NOVEL NEXT Chapter 325-334
Chapter 325: Who is Cola Girl? (5)
“The pampered consort?” Fatty looked like he heard a funny word and said: “In your dreams! The secret nickname we gave you was…”
Fatty was overjoyed before he said anything. With a pause, he cried, “…The great demon!”
Ji Yi thought it would be something like “the desolating beauty” or “the extraordinary maiden,” but when she heard what Fatty said, she was stunned for three seconds. She furrowed her brows and repeated those three words for confirmation: “The great demon?”
“That’s right. Back then, you were a nightmare for our gang. When you went to the canteen, Chen Ge would get angry if the line was over five minutes long. When you went to pick up delivery from the school gates, Chen Ge would get angry if you were outside for more than five minutes. When you accidentally slipped on some water after the classroom floors were mopped, Chen Ge got angry. Even when you walked past the school garden and your skirt got a little wet from the automatic sprinklers, Chen Ge would randomly lecture us. It that wasn’t enough, if you didn’t get a good score on your test or when you were in a bad mood because you were on your period, Chen Ge would get angry at us over those unavoidable natural disasters…” Though it happened so many years ago, Fatty couldn’t help but pick up his glass with a stifled heart at the thought of those arduous years. “…So you tell me – if you aren’t the great demon, what are you?” he asked as he downed a few gulps.
Having heard all of Fatty’s resentment, Ji Yi couldn’t help but purse her lips for a moment.
But before she could form a complete smile, Fatty spoke again, “You were no normal great demon; you were the type people were afraid of when they saw you. The feared great demon!”
Was I that scary? People were afraid when they saw me?
Deep down, Ji Yi let out a “hmph!”
She thought Fatty was done, but then Fatty unexpectedly took a big, hard gulp and added, “What’s more, the thought of you, the great demon, would make us break out in cold sweats in our dreams. You were basically the great dark demon!”
When they were young, they actually said that about her in private!
Not fair!
Ji Yi wasn’t actually angry, but she felt a little girl’s strong will climb into her heart. She furiously turned her head and happened to catch a glimpse of many street food stalls out the window. There were quite a few people lining up around them.
Back in the day, when she and He Jichen’s relationship was at its best, they practically hung out with Fatty and the gang every day.
Besides He Jichen, no one else dared to mess with her, but every now and then, if someone annoyed her, she would think of a way to torment them back.
She was annoyed with how Fatty just described her – the great demon…
With that thought, Ji Yi turned to look at Fatty. “Didn’t you say that people were afraid of me when they saw me; I was the great demon who made people break out in cold sweats in their dreams? Which means you don’t dare mess with me. If that’s true…”
Ji Yi raised her hand and pointed at the longest queue in the snack area. “…then go buy some snacks for me, the great demon!”
As Fatty’s drink was about to touch his lips, his fingers shook violently when he heard what Ji Yi said, causing him to almost drop his glass. “No way… It’s so hot out! You want me to line up in such a long queue to buy you something?”
Just as she did back when she was young, Ji Yi silently turned her head and looked over at He Jichen and left the rest to him.
Chapter 326: Who is Cola Girl? (6)
When her eyes met He Jichen’s, her heart trembled violently.
This very scenario brought back memories from when they were young…
Back then, if anybody made her unhappy, He Jichen acted completely unreasonably and put them in a difficult spot.
The gang and the current Fatty were just the same – they used a patronizing tone of voice to ask her why she was like that. She wouldn’t even bother explaining herself and turned her little face over to He Jichen for support.
Heaven knew just how much he loved her reaction because it made him feel like she needed him.
Fatty watched Ji Yi staring at He Jichen as alarm bells rang in his head. He felt defiant at first, but all his words instantly disappeared from his mouth. He instinctively turned his head to look at He Jichen. “Chen Ge…”
When He Jichen heard Fatty’s voice, his eyelids fluttered and he drew himself back from the distant thoughts he had while staring at Ji Yi. He acted as though he hadn’t seen Fatty beg for mercy and said “Go” with a dull voice.
This can’t be? It’s been four years since he’s come across the great demon’s trouble-making; how is the tyrant still so unruly?
Fatty was stunned for two seconds and tried to speak.
This time, he didn’t manage to get any words out, but He Jichen’s brows were beginning to furrow. Fatty felt an aura of infinite severity rushing over at him, so he bolted up from his seat. The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat for some reason before they uncontrollably changed to: “I’ll go, I’ll go.”
