Li Xiao smiled and said, "I just came by to see you because I had nothing better to do. Do you have time now?"
Chen Nan had just started to speak when Su Qingqing’s excited voice came from behind: "Haha, you silly goose, you can’t escape now!"
Chen Nan turned his head, saw her, and promptly started to run away.
Su Qingqing was so focused on chasing Chen Nan that she didn’t even notice Li Xiao. After a while of unsuccessful pursuit, she stomped her feet a few times and went back to the classroom.
Watching from the staircase, Li Xiao let out a sigh of disappointment and walked downstairs.
She had planned to leave, but when she walked out of the teaching building, she ran into Chen Nan who was coming in.
Li Xiao smiled and said, "Shall we talk?"
Chen Nan nodded and, taking her hand, they walked toward Green Square.
Besides the flowers, trees, and a few pavilions, there were no other special features in this area, and since break time was only ten minutes, there were hardly any people around.
Sitting on the grass, Li Xiao looked up at the drifting white clouds and reflected, "Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, we haven’t seen each other in four months."
Chen Nan felt very guilty.
Before he went to look for the medicine, he had not contacted Li Xiao for a month: "I know you must blame me in your heart for not getting in touch with you for so long, and I’m sorry for that."
"I don’t blame you, really, it’s just my fate," she said.
Li Xiao sighed and a smile appeared on her face. "After all, I should be the one apologizing to you. Knowing that you don’t love me in your heart, I still desperately tried to hold on to you, to the extent that you changed your phone number and didn’t want to tell me."
It was then that Chen Nan remembered that he had gotten a new phone number after coming back from the Black Feathered Chicken lair the last time, and he hadn’t contacted Li Xiao since.
"It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. I was..."
Chen Nan hesitated halfway through his sentence, not knowing how to continue. Could he really tell Li Xiao that it wasn’t that he didn’t want to inform her but that he had forgotten to do so?
Li Xiao nodded, "I understand. You don’t have me in your heart, so it’s normal that you forgot."
Chen Nan held her hand tightly; he didn’t want to make Li Xiao sad.
This woman was the first woman in his life. Although there was no deep, engraving romance, she left a significant mark in his heart.
You don’t need to comfort me. I’ve figured it out. If you don’t have me in your heart, even if I manage to hold on to you by force, I won’t find true happiness. As the saying goes, a melon forced off its vine is not sweet," Li Xiao said with a smile. "But I still want to thank you. You at least let me understand what loving someone feels like."
Chen Nan didn’t know how to console her.
He was very clear that his liking for Li Xiao was merely for her body.
If he were to go against his conscience and say he loved her, it would be no good for anyone; but if he didn’t say it, seeing Li Xiao was heart-wrenching: "Xiao Xiao, can you please not be ?"
Li Xiao shook her head, remaining silent.
After more than ten seconds of silence, Li Xiao turned to face him and said, "I’ve said before that we would break up when your junior sister returned, and I would never bother you again. But I didn’t do that; I still shamelessly clung to you. Now I’ve come to terms with it, and it’s time for me to keep my promise."
As Chen Nan had just started to speak, Li Xiao shook his head and said, "Don’t say ’but’ anymore, I know. You just feel guilty towards me. I’ve finally hardened my heart to make this decision, so please don’t give me any more hope."
Chen Nan felt his eyes moisten.
After a silent pause, he nodded and said, "I bless you and hope you find true happiness."
Li Xiao turned away, secretly wiped her tears, took a deep breath, then turned back and forced a smile, "Don’t worry, I definitely will. When the day comes that I get married, I’ll be sure to send you an invitation."
Chen Nan felt a stab of pain in his heart and nodded, "I will definitely come."
Li Xiao took out her phone and said, "We might not become lovers, but we are still friends. Tell me your new phone number."
After saving the new number, Li Xiao stood up with her back to him and let her tears fall, saying, "You still have class, so I’ll go first. When we meet again, I probably won’t love you anymore."
Watching her frail silhouette, like a tender willow that could be knocked down by a mere gust of wind.
Chen Nan suddenly felt his heart was in pain.
Before, he knew Li Xiao wouldn’t leave him, so he was complacent and never took the initiative to contact her; now that he saw she was leaving, he realized that he actually didn’t want to let go.
Humans are not emotionless like grass and trees.
As he watched her retreating figure, Chen Nan stretched out his hand, wanting to follow her. But then he thought better of it: her leaving might actually be a good thing for Li Xiao. Since he couldn’t give her any promises and she had come to a realization, why should he persist?
Tears streaming, Li Xiao left Chen Nan’s sight and then ran out of the school. She returned to her car and laid her head on the steering wheel, crying bitterly.
Chen Nan looked up at the blue sky, sighed, stood up, and was about to head back to the classroom when a figure came out from the side: "Chen Nan, long time no see!"
"Long Zhigang, what do you want?"
Chen Nan frowned; this leader of the Four School Bullies who had returned to the school three months ago was not someone he was fond of.
The last time he had gone to the cliff to save Su Qingqing, this guy had intercepted him halfway, insisting on a martial arts match, which delayed him a lot. Chen Nan couldn’t be sure if it was intentional, but he was on guard against him ever since.
Chen Nan never believed that a martial arts expert who sneaked into the school would do so without any purpose.
Long Zhigang stepped forward and said, "I just heard that you and Huo Xinya entered the school hand in hand?"
Chen Nan’s expression turned cold, "What’s it to you?"
Three months ago, Chen Nan had heard from Zhu Bajie that Long Zhigang had been pursuing Huo Xinya since his first year in high school, chasing her for two years without success.
Long Zhigang shrugged and said, "I’m just telling you that I like Huo Xinya. If you are dating her, you’d better break up soon and stay far away from her afterward."
"That’s Xinxin’s business, and it’s none of your concern."
Chen Nan coldly smiled and headed straight toward the teaching building.
Long Zhigang put out a hand to block his path and said, "If you don’t leave her, I’ll make sure to break your legs."
Chen Nan glanced at him dismissively, "Don’t forget, you were the one who lost to me last time!"
"Do you think that was my true strength? Then you’re sorely mistaken. Chen Nan, if I wanted you dead, it’d be as easy as squashing an ant!" Long Zhigang laughed presumptuously and turned to leave.
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