Jiang Shuya forcefully broke free from him, took a few steps back, and stared at him in astonishment; "What nonsense are you spouting? Don't talk nonsense."
Lin Moxiao suppressed his sorrow, a look of pity flashing in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "I'm not lying. You were meant to be mine. I only lost you temporarily because of a moment of carelessness. Come with me, I'll take you to meet my grandparents, okay?"
After saying that, he stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her into his arms. He held Jiang Shuya's waist tightly with both hands, making it impossible for her to break free.
Jiang Shuya, startled by the sudden embrace, felt a surge of warmth envelop her. She suddenly remembered Huang Minghao once telling her something similar: he wanted to take her to meet his grandfather. It was a sign of his acceptance of her, a vow to spend his life with her, and a joy to share with someone important. But Jiang Shuya was now living a second life; she wouldn't fall into the same trap again. She pushed him away forcefully, saying, "Mr. Lin, I know you saved me. I only feel gratitude towards you, not romantic love. I desire a friendship like Wang Ziliang's. Please respect yourself."
Lin Moxiao looked at her with his deep eyes, his sorrowful expression almost pleading; "You're clearly having a hard time, why won't you leave? Looking out from here, it's all desolate, bleak, devoid of any life. What's there to miss? Be with me, we'll go to the ends of the earth. I'll take you to see the scenery of the North Sea, to the colorful South China Sea to see the most beautiful summer light, and we can even witness the vast Northern Lights. No matter where you are, I'll be with you."
Jiang Shuya shook her head in denial, saying urgently, "No, I don't want to go anywhere. Yes, this place is desolate now, but it's temporary. In the near future, it will be transformed into a natural beauty with spring-like weather all year round. Perhaps you think I'm short-sighted, but it will be my future home."
"We are fundamentally different. What I see is vastly different from what you have experienced. The gratitude I feel for you is something I will never forget. For the rest of my life, I will do everything in my power to repay you. But I beg you, please stop being so stubborn. Those were just hazy feelings between young people. You should let them go. They are truly in the past. Don't have any more expectations."
Jiang Shuya understood everything. Now everyone is an adult. Why did he bring up those past events? They were just a tiny episode in our ignorant youth. The past is the past. Shouldn't we look forward?
Now I can't understand Lin Moxiao at all. He has a good status and must have no shortage of women who admire him, yet he is stubbornly wasting his time on her. It's really not worth it.
Lin Moxiao took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and wore a sorrowful and painful expression. He couldn't let go of the pain for a long time, his heart heavy with a sense of oppression and pity. Perhaps realizing there was no possibility at all, he calmed himself and said, "You know, that day at the Yushan Apartment, I held you in my arms all night. It was the closest we'd ever been. At that moment, I thought, if you could stay with me like that forever, that would be wonderful. The next day when you woke up, I knew you were leaving, but I had no reason to stop you. I watched helplessly as you disappeared from my world. In that moment, I knew you no longer belonged to me."
Jiang Shuya was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. She couldn't believe that he had taken care of her all night. She was aware of it and wasn't delirious. She could recall the memories. But what did it matter? She had no choice in the matter and really didn't want to be entangled with him.
Seeing his heartbroken expression, Jiang Shuya paused and said, "Since it's all in the past, let's not drag it out. It's not good for either of us. I come from the countryside, and I live in the countryside. There's nothing to regret or not regret, because this is my destiny."
Lin Moxiao may have anticipated this outcome. There was never any possibility to begin with. Now that he had spoken frankly, the emotions he had suppressed for five years were about to burst forth. He felt extremely relieved. Human emotions of sorrow and separation cannot be forced, but he was truly unwilling. Now that God had brought her to him again, what reason did he have not to be honest?
Life is short, and he really didn't want to miss out. He firmly believed that he was not wrong, and even if it was a path that was not recognized, he would walk it to the end in the dark, as long as he could walk with her.
Now Jiang Shuya tells her not to persist anymore, but to stop and bravely see more beautiful scenery. But those are things he doesn't want. It's not that he hasn't tried, but his heart is already full of her, and he can't let go of anyone else.
He remained silent for a long time. After calming down, he looked at her again and said in a deep voice, "Do you think you are happy? If this is what you really want, I will never bother you again. I will only consider you a good friend and will not have any other thoughts about you."
Lin Moxiao restrained himself from embracing her, looking at her calm and serene eyes, the eyes that had once made him yearn for day and night. He had never regretted keeping her in his heart for so long. Now that he had confessed to her and knew that it was no longer possible, he still wanted to ask her heart for himself.
A gentle smile appeared on Jiang Shuya's face as she looked at him earnestly and said, "This is the life I want. I really love it here, I love it so much."
Jiang Shuya took in the disappointment on Lin Moxiao's face once again. Lin Moxiao turned to look into the distance, no longer insisting. Suppressing his pity, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms again, burying his head in her neck and shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Can I hug you one last time? I know there will be no more chances in the future."
For a fleeting moment, the feeling of leaning against his chest gave Jiang Shuya a strange sense of security. Having been reborn, she was determined not to fall deeply in love. In her future life plans, she would never again easily fall for any man. She knew that the more she cared, the more disappointed she would be. She didn't dislike this embrace; in fact, she had once longed for it. However, when she discovered that such an outstanding man as Lin Moxiao said he had feelings for her, she felt a sense of rejection. Being with him would only make her more emotionally exhausted. She couldn't hold onto men who were too good; she lacked confidence. She couldn't even handle a shallow man like Huang Minghao, so how could she possibly fall for the man before her? Wouldn't that be suicide?
Perhaps it was his scent that was too pleasant, a faint fragrance of bamboo, that made her reluctant to let go. This embrace she had longed for, this was something she had fantasized about, but not with Lin Moxiao. It wasn't that he wasn't good enough, but rather that he was like a high mountain stream, a vast starry sky—very distant and unrealistic.
She broke free from his embrace again, and without saying goodbye, she ran home along the path.
Watching her departing figure, Lin Moxiao felt a sudden sense of loss and mixed emotions. He stood there for a long time, then shouted towards the river, but there was no reply for a long time.
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