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After an unknown amount of time, the room returned to silence.
Bo Ying’s sobs gradually faded, and she became quiet.
He Pom Pom didn’t know what had happened; he only vaguely sensed that the atmosphere in the house wasn’t right. He stopped his lively movements and lay down by their feet, occasionally swishing his tail over Bo Ying’s foot.
Bo Ying lowered her eyes, feeling the comfort he brought her.
That night, all the mysteries seemed to unravel.
Why she had never received a reply from He Jingxiu, why she suddenly broke her promise and stood him up.
They were kept in the dark due to a series of misunderstandings.
If back then, Bo Ying had been a little more stubborn, a little more persistent, things might have turned out differently.
If He Jingxiu hadn’t been so proud, if he had swallowed his pride and visited Bo Ying a few more times to ask her why she went back on her word and forgot their agreement, perhaps they wouldn’t have separated.
But many things don’t come with “ifs.”
Missing each other was simply missing each other.
Back then, despite the fervor of their youth, deep down, both of them were unwilling to compromise with their stubbornness.
The day after Bo Ying’s college entrance exam, He Jingxiu returned home and bought a bouquet of flowers to visit her.
Her phone was unreachable, so He Jingxiu went to her house again.
At the door, her family’s maid informed him that Bo Ying had gone on a world tour and would return before the start of the school term.
After the exam results came out, He Jingxiu learned Bo Ying’s scores and the university she applied to.
At that moment, He Jingxiu seemed to understand why her phone was unreachable and why she left for a trip abroad without telling him after graduation.
Similarly, through this, he understood her answer.
Before, during class, their homeroom teacher once shared a story. At the end, he said that high schoolers’ feelings were just trivial matters, not to be taken seriously, urging them to focus on studying rather than romance.
Because after graduation, you’d realize the world is vast and you’d meet even more outstanding people. By then, your feelings might change.
Until that point, He Jingxiu had always taken her words to heart.
There were moments when even Bo Ying herself would forget what she had said, but he remembered and adhered to it.
On that day, upon learning the school and major she chose, He Jingxiu finally realized—little troublemaker went off to explore a broader world, forgetting the promises made at First High.
Or perhaps not forgotten, but never taken to heart.
He Jingxiu was an inherently proud person.
From childhood to adulthood, he had never been ignored or stood up by anyone. But Bo Ying had stood him up twice.
Therefore, he didn’t go to question Bo Ying. His nature didn’t allow him to pursue such inquiries to the bottom.
…
“So—” Bo Ying’s throat was dry, her voice hoarse as she looked at him. “You went to look for me?”
He Jingxiu: “Mm.”
Bo Ying gazed at him, seeing her reflection in his eyes.
She wanted to ask why he didn’t wait longer if he didn’t meet her. But thinking about it from another perspective, she was the same.
They were too young, too concerned with saving face, and inherently proud and stubborn.
She called, and someone else answered, so she never dialed again.
And He Jingxiu was the same.
Thinking of this, Bo Ying didn’t know what to say for a moment.
She stared at He Pom Pom at her feet, finding the whole situation somewhat amusing. If not for these circumstances, she wouldn’t have missed He Jingxiu for so many years.
“That… “
“What?” He Jingxiu watched her.
Bo Ying’s lips moved, the words on the tip of her tongue but retracted.
Now, asking about the person who picked up his phone and replied to her messages seemed meaningless.
Fate played a joke on them, making them miss each other. Pursuing it further wouldn’t change anything.
Looking into his eyes, Bo Ying shook her head. “Nothing.”
He Jingxiu stared at her for a moment, then got up to pour her water.
“Drink some water.”
Bo Ying accepted it and thanked him.
The room fell silent again.
But this silence was different from before.
Bo Ying held the cup, taking small sips of water.
She wanted to say something but didn’t know what.
And He Jingxiu was the same.
Both of their minds were chaotic, neither expecting the reason for their missed connection to be revealed here.
After an unknown amount of time, Bo Ying finally finished the water in her cup.
He Jingxiu took the empty glass and asked in a low voice, “More?”
“… No.” Bo Ying grabbed a tissue to wipe her face, thinking of how she had cried on He Jingxiu’s clothes earlier, and hurriedly got up. “I’m going to wash my face.”
Before He Jingxiu could react, Bo Ying had already rushed into the bathroom.
He watched her back, speechless.
Bo Ying composed herself in the bathroom for a while. Her eyes were red, giving her a pitiable look.
Thinking of how she wiped her tears on He Jingxiu’s clothes, Bo Ying didn’t want to come out.
After taking deep breaths in front of the mirror for a long time, she finally stepped out.