As he said this, Fatty rushed for the door to the private room.
He Jichen seemed satisfied with his answer as his furrowed brows started to relax. He stared at Fatty’s hurried back and thought for a moment before saying in a laid-back tone, “Mhm, remember to buy another round of all the snacks.”
Fatty instantly stopped in his tracks. “Chen…”
He only managed to get one word out when He Jichen spoke again, “Ten portions.”
Fatty drew a sharp breath, but before he could make a sound, He Jichen cut in before Fatty could speak. He said: “A hun-”
Before he could finish saying “hundred,” Fatty ran out of the private room in fear that He Jichen would really ask him to buy a hundred of each snack. He disappeared instantly.
…
When Fatty returned with various big and small bags, completely out of breath with a head drenched in sweat, Ji Yi was sipping her tea with her head lowered. At the time, He Jichen was holding his wine glass as he stared softly at Ji Yi.
A breeze blew in gently, making the image of the two of them look so quaint.
After lining up for so long, Fatty was completely drenched in sweat. As his heart grew bitter, he put the takeout boxes on the table. He couldn’t help but mutter, “The bully! Partner in crime! The dictating tyrant and great demon together, truly a tragedy on…”
Fatty didn’t get to say the final word “humanity” when He Jichen’s gaze swept over him. With an earnest smile on his face, Fatty hurriedly shut his mouth and handed Ji Yi a skewer.
Ji Yi couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. She raised her hand and took it then apologized a few times to Fatty before she said, “Thank you.”
Fatty knew Ji Yi was sorry for her momentary lapse of judgment just now. He waved his hands and replied to her with a beaming smile as if to say no problem. He picked up the wine glass, added some ice to it and took a few big gulps.
Fatty then grabbed the wine bottle and topped up his own glass. While he was at it, he also topped up He Jichen’s glass. By accident, Fatty looked up to find He Jichen still staring at Ji Yi with a warm and tender look in his eyes.
Chapter 327: Who is Cola Girl? (7)
Having personally seen how He Jichen treated Ji Yi when they were young, Fatty’s heart trembled for a moment and a sudden, unspeakable sense of pain came over him.
He placed the bottle of wine on the table. With alcohol in his system, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh. “Say, it’s so nice that you guys are like this. When I went down to line up for snacks, I thought back to the things that happened to us in senior high and realized that you guys are still on good terms like you were back then. Honestly speaking, I always thought that people were bound to part after meeting. Chen Ge and I would part ways, the other brothers and I would part ways, but I never imagined that you two would part ways, and…”
Fatty paused for a moment as though he was apologetic about something. He took a hard gulp of wine then continued to say, “…I never imagined that the first to part ways in our gang would be you two.”
“Till this day, I still don’t know why you, Ji Yi, left without saying goodbye as soon as you finished your college entrance exams four years ago. You left Sucheng and left Chen Ge?”
When Ji Yi heard this, she suddenly thought back to that night four years ago, and her face turned slightly pale.
“Fatty!” cried He Jichen as he realized what Fatty just said.
Fatty acted as though he hadn’t heard He Jichen tell him to stop and he continued to say, “If I remember correctly, it was four years ago today. It was the night of the class party before the college entrance exams when you both stopped talking. What the hell happened that night to make you both become strangers?!”
Ji Yi’s fingers clutched the table. No matter how hard she tried to stay calm, her body started to tremble gently.
“Fatty!” cried He Jichen again, but this time with a far sterner voice.
Fatty seemed to also be impatient as his tone of voice sounded heavier. “Chen Ge, why don’t you let me speak? Four years ago, I wanted to go find her, but you didn’t let me! Four years later, you guys meet up again, and you don’t even tell me? You treated her so well, and I don’t believe she wasn’t aware! Even if you did something wrong, how could she be so ruthless as to cut all ties?!”
As he said this, Fatty turned his head. “Ji Yi, did you know just how much I hated you back then? I thought you practically didn’t have a conscience! At school, you had everything going for you, and everyone respected you whenever they mentioned you. Who made that happen? Don’t you know? It was all because of Chen Ge, but what about you? You said you were going to toss aside Chen Ge and you did just that! Do you know how Chen Ge was after you left?! He was at the bar, drunk for a whole month. I saw, with my own eyes, how he lost five kilograms. I’ve known Chen Ge for so many years. I’ve seen him bleed, I’ve seen him break his bones, but I’ve never seen him cry!”
