27
After hanging up the phone, Xu Yu originally planned to go directly to pick up Ji Shengsheng, but after not receiving a reply from Ji Shengsheng for a long time, he called Cheng Yu instead.
The meeting was in the part that was most relevant to Ji Shengsheng, and Cheng Yu helped Ji Shengsheng explain the situation to Xu Yu.
After discussing the work progress, Cheng Yu couldn't help but ask, "Ji Shengsheng seems unhappy today? Shouldn't you two be enjoying your relationship at this time?"
"Do you also think she's unhappy?" Xu Yu leaned back in his chair and looked up at the sky.
“However, I tentatively asked her, and she said she was quite happy with you, but…” Cheng Yu hesitated.
"What is it?"
"It's not very relaxing, is it? It's a bit heavy?" Cheng Yu thought for a moment and speculated, "Xu Yu, is it possible that she also feels a lot of moral pressure being with you?"
Moral pressure? Xu Yu closed his eyes.
When we first met after I returned to China, I lied to him that I had a boyfriend and used my best friend as a shield.
If he weren't such a insistent person, he and Ji Shengsheng wouldn't have had these stories.
As for being heavy.
Love shouldn't feel heavy.
Or rather, Xing Xing is just a friend, so what is there for her to feel so burdened about?
After hanging up the phone, Cheng Yu went to the meeting.
The meeting ended close to 11 p.m. Cheng Yu planned to take Ji Shengsheng home, but considering that she was feeling a bit sleepy, he invited her downstairs to have some coffee before leaving.
Ji Shengsheng replied to Xu Yu's message and then walked to the coffee shop with Cheng Yu.
She never expected to run into Shao Yun here.
Ever since Xu Yu made his relationship with Shao Yun clear to her, the last trace of hostility she had towards Shao Yun disappeared.
The coffee shop was quite crowded. After exchanging greetings, Shao Yun chose to share a table with them and then sat opposite Ji Shengsheng.
"How have things been with your boyfriend lately?" Shao Yun asked, recalling Ji Shengsheng's mention of her boyfriend picking her up last time.
"……good."
After a moment's hesitation, Shao Yun decided to delve deeper into the relationship between Ji Shengsheng and Xu Yu. After all, she had recently heard rumors that Xu Yu and Ji Shengsheng had gone on a business trip together.
...What if old feelings rekindle?
"Do you have any contact with Xu Yu?" Shao Yun asked, smiling as she looked into Ji Shengsheng's eyes.
"Yes." Ji Shengsheng recalled Xu Yu's words, "I want to see the light of day," if she understood correctly...
Ji Shengsheng looked back into Shao Yun's eyes: "Perhaps in a while, Xu Yu will be my boyfriend."
Upon understanding Ji Shengsheng's meaning, Shao Yun's voice unconsciously rose: "? No, Ji Shengsheng, are you two-timing?"
"...No?" Ji Shengsheng asked, puzzled.
She has never liked anyone other than Xu Yu, so how could she be two-timing?
"Then who was the person who gave it to you last time?" Shao Yun raised her voice even higher.
"You mean Xing Xing? He's my childhood friend, we're not related at all." Ji Shengsheng didn't understand why Shao Yun and Cheng Yu both looked so shocked. "...Is it that hard to tell?"
"...Then why did you say he was your boyfriend?" Shao Yun almost stood up.
"Because... our role in each other is just to save face and ward off unwanted suitors, right? Although we rarely use it." Ji Shengsheng was even more confused. "...Do you all think I have a boyfriend?"
“Yes!” Cheng Yu nodded frantically. “That’s what we all thought.”
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
Fortunately, Xu Yu didn't think so, and Ji Shengsheng breathed a sigh of relief when she realized this.
Based on her understanding of Xu Yu, if he thought she had a boyfriend, he would definitely keep his distance from her.
Cheng Yu had mixed feelings when she saw Ji Shengsheng downstairs.
He didn't know if Xu Yu knew or not. If Xu Yu knew, he would think Xu Yu wasn't a good brother. If Xu Yu didn't know, he didn't know how to convey the situation to him.
Cheng Yu started the car while hesitating. Ji Shengsheng's home was an hour and a half away from his, so even if he wanted to talk to Xu Yu about this, he would have to wait until Xu Yu got home safely.
After saying goodbye to Cheng Yu, Ji Shengsheng walked briskly upstairs.
Knowing that Xu Yu would be very busy tomorrow and they wouldn't be able to see each other every day for a long time, she wanted to cherish the time tonight.
