Xu Zhe was struck dumb, his mind went blank, and his vision blurred.
He blinked hard, suppressing the bitterness in his heart. "I know I'm too young to give you a sense of security, but I hope you won't reject me outright. Give me time to grow. When I reach a certain level, I can stand before you with dignity. So until then, could you..."
"No." Yi Tianran's tone was quite resolute this time. "I just don't want to see you sink deeper and deeper, so I want to make it clear to you. No matter how hard you try, my feelings for you will never turn into love, because I only see you as a younger brother, without any impurities."
If she weren't afraid of hurting her too much, she would have even wanted to reveal her identity and tell her that she already had three sons, all of whom were her nephews.
But these few words alone have already left Xu Zhe's heart riddled with holes.
It is said that men do not easily shed tears.
He always thought he was strong enough.
Even when he was falsely accused and betrayed, no matter how painful it was, he never cried or screamed.
But at this moment, his eyes welled up with tears.
My nose felt sore, and my throat felt blocked, making it impossible to speak.
After a long while, his lips trembled as he finally found his voice, "Do you already have someone you like?"
Yi Tianran: "..."
Xu Zhe was obsessively determined to get an answer. "That person, isn't that Fu Yunchen?"
Meeting those tearful eyes, Yi Tianran suddenly seemed to understand her own feelings.
Yes, I like him.
There's nothing wrong with admitting it.
Even the feelings of teenagers are so open and straightforward, so what is there for her to hesitate or struggle with?
If she didn't like him, why would she care about Fu Yunchen's feelings and come all the way to make things clear with Xu Zhe for his sake?
If she didn't like him, why would she abandon her previous principles and let him voluntarily attach a tracking device to her?
If she didn't like it, she could have easily walked away like she did six years ago.
She made these changes because she liked him and didn't want him to misunderstand, or to be angry or sad.
She originally thought that admitting to her feelings would be a terrible thing; she was afraid of being bound and afraid of losing herself.
But they forgot that the person who truly loves you would never bear to hurt you.
"I don't want him to be jealous or misunderstand."
Xu Zhe lowered his head bitterly, propping it up with his hand, his voice hoarse: "So, your feelings for him have reached this level!"
Therefore, in her heart, Fu Yunchen was the most important person, while she herself was so insignificant.
At that moment, his heart clenched painfully, and he felt so distressed that he almost suffocated.
Until Yi Tianran's voice rang out again, "It's not just because of him, it's also for you. A hopeless relationship will only hurt more if it drags on, so cutting our losses now is the best choice for you."
“It’s too late…” Xu Zhe muttered to himself.
Looking back on their first meeting and their second encounter, he thought it was a match made in heaven, but in the end it was all just wishful thinking on his part.
Just when he was completely devoted to her, he experienced the excruciating pain of heartbreak.
His head spun, his vision blurred, and suddenly he could no longer hold on and collapsed onto the table, unconscious.
“Xu Zhe?” Yi Tianran’s expression changed drastically, and she stood up and walked to him.
The moment I touched his hand, I was startled by the intense heat emanating from his body.
She was unusually flustered and called for an ambulance, sending him to the hospital.
The medical staff took his temperature: "41.2 degrees Celsius, that's a high fever! We need to take measures to lower his temperature immediately."
Yi Tianran ran around doing all the paperwork, spending half the day on it.
I don't know how this child usually takes care of himself; he didn't even realize he had such a high fever.
As she left the ward, she let out a deep breath and suddenly saw a familiar figure from behind.
“That is…” Yi Tianran’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she strode after him.
Soon, the person was seen in an office.
She looked slightly surprised, walked over and knocked on the door, "Meiling?"
"Huh?" Hearing that familiar voice, Liu Meiling looked up in surprise, then exclaimed with delight, "Qin Yao? What are you doing here!"
Yi Tianran smiled gently: "I came to see a friend, I didn't expect to see you."
Since their last parting at Linghua College, when Liu Meiling hastily said she was going abroad, they have almost lost contact.
In Liu Meiling's view, they had only known each other for a few months and could only be considered ordinary friends.
However, for Yi Tianran, this was her most cherished childhood playmate.
Seeing that she seemed to be doing well in a foreign country, Yi Tianran unconsciously relaxed. "So you really are working abroad. I was worried... that you were angry with me."
"Why would I be angry with you?" Liu Meiling asked, clearly puzzled.
"I was the one who exposed the scandal at Linghua College. The school was shut down, which indirectly caused you to lose your job. I thought you would resent me, so I didn't contact you again." But Yi Tianran saw the smile on Liu Meiling's face, without a trace of reluctance.
So, she was happy to see me, right?
"What do you take me for!" Liu Meiling clicked her tongue and said helplessly, "You've helped me several times, and I'm not the kind of person who doesn't know how to be grateful. It's just that this time I went abroad and struggled on my own. I didn't even have time to catch my breath, so I didn't contact you."
Yi Tianran asked with concern, "Have you encountered any difficulties?"
Liu Meiling gave a bitter smile: "It's just those mundane family matters..."
Meeting Yi Tianran's clear eyes, she leaned against the wall and slowly recounted, "Actually, it was my aunt who forced me to get married. When she found out that I had quit my job, she wanted to give me to an old man in his forties or fifties. I heard that he was very rich, but he had married three wives before and had not given birth to a son. He wanted to find a young and beautiful woman to have a son, and once he gave birth to a son, he would inherit all the family property. She was using my body and belly as a tool to exchange for money. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I secretly ran away from home. I don't believe that she can catch me and bring me back in a foreign country."
Yi Tianran felt a pang of heartache.
The innocent and naive little princess who once knew nothing of the world is now living under someone else's roof and constantly experiencing human suffering.
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask if there was anything she could help with.
But considering Liu Meiling's pride and her own current status, she had no grounds to stand on.
Unless she reveals her true identity to Liu Meiling—
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