“Su Han!” He Jichen swiftly raised his hand and slammed the table. “I f*cking told you that I wronged her four years ago. I wronged her! I, He Jichen, wronged her!”
After He Jichen repeated “I wronged her” three times, he abruptly got up and kicked the chair behind him. He gritted his teeth and said “You f*cking got that?” at Fatty then stormed out of the room.
As the door slammed shut, the atmosphere in the room became incredibly awkward.
Neither Ji Yi and Fatty flinched as though their pressure points had been pressed.
Chapter 328: Who is Cola Girl? (8)
After some time, Fatty turned his head and opened his mouth as though he was about to say something. A while later, Fatty turned his head slightly and looked over at Ji Yi. He opened his mouth to say something again, but he didn’t. In the end, he gulped hard and forced the words out. “Sorry, I got too riled up just now.”
When Ji Yi heard that, she glanced up at Fatty but didn’t make a sound.
The room was engulfed in silence once again.
Fatty seemed like he was agitated over something as he raised his glass and downed the wine. Then he slammed the glass down on the table and stared at it for two seconds. After some time, he tilted his head towards Ji Yi and said in a hoarse voice, “Ji Yi, if Chen Ge did something to wrong you, I want to apologize on his behalf… But believe me, Chen Ge isn’t a bad person…”
As Fatty said this, his voice sounded confident. “He’s definitely the nicest person in the world that I, Su Han, have ever met in my life…”
Ji Yi hadn’t completely recovered from everything Fatty brought up about their life four years ago, but her heart was astonished for a moment after she heard what he said.
She heard He Jichen mostly described as handsome, rich, well-off and very capable. As for his bad side, at most he was cold, distant, short-tempered, and Sucheng’s number one bully… As for what Fatty said, “the nicest person in the world,” this was her first time hearing that for sure.
Fatty was tipsy, but he was very much conscious. Although Ji Yi didn’t respond, he could sense the confusion on her face. He picked up the wine bottle, but he didn’t pour the wine into his glass. Instead, he poured it right into his mouth. “You don’t believe what I said, do you?”
“But did you know? I’ve known Chen Ge since elementary school. Back then, Chen Ge was a good student. At every meeting, teachers always complimented him. He was the model child every parent talked about.”
“When I was young, I was fat, so classmates didn’t want to play with me. They liked to make fun of me… but not Chen Ge. He never turned his back on me. One time, when I was surrounded by people years above me, Chen Ge stood up and protected me. At the time, I decided to follow Chen Ge no matter what he said.”
“Chen Ge got first-place in the elementary school exams in the whole district…”
When Ji Yi heard this, a tinge of skepticism crossed her eyes.
He Jichen’s results were always terrible, and he was famous for being the worse student in the whole school. But after senior high, his grades slowly started to improve…
“What? Surprised?” Fatty shot Ji Yi a look like she was ignorant and he spoke again boastfully: “Let me tell you, Chen Ge’s not only good at his studies. Back then, he was also great at the piano. He received first place in the national children’s piano competition. His piano skills were so good that a grand piano master saw his potential and personally went to the He family’s house to take him on as his student…”
After Fatty said this, his tone of voice sounded a little regretful. “…Perhaps if there wasn’t He Yuguang, Chen Ge’s bright future would’ve been limitless.”
“Yuguang Ge?” When Ji Yi heard this, she creased her eyebrows slightly and couldn’t help but ask, “What does this have to do with Yuguang Ge?”
“How does it not have anything to do with him? It’s because of him that Chen Ge got into fights, didn’t study, and messed around aimlessly. It’s because Chen Ge wanted people in the He family to treat He Yuguang better, considering how he was naturally born weak. He figured that the more outstanding he was and the more people in the He family spoiled him, the more He Yuguang would be snubbed.”
Chapter 329: Who is Cola Girl? (9)
“So he thought of a plan to intentionally disappoint the He family…”
“Everyone thought Chen Ge was distant and condescending, but only people who truly understood him knew just how soft-hearted he was.”
“He cared so much for his older brother that he foolishly ruined his exceptional image…”
After Fatty said this, he stopped for a moment, drank a small gulp of wine, and turned to look at Ji Yi. All of a sudden, he asked, “Do you know how old Chen Ge was at the time?”
Ji Yi gently shook her head.
“At the time, Chen Ge was eleven years old. He was still an immature kid, but he already knew that a person he cared about was silently suffering on his own.”