When she opened the door, she found the room was dark. Reaching for the light switch, she accidentally touched Xu Yu's hand.
Ji Shengsheng opened her arms and hugged Xu Yu: "I missed you so much."
As she spoke, she snuggled closer to Xu Yu and asked, "What about you? Do you miss me even a little bit?"
Although it was cheesy, she hadn't heard Xu Yu say many sweet words.
Xu Yu simply let her hold him without any positive reaction.
Ji Shengsheng waited for a long time, so long that she let go of her hands and turned on the living room light.
"...What's wrong?" Ji Shengsheng looked at Xu Yu. "If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. I'm willing to listen."
Xu Yu stroked Ji Shengsheng's face.
If everyone else can tell she's unhappy, how could he not?
"I have to go on a business trip tomorrow," Xu Yu told Ji Shengsheng, explaining the situation he had just learned.
"I know." Ji Shengsheng nodded. "So, are you going back to pack your things today?"
"Um."
Ji Shengsheng glanced at the time: "Then you should go home early. It's not safe to drive too late."
"Okay." Xu Yu nodded.
He listened to everything she said, whether she stayed or left.
Ji Shengsheng saw Xu Yu downstairs and watched his car disappear from sight.
I wonder if her intuition was wrong. They met again, and they both turned back.
She turned back to Xu Yu, hoping to start a new story. Xu Yu, on the other hand, was clinging to the past. No matter how hard she tried, Xu Yu refused to let go of the past and face the future with her.
Back in the empty room, Ji Shengsheng sat on the sofa, finally releasing all the pressure that had accumulated over the past few days.
After staring blankly at the pillow for a while, Ji Shengsheng finally came to her senses.
After taking a shower, Ji Shengsheng received a message that her parents had arrived home, and on a whim, she booked a ticket to go home early the next morning.
She's been feeling a bit tired lately and misses home.
...
Knowing that Xu Yu had already left Ji Shengsheng's house, Cheng Yu, who was halfway there, changed course and went to Xu Yu's house instead.
He was just so curious.
When they arrived at Xu Yu's building, they practically ran all the way. As soon as Cheng Yu opened the door, she couldn't help but shout.
"I've just learned a shocking secret..."
Xu Yu's expression showed no abnormality.
Cheng Yu didn't continue: "Did you already know? No wonder your relationship progressed so quickly."
Xu Yu remained silent. He had suspected it before, but had only just confirmed it in person.
However, for him, what mattered more than the nominal relationship between Ji Shengsheng and Xing Xing was their familiarity, tacit understanding, and uninhibited interaction.
“I’m not saying this to be mean,” Cheng Yu said, completely baffled, “Ji Shengsheng doesn’t have a boyfriend, and you don’t even buy some firecrackers to set off or treat me to a meal to celebrate? Are you just pretending to be a ‘thinker’ here?”
As Cheng Yu spoke, Xu Yu had already stood up and walked out the door.
He made a mistake.
He shouldn't have ignored Ji Shengsheng when he said he liked him.
I shouldn't have not told Ji Shengsheng that I missed her first.
You shouldn't have left without explaining things clearly.
“You don’t need to go, Xu Yu,” Cheng Yu waved her phone. “Ji Shengsheng just messaged me saying she’s going back to Taoyuan tomorrow and won’t be back until after the New Year.”
"After the New Year, it will probably be another two months or so, right?" Cheng Yu looked at the next message, a little hesitant to say.
"She said she'll be quite busy after she goes home and won't be keeping in touch with people here much for the time being..."
Cheng Yu wasn't sure if Xu Yu counted as "one of them." Or rather, Ji Shengsheng wanted her to pass on a message to Xu Yu.
After listening to him, Xu Yu turned and went downstairs.
The car sped along, and he arrived a step later than Ji Shengsheng.
Seeing that there were still tickets available for the 6 a.m. train, Ji Shengsheng changed his ticket and immediately set off for the high-speed rail station.
Ji Shengsheng carefully read the message Xu Yu sent. She wasn't intentionally trying to distance herself, nor did she want to never see him again.
Xu Yu will be very busy for a while, and she also wanted to go home, which is why she decided to book the tickets on a whim.
No.
Ji Shengsheng admitted to herself that she just didn't want to reconcile like she had when she first came back, without making things clear or understanding each other.
Their relationship wasn't deep to begin with, and it couldn't withstand such repeated and careless squandering.
"Give me some time to think things through."
This was the only reply Xu Yu received from Ji Shengsheng.
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