【22.】

  After school started, my conscience was condemned from all sides. Even Tao Hao, who usually didn't get angry with me, cold-shouldered me for several days. I acted like a little dog, flattering and coaxing her every day, and finally managed to get her to speak up, but still couldn't avoid being scolded.

  "You're getting more and more muddled!" She stretched out her index finger to poke at my head "You can eat whatever you want, but can't just say whatever you want!"

  She was also tired, waved her hand and said: "I'm too lazy to deal with you, clean up the mess you made yourself."

  This is already a calm after the storm... I don't care about others, as long as Tao Hao doesn't get angry with me.

  There is also a Du Bin, I think he's so clever, he must have seen that I was just angry for the moment, I thought he would take the initiative to find me, but after waiting for so long without any news, I had to take the initiative myself.

  He arrived early at KFC, ordered some food, but he only held a cup of coffee, seemingly just warming his hands without drinking. I took a deep breath and walked over: "Hello, senior."

  He looked up at me and smiled: "You're here."

  I used to despise the person in front of me, because for a girl, no matter how cheerful she is, she can't accept his utilitarianism. But at this moment, I have to despise my own willpower. Just with his faint smile, I suddenly had a change of heart towards him. I could only look away and not look at him: "You know what I want to say."

  He fell silent for a moment, his hands clasped around the cup, and I had never seen him look so uncertain, as if it was him, yet not him. I couldn't gauge his attitude either, and could only maintain the silence along with him.

  "Yao Jia..." He called out to me in a low, hoarse voice, and for an instant, I felt like he might be sincere. "Can you... give me another chance."

  "I think I've made myself clear. Du Bin, I won't be able to accept you. There are too many reasons, I don't need to say it, you also know them all."

  "You said...". At this moment, he looked like a little kid, I had never seen him look like that before.

  "You know why I said that." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "I don't know what mistake I made, getting entangled in your and Jintong's silly love game, but I'm also a person with temper, don't keep dragging me into this again and again. Dabin, what I'm saying now, I've told you before. I've said it to you in different ways, sometimes serious, sometimes casual, surely you understand what I want to express. Why do I have to say it so bluntly?"

  I rarely speak so openly with people about things that are hard to mention, but today I really have no choice. Some things can't be said absolutely, outsiders always think there's an opportunity to take advantage of, harming both others and oneself.

  He smiled wryly: "Was I wrong from the start... for having met her first?"

  "No." I smiled and said "Neither of us is wrong, life could have been good, but you had to stir up trouble."

  Du Bin looked at me, his deep eyes making me powerless to resist, yet I didn't want to evade him.

  "Is it because of him?"

  I froze: "Who?"

  He didn't say anything else, but I was shocked in my heart.

  "Willow Jia..."

  "No!" I interrupted him, a bit flustered. "Don't make random guesses about other people's lives."

  "Give me a chance."

  I stared at him: "There's no room for negotiation."

  "Yú Jiā." He reached out and grabbed my arm. "You need someone to help you forget him. I'm not teasing you, nor am I treating this feeling lightly. You don't understand me and Jīn Tóngtóng, we've known each other since childhood, the two of us actually didn't have a relationship. It's just that she..."

  Du Bin's expression was unlike his usual self, as if he had something extremely difficult to say. In my impression, he has never been this kind of person, always speaking directly and saying things that are pleasant to hear.

  "Just say what you want to say." I really can't bear it anymore. "I have super strong resistance to blows, really."

  He opened his mouth, seemingly still hesitant, but ultimately didn't say it. I think that although I don't really understand this person, at least I get that when someone hesitates so much and still doesn't say something, they basically won't say it.

  "I grabbed my backpack: 'I'm leaving first, that's all I have to say. Goodbye.'"

  It was summer when the school basketball game was held in our sophomore year, and two classes from junior year made it to the finals. I went there with the intention of admiring handsome guys, but unexpectedly saw Du Bin.

  It's not unexpected after all, someone like him is so dazzling and eye-catching, it's not surprising to see him anywhere.

  "Hey!" Tao Hao pushed me "Have you figured out things with Du Bin?"

  "I've said all I need to say, anyway, I understand my part pretty well, don't know what he's thinking." After a pause, I said with a hint of petulance "I also can't control how he thinks."

  Tao nodded in agreement: "Minding one's own business."

  The basketball game was intense, but what's even more intense is the cheerleading squad's voice, I think they're all cheering for Du Bin. This kid indeed has infinite charm, unfortunately, I'm immune to it.

  At halftime, Tao Hao and I were originally going to leave. We were just outsiders watching the excitement, and all the handsome guys had already been ogled by us. Standing here under the scorching sun was really exhausting.

  "Hey!" Tao Hao pulled at my sleeve "Look, live broadcast of an affair!"

  I went along with forgetting the past, a bit indignant: "Damn it!"

  Jin Tongtong carefully wiped the sweat for Du Bin, who dodged and shied away, but due to the crowd, he was probably too embarrassed to directly refuse, so he half pushed and half allowed it, appearing to outsiders as a loving couple's playful bickering.

  "Damn it!" Tao Hao followed me and cursed, "A grown man in his fifties, still causing trouble!"

  It's actually quite strange, most girls have this kind of mentality, that is, they like you, and you can dislike them, ignore them, or even be indifferent to them. But if they try to give up on you, or show some ambiguity towards another girl, then you will definitely be unhappy. I don't know how psychology explains this contradictory mentality in women, all I can confirm is that I'm a very normal person, and like most girls, I have this petty and calculating mindset.

  Du Bin didn't know when he saw me, he slightly pushed Jin Tongtong and shouted at me: "Liu Jia!"

  With this shout, I instantly became the focus of attention on the basketball court, and even running away was not convenient. Had to force a greeting: "Hello, senior."

  He ran over in two or three strides: "You're here?"

  Du Bin's forehead still had sweat on it, shining brightly in the sunlight, but I really didn't have the heart to appreciate it, and just wanted to quickly retreat.

  "Uh... just passing by. I have something else to attend to, so I'll take off first."

  Having said that, he dragged Tao Hao, who was still in a daze, and ran away quickly.

  I don't know what I'm escaping from or what I'm afraid of. It's just that I especially don't want to see this person, he seems like a humble gentleman, but somehow always manages to put pressure on people in an intangible way.