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

The restaurant's soft music was still playing. Reminded by Jiang Yining, Ye Shu finally remembered that dusk, that notebook, that piece of paper that was torn off at will, and those inspirational quotes.

He never imagined that his casual act would actually become a ray of light in someone else's life, shining for so long and so far.

This feels too unreal, too much of a coincidence.

However, Ye Shu knew that there seemed to be a term for this, called the butterfly effect.

"I don't want to tell you why I acted that way before; that's all in the past."

Jiang Yining's voice pulled Ye Shu back from her memories.

She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on Ye Shu, her gaze filled with relief, gratitude, and a tenderness that had become clearer with time.

"But what I want to say is that, thanks to you, I was able to get out of that life where I felt everything was bleak, and I started to try to change, little by little, becoming the person you see now."

She paused for a moment, then became even gentler:

"Thank you, Ye Shu."

Ye Shu was still in shock. He tugged at the corners of his mouth and smiled, the words escaping his lips without thinking:

"No...you're welcome, it's for the people."

However, deep down, he did feel a subtle sense of satisfaction, realizing that his unintentional action could actually help someone.

Suddenly, he thought of something else.

Could it be... that An Suxue and the others... were also because of this?

Because he did good deeds, God rewarded him with girlfriends? And... he got four girlfriends at once?

What on earth is all this?!

Ye Shu quickly dismissed this completely unreliable and extremely disrespectful idea. It was an insult to An Suxue and the others, and also to Jiang Yining's sincere feelings!

Just as he was reflecting on his thoughts, Jiang Yining's voice rang out again, pulling him back from his reverie.

"Ever since that night, after I read the note you gave me, I've been secretly looking for you at school. Since there was no name on the note, it was quite troublesome to find you."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips:

"However, I was quite lucky. At that time, one of the girls in my dorm was dating one of your roommates. Once, he gave my roommate a love letter, and I recognized the handwriting immediately—it was exactly the same as the one on the note. I even mistook him for you."

Ye Shu immediately remembered that Wang Yu had mysteriously snuck over one day, carrying a piece of paper and a pen, insisting that she write him a love letter.

Wang Yu's handwriting is so wild and unrestrained that the edges are practically flying off. While Ye Shu's handwriting isn't exactly beautiful either, it's at least better than his.

When asked who it was for, the old man wouldn't tell, lying to himself that it was "to keep in mind and send it out when I see a suitable one."

Finally, after Wang Yu spent an entire afternoon pleading with him and even treated him to a barbecue, Ye Shu condescended to write it for him.

Jiang Yining continued with a smile:

"I went to ask him, and he told me that you wrote the love letter for him. That's how I learned your name, Ye Shu."

"After that, I kept a close eye on you. I found that you were a really good person, very thoughtful, and had a good temper. You would quietly lend a hand when your classmates needed help... That's when I fell in love with you."

These few simple words left Ye Shu feeling heavy-hearted, somewhat at a loss, and somewhat unable to respond.

"but……"

Jiang Yining changed the subject, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes, but her smile remained:

"Back then, I didn't have enough courage to stand in front of you and tell you all this. I always thought, 'When I become better, and better...'"

"Now, I finally have the courage, but it seems I'm... too late."

She smiled, a smile tinged with regret, but even more so with determination:

"Fortunately, it's not too late. At least, I still have the chance to stand before you and tell you all of this."

No, you're too late.

Ye Shu thought to herself that perhaps before she met An Suxue, she would have been happily with Jiang Yining. But now that she was with her and them, she had to be extremely careful and couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

Among the four of them, he could be a scumbag. But apart from the four of them, he absolutely could not be a scumbag.

Before he could reply, Jiang Yining spoke first, enunciating each word clearly:

"Ye Shu, I like you, I've liked you for a very, very long time."

She stared into Ye Shu's eyes, locking her gaze firmly into his.

"I know you have a girlfriend now, and you two are very much in love. When I said we should compete fairly, I wasn't trying to sabotage anything, nor was I being unreasonable. It was just me being honest with my feelings. I like you, that's my business. And how you choose is your business."

She paused for a moment, then finally uttered the words she had wanted to say for years:

"So, Senior Ye Shu, can you be with me?"

Jiang Yining's voice wasn't quiet, drawing the attention of guests at neighboring tables. When they realized it was a strikingly beautiful girl confessing her feelings to an ordinary-looking boy, several of the more sophisticated men started chanting, "Say yes! Say yes!"

"You guys don't know anything, yet you just blindly follow along and start making trouble."

Ye Shu cursed inwardly, took a deep breath, and earnestly said to Jiang Yining's expectant eyes:

"I'm sorry, Jiang Yining, I can't agree to that."

He saw Jiang Yining's eyes dim instantly, and her hands trembled slightly, but she still forced a smile on her face, though that smile looked a little fragile.