“At the time, the He family didn’t know the truth and lectured him every day. Even He Yuguang tried to persuade him, but He Jichen refused to explain himself because he simply hoped that the He family would prioritize his older brother a more and more until he, himself, was left in the dust.
“You might think that Chen Ge only treated him like this because He Yuguang was his older brother, but that wasn’t it. Chen Ge treated us brothers really well too. At first, when Chestnut’s father had cancer, Chen Ge gave him all his pocket money. At the time, the He family disliked how he did nothing every day, so they didn’t give him any money. He Jichen went behind our backs and got a job. Also, when there was a fund going around for a girl in our school with leukemia, wasn’t there an anonymous hero who donated a five-figure sum? That person was Chen Ge…”
Fatty spoke casually, but Ji Yi was listening in complete astonishment.
In her eyes, He Jichen domineering, unreasonable, arrogant, condescending… Once, she loathed him so much and thought of him as the world’s most unforgivable person.
She never imagined that she would ever hear a completely different side to He Jichen from Fatty’s mouth.
His hot-bloodedness, his sincerity, and his capacity to give up everything to look after the people he cared for… He also cared for people he had no personal relationship with and he was willing to lend a helping hand…
Her relationship with He Jichen was once really good… But the He Jichen Fatty described wasn’t the same He Jichen she knew.
So all this time, I never truly got to know the real him?
As Ji Yi reflected on that, Fatty downed a glass of wine and grabbed the wine opener to open a new bottle while he said, “Ji Yi. Actually… what I said just now was nothing. Chen Ge also had an even more important person in his life.”
An even more important person?
Ji Yi stopped the thought running through her mind and looked over at Fatty with evident interest.
“How do I tell you… everyone has a weak spot and a strong source of “armor” in their lives, but they’re usually not the same person. However, one person was Chen Ge’s weak spot as well as his armor.”
“I don’t know how to describe just how important that person was to Chen Ge; I can only say that she was the only person I’ve ever seen whose smile could make Chen Ge happy for days, whose purse of their lips could frustrate Chen Ge for days.”
“Saying that… I remember something interesting. Before Chen Ge met that really important person, he even gave her a funny name…” Reminiscing back to their younger years, Fatty’s voice sounded rather tender as he said: “…Cola girl.”
Chapter 330: Who is Cola Girl? (10)
Cola girl?
After those two words entered Ji Yi’s ears, her first thought was to laugh, but then she thought those words sounded familiar, like she’d heard them somewhere before.
“Back then, Chen Ge turned Sucheng Yizhong upside down, searching for Cola girl…”
When Ji Yi heard this, she realized why she thought “Cola girl” sounded so familiar.
No matter if she was at her granny’s house, or at the He family’s home, or at school, she heard He Jichen’s name practically every day, long before she met him.
There was just so much gossip about him amongst the girls that he was practically as popular as a celebrity.
Naturally, most of the gossip was about his love life.
One day, everyone was discussing what girl gave him a love letter. The next, everyone would be talking about what girl he was with at the school gates. The day after that, everyone would be discussing what girl he was playing games with at the internet cafe…
But the most sensational piece of gossip about him was, “Searching for Cola girl.”
That incident caused so much commotion throughout the entire school. Practically every corner of the school was plastered with leaflets saying “Searching for Cola girl.” Even the walls of the girl’s toilets were covered in them. The after school broadcast would repeatedly play an announcement for “Searching for Cola girl.” Even the school forums were covered with threads about “Searching for Cola girl.”
At the time, no matter if it was a guy or girl, or the old man at the gates, or the lady at the canteen, everyone was curious to find out who “Cola Girl” was.
Even after being warned by granny that she had to keep her distance from He Jichen, she still secretly speculated about who “Cola girl” could be with her desk mate.
It was a shame that the situation got so big that it eventually alarmed the principal, who punished He Jichen and his gang to clean the toilets. Just like that, the whole “Searching for Cola girl” fiasco ended with no result. It wasn’t until she graduated when “Who is Cola girl” became the Sucheng Yizhong’s top ten unsolved mysteries.
When she and He Jichen got really close, the “Searching for Cola girl” fiasco was long over; it was at least two years old. At the time, she forgot just how big of a deal it was, until Fatty abruptly mentioned it today. That was when she suddenly started reminiscing about the past…
This unsolved mystery of so many years made Ji Yi incredibly curious. As she thought back to all the events surrounding “Cola girl,” she couldn’t help but nosily ask, “I remember now. Cola girl, the person you called Chen Sao – so was she He Jichen’s first love?”
