Chapter 25

Just when I thought everything was perfect and all set, my hands came up empty, because Lin Ke'er took a step back.

"Zuo Fei..." Lin Ke'er continued to cry.

I looked at Lin Ke'er in shock, suddenly having a very bad feeling.

"Have I thought it through? Would you blame me if I haven't?" Lin Ke'er's tears fell like rain, "Two years ago, I thought I liked you because you were so protective of me and even fought with Wang Baocheng for me. I thought about you every day, hoping we could really be together. But after I transferred, as I slowly recalled and examined this feeling, I realized that it was mostly gratitude, and gratitude isn't the same as liking. You just said that you liked me two years ago and wanted to find me and be with me, but have you ever thought that maybe you just felt guilty and subconsciously wanted to make it up to me?"

I stared at Lin Ke'er blankly, not knowing how to refute her.

Lin Ke'er continued, "So, Zuo Fei, our feelings for each other aren't pure. I might be moved, and you might feel guilty. If we really get together, the gratitude will fade, and the guilt will diminish, and we might realize we don't actually like each other. By then, it will be too late! Zuo Fei, I think we both need to seriously consider whether we really like each other."

My body swayed slightly. Was she rejecting me? Clearly, she was rejecting me!

My mind was a mess, and I had no idea what to do. I didn't have the energy to analyze what Lin Ke'er said; I only knew that she had rejected me, and we couldn't be a couple. The crowd behind me would all laugh at me.

"Zuo Fei, listen to me, let's think it over..."

"Stop talking." I turned around, not wanting to stay there for a second longer. I felt like a fool, clinging to her every day, fighting with Zhou Kun, Xing Qiu, and the Ninth Prince for her, and now even provoking Yi Zhen, only to be rejected!

I just wanted to leave, but my legs felt heavy as if filled with lead. Lin Ke'er called out to me, but I didn't hear her. I just wanted to get away, to get away as quickly as possible. I didn't want to be a fool.

Wang Yao and her friends were still standing there. They looked confused when they saw me walking over with a bad expression.

"Zuo Fei, what's wrong?" Wang Yao asked me.

"Rejected." I gave a bitter smile, not wanting to say more, and continued to walk forward in a daze.

They didn't follow me but ran over to Lin Ke'er.

Just as I turned the corner of the corridor, I saw a boy and a girl holding hands walking towards me.

I was stunned. It was Houzi and Liu Yina. Clearly, while I was confessing, Houzi was also confessing, and he succeeded while I failed. At first, I thought I was sure to succeed, and Houzi was uncertain because Liu Yina had never shown any interest in him and even avoided him.

I never expected this. This world is truly full of twists and turns...

Houzi, in his joy, didn't notice my distress and asked cheerfully, "Zuo Fei, did you confess?"

My nose tingled, and I felt like I couldn't hold back. I ignored him and rushed downstairs, and neither Houzi nor Liu Yina called out to me. I just wanted to get away from this place as quickly as possible!

I went down the stairs, through the campus, and out of the school. I didn't know where I was going, just running as fast as I could, wanting to leave everything behind. After running for a long time, I saw a barbecue stand by the roadside. It was already a bit cool, and the stand wasn't doing well. The owner was sitting there with nothing to do.

"Boss, a bucket of draft beer!" I sat down, ready to drink until I was drunk.

The beer overflowed as I filled the cup, but I didn't care. I picked it up and drank it in one gulp. The cold beer flowed down my throat and into my stomach, but it couldn't cool my heart any more than it already was.

"Drinking alone is no fun. Boss, another cup." A girl sat down in front of me.

It was Wang Yao.

I was surprised and looked around, but no one else was there. She had come alone.

"I didn't finish what I said last time. If you succeed, you buy me a drink; if you fail, I buy you one. How about it?"

"Okay." I gave a bitter smile.

Wang Yao filled her cup and drank it in one gulp. She put down the cup and said, "Don't act like this. It's just a failed confession, no big deal."

"Yeah, no big deal." I laughed bitterly. "There are plenty of fish in the sea. I'm Zuo Fei, so handsome, I'll find someone else."

"Don't think like that. Lin Ke'er didn't reject you; she said she needs to think about it. The situation between you two is too complicated, even outsiders can't see it clearly, let alone you. Anyway, I think there's plenty of time, take it slow."

