The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

After circling around and around, the two sat down on a bench under the tree.

It's very secluded here, a distance from the sidewalk, with only the chirping of sparrows nearby.

On the distant lakeshore, there stood a sign with a very comical handwritten note.

"Cloud City Air Force Base"

On the stone banks on either side of the notice board, a few fishermen wearing sun hats sat sparsely.

A gentle breeze blew across the lake, creating ripples that floated lightly over their fishing rods and brushed against Zhao Lin's cheeks, gently curling her long hair.

"Yu, is there anything you want to say to me?"

Zhao Lin gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gazed tenderly at the nervous Qi Yu.

Over the course of their time together, she realized that Qi Yu was quite slow-witted.

Often, it takes her initiative to take the relationship to the next level.

However, when it came to confessing her feelings, Zhao Lin was no longer as proactive as usual.

Thinking about it, perhaps it's because of her immature relationship with Song Jiayi that she's afraid to take that final step again.

Qi Yu gripped the hem of his trousers with one hand and lowered his head somewhat awkwardly.

"Lin, I feel that we need to make a decision between us."

As he said this, he silently released Zhao Lin's hand.

Zhao Lin frowned slightly, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart.

"First of all... I... I like you. Besides my family, you're the first person who has made me feel cared for and warm..."

Qi Yu trembled as he took off his glasses, turned his head away, and dared not look directly at Zhao Lin.

Whether it was a bowl of glutinous rice balls specially saved for him when he was hungry and cold after work on a winter night, or a hole in his clothes covered by fine stitching.

This girl always noticed his most embarrassing moments that he was reluctant to show to others and gave him the help he needed most.

"But let's leave it at that."

Why?

Zhao Lin's eyes were red and slightly brimming with tears.

When rejected by Song Jiayi, she remained calm and composed.

So now that Qi Yu has rejected her, she feels wronged and resentful.

She has clearly undergone a complete transformation, turning herself into a well-bred young lady.

In the end, he was still one of those people who were looked down upon.

"Because I'm not good enough for you."

"Your poise and generosity, gentleness and thoughtfulness, as well as your elegance and composure in front of others, are all qualities that can only be achieved through an excellent education."

"I don't know why you're staying at Wen Yao's house, but given your experience and worldly knowledge, you shouldn't be someone from our social class."

Qi Yu chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"But I am different from you. I am at the lowest level in this society."

"My home is in a rural area of ​​the county town, and there is still no road access to it."

"If you want to go home, you have to take a green-skinned train to the county's train station, then take a bus to the foot of the mountain, and then climb a dirt road up the mountain for almost an hour."

"When I was 15 years old and left the countryside to enter the big city of Yuncheng for the first time, I was even surprised that city people did not need to farm, and I envied that all the children could sit in bright classrooms to study."

"Why did I start working after graduating from high school? Because my family was too poor to afford my college education. My father developed a chronic illness due to overwork and I had to send money back home to buy him medicine."

"Even after I graduate from university, I'll still be just a mayfly in the vast sea of ​​people. I have no identity, no background, no backing. I'm not even sure if I can find a decent job. I might even have to come back and continue delivering food."

"We are adults now. Dating is not child's play; it needs to be based on stable material conditions."

"I can't give you a better life, I can't fit into your social class, and I can't even treat you as well as you've treated me. Being with me will only be a burden to you, so..."

"shut up!"

Zhao Lin's voice was so loud that even the fishermen who were reeling in their lines in the distance were startled. One of the fish he had just caught was lost in his hand and splashed back into the lake.

The fisherman was extremely frustrated that the air force cap he had finally managed to remove had been put back on him.

Qi Yu was also startled by the sudden sound, and the words he was about to say were cut off.

"Follow me!"

After calming down, Zhao Lin wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, grabbed Qi Yu's arm tightly, and left Dingxiang Lake Park.

They walked past intersections and across streets, moving forward together amidst the constant flow of traffic.

Finally, they arrived at Yuncheng Cemetery.

Zhao Lin stopped in front of two tombstones that had just been cleaned.

"Ayu, I won't lie to you in front of my parents."

She cupped Qi Yu's face, which was tanned dark by the scorching sun, and turned him towards her, looking into his self-conscious eyes.

"I'm not as perfect as you think. Just two years ago, I smoked, fought, drank... I did everything that's associated with street thugs."

After saying that, Zhao Lin took out her phone, found a photo that was at the bottom of the album, and handed it to Qi Yu.

In the photo, Zhao Lin has bright red wavy hair, countless earrings, a tongue piercing, sunglasses, holds a baseball bat, wears a stylish leather jacket, and sits on the sofa with her legs crossed.

"The so-called dignified and elegant demeanor is nothing more than a change I made because I was disgusted with my former self."

"To be honest, when my family was at its peak, at the very top of the pyramid in this city, the wealthy businessmen and powerful politicians were, in my eyes, just guests at the dinner table during the Chinese New Year."

"But now, apart from my extravagant past, I am no different from you."

"I never expect you to provide me with great conditions, because I have experienced prosperity before, so I no longer envy the privileges of others."

"Besides, life requires the joint effort of two people; there's no reason for one person to face it alone!"

A tear slid down Zhao Lin's cheek.

Feelings are mutual; they cannot be a one-sided act of self-indulgence.

In Qi Yu, she saw the sincerity that truly cared for her.

When she learned that the other person also had feelings for her but rejected her because of her inferiority complex, Zhao Lin completely let down her guard and decided to take the initiative.

"Ayu, I like you. Let's be together. If you come back to deliver food in the future, I'll sit on the back of your car and deliver with you. You eat wild vegetables, and I'll eat wild vegetables too."

Before he knew it, Qi Yu was already in tears.

He didn't refuse again and opened his arms to hug Zhao Lin tightly.

"Lin, I won't agree."

"From now on, I'll eat wild vegetables, and you'll eat pork ribs."

Zhao Lin burst into tears, wiping them away, and playfully patted his back.

Just then, two beautiful butterflies fluttered their colorful wings and circled around them.

Finally, it gently rested on their shoulders.

"Dad, Mom, you both think we'll be happy, right?"