You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

In fact, even before the meal was finished, Su Qinghe had already begun to feel a strong sense of unease.

Even now, seeing the boy beside her still indifferent, the girl's unease had reached its peak.

At this moment, her mind was replaying the scene from the dinner table not long ago.

She hinted to her Ache with great anticipation that she wanted a formal status.

But when everyone's eyes were on him, he chose to remain silent.

He just kept his head down and ate his food without saying a word.

He wouldn't even give her a joke to brush her off.

Su Qinghe was an extremely insecure girl. Her deep-seated self-deprecation would surface at the slightest provocation.

Jiang Che's silent reaction might have seemed like a responsible attitude to him, but he never imagined that in Su Qinghe's eyes, it would be a sharp blade that shattered the confidence she had worked so hard to build.

Su Qinghe bit her lower lip hard, her fingertips digging deep into her palm. Only when she felt a sharp pain in her palm did she realize that she still existed in this world.

A surge of intense panic and sorrow welled up from the depths of my heart, and my eyes welled up with tears.

She couldn't help but start overthinking and judging herself in her mind: Was she really too greedy?

She was originally just a homeless, blind woman, a pitiful creature abandoned on the street.

If it weren't for A-Che's kindness in taking her home and spending a lot of money to cure her eyes, she would have had no hope of even surviving.

Having been able to stay by Jiang Che's side for more than half a year, cooking for him every day, tutoring him with his homework, and enjoying his meticulous care and gentleness, she should have learned to be grateful and content.

But once people have encountered a warm fireplace in the cold winter, how can they be willing to retreat back to the icy wilderness?

She was addicted to Jiang Che's scent, to the warmth of his body when he protected her, and even had a morbid desire to completely possess him and not let any other woman look at him.

Su Qinghe was filled with fear.

She was afraid that Jiang Che would think that now that the college entrance exam was over, he had fulfilled his responsibility as a shelterer and no longer needed her as a burden.

She's so greedy.

She greedily wanted to possess him completely, wanted to hold his hand openly in the sunlight, and wanted the whole world to know that she was his girlfriend.

What should she do if he doesn't want her anymore?

The more Su Qinghe thought about it, the more her heart felt choked up, as if there was a wad of cotton stuck in her throat, so sour and astringent that she couldn't swallow or spit it out.

Her steps slowed down little by little, her legs feeling as heavy as lead.

What was originally a half-step distance between the two gradually became a full step, and finally dragged on to a step and a half.

The surrounding noise of traffic seemed to be shut out; in the girl's world, only the receding figure in front of her remained.

Jiang Che, who was preoccupied with planning his confession, glanced around and realized that his side was now empty.

Looking back, Jiang Che realized that Su Qinghe was several steps behind.

She stood there staring at him, her small lips pressed tightly together into a thin white line, her face filled with grievance and disappointment.

"What's wrong, Su?" Jiang Che stopped and turned around to ask her.

When Su Qinghe heard his voice, her eyes, which had been dim, lit up slightly for a moment, and then she looked up at him.

That one look contained so much.

There was the sadness of unfulfilled expectations, the hesitation of wanting to speak but not knowing what to say, and a bittersweet feeling that was being desperately suppressed but could not be contained.

But she ultimately shook her head.

"……fine."

Although she said she was fine, anyone could tell that the little girl was looking rather uninterested.

The dim yellow streetlights cast a warm glow, dividing the girl's delicate profile into two halves of light and shadow.

Long eyelashes cast a deep shadow on her eyelids, perfectly concealing the tears that were slowly welling up in her eyes.

No matter how carefree Jiang Che was, no matter how much he was preoccupied with his so-called perfect confession plan, seeing Su Qinghe like this at this moment, he felt as if someone had squeezed his heart, making him feel suffocated and painful.

She stood under the streetlight, looking tiny and insignificant.

Those eyes were clearly looking at him, but the light in them was dim.

Like a candle flame that's about to burn out, it flickers and could go out at any moment.

Jiang Che suddenly felt a pang of self-loathing.

I hate myself for being so stubborn.

He was completely focused on giving her the perfect ceremony, thinking about how to hang the lights, which movie to play, and how to phrase the lines to move her to tears.

But he forgot to put himself in the girl's shoes and consider what she was feeling at that moment.

She has been waiting for him for more than half a year.

Since they started living together last year, and since the promise they made at the Su family villa that they would "confirm their relationship after the college entrance examination," Su Qinghe has been waiting.

I wait every day.

I'm waiting for every meal.

She waited every time she helped him organize his error notebook, every time she sharpened his pencil, and every time she leaned on his shoulder and pretended to casually brush against his sleeve. She waited and endured.

And what about him?

The National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) is over.

The appointed day has arrived.

She's such a shy girl, yet she could still say, "I want someone to give me an answer," in front of a whole table of people.

She practically ripped her heart out and laid it before him.

But he thought the timing wasn't perfect, so he hastily lowered his head and started eating.

He didn't say a word.

Jiang Che closed his eyes briefly, and all the thoughts in his mind about string lights, projectors, background music, and confession lines shattered into dust at that moment.

What perfect ceremony, what meticulous planning, what "she deserves better"—

She deserves better, that's right.

But right now, we can't let her wait any longer.

"Su Qinghe," Jiang Che solemnly called her by her full name.

Su Qinghe slightly raised her head, a thin layer of mist clinging to her eyelashes, and looked at him without saying a word.

"Come with me."

"……what?"

Before she could even ask "Where to?", her wrist was already tightly gripped by a warm palm.

Jiang Che's fingers tightened, the force not heavy but firm, so firm that Su Qinghe couldn't break free, nor did she want to.

Then he grabbed her and started walking, his steps were a bit fast, and Su Qinghe had to jog to keep up.

Streetlights swept overhead one by one, their flickering light falling alternately on the two of them.

Su Qinghe was pulled along unsteadily, her heart pounding, completely bewildered as to where Jiang Che was taking her.