Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Yun Nan saw that Shi Nian seemed quite happy carrying the bags, so she left him to it. She took out the lollipops and peeled off their wrappers before she stuffed one into her mouth and held the other to Shi Nianâs mouth.
Shi Nian spotted a photoflash nearby from the corner of his eyes, so he openly popped the lollipop into his mouth.
âItâs delicious, isnât it?â Yun Nan asked, and Shi Nian nodded. Yun Nan continued, âFang Xi said these peach-flavored lollipops are good. You canât go wrong with anything she recommends.â
âOh, so the lollipops were recommended by FangXi,â Shi Nian thought. âDo all girls like sweets?â Shi Nian inquired.
Yun Nan shook her head. âI donât know. Fang Xi and I eat sweets to keep us awake and boost creativity. Fang Xi likes to suck on lollipops because it reduces her cravings for a cigarette. She used to smoke, but she quit after she met her crush. The only good thing I can say about that man was that he got her to stop smoking. â
âHas she gotten over her breakup?â Shi Nian inquired. He Imew that Yun Nan must be in a pleasant mood because she was sharing these stories with him.
Yun Nan shook her head and replied, âI donât think she can. Although she looks fine on the surface⦠Fang Xi is the type to hide her negative emotions, so the more composed she appears to be, the more hurt she is on the inside. She loves that man very much. She gave her entire heart to him, and he broke it.â
Shi Nian felt moved by Fang Xiâs tragic romance and questioned, âDoes she hate him?â
Yun Nan twirled before Shi Nian, light-footed as a butterfly, and answered, âHate him? No! Sheâd already spent all her power loving him. Where would she find the energy to hate him? Sheâd die from exhaustion.â
Fang Xiâs tale suddenly reminded Shi Nian of Xi Cheng. âI have a friend who broke up with his girlfriend because he was pressured by his family,â Shi Nian offered. âHeâs now engaged to another woman and has completely changed.
Heâs very depressed, and his relationship with his fiancée is very strained.â
Yun Nan was surprised; this was the first time she heard him mention his friend. âHe doesnât like his fiancée? Then why did they get engaged? Does his girlfriend love him very much?â Yun Nan probed, curious. She didnât expect there would be a real-life version of such a melodramatic love story.
Shi Nian thought of how dispirited Xi Cheng was recently, sighed softly, and told Yun Nan, âHis mother likes his fiancée. His girlfriendâs family doesnât have much power or influence, so she got chased away by his mother. Before she moved away, she left behind the money his mother gave her and the money heâd given her during all those years they lived together. I once found that friend of mine grieving alone in the house they used to share. He even forbade me from opening the bedroom door because he feared the girlâs scent would dissipate.â
Yun Nan honestly didnât expect such a plot-turn. âHe really loves that girl,â Shi
Nian added.
âThen why didnât he go look for her?â Yun Nan asked.
âHe had no choice but to do as his mother wished and be with someone else,â Shi Nian explained.
Yun Nan shook his head. âI disagree. I donât think he truly loves his girlfriend. Heâs just trying to fool himself with his act of deep love so heâd feel better about himself. How is this true love? He felt powerless against his parents and expressed his misery as his deep love for his girlfriend, but his girlfriend knew nothing about it. If he loved her so much, why didnât he let his girlfriend know?â
Yun Nan continued, âBecause, if his girlfriend found out how miserable he was without her, she would return to him, and he doesnât want that. There was no place for her by his side because he didnât dare to stand against his parents and break things off with his fiancée. He didnât want to admit that weakness, so he put on an act for himself and his friends to create an image of a man deeply in love when, in fact, he only loves himself.â
Shi Nian stopped in his tracks and looked at Yun Nan. She sighed and commented, âI hope your friendâs girlfriend can be like Fang Xi and move on from that relationshipârip off the plaster quickly and let it go. If she canât move on⦠Well, you donât need love to survive. In short, she needs to cut her losses and stop wasting her time and emotions on him. A man like that isnât worth loving.â
Shi Nian was deeply shocked by Yun Nanâs perspective. He didnât understand or approve of Xi Chengâs actions, but the guy was a close friend he had grown up with, so he naturally stood on his side. He didnât have a good impression of Xi Chengâs current fiancée, Lin Yu, or that girlfriend he had never met before because they had hurt his best friend.
However, Yun Nan didnât even know these people. She had hit the nail on the head and pointed out the essence of this matter just from the brief words he shared. Shi Nian had to admit Yun Nanâs every word was a gem.
âWhat about you? What kind of love do you hope to find?â Shi Nian asked.
âMe? I donât want love,â Yun Nan replied without hesitation.
âWhy? Have you also been hurt before?â Shi Nian asked.
Yun Nan smiled. âIâve never had a romantic relationship, but I have eyes. Iâve seen too many examples of people hurt by love. Iâve seen so many true and false love stories that Iâve become immune. This is a big world, and there are so many important things to do. Why should I waste time on love?â
Shi Nian suddenly felt the shopping bags in his hands were unusually heavy. Shi Nian had never expected the words âa long way to goâ would one day be the label on his journey to love.
He truly did have a long way to go..