Chapter 20
"That's still not enough."
At this moment, Li Qingxue was likely feeling out of sorts simply because of her departure.
She hadn't truly reached the point of regret that pierced her heart.
If she compromised with her now, she would still be leading him around by the nose afterward.
Hadn't they gone through nine years together?
Wasn't there already a deep bond between them?
So why was she rejecting him?
She didn't want to be treated as a backup plan, to be discarded if someone better came along.
Just like when Li Qingxue had once rejected him, saying she only saw him as a brother—nothing more!
How ironic!
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Now, after just two days of ignoring her, she wanted to have a serious talk with him.
Ye Liangchen even knew what Li Qingxue would say when they met.
She would definitely be angry, complaining about why he had suddenly stopped talking to her.
She would question why he had given up so easily.
She would feel particularly wronged, thinking his behavior was utterly unreasonable.
And finally, she would say that it wasn't that she didn't want to date; she just wanted to focus on her studies.
Once she got to college, she would consider dating. Besides, she had never explicitly said she disliked him or that he should stop pursuing her. So why should he just give up?
Ye Liangchen let out a small sigh. Although Li Qingxue might not yet realize it, her subconscious feelings toward him were quite complex.
But if he showed even a hint of weakness now, if he couldn't be as resolute as in his dreams, it was very likely that all his efforts would go to waste.
With that thought, Ye Liangchen quickly replied on QQ: "You don’t need to look for me. I don’t want to see you right now. I meant what I said in the classroom last time."
"I think we both need some space. Let’s leave it at that."
After sending the message, he turned off his phone.
He ignored the messages Li Qingxue sent afterward.
It was best to make her anxious, to let her know that he wasn’t just saying things lightly.
Only then would she truly start to value him.
That way, he could take control of the situation.
As the saying goes, things that come too easily are often not cherished.
He had revealed too many vulnerabilities in front of Li Qingxue; it was time for her to show her weaknesses to him...
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**Chapter 24: Is There Really Pure Friendship Between Men and Women?**
Almost exactly as Ye Liangchen had imagined.
When Li Qingxue saw the message, she froze in place.
["Don’t want to see you"]["Need some space"]
As she read those words, her brows furrowed tightly.
She stood there, unsure of how things had escalated to this point.
It hadn’t started out like this at all.
With that thought, Li Qingxue felt a wave of grievance wash over her.
Looking around, she realized that in her anxious rush, she had unknowingly arrived at the riverside.
The river flowed gently, and nearby, elderly people were exercising.
On the riverbank, some were fishing, while others painted or sketched the blue sky and flowing water.
At that moment, Li Qingxue felt an inexplicable sense of grievance.
She sat down on the grass, curling her long legs up, staring blankly at the endless flow of the river: "Is it true that there’s no pure friendship between boys and girls?"
"Depends on the situation," a voice suddenly replied from nearby.
Li Qingxue instinctively looked up.
She saw a boy lying on the grass, lazily soaking up the sun, two leaves covering his eyes, looking quite content.
At this moment, Li Qingxue was filled with grievances that had nowhere to go.
Her cheerful personality meant she wouldn’t feel shy or flustered just because she was talking to a stranger, so she sniffed a couple of times and asked, "What situation?"
"The first situation is if the guy is gay; then that friendship between a boy and a girl can be quite pure."
Li Qingxue was no longer at an age where she didn’t understand anything.
Though a bit slow on the uptake, she still knew what "gay" meant.
"And the second situation?"
"There isn’t one; it’s just this one." The implication was clear: as long as the guy wasn’t gay, pure friendship between a boy and a girl was impossible.
"How can you be so sure?" Li Qingxue got up and moved closer to him.
Hearing her footsteps on the grass, the boy removed the leaves from his eyes.
He squinted at her, having been bored and wanting to enjoy the scenery while listening to the soothing sound of the flowing river.
He had casually chimed in when he overheard someone talking.
"It’s you!" Li Qingxue exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing Long Aotian.
"It’s you," Long Aotian replied, recognizing her as the girl who had interviewed him the other day. He decided to stay lying down, continuing to bask in the sun.
Seeing Long Aotian so relaxed, Li Qingxue sighed.
"Why are you sighing at such a young age?" Long Aotian remarked casually, hearing her sigh.
"You still haven’t explained why you’re so sure that boys and girls can’t have pure friendship."
Long Aotian adjusted his position on the grass, perhaps having become accustomed to being a life coach for Hu Yuying, and spoke with a tone of a wise elder: "The most contradictory and complex relationship is feelings."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingxue seemed to recall something and sat down beside Long Aotian.
"I have a friend I’ve known for many years, but it seems he’s developed feelings for me. Because of this, our friendship seems to be facing some issues."
"He likes you, but do you like him?" Long Aotian said lazily, putting the leaves back over his eyes.
"I... I don’t know. We’re just too familiar with each other. He takes care of me and is really good to me. In my heart, he’s a good friend, like a brother. But now he..."
"Stop!" Long Aotian raised his hand to interrupt her.
Wasn’t this just a classic case of a modern-day heartbreaker?
He glanced at Li Qingxue, noticing the purity in her eyes and the genuine disappointment on her face. She didn’t seem like a heartbreaker at all.
So he continued, "His current attitude towards you is how a friend should act."
Li Qingxue couldn’t grasp it immediately: "What do you mean?"
Long Aotian seriously considered that he should probably get a psychology certification in this world and open a counseling office specifically for high school students. He would definitely make a lot of money.
"No one is nice to someone for no reason. If they are, it means there’s some psychological change happening."
"He likes you, so he’s willing to treat you well. That kind of kindness definitely exceeds what friends usually share."
"Think about it: do you have any friends who treat you better than he does?"
Li Qingxue thought carefully and realized that even her best friend in school didn’t treat her as well as Ye Liangchen did, so she shook her head.
"You’ve just gotten used to his special favoritism towards you. So when he redefined his position, you felt like there was a problem in your friendship."
"Ultimately, it’s just because you can’t enjoy his unique affection anymore that you think there’s an issue with your friendship."
In an instant, Li Qingxue understood what Long Aotian meant.
Ye Liangchen liked her, which was why he had a subconscious favoritism towards her.
But if you stripped away that layer of "liking," Ye Liangchen would turn his favoritism into ordinary friendship.
It was just that she couldn’t immediately accept that contrast.
In reality, Ye Liangchen hadn’t changed at all.
Because friendship between friends was really just like that.
Li Qingxue felt deflated, murmuring to herself, "So that’s how it is."
But now that they were at this point, Long Aotian, feeling a bit nosy, asked, "Seeing how concerned you are about him, you must have some feelings for him, right?"
Li Qingxue thought for a moment and, feeling frustrated, said, "What does it feel like to like someone?"
Great! It was confirmed; this girl wasn’t a heartbreaker; she was just clueless about love.
Perhaps she was lively and sharp in life and excelled academically, but when it came to feelings, she was as slow as a ninety-year-old woman taking tiny steps.
While others were speeding ahead, she was still asking what it felt like to like someone...
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