“Yeah…” Fatty nodded without hesitation. “…She’s the only woman Chen Ge has ever fallen for.”
Romantic stories would always be the most captivating topic of conversation for women.
Deep down inside, Ji Yi grew increasingly curious after learning that He Jichen had this other, loving side to him. Then she asked a series of questions in one breath, “That incident, wasn’t it unsettled back then? What happened after? Did He Jichen find Cola girl? In the end, who was Cola girl?”
“Till this day, you don’t know who Cola Girl was?” exclaimed Fatty in shock.
Ji Yi was stunned by how Fatty was making a fuss over nothing. “Nobody told me, so how would I know…”
“Are you stupid!” Fatty didn’t wait for Ji Yi to finish talking and said, “Such a simple answer, yet you still need someone to tell you? Cola girl is…”
Chapter 331: Have You Ever Regretted Anything? (1)
Before Fatty could finish talking, a voice interrupted what he was going to say. “Fatty.”
When Fatty heard this, he suddenly stopped the word “you” from slipping out. At the same time, Fatty and Ji Yi turned their heads reflexively towards the source of the sound.
It was He Jichen, returning from his fit of anger. It wasn’t clear when he made it back to the room. Despite being quite some distance away from Ji Yi and Fatty, Ji Yi could still clearly smell the thick smell of cigarettes on his body.
After he left, did he go smoke by himself?
Ji Yi furrowed her eyebrows slightly then heard He Jichen’s voice drift over. “I have something to discuss with him. Please wait here for a moment.”
After hearing He Jichen speak, Ji Yi’s attention was drawn to his body then she realized he was talking to her.
The expression on his face looked extremely serious.
Ji Yi understood he and Fatty had something important to talk about, so she gave a gentle nod.
With her silent response, He Jichen’s gaze fell on Fatty. “Come outside for a moment.”
“What’s up? Did something happen?” said Fatty, puzzled.
Seeing as Fatty didn’t move from his chair, He Jichen furrowed his brows and repeated himself with a heavier tone and simplified words: “Come out!”
Fatty didn’t dare fight back, so he put the wine bottle down and quickly got up.
He Jichen waited until Fatty left the private room and softly shut the door.
…
“What’s up Chen Ge? What’s so important that you couldn’t stay in the room? Why do we have to step out?” asked Fatty as he walked beside He Jichen.
He Jichen deliberately ignored him and continued walking until they were quite some distance away from the room. He Jichen suddenly stopped and looked at Fatty with a sense of urgency. “After I stepped out, what did you talk to her about?”
Fatty’s heart was terrified by the serious expression on He Jichen’s face. He stuttered, “Nah, nothing.”
He Jichen’s brows twitched.
Fatty hastily and honestly fessed up to what he told Ji Yi in great detail.
After He Jichen confirmed that Fatty didn’t let slip that He Yuguang passed away or that the person he liked was her, he shut his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
Fatty and He Jichen had known each other for many years, so he knew him very well. Seeing him react like that, Fatty instantly understood why he called him out of the room.
Fatty pursed his lips slightly and was silent for a moment before he said, “Chen Ge, you stopped me just now because you were afraid I’d tell her she’s Cola girl, right?”
He Jichen silently glanced over at Fatty. He reached for a pack of cigarettes in his pocket and handed Fatty one.
Fatty didn’t take it but moved his lips instead: “Chen Ge, why didn’t you let me tell her? Why don’t you let her know that the Cola girl you were searching for back then was her?”
He Jichen still didn’t say anything. He retracted the cigarette he offered Fatty and shoved it between his lips then lit it up.
“Chen Ge, I don’t understand. In the third year of senior high, you already had your mind set on confessing to her after graduation. It’s been four years now – what’s there to worry about? Why can’t you let her know that she’s the person you like? What’s more, you’ve liked her for years!”
Chapter 332: Have You Ever Regretted Anything? (2)
He Jichen’s eyelids blinked leisurely as he silently took a drag. He acted as though he hadn’t heard Fatty’s overbearing questions.
“Chen Ge, if you like her, just go for her! If you don’t tell her, how would she know that you like her? If another man took a little more initiative and got together with her, you’d be the one crying!”
Darkness flashed in his eyes as He Jichen’s fingers trembled with the cigarette between them.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, yet he didn’t say a word and continued to put the cigarette to his lips.
