Xin said firmly on the phone,
"Ye, don't be a coward. Face it boldly. You were brave enough to have a crush on him three years ago, remember?
Back then, did you think he'd ignore you until college ended?
No.
You didn't know how he'd react—but you still liked him. So don't be scared now."
My voice shook.
"Xin…"
"Just think it through," she said.
"You'll find your answer."
Then she hung up.
---
Meanwhile, Xiang was so upset that not even Gu could calm him down.
He locked himself in his office and didn't come out until night.
When I saw him like that, it felt like I had betrayed him.
---
After finishing my work, I walked alone down the road.
A strange feeling crept in—as if someone was following me.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand.
I spun around, startled.
It was Xiang.
"What are you doing?" I yelled.
"Why are you grabbing me like some ghost? Can't you just call my name?!"
His expression darkened.
Anger simmered in his eyes—but he held it back.
"Ye," he said slowly, "are you hiding something from me?"
I froze.
"This morning, you were happy.
But once we got to the office, you changed. You avoided me.
If you're hiding something, just tell me."
I pulled my hand away, my voice trembling.
"I'm not hiding anything, Xiang.
I was just nervous… that's all. Don't take it seriously."
He didn't look convinced.
His tone turned sharp.
"Are you thinking about that crush you had three years ago?"
My eyes widened.
He had found out.
"I knew it," he said, raising his voice.
"I was right. You regret saying yes to my proposal, don't you?"
"No!" I cried.
"It's not what you think!"
"Then what is it?" he asked bitterly.
"You say you need time? Fine. Take all the time you want.
But if you don't tell me the truth, I'll find it myself."
And with that, he walked away.
I reached home and dropped my bag on the couch.
My friends looked up and asked,
"Ye, you're back! How was your day? Did you enjoy it?"
I couldn't answer.
Instead, I burst into tears, unable to hold them back.
Hearing me cry like that, they rushed to my side in panic.
Ming grabbed my shoulders.
"Ye, what's wrong?
Why are you crying like this?"
Ling pulled me into a hug, but the moment I felt her arms around me,
I cried even harder.
Between sobs, I choked out,
"Ling… I don't think I should have met him in the first place.
If I had just minded my own business in college…
I should have known I couldn't handle this."
They tried their best to comfort me,
But the more they tried, the harder I cried.
Eventually, they gave me some space and sat quietly, confused and worried.
Meanwhile, Xin secretly picked up my phone and called Gu.
"What happened between Ye and Xiang?" she asked, urgency in her voice.
Gu sighed and explained everything that happened—
Before he could finish, they hung up.
He probably thought I was too much to handle.
And now, even my friends were ignoring me…
It felt like everyone was slipping away.