Chapter 1703: Confession

Li Shuci, burdened by troubled thoughts, wandered aimlessly alone through the ancient town; the bustle had nothing to do with her.

Unwilling to walk much further, she passed a small alley, cast a fleeting glance, and spotted Wang Yan squatting inside, smoking.

At her glance, a 'Click!' sounded as Wang Yan pressed the shutter; he then smiled and nodded at her before continuing to hold his camera ready to capture the moment.

Li Shuci froze for a moment; by the time she came to her senses, she had already walked into the alley.

Pausing to ponder briefly, she turned back, entered the alley, and approached behind Wang Yan, politely ensuring she did not block his lens's framing.

She hesitated for a while until Wang Yan turned to look at her, then said nervously, "Wang Yan, I... I have something I want to ask you."

Wang Yan naturally knew what Li Shuci wanted to ask, so he did not play dumb.

"Just as you suspect, Lin Luoxue and I indeed grew very close and interacted very deeply; alright, I slept with her."

Looking at Li Shuci's innocent, wide eyes, Wang Yan spoke the truth: "However, the two of us aren't truly together; as you know, she changes boyfriends very quickly, so we were merely physical companions maintaining a good relationship."

"So, just as you see, we never publicly announced a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship; it's just that in our daily interactions, because we became too familiar, it was indeed hard not to be intimate."

"But... Lin Luoxue hasn't had a new boyfriend for a long time."

"But I don't want to be her boyfriend, and she doesn't really want to be my girlfriend either; it's all just muddled confusion."

Some of Li Shuci's beliefs were undergoing shock; she had naturally heard about such things before but had never truly witnessed them, yet now, the person she liked turned out to be exactly like this.

This filled her with disappointment, dejection, and even brewed a few strands of despair...

Wang Yan said, "Shuci, actually I know you like me, and my feelings toward you are also quite good, but as you can see, in matters of emotion, I am not a good person."

Tears fell from Li Shuci's eyes as she spoke with a slight sob in her voice: "Then what about when you were good with Gu Yixin before?"

"At that time, I was indeed very innocent and hadn't simultaneously been good with other girls, though even then I was already exchanging glances with Lin Luoxue; truthfully, I actually had the best relationship with Lin Luoxue long ago, while Gu Yixin was all a later occurrence."

"Then why do you want to tell me these things?"

"To give you a clear understanding, so you know exactly what kind of person you like."

"Why do you want to tell me these things?" Li Shuci asked, her eyes brimming with tears, "Are you even unwilling to lie to me?"

She wasn't stupid; how could she not understand that Wang Yan had deliberately revealed this?

Or rather, Wang Yan never intended to hide it; otherwise, he certainly could have restrained Lin Luoxue's behavior, and thinking of this made her feel even worse.

"Shuci, undoubtedly, you are an excellent young lady; just imagine if we two got together, and later you inadvertently discovered these things, what kind of mood would you be in then? You'd probably wish you were dead, right? Then I would truly be worse than a beast, guilty of heinous crimes."

Wang Yan reached out to cup her face, wiping away the ceaseless tears: "When we like someone, we should like the reality, not a fabricated falsehood; only by knowing the truth can you make a choice you won't regret."

"You recognize my true nature and stay away from me, or even knowing this, you still throw yourself into the sea of fire; these are all choices made voluntarily after you know everything, Shuci, and this is what is best for you."

"I would rather you deceived me!" Li Shuci rarely shouted, then wiped her tears and ran away.

Click~

That damn Wang Yan, quite leisurely, pressed the shutter once again, capturing Li Shuci's panicked retreating figure...

Wang Yan squatted in this alley for quite a while, leaving only after the light faded to continue wandering through the ancient town; unexpectedly, having walked only a short distance, he saw Ren Bao Yifan holding his painting by the roadside, chatting casually with a beautiful woman.

That woman was named Tang Mu'en, someone who acted as a mistress; because her attempt to rise to the main wife failed, she went far abroad, and before leaving, she had a one-night stand with Ren Bao Yifan, curing his impotence caused by psychological reasons...

Without disturbing them, Wang Yan, being a good person to the end, conveniently took a photo of Ren Bao Yifan so he could cherish the memory of this unforgettable woman in the future; otherwise, as time passed, he wouldn't even remember her face.

Walking a bit further, he saw Bi Shisan setting up a stall to sell flowers, having also made a rough wooden umbrella from the scrap materials of previous picture frames; at this moment, he was reasoning with a child in front of him, coaxing the child to go sell flowers for him and sell the flower-inserting stands he had made from scrap materials, which were triangular in shape with flowers inserted diagonally, resembling something like a cannon firing.

Wang Yan did not disturb him either but took a photo from a distance before continuing forward.

Having walked not far, he saw Yu Hao lurking sneakily around a corner, peeping at something.

"What are you looking at?"

