"Yes, you’re not drunk," Ling Dong knew he was as he looked at his state, supporting Xu Nian’an as they hurried back. He said, "Yicheng, I’ll take him home first."
"I’m not going back; I want to drink more," Xu Nian’an slurred, his eyes so bleary that he could barely see anyone clearly.
"We’ll drink at home."
Ling Dong knew how to comfort someone who was drunk, and sure enough, once he said they would drink at home, Xu Nian’an fell silent, obediently following him all the way back.
Despite the hot weather, a cool breeze made the walk down the street quite pleasant.
"Ling Dong will safely get Nian’an home," Pei Yicheng praised Ling Dong to himself.
"I’m relieved, but what about your leg? Can you walk that far?" Xu Nianhua looked worriedly at his leg, which had just recently recovered.
Pei Yicheng, seeing the skepticism in her eyes, immediately reassured her, "Don’t worry, I’m definitely up to it."
The two of them walked back, their shadows elongated by the moonlight.
Xu Nianhua didn’t know what to say, and the atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
"That classmate who just confessed to you, if he hadn’t hurried off, how would you have responded?" Pei Yicheng’s voice suddenly broke the silence, a steady and powerful sound carried by the wind.
She paused awkwardly before saying, "Of course I would have rejected him."
"He’s not worthy of you," Pei Yicheng stated.
Xu Nianhua corrected him, "It’s not about being worthy or not, it’s about suitability. He and I don’t suit each other. There’s no spark, so of course, I would reject him decisively."
"Besides, dating is too troublesome. I have no intention of dating," Xu Nianhua thought being single was quite nice. In the future, she would develop her career, attend university, honor her father and mother, and ensure they lived a good life and enjoyed their old age.
Pei Yicheng glanced at her, her serious demeanor taking him by surprise. He asked, "Nianhua, you’re only twenty years old."
He reminded her that a twenty-year-old girl should be quite eager for romance, right?
"Exactly because I’m only twenty, there are so many things I want to do. Why should I bother dating?" Xu Nianhua seemed to find the very idea of love to be burdensome and tiresome.
Pei Yicheng’s steps halted as he asked, "Haven’t you ever met someone who made your heart flutter?"
"No," Xu Nianhua replied briskly. She thought, what’s so good about dating? She had seen plenty of women who seemed like entirely different people after getting into a relationship or marriage, their lives revolving around their husbands and children, and not to mention dealing with interfering in-laws. If the family dynamics were good, one could consider themselves lucky, but dealing with a nightmare of in-laws and their endless demands could be a headache just to think about.
Pei Yicheng touched his face, wondering if his charm had stopped working.
Or had he become unattractive?
"Yicheng, what’s the matter?" Xu Nianhua turned around and noticed that Pei Yicheng had stopped and was touching his face, deep in thought.
Pei Yicheng dropped his hand and said, "In the future, when you meet someone who moves your heart, you definitely won’t find it bothersome."
Xu Nianhua tilted her head, feeling that it was highly unlikely she would meet someone who would stir her heart, let alone someone she’d want to marry.
After all, she intended to remain single for life.
Pei Yicheng said confidently, changing the subject, "Tomorrow evening, Cheng Hao is treating us to dinner and wants to introduce us to his girlfriend."