He felt like his heart was about to explode; the nameless anger and immense disappointment intertwined, almost causing him to lose control.
He suddenly raised his hand, as if to grab her arm, then slumped down, his voice filled with pain and confusion, "How...how did we become like this?!"
Looking at his slightly red eyes and the genuine pain on his face, Li Jing suddenly smiled with a complex expression, a smile that was mixed with too much grievance, disappointment and a hint of self-mockery.
She gently shook her head, as if mocking his slow realization, "Are you asking me?"
Guan Hongqi pursed his lips, clenched his fists, and felt extremely annoyed!
Yeah, what right does he have to ask?
What has he been doing for the past six months?
Li Jing stopped looking at him and turned her gaze to the depths of the dark alley. Her tone became distant and resolute. "I should go home."
After saying that, she took two steps back, paused, as if finally making a conclusion about the relationship, "Guan Hongqi, actually, it's pretty good that we're like this... each going our own way."
After saying that, she resolutely turned around, about to disappear into the shadows.
"Li Jing!" Guan Hongqi panicked and instinctively stepped forward, reaching out to stop her.
Li Jing, however, seemed to have eyes in the back of her head, deftly turning to avoid his touch.
She stopped, without turning around, her voice low but carrying an undeniable warning, "Guan Hongqi, these are all familiar neighbors. Don't make things difficult for me."
As she spoke, she turned her head and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze was cold and unfamiliar. "We've been friends for many years and have many wonderful memories together, so I don't want to... fall out with you."
The words "tear off the mask" were like a cold needle, instantly piercing all of Guan Hongqi's excitement and resentment.
He stood frozen in place, his outstretched hand slowly falling down.
Arguing here will only make her the subject of gossip among the neighbors.
He couldn't let her be hurt.
He stared intently at her retreating figure, his eyes red-rimmed and his chest heaving violently, but he could no longer utter a sound or make any move to stop her.
He could only watch helplessly as she walked resolutely into that familiar alley, her figure gradually swallowed by the darkness until she finally disappeared completely.
The night wind blew, and the leaves of the old locust tree rustled, as if sighing silently.
Guan Hongqi stood alone in place, like an abandoned statue, without moving for a long time.
Only his clenched fists and slightly trembling shoulders betrayed the surging pain within him that he had nowhere to vent.
...
Ever since that unpleasant encounter at the alley entrance that night, Guan Hongqi felt as if his soul had been ripped away.
Although he could still muster his energy at work, his dejected appearance in private was so noticeable that even his employees noticed something was wrong.
It just so happened that Guan's triplets were all admitted to university, so the family held a banquet to celebrate.
On such an important occasion, Guan Wenru had been waiting for a long time, hoping that he could bring Li Jing back on this day.
In Guan Wenru's opinion, Guan Hongqi and Li Jing have already graduated, and it's time to start thinking about marriage.
Unexpectedly, Guan Hongqi told her that Li Jing had gone on a blind date.
Guan Wenru knew that the two liked each other and didn't want things to end like this, so after finishing her own business, she immediately dialed Li Jing's school's number that day.
"Xiaojing, it's me, Sister Wenru. It's been a long time since I've seen you. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? I'd like to invite you for tea."
Li Jing was quite surprised to receive the call.
She had always had a good impression of Guan Wenru, her independent, straightforward, and unpretentious older sister, and even admired her a bit.
After hesitating for a moment, she agreed.
She was willing to give that face.
The next day, in a quiet and elegant teahouse private room.
Guan Wenru arrived early. Upon seeing Li Jing, she immediately took her hand warmly and invited her to sit down next to her, her eyes full of sincere concern.
"Xiaojing, let me see you. Hmm, you've lost a bit of weight. Being a teacher must be tough!"
Guan Wenru gently patted Li Jing's hand, her tone gentle yet direct, "I'm here to talk to you today for no other reason than I can't stop worrying about you. You and Hongqi... did you have some kind of fight? That kid's been acting like he's lost his soul lately, and I haven't been able to get any information out of him these past few days. Tell me, did he bully you? If he did something awful, tell me, and I'll be the first to teach him a lesson!"
Li Jing felt a slight pang of emotion when she saw the genuine concern in Guan Wenru's eyes.
She lowered her head, holding the warm teacup, and remained silent.
Guan Wenru didn't urge her, but waited patiently and poured her another cup of tea.
After a long while, Li Jing took a deep breath and poured out all the grievances that had been building up in her heart.
She didn't embellish the story; she simply recounted calmly how it started on Guan Hongqi's birthday when she saw the female squad leader putting a hat on him, and how she later deliberately distanced herself from him…
As Guan Wenru listened, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper. By the end, she couldn't help but rub her forehead, feeling both annoyed and amused.
"That blockhead! He should just die of stupidity!"
She was utterly disillusioned with her brother's emotional intelligence. "His female class monitor actually interned at my company. She's lively and outgoing, and she's like that with everyone! She's just a carefree, silly girl! Hongqi... he never even considered that possibility! He's so dense he could run a horse running through his mind!"
She looked at Li Jing, her eyes filled with apology and understanding, "However, Hongqi really didn't manage the distance between herself and the female comrades well. I will definitely remind her of this. Xiao Jing, you've really suffered these days."
No matter what, it's Hongqi's fault. He's too oblivious, too self-righteous, assuming you'll always be there for him. He never considered your feelings, nor did he ever think to proactively communicate or hold on to you. It's his fault, and I will absolutely not take his side.
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