I nodded, not wanting to talk more. I just wanted to drink. Wang Yao understood and drank with me cup after cup. Wang Yao's tolerance was impressive, and she seemed determined to drink with me until the end. My head was spinning, and I started to talk more, telling her about our junior high school days, how Binzi and I were so cool, how we were invincible, and how I had wronged Lin Ke'er, using a ring to humiliate her...

Wang Yao didn't say a word, just listened to me ramble and drank with me when I needed it. After a while, we were both a bit drunk and dizzy. Even the owner couldn't stand it anymore and said, "You're students, right? Go to bed early. I'm closing up." Wang Yao paid the bill, and we supported each other back to school, stumbling and swaying. Wang Yao complained about the uneven cement road.

On the way back, I kept talking, feeling like Wang Yao was a trash can, and I was pouring all my negative emotions into her. Before, I thought Wang Yao was high and mighty, and I would get nervous just looking at her, not daring to say a word. But now, we were both drunk and walking arm in arm, and the distance between us seemed to disappear.

I said, "Wang Yao, thank you so much for tonight. I don't know what I would have done without you." Wang Yao said, "Zuo Fei, that's not right. I think you're a good person, but you're too indecisive in matters of the heart. Lin Ke'er said she needs to think about it, so you shouldn't be like this." I said, "Forget it. I'm starting to let it go. Maybe Lin Ke'er is right. For two years, I've been living in guilt, always thinking about how to make it up to her, which is why I've been so focused on her."

I said I was at peace now, and I would let things be. Wang Yao said that was the right attitude.

We got back to the school. The girls' dorm was behind the boys' dorm, so I walked Wang Yao back. When we reached the girls' dorm, I was completely dizzy. Wang Yao said, "Go back quickly and let me know you're safe." I didn't say anything, just staring at her. She stood under the streetlight by the girls' dorm, her face flushed from the alcohol, her lips looking soft and tender. I don't know where I got the courage, but I grabbed her arm and kissed her.

Just as I kissed her, before I could feel her soft lips, Wang Yao pushed me away.

"Zuo Fei, what are you doing?!" Wang Yao's voice was full of anger.

I was shocked, half sober, and quickly said, "Sorry, sorry." Wang Yao said, "You're drunk. Go back and rest." Then she turned and ran into the girls' dorm. I was in a mess, walking back to the boys' dorm, my heart pounding, thinking about what I had just done, kissing the leader of the Thirteen Roses? Was I asking for trouble?

Back in the dorm, my heart was still racing. I went to the bathroom to wash my face and then lay down on my bed. Ma Jie poked his head in and asked how the confession went. I said, "Go away," and he retreated.

Strangely, I wasn't thinking about Lin Ke'er anymore. My mind was full of Wang Yao, perhaps because I had just kissed her, and the emotions I had been suppressing suddenly burst out. I realized that even humans can lose control sometimes.

If there was a balance in my heart, with Lin Ke'er and Wang Yao on either side, I had been suppressing my feelings for Wang Yao, so the balance was heavily tilted towards Lin Ke'er. But with Lin Ke'er rejecting me and telling me about "gratitude and guilt," and then Wang Yao drinking with me and me accidentally kissing her...

Whether I admit it or not, the balance is slowly tilting towards Wang Yao.

Humans are such fickle creatures, aren't they?

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but my head suddenly heated up, and I desperately wanted to confess to Wang Yao. I knew it was despicable to confess to two people in one day, and it was foolish to confess to Wang Yao after being rejected by Lin Ke'er.

But I just wanted to do it. I'm the kind of person who can't control myself when my head heats up. Two years ago, when I used the ring to humiliate Lin Ke'er, I was in the same state. If I had any sense, I wouldn't have done such a despicable thing, but I just couldn't hold back.

I jumped out of bed and made a very foolish decision.

I was going to confess to Wang Yao.

I didn't care if I would regret it later; I only knew that I wanted to do it now!

And when I want to do something, no one can stop me!

I put on my slippers and ran out. Ma Jie poked his head out and asked where I was going. I said, "Go away," and he retreated.

I ran out of the dorm and ran into Zheng Wu, who had just washed his hair and was holding a basin. He said, "Zuo Fei, I heard you were rejected. Oh, if you had worn my battle robe, this wouldn't have happened..."

I ignored him and ran past him.