Xie Shu glanced around as he spoke.
The crowd had grown even larger than before, with some onlookers taking photos with their phones.
Su Qianyi had been so focused on Xie Shu that she had ignored the people around her. It was only after Xie Shu's reminder that she noticed the crowd watching them.
Proud as she was, being the center of attention and seen in such a disheveled state would normally prompt her to immediately regain composure and let go of Xie Shu.
But a voice inside her insisted that if she let go, he would surely walk away.
So, Su Qianyi held back her tears, her grip on Xie Shu's hand still tight, unwilling to let him leave.
Her voice was somewhat restrained as she spoke, "Xie Shu, listen to my explanation…"
"What's there to explain?" Xie Shu didn't want to listen.
"I just spoke without thinking because I didn't have much time."
"Isn't that your true feeling then? That's why you said it without thinking."
"No, no! You've really misunderstood, it's not what you think."
With so much she wanted to say and the current situation making her anxious, Su Qianyi found it hard to know where to start, her words becoming jumbled and more chaotic as she spoke.
Xie Shu looked at the incoherent Su Qianyi, his last bit of patience slowly being eroded away.
"Could you please let go?"
Xie Shu tried to control his tone, maintaining a calm demeanor.
"Xie Shu…"
"I won't repeat myself a third time."
His tone was flat, but it conveyed a chill and a distance that made Su Qianyi feel rejected.
She was momentarily stunned.
Seizing the moment of her distraction, Xie Shu pulled his hand free and left before she could react, not looking back.
Su Qianyi wanted to follow, but her legs felt as if they were weighed down, unable to take a step.
She could only watch as Xie Shu's figure slowly disappeared into the distance…
After Xie Shu left, the onlookers gradually dispersed, leaving Su Qianyi standing there, unable to snap out of her daze.
Within minutes, the scene had been uploaded by bystanders to their campus forum, sparking a wave of discussion.
However, neither of the parties involved had the time to care about the campus forum at that moment.
***
Worried that Su Qianyi might come looking for him, Xie Shu intentionally walked a bit further away.
Once he was in a quieter area, he stopped, took out his phone, and messaged Ruan Nianxi with his location.
She replied quickly to his message.
Before long, Ruan Nianxi appeared before Xie Shu.
He walked a few steps towards her, handed her what he had just bought, and asked with concern, "Where did you go just now? You left without telling me."
Ruan Nianxi looked down, speaking softly, "I saw someone I knew and went to chat for a bit."
"I see. Next time, let me know before you leave. I turned around and you were gone. If I hadn't seen your message, I would have thought something happened to you."
"Okay."
Ruan Nianxi's voice carried a hint of excitement.
She seemed to be in a good mood.
Xie Shu raised an eyebrow, "What happened? You seem happy."
Realizing she was too obvious, Ruan Nianxi quickly toned it down.
"Nothing."
Then she changed the subject, "Where shall we go next?"
Hearing this, Xie Shu began to seriously consider the question. His original plan was to stroll around the school with Ruan Nianxi, but after the recent incident, he suddenly didn't feel like staying there.
Su Qianyi's sudden change of behavior and her clinginess made him unsure whether she had left or might be looking for him again.
He was worried that he might run into her while out with Ruan Nianxi…
Given the bad blood between the two women, he anticipated that a confrontation would not end well.
Moreover, he didn't want his mood to be spoiled.
After some thought, he decided to go somewhere further away.
After all, there wasn't much to see in the back streets, mostly eateries, with few places for entertainment.
"Do you mind if we go a bit further? Maybe check out the nearby commercial district?"
"Sure."
So, they changed their plans on the fly.
They left the back streets, hailed a taxi at the main road, and headed towards the commercial district.
***
In the taxi, Ruan Nianxi sat close to Xie Shu.
She nibbled on what Xie Shu had bought for her, each bite sweeter than the last.
It was a good thing she didn't leave as she used to when she saw Su Qianyi; otherwise, she might have missed some important information.
It seemed Xie Shu no longer liked Su Qianyi.
He had finally given up on that flawed choice.
Heehee, it felt like Xie Shu was back by her side.
It was truly wonderful; her years of waiting had not been in vain.
With Su Qianyi out of Xie Shu's heart, the path ahead for her was clear.
Ruan Nianxi felt a sweet joy in her heart, and on the seat, she cautiously moved a bit closer to Xie Shu, wanting to be nearer to him.
Their arms brushed against each other a few times, making Ruan Nianxi's heart race, but seeing that Xie Shu didn't react, she relaxed and continued her careful advances.
***
Upon reaching the commercial district, the first thing Xie Shu did was to find a decent restaurant for them to sit down and have a good meal.
It was late, and neither of them had eaten dinner yet.
He picked a restaurant that looked good without being too particular about finding a fancy establishment.
Although Ruan Nianxi came from a wealthy family and was accustomed to the finest things in life, she had grown up following him around and had adapted to his lifestyle.
What he liked, she liked too.
Especially when it came to food, her tastes and preferences were highly aligned with his, so he didn't need to spend much time considering her preferences.
Su Qianyi, on the other hand, had been quite particular about food when they were together.
There were many things she wouldn't eat, which wasn't a big deal in itself. It's normal to be considerate of someone you like.
But sometimes, when he bought her something to eat for the first time, wanting to surprise her without telling her, he would accidentally get something she didn't like, and instead of comfort, he would receive complaints that he didn't know her well enough.
If he ordered takeout for her and the restaurant missed a note about a condiment she didn't want, it was also his fault.
In short, dealing with her preferences had been particularly draining.
Emm… Ruan Nianxi was much easier to please.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan