To be honest, Cheng Qicai was quite afraid that if things were brought up, their relationship would become awkward.
However, in the current situation, the inexplicable barrier between the two has disappeared.
The two laughed for a while, then Cheng Qicai gripped the ship's railing tightly. She felt it was best to make things clear to Ren Baiping.
She cleared her throat. "Your decision to go for joint training has definitely shocked me and made me realize that it's time to clarify our relationship."
"Mm." Ren Baiping nodded, tilting his head slightly to show that he was listening attentively to her.
Seeing Ren Baiping's serious expression gave her some encouragement.
She paused for a moment, then slowly explained her reasons: "Actually, it's because of my ex-boyfriend. Well, after he went to F city to pursue his doctorate, we realized that our relationship was having problems."
Cheng Qicai's tone was calm. "When I went to F City to find him later, I found that he had started dating a new girlfriend, but he still contacted me occasionally."
Ren Baiping listened quietly to Cheng Qicai's account, then said, "Isn't this cheating on him?"
"Yes, I asked him back then, and his reason was that we lived too far apart, and there was a big gap in our family backgrounds and education levels. He asked me, 'Are you really suitable to be with me?'"
Ren Baiping said indignantly, "This man is talking complete nonsense. These lies are just a cover-up for the fact that he is a scumbag."
Hearing Ren Baiping's words, Cheng Qicai laughed, "He really is a scumbag. While he was cheating on me, I was completely fooled by him. He said he would get married after he finished his doctorate, and that he wouldn't see me during holidays because he had research projects to do. When I went to see him, he said it was because he was worried I was too tired..."
As they talked, Cheng Qicai's temper flared up.
"So your reaction when you heard I was going on a joint training program was because of this?"
Cheng Qicai nodded, "Yeah, mainly because I swore back then that if I ever dated someone like that again, I'd be a dog."
Ren Baiping was amused by her words, spoken through gritted teeth. He held back his laughter and asked, "So you just said you wanted to break up like that?"
Cheng Qicai was still indignant. "Is there any need to talk about this? Later, I was so angry that whenever I had free time, I would post warnings about him in various forums at his school. Later, I used a secondary account to lurk in his school group chat and heard that after he broke up with the girl he was dating, she even slapped him a few times."
"I felt so relieved when I heard that."
"Haha, sure," Ren Baiping said with a smile.
"Sigh, actually, when I heard my uncle say he was going to introduce one of his students to me, I was already reluctant..."
Ren Baiping asked, "Because you look a lot like your ex-boyfriend?"
Cheng Qicai nodded and then shook her head, "But I do feel that their identities are somewhat similar. However, my uncle assured me that I definitely believe him. When we met, I found that you and he are completely different types of people."
"But I have indeed been psychologically affected by the long-distance relationship. However, the main reason is that after thinking about it, I feel that you are just a friend. I thought that if you really have plans to go abroad, I should tell you in advance so as not to affect your plans."
After hearing Cheng Qicai's explanation, Ren Baiping smiled with relief.
"Alright, when I heard you say we should be friends, I still felt a little disappointed. Since you've already thought it through and explained the reasons, it seems we're not quite meant to be. But being friends is fine too."
After listening to Ren Baiping's tone and confirming that he was not dissatisfied with her, Cheng Qicai breathed a sigh of relief.
After things were discussed openly, the two didn't have any arguments. Perhaps they had started their relationship as friends, and their current interaction is no different from before.
The only difference might be in their state of mind.
After swimming around the lake on the pedals, the two pushed the boat back to shore.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Cheng Qicai felt a sense of peace in her heart.
After going up, the two strolled around the ancient town.
Modern ancient towns are all pretty much the same, combining commerce with ancient architecture, which not only retains economic value but also offers scenic appeal.
As Cheng Qicai walked along, her eyes were drawn to the various ceramic items displayed inside—fruits, animals, everyday objects, and so on…
These are the things Cheng Qicai likes the most; she can't resist them when she sees them.
She called out to Ren Baiping, and the two went into the store, admiring the shops side by side.
Cheng Qicai wanted them all, but they were too expensive and not easy to bring home.
But at the very front of the shop, there was a row of discounted ceramics, five for ten yuan. This really tempted Cheng Qicai. She couldn't afford the expensive ones, but these were practically a piece of cake.
Ren Baiping picked up a yellow puppy sculpture from inside and said, "This looks a lot like the puppy in your portrait?"
Cheng Qicai took it and looked at it, commenting, "It does look somewhat similar, but all big yellow mongrel dogs look pretty much the same."
"So you must feel quite familiar with Golden Bean, right? You and your boss found a dog before, so how come Golden Bean was raised by him?" Ren Baiping suddenly asked.
“I originally wanted to keep them, but I have too many little things at home and the space is small, so it would be troublesome to take care of them. Gu Rongqi said he would take care of them,” Cheng Qicai explained.
Ren Baiping nodded, and said meaningfully, "Then your boss is quite kind-hearted."
"Hmm." Cheng Qicai didn't notice his tone and handed the five porcelain pieces to the shopkeeper.
He saw that Cheng Qicai looked clueless.
But then I felt that given Cheng Qicai's personality, she shouldn't have missed it.
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