When Will My Childhood Sweetheart Marry Me?-Chapter 148: How to Make Someone Give Up

Pei Yan had no appetite for breakfast, and while in the middle of their conversation, he found out that Jiang Shuyao had gone to school.

She had gone to file her college preferences but hadn’t included him.

Thinking about the events of last night, he could no longer sit still. After briefly finishing what he wanted to say, he grabbed his phone and left the house without even washing his face.

Zhu Yun sat on the sofa completely bewildered.

Could it be that the advice she had just given that child was all in vain?

Upon reaching the gate of Yunzhong, Pei Yan took out his phone and called Chen Jin, "Ask Tang Xing if Jiang Shuyao is with her and where she is right now."

Chen Jin, still groggy from sleep, was abruptly awakened by his boss’s cold, hoarse bass.

He was slow to respond for a few seconds: "Brother Yan, why don’t you ask Sister Yao yourself?"

"Cut the crap and ask her right now."

Chen Jin shivered once.

Alright, alright, I’ll ask.

The computer room was bustling with excitement as everyone vigorously discussed the admission scores of various top-tier universities from previous years, while Jiang Shuyao sat quietly in front of the computer, not saying a word, weighed down by heavy thoughts.

It was not until her phone’s ringtone broke her train of thought.

She hesitantly looked at the string of landline numbers, starting with the capital’s area code, assuming it was another school’s admissions office calling.

When she answered, Jiang Shuyao’s mind was still muddled.

The person on the other end started with, "Is this student Jiang Shuyao? This is the second office of the admissions department at Yangjin Art College..."

A belated surprise.

It caught her off guard for a moment.

She had been waiting for news from Yangjin, and it had finally arrived today.

But why, as Jiang Shuyao held the phone she had just hung up, couldn’t she feel any joy at all in her heart?

When Tang Xing received Chen Jin’s message, she instinctively looked towards the back of the classroom. Hearing that Boss Pei was coming to see Yaoyao, an idea immediately came to her mind.

The computer room, noisy and chaotic, wasn’t really suitable for a rendezvous.

With this thought, she quickly waved at Jiang Shuyao: "Yaoyao, if you’re feeling stuffy, go outside for some fresh air first; I’ll be here for a while longer."

Tang Xing’s voice carried from a distance as she energetically approached Mr. Yu with a thick stack of reference materials.

Surrounded by bustling figures, Jiang Shuyao came back to her senses, only to realize how out of place she seemed.

Everyone had their own dream university, and so did she.

She was determined to get into a university in the capital, but she had never asked Pei Yan where he truly wanted to go.

To avoid being separated from her, he had to desperately improve his grades, all because of her promise that they would "be together in the future."

From start to finish, it was he who was constantly striving to close the distance, always accommodating and putting her at the center of his world, treating her like a treasure.

What had she done for him?

Nothing.

Now, she was becoming a burden to him, forcing him to abandon his family to stay by the side of a selfish person like her.

The sunlight carried a slight burn as Jiang Shuyao slowly walked along the path behind the computer room towards the sports field, and beyond that was the basketball court.

Today being a weekend, the court was devoid of people.

Under the neighboring shade of the trees, she could almost see the shadow of a young man walking to the tree to drink water after playing basketball.

Without realizing it, every part of this place seemed to hold countless memories for her.

Without exception, they were all about him.

Jiang Shuyao knew her sixth sense was always accurate.

Pei Yan’s harsh words from last night still echoed in her ears.

He had told her to stay out of it and let him be the villain.

How could she possibly?

Jiang Shuyao’s gaze was fixed, and she simply couldn’t do it.

The sound of footsteps approached from behind, accompanied by a warm, soft voice, "Are you worried about which school to choose?"

She turned around to face him, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

This was their first meeting since the night of the college entrance exams, and unlike the brief chats on WeChat, the face-to-face encounter felt awkward and constrained.

Lu Chen walked up to Jiang Shuyao, smiling and said, "Otherwise, just pick whichever school calls you first; that seems fair."

He did not take her reaction to heart.

Jiang Shuyao withdrew her gaze, only giving a slight smile without speaking.

Moments later, she pointed towards the computer room. "I must go, where are you heading?"

It was merely a superficial question, as due to certain special reasons, she temporarily couldn’t figure out with what mindset she should continue talking to Lu Chen for long.

Compared to their school days, the girl was much more estranged towards him.

Lu Chen’s heart was like a clear mirror; he almost didn’t need to think to know what she was resisting internally.

"You don’t need to feel burdened about that matter. If confessing to you means we can’t even remain friends, and not be able to talk, then I would truly regret it."

The usually tactful and subtle Lu Captain, unusually spoke his mind so straightforwardly.

The other party was open and forthright, leaving Jiang Shuyao no ground to be coy.

Lu Chen found a clean spot to sit, tying his shoelaces while asking her, "Still thinking about the art major, really won’t consider my suggestion from before?"

The sun slowly climbed halfway up the sky, a thin layer of sweat appearing on Jiang Shuyao’s forehead.

She stood under the shade of the trees, subconsciously saying, "I’m not fretting over school matters."

"Then what is it for, tell me, let me listen."

"..."

Jiang Shuyao fell silent.

Seeing her dazed expression, Lu Chen couldn’t help but let out a laugh. "I’m just teasing you. I’m heading to the computer room, do you want to come along?"

As the person in front of her stood up, Jiang Shuyao spontaneously blurted out a statement.

"How to make a person give up."

Lu Chen’s expression slightly stiffened.

The air stagnated for a few seconds, and he sighed helplessly, "Don’t be like that, I didn’t plan to pester you."

Jiang Shuyao, belatedly realizing, shifted her eyes away with a slight embarrassment.

After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean that."

She even didn’t understand how she ended up discussing these matters with a stranger.

Her tone too plain while explaining, Lu Chen didn’t want to probe further.

He had come today intending to bid her farewell, truly with no other thoughts.

The wind in June was gentle.

Jiang Shuyao’s stray hair fluttered softly by her cheeks, carrying a faint refreshing scent that lingered around Lu Chen’s nose, suddenly speeding up his heartbeat.

Had he not inadvertently looked up to see the dark silhouette standing in the distance, he might have even thought that the girl before him belonged to him.

In their mutual silence, Jiang Shuyao saw him suddenly raise his hand to cover her eyes.

Her body stiffened, her complexion slightly changing.

Lu Chen placed his hand on her shoulder, gently asking, "There are many ways to make a person give up, would you consider trying this?"

Jiang Shuyao frowned.

She was smart, almost immediately realizing what he meant.

Her calm heart, like a stone dropped into it, stirred up ripples.

As the summer breeze passed, Lu Chen leaned down, whispering by her ear, "Can you tell me why you like Pei Yan?"

Her senses nearly numbed.

Under the dappled shade of the trees, with Lu Chen’s palm above, Jiang Shuyao’s clear eyes filled with mist.

Her hand hanging by her side clenched tightly, her soft voice trembling faintly, "Has he gone?"

Through the thin air, she could feel the excruciating scrutiny from behind.

What Lu Chen intended to do, she understood clearly.

She didn’t know what the scene would look like from behind.

Yet, she didn’t move.

Lu Chen was right, making someone give up was actually very simple.

Even if her young man had a steel body, he couldn’t bear seeing the person he liked standing so tranquilly in front of someone else, allowing the other person...

Jiang Shuyao dared not think further, a wave of unknown panic spreading to her heart. She took a deep breath, abruptly pushing the person in front of her away and quickly turning around.

Her vision blurred, and under the distant basketball hoop, there was already no one there.

At that moment, tears fell large and heavy from her eyes.

He had left.