"It's just for fun. How could I really fall for him?"
Outside the window, the sunlight was bright and gentle, while inside, the person was bone-chilling cold.
Jiang Yuan stared through the transparent glass at a couple holding hands and frolicking.
The girl got tired of walking and playfully asked her boyfriend to carry her on his back. The boyfriend lovingly booped her nose, then turned around and carefully carried her on his back.
She was overjoyed, and the boy doted on her just as much.
Jiang Yuan stared at the couple for a very long time. It was not until they walked out of her sight that she withdrew her gaze and casually answered Lin Suye's question.
Under the hard shell of a seashell lies soft flesh.
Jiang Yuan concealed herself with coldness and showed a cold heart to the world.
It was also a form of self - numbing. By hypnotizing herself, she gradually came to truly believe it.
She didn't want to be sad anymore.
The lesson from three years ago was engraved in her heart.
Lin Suye slightly parted her lips and stood there in a daze for a while before slowly regaining her voice.
"Yuanyuan, you're just joking, right?"
She remembered that there were two people sitting opposite them. The gap between the sofas was very small, and every word could be clearly heard.
Jia Fang and Chi Xu must have heard everything.
She meant well, but it turned out to be a mess.
Jiang Yuan looked at Lin Suye curiously and wondered, "Why would I be joking? It's just you and me here. Why would I lie to you?"
She sounded so convincing as if she really believed it.
Jiang Yuan's face was calm, and there was a hint of indifference in her eyes. The hand holding the drink tightened slightly.
If you didn't look carefully, you wouldn't notice at all.
Lin Suye quickly covered up her uneasiness, tightened her grip on the drink bottle, and said awkwardly, "There's no one else here. I didn't expect you to be so heartless, Yuanyuan."
"Am I heartless? He was truly heartless three years ago." Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes and tried hard to calm the surging emotions. She didn't want to continue this topic.
Lin Suye didn't say anything more and just sighed softly.
Looking up, she saw Chi Xu suddenly stand up and stride out expressionlessly. Jia Fang was startled by his action and accidentally called out to him.
Jiang Yuan froze instantly, as if someone had pressed the pause button.
Seeing their reactions, Jia Fang knew they had been discovered. In a moment of desperation, he tried to cover for Lin Suye.
"Haha, Lin Suye, Jiang Yuan, what a coincidence! Chi Ge and I just came here for dinner... Well... I'll leave first. We'll talk next time."
After saying that, Jia Fang trotted quickly to catch up with Chi Xu.
Jiang Yuan took a deep breath. When she finally mustered the courage to turn and look at the two of them, they had already walked far away.
Heavy sorrow tightly wound around her heart, and Jiang Yuan was almost crushed by it.
During this period, not only was Chi Xu sad, but she was also sad. She just hid it well under her calm appearance.
It was true that she liked Chi Xu, but she didn't want to accept her feelings for him. She was afraid of repeating the mistakes of three years ago and afraid of regretting it.
Lin Suye looked at the dejected Jiang Yuan, leaned closer, and said carefully, "Yuanyuan, just now I saw Chi Xu. He seemed to be in a really bad state. He looked so frail as if a gust of wind could blow him away."
"I don't know." Jiang Yuan swallowed the lump in her throat, looked up at Lin Suye, and her face returned to its usual cold and calm expression. "Yezi, you called him here, right? And you deliberately called me to this restaurant for dinner, too."
Chi Xu didn't like desserts, so he would never agree to come here for dinner with Jia Fang.
The words Jia Fang said when he left just now seemed to explain everything, but in fact, it was like the proverb "a guilty person gives himself away by conspicuously protesting his innocence". He was just afraid that she would blame Lin Suye.
Now it was Lin Suye's turn to be silent. After a long while, she said, "I'm sorry, Yuanyuan. I know you don't want to see him or talk about him now. But Jia Fang begged me for a long time. I think you two clearly like each other. Why can't you be together? Why do you have to miss each other? Yuanyuan, I really don't understand."
Why do so many lovers in the world end up drifting apart and never seeing each other again?
Lin Suye thought blankly and sadly.
"Jia Fang and I just don't want to see you two torture each other anymore."
The longer the emotions were suppressed, the more likely there would be some psychological problems.
"Yezi, I won't blame you this time." Jiang Yuan finally sighed and remembered the loving couple she saw outside the window just now. Their love at this moment was real, and the joy of being together was also real.
Who could predict the future and who would be heartless?
Jiang Yuan didn't really believe in love.
"Maybe you don't understand. Just because you like someone doesn't mean you have to be with them. And right now..." Jiang Yuan bit her lip and carefully chose her words. "I haven't made up my mind yet. I'm also very disappointed in Chi Xu."
Why couldn't he just take the initiative to explain his sudden disappearance?
Was it really that hard to say?
Jiang Yuan was in a daze and tightly held the drink bottle.
The warmth passed through the thin plastic cup and reached her fingertips. But this little bit of warmth was not enough to warm her heart.
...
Chi Xu strode out of the dessert shop expressionlessly. Jia Fang hurriedly caught up and grabbed him, gasping for breath, "Chi, Chi Ge, why are you walking so fast? What if Jiang Yuan still has something to say? Wouldn't you misunderstand her?"
Chi Xu forced a stiff smile. His eyes were pitch - black and cold. "Since Jiang Yuan has already said that, I don't need to listen anymore. I don't want to humiliate myself."
"Didn't you hear clearly? She said it's just for fun. How could I really fall for him."
Chi Xu repeated each word through gritted teeth, and his chest couldn't help rising and falling. He had always known about Jiang Yuan's plan, and even now, she still had a playful attitude.
Was everything in the past really fake?
It was like a beautiful dream that vanished into thin air.
Jia Fang just learned about this plan for the first time. After getting over the initial shock, he murmured to himself in confusion, "It can't be. Jiang Yuan obviously got involved in this herself."
"Chi Ge, Jiang Yuan must have said that on purpose just now. Maybe, maybe she guessed we were nearby and said it on purpose." Jia Fang thought about all the possibilities, and suddenly had an idea. The more he thought about it, the more he believed this was the reason.
"Why didn't Lin Suye tell us? Next time I see her, I must give her a good scolding."
"No need to wait until next time. I know you're doing this for Jiang Yuan and me, but feelings can't be forced. If she doesn't want to, then so be it. Let's just take it one step at a time."
"At least, I've shown my attitude. She knows that I like her." Chi Xu gently comforted Jia Fang, looking nonchalant.
He just felt really tired. That one sentence was like a sharp knife, suddenly stabbing into his heart and leaving it bleeding.
"I want to take a break these days. Don't come to find me."