After what felt like an eternity, Chen Qiao Luo broke the silence. “Yun Hao, long time no see.”
“Haha, it hasn’t been that long,” I replied with a forced smile.
But as soon as the words left my mouth, silence fell between us again.
Just as the awkward atmosphere became unbearable and I considered escaping, Chen Qiao Luo spoke again. “You’ve been avoiding me for a month. Are you planning to keep this up?”
Hearing him bluntly address the issue, I froze in embarrassment.
As I hesitated, unsure how to respond, Chen Qiao Luo suddenly said seriously, “Yun Hao, I like you. I think you’ve known that for a while. I didn’t reach out to you these past few weeks because I wanted to give you time to think about our relationship. I know my family and background don’t match yours, but even so, I wanted to tell you how I feel in person.”
Finally, after a month, Chen Qiao Luo confessed.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, as the world around me seemed to fall silent. I couldn’t move, my feet feeling as if they had grown roots. In my vision, Chen Qiao Luo’s face was sincere—a side of him I had never seen before.
A strange feeling stirred in my heart, one I couldn’t quite describe.
Before I could figure out how to respond, a familiar voice sounded behind me. “Chen Qiao Luo, someone like you—how could anyone like you?”
Startled, I turned around to see Gu Yu standing there, his expression unusually confrontational.
When I looked at him, Gu Yu dropped his hostility toward Chen Qiao Luo and smiled faintly at me. “Sorry, I just happened to pass by and overheard your conversation—especially his confession.”
Gu Yu emphasized the word “confession” with a mocking tone, his smile cold and distant.
Ever since I’d learned about the enmity between Gu Yu’s family and Chen Qiao Luo’s, I had stopped harboring any illusions about Gu Yu. I was Chen Qiao Luo’s friend, and Chen Qiao Luo was Gu Yu’s enemy. Nothing between me and Gu Yu could ever work.
Lost in thought, I didn’t realize what was happening until Chen Qiao Luo stepped in front of me, shielding me from Gu Yu. He looked at Gu Yu, his tone unfriendly as he asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Why shouldn’t I be here?” Gu Yu retorted with a smile, then added, “But you—what right does the son of a murderer have to love anyone?”
At the mention of the word “murderer,” I saw Chen Qiao Luo’s body stiffen slightly. But he quickly responded, his voice tinged with sorrow. “Gu Yu, I know what my father did back then was wrong, but it’s been so many years. I’ve done my best to repay your family for what happened.”
His words were filled with a deep, unshakable sadness.
Looking past Chen Qiao Luo’s shoulder, I saw Gu Yu’s handsome face twist with anger. He let out a cold laugh and said, “Repay? Do you think you can ever repay what’s owed? If it weren’t for your father, would I be without a dad? If it weren’t for your father, would my mom be bedridden with illness? Let me tell you, these debts can’t be repaid—not in this lifetime.”
I had never seen this side of Gu Yu before—he looked like a demon crawling out of hell, his face contorted with rage.
Chen Qiao Luo said nothing, but even from behind, I could imagine the grief on his face.
Seeing Chen Qiao Luo remain silent, Gu Yu shifted his gaze to me. His expression softened as he walked around Chen Qiao Luo and stopped in front of me. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “Your name is Zhu Yun Hao, right?”
Although I didn’t understand why he was asking, I nodded.
The moment I did, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, last semester you confessed to me, didn’t you? At the time, I rejected you. But now I’ve changed my mind—I’m willing to let you be my girlfriend.”
Gu Yu’s words hit me like a thunderclap, leaving me frozen in place, utterly stunned.
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