Pampered by My Ex's Cousin-Chapter 205 - 199: Still Lost in the End (Part 1)

The sensation of guilt was overwhelming, Ji Anning bit her lip, suppressing the nervousness in her heart, peeping through the slightly opened crack towards the neighboring balcony.

The lights were bright, and the man, wearing a bathrobe, leaned on the railing, holding a wine glass in one hand, his gaze fixed towards her direction. Under the enhancement of the light, his deep eyes shone like obsidian, glistening brightly.

Ji Anning held her breath, her hand that was lifting the curtain couldn’t resist gripping it tightly, and it was a long while before she turned around to lean on the wall, lifting her head for a deep breath.

Then, after her emotions had settled, she dared to pull back the curtain again, this time boldly looking at him.

Even... even with a trace of hope, hoping he would notice her, realize that she was also watching him all along.

...

Ji Anning felt everything was in chaos, unable to sleep at all that night, she returned to school early the next morning, catching up on some sleep in the dorm, yet still feeling out of sorts.

She attended classes in a daze.

Right after class, Jin Yuanyuan dragged her to see her crush, having promised her the day before, Ji Anning felt it rude to go back on her word.

Jin Yuanyuan said it was less than two bus stops away, no need to ride, but they ambled for such a long time, covering more than two stops, and they still hadn’t arrived.

As the sky grew darker, nearing dusk, Ji Anning finally couldn’t hold back her impatience, frowning with a plaintive tone, "Jin Yuanyuan, didn’t you say it was less than two stops? Now we’ve almost walked three stops, haven’t we?"

"Don’t rush, don’t rush, he’s been on duty at this stretch recently. Just go to the next traffic light, he’ll definitely be there." Jin Yuanyuan, holding Ji Anning’s arm, gave her a pleasing smile, "Sorry for the trouble, I’ll treat you to dessert later."

Ji Anning: "..."

Speechless, it turned out she didn’t know the exact location of her crush, just blindly leading her around.

What a mess!

Well, since she’d already come out with her and walked three stops, walking a little bit further didn’t matter much.

Ji Anning thought about it and rolled her eyes at Jin Yuanyuan, "Let’s go one more traffic light, and if he’s not there, we’ll head back."

"Okay," Jin Yuanyuan nodded agreeably, "If he’s not there, I’ll call him and find out where he is."

Ji Anning gave her a ’that’s more like it’ look. She was about to continue walking when her gaze inadvertently swept over the white plastic bag that Jin Yuanyuan was carrying, bulging with what clearly looked like snacks.

No need to ask, she knew these were for her crush.

Her gaze lingered on the bag for a second, then shifted back to Jin Yuanyuan’s face. Despite the long walk, her spirit remained vibrant, her face showing no sign of tiredness.

Ji Anning pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, then finally asked, "You’ve been pursuing him for three years, what’s his attitude like?"

"He ignores me completely," Jin Yuanyuan pouted, not waiting for Ji Anning to ask more, she opened up on her own, "I’ve decided to chase him until I graduate college. If by that time I haven’t won him over, I’ll give up."

Her tone was casual, her eyes bright.

Ji Anning looked at her, feeling a pang of sympathy, knowing well that people who appear strong are often fragile inside.

It’s just like saying, "I smile, but it doesn’t mean I’m happy."

She didn’t speak, and Jin Yuanyuan kept talking.

"At least I will have tried. If by then I haven’t succeeded, it would just mean that I deserve better."

Ji Anning smiled, "You really have a good attitude."