Ye Shu paused, glanced at the onlookers still watching the drama unfold, and swallowed the rest of his sentence:

"It's not convenient here, let's go outside to talk."

He realized that if he directly said "I have a girlfriend" here, Jiang Yining would easily be labeled as a third party in the eyes of busybodies.

He didn't want to embarrass her later, and even if he had to refuse, they should maintain their dignity.

Jiang Yining knew the answer all along, perhaps even before he said sorry, but she was just clinging to a sliver of hope.

Upon reaching the front desk, Jiang Yining insisted on paying the bill.

"You said it was my treat, so don't argue with me about it, senior."

Ye Shu felt a pang of unease looking at her feigned nonchalance, but she couldn't be soft-hearted about this.

The two left the restaurant and found a relatively quiet spot nearby.

Ye Shu turned around to face Jiang Yining, organized her thoughts, and slowly began to speak:

"Jiang Yining, thank you for telling me all that. I'm really... shocked, and thank you for valuing me so much. But I have to make it clear to you, my girlfriend and I are deeply in love. We both believe we want to spend our lives together. So, I really can't accept your feelings. This has nothing to do with whether you're outstanding or worthy; it's simply because my heart already belongs to her, and there's no room for anyone else."

His tone was sincere and very firm.

"You are a wonderful girl, truly. You are beautiful, talented, independent, and kind. You will definitely meet someone even better than me in the future."

These were Ye Shu's honest thoughts. He genuinely thought Jiang Yining was a wonderful person and sincerely hoped that she could let go of the past and find her own happiness.

Jiang Yining listened quietly, a faint, fleeting smile playing on her lips.

She knew Ye Shu was speaking from the heart, but the more sincere he was, the more powerless she felt.

"That's right, I think so too."

A woman's voice came from the side.

Ye Shu and Jiang Yining turned around and saw a figure walking towards them.

The person who came was wearing a light gray long cashmere coat, and her long hair was tied up at the back of her head and secured with a wooden hairpin.

With a faint smile on her face, she first glanced at Ye Shu, then turned to Jiang Yining.

It's Sister Zhi Qiu.

Ye Shu was a little surprised. When he saw the reply earlier, he thought it was from Sister Xia Qing.

But no matter who comes, as long as they come, I will have someone to rely on.

Jiang Yining, after seeing Zhi Qiu, turned to look at Ye Shu.

Aside from the initial flash of surprise, Ye Shu's eyes were now completely relaxed and even tinged with dependence.

That look in her eyes was completely different from the Ye Shu senior she remembered, who always seemed aloof and indifferent to everyone.

She knew she had already lost.

No, to be precise, this competition never really started from the beginning.

All she possessed was the starlight of a distant era. The other person, however, was already the sun within Ye Shu's reach.

Zhi Qiu walked to Ye Shu's side, reached out and took Ye Shu's arm, her face still bearing that gentle, autumn-water-like smile:

"You must be Jiang Yining? My boyfriend mentioned that a very outstanding junior wanted to ask him out to dinner. Thank you for your honesty, but I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't treat him like you."

She glanced at Ye Shu, her eyes filled with undisguised tenderness, and her voice softened even more:

"Because this person is also someone my sister cherishes dearly, someone she can't bear to let go of."

These words made Ye Shu feel embarrassed, and her face flushed slightly.

Jiang Yining took a deep breath, then raised her eyes, and a faint smile, much more genuine than before, appeared on her face again.

That smile held relief, regret, and blessings.

"I've lost, I'm not going to fight anymore. From the way Ye Shu looked at you when you appeared just now, I knew I had lost."

She paused, took a half step back, and bowed deeply to the two of them:

"I'm sorry, Senior Ye Shu, and this lady, for causing you trouble. I'm so sorry."

She straightened up, her eyes slightly red, but still said:

"I won't bother you anymore, really. I wish you a long and happy marriage."

After saying that, she smiled at the two of them again, then turned around, straightened her back, and left in the opposite direction from them.

The sound of her high heels on the ground was loud. She walked steadily, step by step, without looking back.

As I walked, I felt the wind blowing on my face getting colder and colder.

She raised her hand and gently wiped her fingers, her fingertips becoming wet; tears finally slid down her cheeks.

But she didn't stop or make a sound.

My heart feels empty and aching, as if a piece of it has been ripped out.

But she didn't hold a grudge.

Yes, how could she harbor resentment? That person was the first and only ray of such warm light in her youth. Even though that light ultimately illuminated someone else's path, she was still grateful that he had dispelled her darkness.

She doesn't regret confessing her feelings today.

That's fine too.

Even if I don't get the result I want, at least I can finally give up completely.

From now on, let that period of time and that person remain well in his memory.

And she herself should truly move forward.