Chapter 83: A Frank and Open Conversation

Shen Yan got up and walked out. Just as he went downstairs, he saw the young girl standing there in a khaki work jacket, wearing blue straight-leg shorts on her lower body, her beautiful legs shining white like jade under the streetlights.

Both of them remained silent, wandering aimlessly along Zijin Road. At this hour, the students had long since returned to their nests; apart from the ticking of cars and the swaying of tree branches, the surroundings of Zijin Road were completely silent.

In the end, it was Shen Yan who broke the stalemate first, saying, "Do you feel that after you rejected me, I shouldn't have fallen for someone else?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Youwei's body stiffened, yet she could not bring herself to take another step forward.

This question was too tricky and caught her off guard. She had always felt that she was the victim, but following this logic, it seemed Shen Yan had done nothing wrong.

But women are unreasonable creatures. Yu Youwei turned around, stared straight at Shen Yan, and said, "Don't you think you changed your heart too quickly? Three months ago, you were still swearing that you liked me."

Three months? He had clearly spent over ten years on it, alright.

Of course, it was impossible for Shen Yan to reveal such a thing. He only said, "Fate is a mysterious thing. I am simply following the wishes of my own heart. If three months isn't enough, then how long should it be? Or should I just keep waiting foolishly like this?"

Yu Youwei was speechless. Tears flowed down like pearls from a broken string, streaming incessantly. She cried like a pear blossom in the rain, her nose red, truly bearing a resemblance to Lin Daiyu, pitiful enough to stir one's heart.

The way Yu Youwei cried was different from most people; her expression was wooden, her tears flowed silently, giving one a deep sense of brokenness.

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes in one motion, trying to make herself look a bit stronger, and asked, "So you have made up your mind now to be with that Hao Anqi?"

Shen Yan gave a hum. "Haven't you always been focused entirely on your studies? Now that no one is bothering you, you can completely follow your previous ideas and strive for your own ideals."

"We can still be friends in the future; nothing has changed."

"No!" Yu Youwei shouted, crying out, "Some things have already happened; how can I just turn a blind eye?"

Shen Yan felt a bit helpless and said, "Then what do you want me to do? Break up? And then be with you? That's impossible. Qiqi is a good girl; I cannot let her down."

Yu Youwei said, "So you're letting me down, is that it?" Shen Yan sighed and said, "We were never together, so it doesn't count as letting you down."

That calm tone made Yu Youwei's heart ache, and tears surged forth once more. According to her thinking, since she was crying so sadly, Shen Yan would surely come over to comfort her.

Who would have thought that Shen Yan would just stand there foolishly, not even moving his mouth.

Yu Youwei stepped forward and hugged Shen Yan tightly. With a twenty-centimeter height difference, her little head rested just at Shen Yan's chin, her cheeks pressed against that broad chest, her hands wrapped around his back, encircling his sturdy frame.

She said in a tone bordering on pleading, "Goyan, I know I've been willful at times, liking to control this and that, annoying you. I will change all of that. From now on, whatever you want, it will be. Please, break up with her, okay?"

At this moment, several middle-aged men in blue work uniforms passed by the two of them; they were clearly workers from a nearby factory who had just finished the night shift.

One of the slightly weathered, thin men said softly, "Endure for a moment and the winds will be calm, take a step back and the seas will be vast. It's inevitable for young couples to argue; don't wait until you've lost something to know regret."

Shen Yan and Yu Youwei subconsciously cast their gazes over; that thin back revealed an endless sense of desolation.

It seemed he was deeply moved.

The other workers seemed to have discovered some earth-shattering secret, chattering away and asking about something.

After all, she was his only good friend since childhood and someone he had once liked. Shen Yan did not want to make things too awkward. His hands hung down, his heart calm and unruffled, and he only asked, "You were the one who said you always treated me like a brother. Why did your attitude suddenly do a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn?"

Yu Youwei sobbed, rubbed her little head against Shen Yan's chest, and said, "I don't know either. I didn't have that feeling before, but now you've changed so much, and there's an indescribable charm about you that is especially attractive."

"Don't you think you're being very selfish? If you don't like someone, you wave them away, but if you do, you want to snatch them back."

Yu Youwei said weakly, "I'm sorry, I don't want to be like this either, but I can't control it." In the end, Shen Yan pushed her away.

He said firmly, "I really like Qiqi, and I will not break up with her."

Yu Youwei's eyes were completely red, tears streaking down her fair cheeks, looking like a pear blossom in the rain, pitiful to behold. She spoke with a sobbing tone, asking, "Can our many years of feelings really not compare to your short month with her? She is just an outsider."

"One is a friend, the other is a lover; the meaning is different." Shen Yan looked down at Yu Youwei's tear-streaked face, but he was not greatly moved. He would not let Hao Anqi down just because of this.

Upon hearing this, Yu Youwei just leaned against Shen Yan's chest and kept crying, trying to make Shen Yan change his mind, but Shen Yan didn't say a word, letting Yu Youwei soak his lapels.

His attitude was firm and resolute.

Yu Youwei was undoubtedly proud. Since childhood, she had been cherished in the palms of others' hands, born with a beautiful face, outstanding in every aspect, and had always been the object of everyone's praise—what is commonly known as "the neighbor's child."

Now that she had set aside her dignity to speak heart-to-heart with Shen Yan, even begging him to be with her, only to be heartlessly rejected, Yu Youwei lost her temper for a moment.

She reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and said calmly, "Some things, once a decision is made, there is no turning back. Go back tonight and think about it again; give me an answer tomorrow."

Shen Yan nodded; he had already reached a conclusion in his heart.

At least it didn't end too awkwardly; this was the Yu Youwei he remembered—proud and confident.

On the way back, the two of them had no communication at all. Yu Youwei kept trying to calm her emotions, doing her best to look as if nothing had happened, but those red eyes could not be hidden no matter what.

The people in the private room noticed this situation and tacitly kept silent, each showing off their singing voices to their heart's content. Shen Yan also sang a few songs, singing "Man's Song" with Lin Yang, "Man's Ocean" with Tang Song, "June's Rain" with Chen Shanni, and also with Luo Qiqi.

Wu Yueer also wanted to sing a duet, but Shen Yan teased her for being a pig-like teammate who couldn't be carried, which made everyone laugh.

The only person who could tease Wu Yueer like that was Shen Yan.

Wu Yueer was so angry her face turned red, and she waved her little fists repeatedly.

Lin Yang then said, "Yue'er, let's sing one."

Wu Yueer gave Shen Yan a triumphant smile and began to sing a duet with Lin Yang.

They kept having fun until 1:00 AM, and the group returned to the Danqingyuan Residential Complex, still feeling unfulfilled. Grandma Shen had greeted them in advance and was already fast asleep. Shen Yan sent the two snoring bugs, Lin Yang and Zhu Baoping, to the living room sofa, got them a blanket, and left them to fend for themselves.

In the master bedroom, Tang Song lay comfortably on the Large Bed, his hands behind his head, not feeling a shred of sleepiness.

Tang Song looked at the pitch-black ceiling, his eyes unfocused, and said, "Old Shen, sometimes I really envy you. With a car and a house already prepared, once you find a wife, your life will be complete."

Shen Yan smiled slightly. "Just a bit of good luck. I believe that man can conquer nature. It's actually not difficult to get rich in the legal profession; through constant effort, you will definitely be able to live the life you want."

Tang Song nodded slightly, his eyes filled with determination and confidence, as if he were declaring his resolve to the world.

The high spirits of youth were displayed to the fullest at this moment.