Chapter 48
If she continued to be entangled with Ye Liangchen like this, it would be an extremely irresponsible attitude towards herself.
Even if it was to not let her parents down, Li Qingxue knew she had to take responsibility for her own life.
At this stage, she understood that her focus should be on her studies.
She simply didn’t want to fall in love during this crucial time leading up to the college entrance examination; she wasn’t in the wrong.
With that thought, Li Qingxue organized her study materials and placed them on her deskmate Wang Rui's table. "Could you please help me deliver this to Ye Liangchen?"
Wang Rui glanced at the materials and couldn’t help but chuckle. "You really care about Ye Liangchen, don’t you?"
"If someone made me cry, I wouldn’t care about them at all."
Wang Rui said this, but still got up to take the neatly organized study materials to Ye Liangchen.
Seeing Ye Liangchen receive her study materials, Li Qingxue let out a small sigh of relief.
All she could do now was offer a bit of help to this good friend she had known for nine years.
She hoped he could make the most of this final stretch and ease some of the pressure he was under.
...
【What? Not charging while reading a novel? I really want to smack you... (covers face and laughs)】
【And a huge thank you to the brothers and sisters for the gifts, I really appreciate it! Sending love!】
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**Chapter 57: A Slightly Disappointed Li Qingxue**
Ye Liangchen looked at the notebook Wang Rui had brought him, a subtle smile creeping onto his lips.
She really did care about him.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given him the notebook.
As he opened it and traced the handwriting with his fingers, he felt a sense of warmth; these were all proofs of Li Qingxue’s affection for him.
But clearly, Li Qingxue had yet to realize her feelings.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly stood up, notebook in hand, and walked over to Li Qingxue.
He placed the notebook on her desk and smiled. "Thanks for the notes, but I don’t need them."
As he said this, Ye Liangchen lowered his gaze at a forty-five-degree angle, revealing a sharp jawline, and with a self-deprecating smile, he added, "A knight is just a knight; it’s time to exit the stage!"
After saying this, Ye Liangchen opened his eyes and looked seriously at the slightly stunned Li Qingxue, offering a calm smile. "But I still appreciate your kindness."
Then he turned to leave.
In just a few minutes, Ye Liangchen had vividly portrayed the emotions of disappointment, sadness, self-mockery, and finally, acceptance.
"Ye Liangchen!" Li Qingxue called out.
If it had been the old Ye Liangchen, he would have kept walking without a second thought.
But the current Ye Liangchen paused.
He turned back with a smile. "Is there something else?"
He smiled at Li Qingxue, just like before, but there was something different now.
In the past, when he smiled, his heart and eyes were filled with Li Qingxue.
But now, he was still smiling, yet there was no trace of her in his eyes.
He believed Li Qingxue would eventually notice this change. How much would it hurt her to see him like this?
"Ye Liangchen..." Li Qingxue murmured, but some things were too awkward to say in front of so many classmates.
After a moment of thought, she said, "Can we talk?"
Ye Liangchen chuckled softly and nodded slowly. "Of course, the knight’s mission is complete; it’s time to step back, isn’t it?"
With his hands in his pockets, he followed Li Qingxue outside the classroom.
"You really didn’t have to do this. We could have talked in the classroom. Coming out here just invites gossip from our classmates."
Leaning against the railing, Ye Liangchen spoke in a feigned casual tone.
Li Qingxue looked at him and hesitated before saying, "Ye Liangchen, I hope you can focus all your energy on studying right now."
"I want us to interact normally, like friends."
"I genuinely hope you can get into a university you like."
Hearing her words, Ye Liangchen couldn’t help but laugh. "Li Qingxue, after all these years, you still don’t understand me."
"To you, love might seem trivial, but it’s not. Love is a beautiful thing, at least for me, it’s something meaningful."
"I know what you’re thinking, and I understand you haven’t fully realized your own feelings yet. But that’s okay; let time reveal everything. I believe it will."
At his words, Li Qingxue felt a surge of anger. "Can you stop thinking about love for a moment? Don’t you realize the college entrance exam is just around the corner? If you don’t put in the effort now, all three years of high school will be for nothing."
To be honest, Ye Liangchen’s response today left her feeling quite disappointed.
No one said love was bad; in fact, everyone yearns for a sweet, passionate romance.
But the premise is that both people should support each other and grow together.
Not to get entangled in a relationship that drags them down.
That’s exactly what Ye Liangchen was doing now.
His mind was consumed with thoughts of love, as if it dominated his life.
That’s not right!
Everyone comes from ordinary families, studying hard for a better future.
Once they get through the college entrance exam and into university, their perspectives will change, and they’ll see a broader world.
The dreams of the future, the desires for ideals—only when one is clear and firm in their heart can love be free and happy.
Not like now, where he’s losing focus right before the exam. What does that even mean?
It’s just being irresponsible towards his own life and all the effort he’s put in!
Li Qingxue wanted to guide Ye Liangchen like a hero in a story, to help him understand the importance of the college entrance exam, to make him realize that love could wait until after the exam.
But Ye Liangchen’s response left her at a loss for words.
As friends for nine years, Li Qingxue genuinely hoped Ye Liangchen would take his studies seriously in preparation for the exam.
Yet when he heard her slightly irritated words, he merely smiled calmly.
He didn’t argue with her because he knew that Li Qingxue’s emotions had already been stirred by him.
She cared about him, which was why she was so anxious.
All of this was proof of her feelings for him.
It’s just that Li Qingxue hadn’t realized it yet, but he believed she would soon.
Just as Ye Liangchen had said, time would prove everything.
"Qingxue, no matter what, I still appreciate your reminder. But everyone has their own way of living. To me, love is sacred, something worth risking everything for."
"Don’t worry, the knight will eventually meet the princess who cares for him, and for that princess, he will undergo a tremendous transformation."
"I just hope you won’t regret it later, because you turned down a boy who once had you in his heart and eyes!"
"This is the last time I’ll call you Qingxue. Now, it’s time for me to step back..."
After saying this, Ye Liangchen flashed a brilliant smile at Li Qingxue, who seemed to want to say something more, and gently shook his head. "Loving you is my one-sided wish. You’re not in the wrong; you just don’t like me."
"So let’s leave it at that. It’s perfectly fine to be ordinary classmates who have known each other for nine years!"
"Class monitor, I’m heading back now." With that, he turned and left, exuding a carefree and relieved attitude.
Watching Ye Liangchen’s retreating figure, Li Qingxue turned to look outside the classroom. Was she sad?
Yes, she was.
But more than sadness, she had something more important to focus on: preparing for the upcoming college entrance exam. "Stay true to your original intention, work hard, Li Qingxue, you must strive towards your goals. You can do it!"
Quickly adjusting her emotions, she walked back into the classroom.
"Chen Ge, Li Qingxue called you out. What did you two talk about?" Gao Quan asked softly.
Ye Liangchen chuckled lightly. "Nothing much."
Though he said it was nothing, inside, he was overjoyed.
He was just teasing Li Qingxue. The words he had said must have made her quite upset, right?
"We’ve known each other for so long that you can’t even realize your true feelings for me."
"It’s okay; I’ll help you see your own heart..."
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