Yu Hao let out a startled cry; upon seeing it was Wang Yan, he rolled his eyes in annoyance, patting his chest: "Disgusting! Scaring people like that could scare them to death!"

"If you don't do guilty deeds, you won't fear ghosts knocking at the door."

"What guilty deeds? I'm just eating melon 【gossiping】; look, isn't that Xiao Haiyang over there? And look at the one in front, isn't that Zhong Bai?"

Excitement permeated Yu Hao's words: "Didn't Lu Qiaochuan and Zhong Bai have a conflict before? Just now Zhong Bai cried, and Xiao Haiyang followed Zhong Bai the whole way."

"I feel Lu Qiaochuan and Zhong Bai won't last long; the feeling they give me now is as if they're making up for the regret of not being together before; when they weren't together, everything seemed perfect and all matters could be talked out, but after getting together, it instead became harder to speak openly."

"Lu Qiaochuan seems to feel indebted, agreeing to everything Zhong Bai wants; Zhong Bai is both strong-willed and self-centered, so the more gentle, considerate, and understanding Lu Qiaochuan is, the more uncomfortable Zhong Bai feels; in that case, doesn't Xiao Haiyang have a chance? Don't you agree, Old Wang?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "I don't necessarily see it that way; hasn't Zhong Bai always treated Xiao Haiyang as a backup before?"

"You need to think from a different angle, Old Wang; if Zhong Bai had no feelings for Xiao Haiyang, why would she treat him as a backup? Right?"

Yu Hao couldn't stand Wang Yan's gaze and waved his hand irritably: "Aiya, can you stop looking at me with eyes meant for a simp? Yes, what I said does sound a bit like a simp, but it's not me simping; I am seriously analyzing the possible factors for Xiao Haiyang to successfully pursue Zhong Bai; just tell me if I'm right or not?"

Wang Yan still shook his head, looking at him like an idiot with disdain on his face: "I haven't heard of many people pursuing Zhong Bai, and among those who did pursue her, none were as close-range or as long-lasting as Xiao Haiyang."

"I don't know if keeping Xiao Haiyang as a backup means Zhong Bai likes him, but it's certainly because Xiao Haiyang is more suitable; after all, she liked Lu Qiaochuan before, so she probably wanted to use Xiao Haiyang to make Lu Qiaochuan jealous."

Yu Hao reacted for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands: "Aiya ma ya, you see things clearly indeed, Old Wang; I overlooked this before and didn't expect so much."

"Standing from Xiao Haiyang's perspective and thinking for him also counts as being blinded by being part of the situation, which is understandable."

"That's right! Exactly like that!" Yu Hao nodded heavily, then sighed again: "But looking at it this way, wouldn't there be no hope at all for Xiao Haiyang and Zhong Bai? No! Wait! Old Wang, you've misled me."

"The past is the past, and the future is the future; before, Zhong Bai liked Lu Qiaochuan and couldn't accept others, but if the two of them break up, then Zhong Bai can accept someone else, at which point Xiao Haiyang becomes the first priority, so they still have hope."

"I feel like you care even more than Xiao Haiyang does, especially hoping Xiao Haiyang and Zhong Bai get together."

"Of course; back in our freshman year, I already favored Xiao Haiyang; Haiyang is a good person, plus I created opportunities for him several times, so I already have sunk costs in this."

Wang Yan laughed as he patted his shoulder: "You continue sinking, and I'll continue taking photos."

Yu Hao grabbed Wang Yan's arm: "It's not that I'm criticizing you, Old Wang, but Gu Yixin has been gone for half a year, who knows how comfortable she is abroad; are you really remaining chaste for her? Look how much Li Shuci likes you; every time we're all together, I can't stand the way she looks at you."

"And Lin Luoxue; although Lin Luoxue has quite a few boyfriends, she is still a very good person; I feel she has quite some feelings for you too, you should be aware; Old Wang, it's time to turn the page and start the next chapter."

"Thank you for your concern; however, Brother Hao, you should be more concerned about yourself."

"Disgusting! Even a sissy like me deserves a springtime, okay?"

Yu Hao pinched his fingers into an orchid shape, acting affectedly.

Wang Yan walked away as if thoroughly disgusted...

After wandering around outside like this, by evening, everyone gathered together again for dinner.

Lin Luoxue leaned closer to Wang Yan and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Did she lay it all out for you?"

Her gaze landed on Li Shuci, who was sitting not far away with Zhong Bai; Li Shuci's eyes were still somewhat red and swollen, the traces of her crying not yet faded, prompting anyone who saw her to offer concern.

Zhong Bai's expression was also not very good; the two of them just sat there together, dazed.

Wang Yan nodded. "You could say that."

"What are you two talking about? So mysterious?" Xu Lianqiao, sitting opposite them, expressed her curiosity.

"What they're saying isn't important." Ren Bao Yifan sat down beside her, resting his hand on the back of Xu Lianqiao's chair. "What matters is what the two of us are saying."

