Fu Haochen sat alone in the dim room, the street lights outside the window casting mottled light and shadows, reflecting on his furrowed brow.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, making a slight sound, which seemed to be accompanying his inner struggle.

He has liked Xinxin for many years.

The two graduated from school together and looked for jobs together.

Even Xinxin's previous boyfriend was introduced by him.

"What should I do?" Fu Haochen whispered to himself, his voice full of helplessness and struggle.

He recalled every detail of his acquaintance with Xinxin. Those days of laughter and fighting side by side seemed like just yesterday, yet they also seemed like a distant dream, unattainable.

He was afraid that once he confessed his feelings, this precious friendship would become fragile and might even disappear.

Fu Haochen raised a self-deprecating smile at the corner of his mouth: "I am such a coward."

Having said this, he stood up, walked to the window and looked at the bustling crowd outside.

He imagined that if he really mustered up the courage to confess his feelings to Xinxin, she might be surprised, might refuse, or might gently tell him that she only considered him a friend.

Every possibility was like a sharp knife, cutting through his heart and leaving deep scars.

They know each other too well.

Just like what Xinxin was thinking at the moment, he knew it clearly.

Xinxin seems to be interested in Lin Sijue.

And Lin Sijue did not show any attitude of rejection.

Fu Haochen sat at the table, his eyes fixed on the WeChat chat box with Xinxin on the phone screen.

Her fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard, typing out a long paragraph filled with affection: "Xinxin, I've actually always liked you, from a long time ago. Every time I see your smile or hear your voice, my heart beats involuntarily. I know we have a deep friendship, but I hope you can give me a chance to become a more important person in your life."

However, every time he was about to press the send button, the concerns in his heart made him hesitate.

He imagined Xinxin's reaction after seeing this message: Would she find it too sudden? Would she feel embarrassed or uncomfortable? Would it affect their friendship? These thoughts flooded in like a tide, causing Fu Haochen's hand to stop in mid-air.

In the end, the edited texts were deleted one by one, and the chat box was still empty.

Fu Haochen sighed, put down his phone, and leaned back in his chair. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of helplessness and loss.

He knew that he might need more courage and time to overcome his inner fear and express his true feelings to Xinxin.

He couldn't imagine how it would feel to lose Xinxin.

It is better to never have it than to have it at all. As a friend, you can always be with her.

…………………………………………

At the same time, Lin Sijue also sent some ambiguous messages to Xinxin on WeChat.

He wrote: "When will you come to bring me milk tea today? I want xx brand milk tea, sugar-free, with some toppings. You can also bring yourself a cup, come over to my place, and play games with me." However, surprisingly, he still didn't get a reply from Xinxin.

This caused Lin Sijue to misunderstand. He began to suspect that Xinxin's heart had already belonged to Fu Haochen, and that he was just a fool.

"Isn't she still dating Fu Haochen? She usually replies to messages quickly, but she was so slow today. I wonder where she's been?" Lin Sijue muttered to himself.

As a result, the originally friendly relationship between the two people instantly cooled down, as if an invisible ice wall was placed between them.

Lin Sijue sat on the sofa, his fingers unconsciously swiping the screen of his mobile phone, his eyes full of disappointment and confusion.

(Hey, where have you been?)

Come play a new game with me, I'm bored.

Lin Sijue sent many messages in a row.

This feeling of being ignored made him feel unprecedented frustration and loss.

"Oh, so you are dating that guy named Fu Haochen, right? Otherwise, how could you not even know the boss's information? I wouldn't have doubled the salary if I had known." Lin Sijue muttered to himself, with a hint of helplessness and self-mockery in his voice.

As for Xinxin, when she received the news from Lin Sijue, she felt mixed emotions.

She didn't reply immediately, but lay quietly on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

She knew that her feelings for Lin Sijue were not simple, but she also knew that she did not understand him deeply enough. She was afraid that her response would cause misunderstanding or pressure to Lin Sijue, so she chose to remain silent.

"What should I do? There's such a huge gap between him and me. He asks me to come over and play games? Doesn't he have any friends?" Xinxin whispered to herself.

She didn't want to get herself into unnecessary trouble.

She began to think about how to handle this relationship in a more mature and rational way, hoping to find a way to protect herself while maintaining the friendship.