Si Hua slowly spoke under He Ju’s gaze: “Because there are people I care about still in the country.”

People you care about?

He Ju didn’t ask again, but he said, “The person Sister Si Hua remembers must be a very good person.”

Si Hua agreed very much: “Yes, he’s a good person. He’s been foolishly bullied for so many years, but he still maintains his original intention.”

He Ju looked up: “Who’s so foolish?”

Si Hua smiled but didn’t speak: “It’s a secret.”

He Ju didn’t ask again, and after finishing the wontons, the two slowly made their way back to the inn.

Both of them were quite tired, so they bid each other goodnight and went back to their rooms.

Just as Si Hua finished showering, she received a call from the senior management of Starshine Group: “Miss Si, Vice President Qin has been quite active recently. She has almost inserted several people into the company’s operations department during the time you were away. There’s a real estate project for cooperation with a foreign country tomorrow night at seven. It requires public bidding, and we need your decision on the Starshine side.”

Si Hua frowned slightly. She had already lost a major project overseas, and if she couldn’t achieve something upon returning to China, her father would probably be furious.

Once Si Hua’s father got involved in domestic projects, how could Si Hua subtly pursue He Ju?

The old man was very shrewd, and she couldn’t let him return to China.

So Si Hua had to make a quick decision: “Send me the address. I’ll be there on time tomorrow night.”

Si Hua was blow-drying her hair in the bathroom, thinking about how to tell He Ju that she had to leave early.

Meanwhile, He Ju received a call from his mother: “Xiao Ju, come back tomorrow. Your father has been feeling tightness in his chest, so I’m taking him to City A for a check-up.”

He Ju’s heart tightened: “Okay, Mom, I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

His mother chuckled: “No need to rush. Su Ran is with us. She’s already checked into the hospital tonight, and we’ll do the check-up tomorrow.”

He Ju: “Mom, what are you saying? Who’s with you?”

His mother: “Su Ran, Ran Ran, your classmate from elementary school to university. Have you forgotten?”

He Ju suddenly felt a headache: “Mom, how did you end up together?”

His mother sighed: “We met at the hospital.”

How did they meet at the hospital again? He Ju found it a bit unbelievable.

His mother sighed: “The procedures at the big hospital are troublesome. If it weren’t for meeting Su Ran, your father and I would have had to wait in line for a long time. Now your father has a private room. It’s all thanks to Su Ran. Xiao Ju, you should thank Ran Ran.”

He Ju frowned: “I got it, Mom. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

After hanging up, He Ju removed Su Ran from his WeChat blacklist, then removed her from his contacts blacklist, and then called Su Ran.

Su Ran was half asleep when her phone rang, and the ringing instantly woke her up. She immediately answered the call: “Hello? He Ju?”

He Ju was silent for two seconds before speaking: “Thanks for taking care of my dad in the hospital.”

Su Ran was very happy. The fact that He Ju called her meant that he had removed her from the blacklist.

Su Ran added: “No, no, it’s just a coincidence. I had a cold and a fever, so I was hospitalized. I happened to help out the uncle and aunt I met in the hospital. It’s just a small matter. They’ve been good to me, and they used to cook for me often when I was a child. I’m like their adopted daughter. It’s nothing.”

He Ju’s mood was very complicated at that moment: “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Su Ran nodded: “Okay, you don’t need to worry about the uncle. I’ll take care of him.”

He Ju asked, “What about you? Are you feeling better? Has the fever gone down?”

This was the first time in their long history of teasing each other that He Ju had taken the initiative to ask about Su Ran’s health.

For some reason, Su Ran felt a little sour in her heart: “I’m fine. That was two days ago.”

He Ju was silent for a moment and asked, “Su Ran, what do you really think?”

He Ju thought that Su Ran did these things because she liked him, right?

But after a moment of silence, Su Ran told him, “I didn’t think much. We’ve known each other since childhood, and taking care of the uncle and aunt is something I should do.”

After saying this, Su Ran wished she could bite her tongue off.

She knew she couldn’t say that, but she… couldn’t control herself.

She had realized that she liked He Ju, but she couldn’t openly admit it because He Ju wasn’t outstanding, and Su Ran couldn’t accept the fact that she liked He Ju.

He Ju was well aware of this, too.

In this world, perhaps Su Ran didn’t even understand herself as well as He Ju understood her.

Su Ran might have feelings for him, but in the face of the disparity in their families, Su Ran might never be able to admit that she had feelings for He Ju.

What Su Ran wanted was a nameless person who would follow her and never betray her.

But Su Ran forgot that a man would lower his bottom line time and time again because he loved you, and he would be infinitely tolerant of the person he liked.

But when this man no longer liked you, you were just nothing.

Realizing this, He Ju thought he would be heartbroken, but in fact…

He Ju himself hadn’t expected to be so calm.

He Ju suddenly remembered the wish he had made on the snowy mountain: “This year’s He Ju will no longer like Su Ran.”

Yes, he wouldn’t like Su Ran anymore.

He Ju, love yourself, and let yourself go.

He Ju’s voice was very faint: “I got it.”Su Ran was anxious: “Brother He Ju, that’s not what I meant. Can you please stop blacklisting me?”

He Ju responded: “Okay.”

He Ju was about to hang up the phone, but Su Ran told him, “A few days ago, I went to Yunnan to look for you, but I couldn’t find you, so I came back.”

He Ju closed his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse: “Why bother? Su Ran…”

Su Ran said, “I just… wanted to apologize to you in person, Brother He Ju. I shouldn’t have treated you that way. Can you please not be mad at me anymore?”

He Ju suddenly laughed. Su Ran, you want to win me back, yet you don’t want to be with me…

Is this… fishing?

Su Ran was very nervous, even her breathing became lighter as she waited for He Ju’s answer.

He Ju said, “Hmm, I won’t be mad at you.”

Su Ran was immediately overjoyed, just about to say something, when He Ju added a sentence that made Su Ran somewhat sad: “I don’t have so many demands for a friend.”

Friend?

Su Ran held the phone: “Friend?”

He Ju said, “Yes, Sister Ran Ran.”

He Ju deliberately emphasized the words: “Just ordinary friends. Of course, you’ve always treated me like a brother, so siblings are fine too.”

Su Ran’s heart plummeted, but she stubbornly clenched her teeth, refusing to say a word.

Interacting with someone like Su Ran was exhausting for He Ju.

He Ju was someone who expressed his love very directly, so naturally, he also hoped that his lover would choose him unwaveringly.

Clearly, in front of Su Ran, face and self-respect always mattered much more than He Ju.

He was never Su Ran’s first choice.