Returning to the living room, upon seeing what He Jingxiu was doing, Bo Ying couldn’t care less about feeling embarrassed anymore.
She quickly walked up to him and snatched away the letter he was reading.
Caught off guard, He Jingxiu raised his eyes to look at her.
Bo Ying glanced at the letter he had just opened and stammered, “How can you read my stuff without my permission?”
Seeing her spirited demeanor, He Jingxiu estimated that she had recovered quite a bit.
He raised an eyebrow and gestured, “Isn’t the recipient of these letters me?”
“…”
Bo Ying choked, “It was you before.”
He Jingxiu looked at her incredulously, “Not me now?”
“Now—” Bo Ying opened her mouth, “Anyway, you can’t read them anymore.”
Too embarrassing.
She didn’t feel this way when writing them before, but now, looking back, Bo Ying just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
He Jingxiu observed the changes in her expression and reminded her, “Bo Ying, do you know what this is called?”
“What?”
“Going back on your word.”
Bo Ying was momentarily speechless, her round almond eyes glaring at him. “Who’s going back on their word?” She argued forcefully, “These are for He Jingxiu from freshman year, not for He Jingxiu at twenty-seven.”
He Jingxiu paused and reminded her, “If I remember correctly, I haven’t turned twenty-seven yet.”
“Turning twenty-six means you’re twenty-seven,” Bo Ying told him.
He Jingxiu raised his eyebrows and said, “Didn’t you tell someone a few days ago that you’re twenty-four?”
Bo Ying: “Twenty-four.”
“…”
Bo Ying’s birthday was in early spring, a typical Pisces. When she returned to the country, she had already celebrated her twenty-fourth birthday.
He Jingxiu was silent for a moment, not daring to ask why she was still twenty-four after her birthday while he was considered older after his.
Seeing his aggrieved expression, Bo Ying chuckled, “President He, are you feeling wronged?”
He Jingxiu glanced at her, “Dare not.”
“The way you talk,” Bo Ying humphed, “Makes it sound like I forced you to admit you’re twenty-seven.”
He Jingxiu couldn’t help but laugh, unable to resist ruffling her hair. “That’s not what I meant.”
Bo Ying glanced up at him.
As she lifted her gaze, she was drawn into his deep, pool-like eyes.
Their breaths intertwined, and both paused.
He Jingxiu’s eyes gently lowered to look at her, and she happened to look up.
An invisible intimacy spread infinitely, sprouting like the greenery brought in today, thriving in the breeze.
Bo Ying’s heartbeat suddenly quickened.
In the quiet night, she faintly heard He Jingxiu’s response. His heartbeat seemed ready to burst out.
Their hearts, separated by thin clothing, echoed each other.
It was the answer to the feelings they had parted ways with for many years.
His pupils were dark, like the night outside that hadn’t yet disappeared.
He poured all his emotions into his eyes.
Bo Ying absorbed and felt them.
Her eyelashes slightly trembled, her heart pounding like a drum.
Their gazes silently entwined, their breaths mingling, inseparable.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Bo Ying couldn’t bear it anymore, He Jingxiu suddenly bent down and leaned closer.
His gaze locked onto her, his sexy Adam’s apple moving up and down, his voice low and hoarse, “Bo Ying.”
“Hmm?” Bo Ying instinctively responded.
He Jingxiu paused, his voice deep, “I want to claim a little benefit early. I shouldn’t be disqualified, right?”
Bo Ying blinked slowly, her foggy mind not catching up yet, before being pulled into his embrace.
Through the thin fabric, her face pressed against his chest, hearing his breathing and heartbeat more clearly, feeling his burning temperature.
Bo Ying’s hand hovered in the air for a moment, then slowly descended.
She voluntarily wrapped her arms around his back.
This hug was different from usual, yet the same.
Neither of them had changed; the only difference was their open hearts.
He Jingxiu’s breath fell on the sensitive skin behind her ear, slightly ticklish.
Bo Ying initially endured it, but she kept feeling that the next moment, He Jingxiu’s lips would land there.
Lost in thought, she inexplicably pushed his shoulder.
Feeling her resistance, He Jingxiu released her, but his eyes were filled with confusion.
Bo Ying pursed her lips, unsure how to explain why she pushed him away. She cleared her throat and reminded him, “It’s late.”
He Jingxiu naturally looked up.
After their commotion, the clock had already turned to two o’clock.
He “Hmm”-ed, “Then I’ll head back first?”
Bo Ying nodded, “Alright.”
“…”
Silent for a moment, He Jingxiu took the initiative to walk towards the door, and Bo Ying followed.