“Chen Ge, is this the time to still play cool? Alright, if you won’t say it, I will! If you don’t chase her, then I’ll think of ways to help you!” After he said that, Fatty turned right around and headed for the room with impatience and resentment.
“Chase? You think I want to chase her?” After staying quiet for a long time, He Jichen finally spoke up. “I dream about chasing her; all I want to do is stand outside her dorm every day just to give her breakfast; when it’s stormy outside, I want to be able to hold an umbrella out for her; when she’s not feeling well, I want to carry her to the hospital…”
Fatty stopped walking but he didn’t turn to glance at He Jichen.
“I even thought about the whole setting and how I was going to confess. Deep down, I went through my lines an infinite amount of times, but Fatty, did you know? I was afraid. I was afraid she wouldn’t believe me. I was afraid that after I confessed, we’d be saying our farewells. I was afraid that she’d be put in a difficult spot because she liked He Yuguang.”
Hearing the last line, Fatty abruptly turned his head and looked over at He Jichen. “Chen Ge… did you say that Ji Yi… she-she likes Yuguang Ge?”
He Jichen didn’t respond, acting as if he hadn’t heard Fatty.
With deep sorrow across his forehead, He Jichen stared at the traditional painting of a beautiful woman on the wall.
He looked as though he was stuck in a difficult and upsetting situation he couldn’t get out of. He took big drags of his cigarette, and after a long while, he slowly turned to look at Fatty. “Fatty…”
His voice sounded a little far off as he said, “Have you ever regretted anything? I’m talking about the kind of regret you feel when you can’t forgive yourself no matter how you think about it.”
–
Ji Yi was the only one left in the room.
She opened the boxes of takeout that Fatty brought and picked some snacks that she liked. She took a few bites but felt too full, so she pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth clean.
Sitting in the room by herself, she was so bored that she swiped her phone lazily for a while to check out her Weibo and Moments. Seeing as there really wasn’t much to look at, Ji Yi figured she might as well put her phone away.
Perhaps it was because Fatty got interrupted by He Jichen at an important moment that Ji Yi was still very curious inside. With nothing to do, she thought back to “Cola girl” again.
From Fatty’s tone, it was no secret who Cola girl was and she should know who it was…
Ji Yi furrowed her brows and racked her brain over it for a long time, but she couldn’t remember any of the girls who were close to He Jichen. In the end, she simply shook her head and gave up thinking about it. She was going to ask Fatty when he came back.
With no idea where the two of them went to talk, Ji Yi noticed they still hadn’t returned yet, but she wanted to go to the restroom. She called for a waiter to let them know they hadn’t finished eating yet. Then she headed for the corridors and walked in the direction of the restroom.
After walking for about twenty meters, she reached the corner of the stairway. Before she made a turn, Ji Yi stumbled upon He Jichen’s and Fatty’s voices.
What a coincidence… The two of them are out here?
Chapter 333: Have You Ever Regretted Anything? (3)
Ji Yi furrowed her eyebrows slightly and took two steps forward. She was planning to say “hello” to them both.
Just as that thought settled in her mind, before she lifted her feet, she heard the sadness in He Jichen’s voice as he said: “Have you ever regretted anything?”
Ji Yi’s heart suddenly tightened up and her feet came to a sudden stop.
He Jichen’s clear yet absent-minded voice immediately drifted over, “I’m talking about the kind of regret you feel when you can’t forgive yourself no matter how you think about it.”
He Jichen called Fatty out just to have a heart-to-heart?
But why’s he asking Fatty this? Could there be something he regrets?
After He Jichen finished speaking, Fatty didn’t respond.
A long period of silence ensued. Ji Yi couldn’t see past the turn in the corridor or what kind of scene unfolded, so she couldn’t help but wonder if the two of them had left already.
Ji Yi hesitated for some time. As she got ready to peer over to sneak a look at them, He Jichen finally spoke again. “I have.”
His abrupt voice made Ji Yi instinctively shrink back. Then she heard He Jichen’s voice again: “It was four years ago today.”
Four years ago today, I was drunk and mistook him for He Yuguang then the two of us had sex… The regretful thing he did couldn’t be…
Ji Yi was afraid she was overthinking things. When her thoughts came to this point, her rationality helped her force down these thoughts, preventing her from going any further.
Fatty must’ve been listening earnestly as he didn’t say anything from start to end.
