Nie Yixiao leaned close to her ear, whispering softly as if he was confiding years of pent-up emotions:

"Jiayi, I didn’t know things would end up like this. Really. I didn’t want to hurt you. Did you know? When I saw you with that man in China, my heart hurt so much, as if it had been slashed by a knife."

They embraced like this for who knows how long.

Nie Yixiao nearly couldn’t bear to let her go.

Thinking about tomorrow, how she would go to the Ya Family, and might be chosen to become Ya Chen’s Crown Prince’s wife, Nie Yixiao wanted even more to stay, to accompany her for a little while longer.

If possible, he truly wished to hold her like this for a lifetime.

The night deepened layer upon layer.

Finally, the small figure stirred, seeming to become aware of the confinement.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and through the haze, she opened her eyes. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Startled, she instinctively pushed against the pair of hands that were wrapped around her, trying to sit up.

But the owner of those hands realized she had awoken and tightened his grip around her, not allowing any movement.

Clearly, they were the arms of a man.

She opened her mouth to shout, but the large hand behind her covered most of her face.

A man’s low voice reached her ear, "Don’t shout, Jiayi."

It was a pleading tone.

Nie Yixiao. It was him!

How could he have sneaked into her room in the dead of night!

Jiayi panicked and began to struggle desperately within the clutches of his hands, "Let... let me go... How could you... how did you get in... "

Fearing that her struggles would disturb the people outside her bedroom, he felt compelled to whisper into her ear, "Be careful not to wake the Chu Family!"

Lowering his voice further, his tone became a bit more gentle, "Don’t worry, I won’t do anything."

She took a sharp breath.

Whether it was because of Nie Yixiao’s threatening first-half or the tenderness of his latter half, Jiayi gradually relaxed her hands and stopped trying to pull away.

She calmed her emotions and coldly addressed the man still behind her:

"I’ll say it again, let go. If you wake the Chu Family, the one who will look bad isn’t me, it’s you. You might even lose your future position as Chu Family’s son-in-law."

In her eyes, he was indeed a person who had betrayed his girlfriend for the fame and wealth of the Chu Family.

Nie Yixiao still held her tightly, his lips curling into a self-mocking arc, "In your heart, am I really that despicable?"

Not just despicable, but downright trash.

She said flatly, "When I see you, I feel relieved that I haven’t regained my memory. Please let go and leave my bedroom, Mr. Nie."

She didn’t want to remember him, preferring to forget that dirty memory.

The purer the love had once been, the more disgusting she found it later.

Having asked that question, he had already braced himself for her humiliation.

Still, her words were like a knife, cutting an inch deeper into Nie Yixiao’s heart.

He endured the pain that surged from the bottom of his heart, holding the girl even tighter, with no intention of letting go.

Because he knew that after today, such a chance might never come again.

"Jiayi, do you still remember our days in the small town?"

"I don’t remember, Mr. Nie."

"...My grandmother and I were neighbors with you and your mother. Our houses were very close, just a five-minute walk apart. We went to school together, grew up together. Your first hug and first kiss given to a man were both given to me."

Nie Yixiao talked to himself, as if indulging in the memories was satisfying enough for him, not requiring her response.

Jiayi’s mind wavered slightly, but then she blinked and mocked, "Fortunately, I don’t remember."

His tone was sentimental as he continued, "In high school, many prestigious universities sent me invitation letters, hoping I would attend. To not be separated from you, I chose a university near our town, just so I could come home every day, just so I could see you."

Jiayi’s voice faltered; her heart seemed to be touched by something. Although she didn’t remember these things, her instinct told her that Nie Yixiao wasn’t lying.

He once, for her sake, disregarded his future prospects.

But why...

Why did he then treat her that way?

Nie Yixiao’s voice was so low it almost melted her heart:

"...Later, Auntie Xia had a car accident, and Mrs. Chu wanted to take you back to China to take care of you. You were very scared at the time, crying and telling me you didn’t want to go. I told you, wherever you were, I would be there too. So, out of all the top job offers, I chose the doctor’s job in S Country—just to be by your side."

Jiayi felt his warm breath on her neck, heavy, "...After coming to S Country, you were always solitary, hesitant, and helpless, feeling as if you were living at the mercy of others. Every time you were scorned at the Chu’s, you would come to me to cry. It was also in S Country that we officially started a romantic relationship, and from then on, you stopped calling me Brother Yixiao and just called me Yixiao."

The man’s tone was soft and low, like a rich chord striking the heart, irresistible.

For a moment, Jiayi almost forgot she was still imprisoned by his arms, as if she too was drawn into the memories.

But in the end, she mocked with a sarcastic smile, "But you still gave up on our relationship. Moreover, you got together with my half-sister who shares the same father as me. When I saw you embracing Chu Xinyu, you didn’t even try to defend yourself. When Chu Xinyu insulted me, beat me, you still didn’t say a word, just stood by her side. So all those beautiful memories you just mentioned are just a huge irony to me. What more do you have to say, Mr. Nie? Is that enough?"

Nie Yixiao suddenly paused.

What more could he say?

He had so much he wanted to tell her.

He wanted to tell her that he had never forgotten his initial resolve, the person he truly wanted to be with for a lifetime had always been her from the very beginning.

But—

There was silence for two minutes.

In the end, Nie Yixiao said nothing. He slowly released his arms, sat up straight, and just before he left the room, he turned back and his tone regained its calm as if nothing had happened:

"Xiaxia made you some milk, it hasn’t cooled down yet. Drink it before you sleep, Jiayi. You’ve always been like this since you were young, drinking warm milk helps you sleep more peacefully."

Jiayi, curled up in a ball, felt a sudden pang in her heart at these words.

With a soft click, the door closed and footsteps receded.

After a few seconds, Jiayi sat up and looked at the steaming cup of milk on the bedside table.

She clearly hated him so much, so why did she feel a bit soft-hearted now?

He had abandoned her for the wealth of the Chu family, to become their son-in-law, willing to watch her marry someone else.

What right did he have to put on a look of having no choice now, as if he were acting against his will?

What was this now, a conscience awakening?

Feeling that he still loved her?

Pah.

She grabbed the milk, not bothering to think any further, and drank it all down.