The door opened.
He Jingxiu stood there, lowering his eyes to look at her, “Call me if anything happens. My phone won’t be off.”
Bo Ying: “Mm.”
She licked her lips, avoiding his scorching gaze, “Then… goodnight.”
He Jingxiu: “Goodnight.”
After the words fell, neither made a move.
Somehow, their gazes met again.
Suddenly, He Jingxiu whispered, “I think, you probably won’t dislike this.”
Bo Ying was startled, about to ask what she wouldn’t dislike, but he leaned down first. His shadow blocked the light from her view, his handsome face enlarging in her pupils.
Her lips suddenly felt soft.
A kiss laden with the evening breeze landed on her soft lips, a bit cool but very gentle.
The man’s woody scent entered her nostrils, invading her mind, breaking her train of thought.
At that moment, Bo Ying’s heart pounded as if it would jump out.
He Jingxiu didn’t press further.
His lips only lightly covered hers, not delving deeper.
Their noses intimately touched, their breaths landing on each other’s cheeks, intimate and tender.
For a brief moment, He Jingxiu pulled back.
He lowered his eyes, his fingertips lightly pressing on her flushed lips, his voice hoarse, “Go to sleep. Let me know when you wake up.”
Bo Ying pursed her lips, feeling his taste still lingering.
“You…” She paused, “Points deducted.”
He Jingxiu chuckled softly, “How many points?”
Bo Ying glared at him coyly, “I’ll think about it and tell you later.”
Hearing this, He Jingxiu didn’t get upset.
“Alright.” He pinched her cheek, his voice almost magical, “Sleep. Call me if you can’t sleep.”
“Mm.”
Seeing it was late, Bo Ying didn’t linger with him anymore.
“Send me a message when you arrive.”
“Okay.”
He Jingxiu walked towards the elevator, took a few steps, then turned back to look at Bo Ying.
Bo Ying was about to close the door, her movement pausing, “Did you forget something?”
He Jingxiu looked at her and asked, “Can I really not have the letters?”
“…”
Bo Ying choked, firmly refusing, “No.”
The childish letters from high school—she didn’t want He Jingxiu to see them again; otherwise, she would be too embarrassed to face him.
He Jingxiu nodded reluctantly, “Alright.”
Bo Ying was speechless.
“Don’t think about it.” She decided to cut off He Jingxiu’s hopes, “No matter how you beg me, I won’t give them to you.”
As she spoke, she urged, “The elevator’s here. Bye.”
He Jingxiu: “See you at noon.”
“…”
Closing the door, Bo Ying leaned against it for a long time.
She raised her hand to press on her heart, trying to calm its tumultuous beating.
She wasn’t sure if He Jingxiu had heard her frantic heartbeat earlier.
Bo Ying wandered in thought for a while before dragging her steps back to the sofa.
She looked at the letters on the side, her fingers lightly touching them, biting her lip as she reorganized and put them away.
After showering, Bo Ying saw the message He Jingxiu had sent her twenty minutes ago.
He had arrived home.
Bo Ying sent him an emoji and finally relaxed to rest.
Exhausted from the day, Bo Ying was very sleepy.
But as soon as she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with past scenes, He Jingxiu’s words, and the senior year she endured.
Bo Ying struggled for a long time, fell asleep, and had a dream.
She dreamed of many people, many events that happened to her.
In the end, she saw He Jingxiu with someone else, walking hand in hand past her. She saw He Jingxiu smiling at that person, a tenderness she had never seen before.
…
When she woke up, Bo Ying’s face was again streaked with tears.
She reached for her phone to check the time—it wasn’t even six yet.
Bo Ying lay in bed, staring at the feather chandelier under the ceiling.
After staring for an unknown amount of time, she threw off the blanket and got up, stepping out into the morning light.
The summer morning breeze was cool.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, and there were few cars on the road. As Bo Ying waited at the red light, she glanced aside and saw sanitation workers in orange-red uniforms.
She stared for a moment, then stepped on the gas when the light turned green, following a familiar yet strange road ahead.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she last came back.
This was Bo Ying’s first time driving back.
Seeing Bo Ying, the housemaid was startled and exclaimed, “Miss.”
Bo Ying “Hmm”-ed and asked, “Auntie, are they home?”
The maid paused and pointed, “Yes, Mr. Bo is watching the news in the living room.”
As she spoke, she smiled and asked, “Young Master came a few days ago to move things. He said you were moving out to live alone. Is it done?”
“Mm.”
Bo Ying pursed her lips and asked, “Auntie, have you ever seen He Jingxiu?”
The maid froze.