After about a minute passed, He Jichen’s neutral voice was heard again: “To this day, I remember how I did the most regrettable thing in my life at twenty-four minutes past ten that evening.”
Twenty-four minutes past ten… At the time, we were together in the hotel room. That exact time was when we were sleeping together…
So, my guess was right.
Ji Yi’s fingertips trembled as she instinctively tightened them into fists.
“Had I known all the things that would happen after, had I known just how guilty and ashamed I would feel now…” He Jichen paused for a while as though it was hard for him to go on, then he continued to say, “…then I wouldn’t have done what I did that night.”
Fatty broke his own silence and finally said, “Chen Ge…”
He probably wanted to comfort He Jichen, but after calling his name, Fatty didn’t know what to say next so he stopped there.
It seemed like He Jichen hadn’t heard Fatty’s voice as he was still deep in his own thoughts. With the same soft voice, he continued, “If you experienced just how beautiful those years at Sucheng Yizhong were… You don’t know just how much I miss them. Recently, I’ve practically been dreaming about her every night…”
Considering what He Jichen said, Ji Yi suddenly thought back to He Jichen’s recent apology and what he said that night on her birthday about going back to how things were.
He said so many horrid things, humiliated her, embarrassed her, and even almost made her lose her life on the operating table after that night four years ago…
It was virtually impossible not to hate him.
So in the face of his apology, she remained quiet. She looked as though she didn’t know how to react, but she knew very well how she felt. Deep down inside, she simply couldn’t believe him.
Chapter 334: Have You Ever Regretted Anything? (4)
In that very moment, she overheard his conversation with Fatty and realized that he truly was regretful and ashamed for that night.
He even missed their younger years together as well as the time they missed out on.
So he was serious when he apologized to her that night. On the night of her birthday, when he suggested that they go back to how things were in the past, he was being serious too.
It felt like something crashed softly into her heart, creating ripples upon ripples in her body, which had no way of calming down.
The two people around the corner didn’t say anything further. Ji Yi vaguely heard the flick of a lighter as someone lit a cigarette.
She took two deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves but to no avail.
Her heart raced faster, and the waves in her body grew more violent. Her leg started to tremble as she took a step back and leaned against the wall. She stared at the lights on the opposite side of the wall, and memories of every little thing that happened between them flashed across her mind…
She felt like there was a rubber band around her heart being pulled at each end.
Forgive, don’t forgive, don’t forgive, forgive… It repeated until eventually, her gaze became vacant and hesitant.
After who knew how much time had passed, Ji Yi heard the faint sound of Fatty’s voice. “Chen Ge, it’s getting late. I should head back now. It’s probably bad to leave Ji Yi alone in the room by herself…”
She twitched her brows then heard He Jichen mumble, “Mhm.”
Then there were sounds of footsteps.
With her back against the wall, Ji Yi suddenly snapped out of her daze.
If they bumped into her here, wouldn’t they know she’d been eavesdropping?
The next second, Ji Yi straightened up and bolted back to the room.
As she sat back in her seat, Ji Yi was afraid He Jichen and Fatty would notice something amiss, so she pulled out her phone in hurry. She randomly opened Weibo and stared at her phone screen, pretending to be deeply invested in what she was reading.
She hadn’t taken a single word in when the door behind her was pushed open. One after the other, He Jichen and Fatty walked in.
Ji Yi’s back tensed up for a moment as she pretended to be captivated by her phone, not noticing that the two of them had returned. She stared at the phone screen and steadied her haggard breaths from all the running she just did.
Deep down, she was trying to keep it together. Until she was certain she wouldn’t expose anything odd about her, she acted as though she didn’t realize that they’d returned. Finally, she turned her head suspiciously and stared at the two of them. “Heyyyy, you guys are back?”
It was unclear if it was because Fatty said too much earlier, but there seemed to be a faint hint of sorrow in He Jichen’s eyes.
She caught just a glimpse of it on his normally emotionless face, but it was enough to make Ji Yi think back to what she secretly overheard. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her gaze hurriedly darted over to the view of West Lake outside the window. She said, “The food’s cold now. Are you guys hungry? Do you guys want to order anything else?”
He Jichen didn’t say anything. He pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Nah,” replied Fatty.
Ji Yi let out an “oh!” Since she had too many things on her mind, Ji Yi didn’t say anything else.
Thankfully, the ever-talkative Fatty was there, so the atmosphere in the room wasn’t awkward.