, Lin Suye, Yu Huan, and Su Kexin talked much more than usual. They laughed and joked, which made Jiang Yuan can't help but smile.
She looked at her two or three friends tenderly and tilted her head slightly. The empty heart that had been caused by Chi Xu became a little warmer and not so cold anymore.
She thought that she needed a few days in the dormitory to calm down and avoid seeing Chi Xu. One reason was to avoid embarrassment, and the other was to prevent herself from losing control of her surging emotions.