Her smile stiffened, and she stammered, “Miss, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Seeing her expression, Bo Ying had her answer.
She didn’t press the maid further. She knew why the maid did what she did—she was just doing her job for security.
Bo Ying nodded slightly and walked straight into the house.
Seeing her, Bo Hua was also surprised.
But accustomed to issuing orders from his high position, even to his own daughter, he spoke in a tone of a leader to a subordinate.
He frowned slightly, his tone icy, “Finally decided to come back?”
In his view, Bo Ying had come back because she suffered outside, admitting defeat.
Bo Ying forced a smile, her eyes cold, “I want to ask you something.”
Her tone made Bo Hua frown even deeper.
“Bo Ying, who taught you to talk to me like this?” He was dissatisfied with her tone, “Do you consider me your father?”
Bo Ying sneered lightly, “Before you ask me this question, have you ever thought about whether you’ve treated me and my brother as your children?”
She went straight to the point, “I want to ask you, were the letters I put in the mailbox to send out in high school secretly taken back by you behind my back?”
As her words fell, Bo Hua’s expression subtly changed, but he quickly regained his composure.
Just as he was about to speak, Pei Wanyu, hearing the commotion, stood at the stairway and responded, “So what if we did?”
She looked down at Bo Ying, “Bo Ying, are you questioning us now?”
Bo Ying suppressed the anger in her chest, raising her eyes to look at her, “Did you ask me when you took my things? Did you get my consent?”
“Ask you?” Pei Wanyu sneered, “Bo Ying, every bit of what you eat and use comes from us. Without us, do you think you could be so carefree?”
She mocked, “As a girl, shamelessly chasing someone—don’t you feel embarrassed? I feel embarrassed for you!”
“…”
“So…” Bo Ying looked at her, “You still don’t think taking my letters was wrong, right?”
“What’s wrong with us?” Pei Wanyu asked her, “I’m your mother. I raised you. I have the right to take anything of yours.”
Listening to this, Bo Ying didn’t know how to react.
She realized that she couldn’t communicate with these two people—they would never reflect on themselves, never introspect about their actions.
Her eyes welled up involuntarily, and she nodded slightly, exhaling heavily, “You’re right. I’m your daughter. I used to eat and use what you provided, so I indeed had no right to resist or object to your discipline.”
She paused and looked at them, “But from now on, no more.”
“What do you mean?”
Hearing this, Bo Hua questioned her.
Bo Ying smiled faintly, “Don’t understand? What I mean is, from now on, consider yourselves as having no daughter like me.”
With that, Bo Ying turned and walked away.
“Stop.”
Bo Hua and Pei Wanyu spoke simultaneously.
Pei Wanyu glared at her, “Bo Ying, you’re just like your brother. Once you grow wings, they harden.”
Her steps faltered slightly, and she turned to look at them, “Even if my wings aren’t hardened, I don’t want to stay in such a home.”
Her throat was dry as she retorted, “Could it be you’re just realizing this now?”
Without waiting for an answer, Bo Ying quickened her pace and left this place that had confined her for so many years, where she had once felt suffocated.
She thought, she wouldn’t come back anymore, so she wouldn’t feel pain or sadness.
Hurriedly walking out of the yard, Bo Ying headed toward where her car was parked.
She hadn’t driven very close.
Before reaching it, she first saw the person waiting by her car.
Bo Ying blinked, feeling as if she were hallucinating. Why would he be here at this time?
Seeing her unmoving, He Jingxiu walked over.
Standing in front of her, he lowered his eyes to see her red-rimmed eyes, helplessly saying, “Crying twice in one day, are you a little crybaby?”
Bo Ying looked up at him, and the tears she had just held back threatened to spill again.
“Why are you here?”
He Jingxiu responded, “Looking for you.”
“No.”
Bo Ying hung her head, “I mean, why are you up so early too?”
He Jingxiu looked at her, “Couldn’t sleep.”
He knew Bo Ying’s personality—she preferred to resolve things in one go. Given the situation last night and her emotions at the time, He Jingxiu guessed she would come here.
So after waking up in the morning, he sent her a message and went to her place.
He rang the doorbell, but no one answered.
Instantly, He Jingxiu had his answer.
Bo Ying “Oh”-ed, not asking why he guessed she would be here.
She tried to hold back, but couldn’t stop the tears from falling like broken pearls.
He Jingxiu sighed and cupped her face to wipe her tears.
As he wiped, he said, “Seeing you like this, I don’t know how to comfort you.”
Bo Ying’s sobs stopped.
Seeing her pitiful state, He Jingxiu couldn’t help but lower his head and press his lips against her tear-streaked cheek.
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