Li Meirong frowned. In a matter of minutes, her entire perception of him had shattered yet again!
This guy looked like a lady killer, so she naturally assumed he was a typical playboy.
Now, it appeared as though her theories were completely misguided. He was a virgin, and she?
She had wronged him...
Unlike the rest of the people residing in this world, Li Meirong didn't place her virginity on a pedestal. She just never felt comfortable enough with anyone to go ahead and do the deed.
As for Zhu Qingyue, he was raised to value his chastity, which she took from him unceremoniously.
So the real question became; Would she actually have to enter into a relationship with him because of it?
Since Zhu Qingyue had found her in the courtyard, her emotions went through an unending rollercoaster ride. Li Meirong felt she needed some space to try and make sense of this new turn of events and deliberately stepped back, separating herself from him.
In her opinion, them having sex was not a good enough reason to start a relationship, if there really was nothing else to it.
She shut her eyes and pinched the space between her brows, preparing an explanation for her upcoming refusal. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I can't be together with you because-" we don't actually love each other.
The final part of her sentence was left unsaid. Her words were interrupted by a loud retching noise. Li Meirong immediately snapped her eyes open to see Zhu Qingyue sprawled upon the ground, convulsing and spitting blood. His sudden ailment made her completely lose track of what she was going to say.
Alarmed, Li Meirong rushed to kneel at his side. She gathered his silvery hair out of the way and helped him adjust his position to lean on her for support. He heaved, clutching a hand to his chest, looking terribly weak and vulnerable.
"What happened??" She asked, genuine concern in her voice.
Zhu Qingyue weakly tried to push her away, "There is no need to feign concern. You have already rejected me."
"I'm not pretending, I'm really worried about you! You're spitting blood! Please, tell me what's wrong?" Li Meirong insisted, feeling incredibly guilty. Witnessing this noble man in such a pitiful state made her feel like a wretched human being for the way she had been mistreating him.
Meanwhile, the ragged clouds announced the arrival of an upcoming storm. The deafening noise of a rolling thunder boomed, opening the dark brooding skies to weep in mourning.
A thin drizzle steadily grew into a heavy downpour, drenching the area as Zhu Qingyue's whispered confession was ultimately uttered.
"I am dying…"