"Wang Yan, could you please let Lin Luoxue go and give her some space to be with people of her own gender?" Xu Lianqiao spoke bluntly.

Lin Luoxue broke into a beautiful smile, stood up, moved to sit opposite, and looked at Ren Bao Yifan. "I'm truly sorry, classmate Ren Bao Yifan."

Ren Bao Yifan stood up helplessly and sat down next to Wang Yan. "Old Wang, it's not that I want to lecture you, but sometimes when you should make a move, you just have to make a move."

As he spoke, he was looking at Lin Luoxue, but the words he uttered were not directed at her.

Suddenly changing his tune, he said, "Look at Li Shuci; she clearly just finished crying. I noticed she liked you a while ago, and now this is simply a god-sent opportunity. While she's sad and hurting, if you just show her some care, she'll be crying and shouting as she throws herself into your arms."

Thus, Lin Luoxue's earlier beaming smile vanished, leaving only rolled eyes.

She said to Xu Lianqiao beside her, "Look at that; what a textbook scumbag statement. Lianqiao, you must stay far away from scumbags like this, otherwise it's easy to get deceived."

"I know; I never had any feelings for him anyway." Xu Lianqiao acted completely indifferent, casting a light, fleeting glance at Ren Bao Yifan.

"Xu Lianqiao, that's a lie; I don't believe it!"

"Oh."

Xu Lianqiao's single "Oh" drove Ren Bao Yifan to the brink of madness; he had once spent a night with Xu Lianqiao in the darkroom, having bared their souls to each other. It was just that Xu Lianqiao, due to the so-called "Lonely Star" fate that harms men close to her, refused to accept the beginning of any romantic relationship.

Ren Bao Yifan was a scumbag himself; after pursuing her relentlessly for a while, he had quieted down, yet whenever he met and spent time with Xu Lianqiao, ripples inevitably stirred in his heart, his wicked intentions never dying.

"Old Wang, tonight let's get thoroughly drunk together."

This was the last night everyone would be out; tomorrow morning they would stay to see the exhibition a bit longer, and in the afternoon they would set off to return.

Added to this was Ye Jiping's impending departure, continuing to brew sadness; unsurprisingly, everyone got drunk again that night. There were those feeling disappointed, those heartbroken, those with awkward and unspoken troubles in their hearts, and those eating melons and watching the spectacle.

Although Wang Yan should logically have been among those struggling with difficult choices, he was likewise someone who did not belong here, nor did he belong to this age. Therefore, he was one of those eating melons and watching the spectacle, iron-hearted and carefree.

The next day, after half a day of play and mischief, they took the train back just as they had come. It seemed as though many things had happened all at once, yet the most rowdy among them had fallen silent.

After returning to school, Ye Jiping chatted and opened his heart to everyone one by one, actually stealing the job of Xiao Haiyang, the psychological committee member.

Come to think of it, Wang Yan had also participated in Xiao Haiyang's psychological committee activities, except that he had merely signed his name upon arrival and left immediately, so the two of them had hardly any interaction.

This time he didn't discuss much with Ye Jiping either; mainly, Ye Jiping exhorted him not to squander money recklessly, to consider the long-term future, concluding with an admonition to be a good person.

By the end of December, just as in the original drama, after exhorting the students and spending a lively night eating, drinking, and entertaining with them, he dragged his luggage away the next morning.

Although they had spent less than a year and a half together, Ye Jiping had still gained the students' recognition and trust; the students, not yet accustomed to parting, all had red-rimmed eyes...

But that was all; within two days, everyone's attention shifted to the new counselor.

Feng Cuicui, the teacher who taught film photography and managed the school's darkroom, became the new counselor.

He was extremely unpopular; everyone disliked him. Back when he was teaching the photography class earlier, he had already had conflicts with the students. At that time, Yu Hao and others had even complained to Wang Yan about him, asking Wang Yan how he had gotten along with Feng Cuicui before...

Of course, it was technique; Feng Cuicui respected technique, so he respected Wang Yan.

Now he respected him even more, after all, Wang Yan was the most outstanding star of the photography department in recent years, a fact reflected in reports, and he was required to participate in various school activities.

Therefore, the conflicts between Yu Hao and the others with Feng Cuicui had absolutely nothing to do with Wang Yan.

In the blink of an eye, it was late January; before the holiday, he arranged practical activities for everyone to carry out after the New Year. They could do charity work, help out with labor, assist with the art entrance examinations, or find somewhere to do something on their own; in short, they could not remain idle.

At the same time, holiday assignments were assigned, requiring the shooting of videos and the taking of some photographs. Of course, Wang Yan was exempt from submitting assignments. However, he originally intended to shoot a documentary during this period anyway, so it counted as an assignment.

Thus, the first semester of the sophomore year came to an end.

?? Daily thanks to the good brothers who generously donate, cast monthly votes, submit recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support!