The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

There's no complicated reason; it's just that in my heart, the scales have already tipped towards someone else.

If Zhou Liguang asks who that person is, she can tell him the truth and that it is Lu Baizhou.

If he doesn't ask, she'll just say that she already has someone she likes. That straightforward approach should make him understand what she means.

However, when she thought of Zhou Liguang, Qiao Xinxin still felt quite guilty and uncomfortable.

She knew very well that Zhou Liguang had always been exceptionally sincere towards her. Back when she was working the night shift in the men's bathhouse, a place teeming with all sorts of people, Zhou Liguang was afraid that she, a young girl, would be wronged, so he would visit her every few days and silently protect her.

Moreover, he was exceptionally well-behaved, never doing anything to embarrass or cross any boundaries for her, and never pressuring her for an answer. He was like a guardian angel, always quietly waiting for the day she was willing to take that first step. To be honest, Zhou Liguang was an exceptionally good man, one in a million.

But now, she had to tell him to his face that she had chosen someone else. She could imagine how disappointed Zhou Liguang would be after hearing this. He would definitely force a smile and say, "It's okay," and "I wish you happiness."

Thinking of this, Qiao Xinxin felt a tightness in her throat and a heavy feeling in her heart. She shook her head vigorously, scooped up some water to wash her face, and forcibly suppressed these feelings of guilt. Feelings can't be forced; if someone doesn't like you, they just don't like you. Dragging it out will only hurt them.

She stood up from the pool, dried herself, changed into clean clothes, and left the space, returning to her room.

She sat at her desk for a while, picked up the medical books Lin Zhengping had given her and flipped through them, but found her mind a jumbled mess, unable to concentrate on a single word. So she simply closed the books, turned off the desk lamp, pulled the covers over herself, and lay down on the bed.

She stared at the moonlight streaming through the window for a long time, her eyes wide open. Perhaps she was truly exhausted from running around all day, and after taking a hot bath, she turned over and finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Qiao Xinxin woke up.

She turned to look out the window; it was already daylight, and sunlight streamed in—a rare sunny day. She sat up, leaned against the headboard, and stared blankly for a while before getting out of bed to wash and change.

Today, instead of her usual drab, heavy work coat, she deliberately chose a light blue cotton jacket from the closet, paired with a pair of clean, wrinkle-free black trousers. The outfit wasn't overly formal, like something for a date, but it was neat and tidy, showing respect. She also re-tied her hair in front of the mirror, combing it neatly.

She looked in the mirror to make sure she looked the same as usual, then took a deep breath and left the room.

Around 8:30 in the morning, Qiao Xinxin sat in a chair in the living room, holding a glass of water. The water was no longer hot, but she didn't drink it. She was still silently reciting the lines she had prepared the night before.

Not long after, a series of unhurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. The footsteps were steady, stopping at the door, followed by two soft knocks.

Qiao Xinxin put down her water glass, stood up, walked over, and opened the door.

Zhou Liguang was standing outside the door. Today he was wearing a crisp military uniform, the collar buttoned up tightly, his leather shoes polished to a shine, and even his hair was neatly combed. He looked even more formal than usual, clearly having carefully groomed himself before leaving, and there was a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"Xin Xin, good morning." Zhou Liguang looked at her with a gentle smile. "Have you had breakfast? How about we go to the state-run restaurant for breakfast first?"

Seeing his expectant look, Qiao Xinxin felt even worse. She shook her head and said softly, "Brother Zhou, I won't have breakfast. Let's go for a walk today and chat. There's a small park not far ahead; it's quiet there in the morning and not crowded. We can walk and talk as we go."

Zhou Liguang seemed to sense the seriousness in Qiao Xinxin's tone. His smile faded slightly, and he nodded, "Okay, let's go for a walk over there."

The two walked side by side out of the residential compound and headed towards the park. They walked at a leisurely pace, neither of them speaking, and the atmosphere was slightly subdued.

Zhou Liguang walked to Qiao Xinxin's right, maintaining a gentlemanly distance of about half a step. This distance was just right, neither too close and oppressive, nor too distant.

About ten minutes later, the two arrived at the small park. The park wasn't big, but it was quiet.

In early spring, a few old locust trees had just sprouted tender green buds, and beneath them were several long stone benches for people to rest on. Early in the morning, apart from a few birdsongs, there were hardly any people in the park; the two of them were the only ones in the open space.

Qiao Xinxin walked to a stone bench and sat down. The stone bench was a little cold, but she didn't mind. Zhou Liguang also sat down next to her, a little distance away.

Qiao Xinxin mentally went over what she was going to say again, her palms slightly sweaty. She turned to look at Zhou Liguang and finally spoke: "Brother Zhou, the reason I asked you out today is because there's something I want to discuss with you in person."

Zhou Liguang turned his head to look at her. Seeing her serious expression, he seemed to have a vague idea of ​​what she was going to say. His hands, which were resting on his knees, clenched slightly, but he remained calm: "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Qiao Xinxin's gaze fell back to her knees. She didn't beat around the bush anymore and said directly, "Brother Zhou, I agreed to give you a chance before because I thought we could spend more time together and see if I could fall for you. But after this period of time, I've thought about it seriously... I think we might not be a good match."

Zhou Liguang didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.

Qiao Xinxin took a deep breath and continued, "It's not because you're not good enough. You're flawless in every way. You're an outstanding soldier in the army, and outside the army, you're a responsible and dependable man. Plus, you've always been incredibly sincere and kind to me. I know very well that if it were any other woman, she would feel like she'd fallen into a paradise and would cherish it. But, when it comes to feelings, it's not about who has good qualities or who's a good person that you can fall in love with."