The sound of breaking glass came from the nearby table, and the waiter hurried over. Tang Yanqi was stunned by Lu Qilin’s words, with no mind to worry about others. She stared blankly at Lu Qilin for a few seconds, then looked down and forced a smile, "Senior, you’re joking with me."
"I’m not joking. In my twenty-six years of life, I’ve only liked one girl, and her name is Tang Yanqi."
Tang Yanqi looked up again, meeting Lu Qilin’s steadfast gaze. He was different from Sheng Jianan; there was no arrogance or unruliness in his brows, but rather an elegance and gentleness. Yet at this moment, the determination in Lu Qilin’s eyes showed Tang Yanqi the assertive dominance hidden beneath his refined demeanor.
The air around seemed to freeze, unable to circulate. Tang Yanqi remained silent for a long time. She was indifferent towards emotions. She regarded Lu Qilin as a senior, a friend, a confidant, but definitely not a lover.
She, Tang Yanqi, had long lost the capital to love someone, and her heart had already been given to someone else.
Ambiguity is the cruelest harm, a viewpoint Tang Yanqi had always upheld. So whether it was Yang Yixiang or any other suitors, from the beginning, she was firm in her stance. If she didn’t love, she would decisively refuse. To play ambiguous or give a vague answer out of courtesy was something Tang Yanqi would never do.
Especially not to those people, and even more so not to Lu Qilin.
Even if this would make their relationship distant, even if she might lose a friend who was very important to her, she definitely didn’t want to lead someone on. In Tang Yanqi’s eyes, that was the greatest harm.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Yanqi spoke, "Senior, I’m sorry, I can’t accept."
The intense hurt and disappointment flashed in Lu Qilin’s determined eyes. His hand tightened unconsciously, and after a long while, he spoke again, "Do you still like him?"
Tang Yanqi’s face was filled with shock. Who was this "him" referring to?
How did Lu Qilin know she had a "him" in her heart? This matter was her deepest secret, known only to her before, and now only Qi Cheng in addition. Tang Yanqi trusted her friend, and Qi Cheng would never betray her.
Lu Qilin pulled a bitter smile, "That year, when you got drunk, you said it — you said you liked him so much that you forgot who you were."
Tang Yanqi’s memory stretched far, indeed, in the freshman year, there was a time she was drunk. It was because of that incident Lu Qilin found out her identity, learned about her experiences with the Tang family. Tang Yanqi always thought she merely poured out her suppressed grievances about the Tang family. Little did she expect to have mentioned Sheng Jianan.
Having her secret peeled open, her heart suddenly ached sharply, spreading throughout her body.
Tang Yanqi did not speak, and Lu Qilin continued, "You didn’t say who he was, but I could see there really was someone in your heart. That’s also why I hesitated later whether to confess, but it’s been three years, and you’re still not with him, right? Why can’t you give me a chance?" Find the newest release on novel✦fire.net
Tang Yanqi lowered her eyelids, and let out a breath, relieved... thank goodness she didn’t say.
After another prolonged silence, Tang Yanqi softly began, "Senior, not being with him is because I’m not qualified. Not giving you a chance is because I don’t love you. If I gave you a chance, it would be unfair to you."
Tang Yanqi’s straightforward rejection made Lu Qilin’s smile on his face finally completely fade away. In the end, he was too hasty; he shouldn’t have torn the paper of this window so soon.