The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

"Because I like you."

Jiang Yining's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Ye Shu's ears through the soft music playing from the restaurant's speakers.

Ye Shu already had the answer in her heart, otherwise she wouldn't have asked it.

So when Jiang Yining actually said those words, he wasn't very surprised, nor did he open his mouth wide and ask, "What did you say?!" like in TV dramas. He just felt embarrassed and had a headache about how this was going to be troublesome.

He paused for two seconds, took out his phone to check the time, using this small gesture to pause for a moment. Then he looked back at Jiang Yining and said very seriously:

"Well, I really didn't know I was so popular, but you know I have a girlfriend, right?"

"Yes, that's all I know."

Jiang Yining nodded, her expression remaining calm, without any shame or hesitation. Instead, she leaned forward slightly, her eyes fixed on Ye Shu. Although her voice was light, it carried a firm resolve.

"But you haven't gotten your marriage certificate yet, right? Before everything is finalized, I think I should still have a chance to try, right?"

She paused, and the smile on her face faded slightly:

"I don't want to regret it later, to regret giving up without even trying. I might regret it for the rest of my life."

These words are direct, frank, and carry weight.

Ye Shu could sense her seriousness; this was not a joke she had just made on a whim.

He let out a long breath and quickly organized his thoughts. He knew this wasn't the time to worry about saving face; if he didn't make things clear now, things would be ruined.

Ye Shu straightened her back, placed her hands on the table, and stated her position in the most direct and least misunderstood way:

"Jiang Yining, I understand what you mean. But what I want to say is that I love my girlfriend very much, our relationship is great, and I cherish our life together. So..."

"Wait a moment."

Before Ye Shu could finish speaking, Jiang Yining raised her hand to interrupt her.

Her expression remained unchanged, still calm yet determined, but her eyes were a little sharper.

"Ye Shu, I know what you're going to say. We can't be together, I only see you as a friend, I'm sorry... I can probably guess what you're going to say. But I think you might have misunderstood me a little."

She slightly raised her chin and said very frankly:

"I don't want to be the kind of third party who ruins other people's relationships and can't be seen in the light of day. I also have no intention of forcing you to choose between me and her immediately, or to secretly see me behind her back."

Ye Shu was a little confused by her straightforward manner. Was that not what she meant? Then what did she mean?

Seeing his bewildered expression, Jiang Yining continued:

"I want to fight for this fairly and squarely, so Ye Shu, could you call your girlfriend over now? Let the three of us sit down and have dinner together. We can talk things out face-to-face. I want to get to know her, and she wants to get to know me. Fair competition, okay?"

When did I become so sought after?

Although Ye Shu did think that way a couple of days ago, that was only true for those two days, because Xia Qing was home at that time.

Now, Ye Shu was actually a little hesitant to call out. Because when he left home that morning, he didn't know who was home. Xia Qing? Zhi Qiu? Xiao Nuan? Or Xiao Xue?

If it were Xiaonuan or Xiaoxue, the scene... um...

However, there's no way to avoid it now, and dragging this out isn't a solution either. Perhaps a swift and decisive approach, letting the person in the family handle it, would be a better solution.

"I... I'll ask."

Ye Shu picked up her phone, opened WeChat, carefully considered her words, and sent the message:

[Xia Qing, Zhi Qiu, my junior from university, Jiang Yining, she...she found me and had things out. She wants to meet with you two now, to...have a meal together, and clear things up.]

He thought for a moment, then added:

[If Xiaoxue or Xiaonuan is home right now, don't worry, don't come out yet. Wait for me to get back, and I can figure out how to handle it myself.]

The message was sent and received a reply almost instantly. The message was very concise, containing only seven characters:

Send me your location, I'll be there right away.

Clean and neat, it's obvious that it's Sister Xia Qing.

Looking at these seven words, Ye Shu felt somewhat relieved and confident, knowing that at least the person who could hold the fort had arrived.

He sent the restaurant's location, then put down his phone and looked back at Jiang Yining, who was waiting for his message.

"She...will be here soon."

"Very good."

Jiang Yining's eyes lit up, and her smile brightened.

While reinforcements were still on their way, Ye Shu felt it necessary to make one last effort, hoping to persuade them with reason:

"Jiang Yining, you're a good girl, really. Look at you, you have such a good job, you're beautiful, you're excellent in every way. And look at me, I have no money, and I'm just average-looking. I really don't understand why... you would be interested in me?"

Ye Shu wanted to use the "friend zone" card to imply that the two were indeed not a good match.

Actually, he felt quite ashamed of using this tactic. If we're talking about being mismatched, he and An Suxue seemed even less compatible.

But this is something he hasn't been able to figure out for the past few days. He doesn't think he has such great charm that he can make a junior schoolmate he hasn't seen for many years, who has now entered the elite class, so unforgettable, and even to the point of wanting to win her over.

Jiang Yining sat opposite, elbows propped on the table, chin resting on her hand, her eyes never leaving Ye Shu's face, maintaining that smiling expression the whole time.

Upon hearing Ye Shu's question, a faint hint of disappointment crept into the smile on her face.

"Um……"

She tilted her head, looked at Ye Shu, and asked in return:

"You... don't remember anything at all?"

"Remember...what?"

Ye Shu was taken aback by the question, blinked, and frantically recalled things from his university days. He and Jiang Yining didn't seem to have much interaction; he really didn't remember them.

Seeing Ye Shu's bewildered expression, Jiang Yining's lips twitched downwards, clearly showing her displeasure. However, she didn't say anything more, simply turning to take her phone from a small bag beside her.

Ye Shu noticed that she was using the latest model of mobile phone, which, compared to his old "brother" phone that had been with him for several years, further confirmed the gap in their current social standing.

Jiang Yining swiped back and forth on the screen a few times, then she handed the phone to Ye Shu.

"Look at this."

Her eyes remained fixed on Ye Shu's face, watching his changing expressions.

Ye Shu took the phone and looked at the screen.

The screen showed a photograph of a piece of paper. It was clearly torn carelessly from a notebook, the edges were uneven.

The words on the paper were written in black ink, and the handwriting was somewhat messy, but Ye Shu recognized it at a glance as his own handwriting.

Life is like running a marathon; it's not about a burst of speed, but about perseverance along the way. Often, success is just about persisting for one more minute, but we don't know when that minute will come. So, before everything is settled, don't give up easily.

No matter what happens, don't forget to give yourself a smile. Your smile may not solve all problems, but it can make those who see it, including yourself, believe that there is always a solution.

Believe that you are far stronger than you think. Those seemingly uneventful days will one day show you the meaning of perseverance.

The whole thing was just motivational fluff, and Ye Shu could tell at a glance that it was copied from somewhere, and that he could never write something of such quality on his own.

But... he doesn't remember writing anything like this, or giving it to anyone.

Just as Ye Shu was racking his brains, Jiang Yining took the phone back from his hand.

She glanced down at the photo, then looked up at Ye Shu, her sweet smile returning to her face, and asked softly;

"Senior Ye Shu, do you still remember this piece of paper?"