Hearing Jiang Zhiyu’s emotional words, Li Yuan tenderly wiped the glistening tears from her cheeks. Even though she was crying, the two dimples that appeared when she smiled were still dazzling. In short, they were tears of happiness.

Li Yuan couldn’t understand the complex emotions swirling in Jiang Zhiyu’s heart. A shameless thought lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He had no idea how to face her in the future, nor what choice she would make. He could only hold her tightly in his arms, doing his best to give her a greater sense of security.

Staring at him, Jiang Zhiyu asked coyly, "Xia Hua, are you unhappy?"

Li Yuan nodded, then shook his head and sighed. "Little Fish, I’m feeling a deep sense of guilt right now, and my heart is in agony. Can you understand that feeling?"

Lately, his heart felt as if it had been repeatedly stabbed—it was agonizing. The way things had developed was far beyond his expectations. When he first stepped onto campus, he hadn’t thought this way at all. He had only wanted to conquer Bai Weixi and exact a special kind of revenge on her. Then, like his grandmaster, he would pass through a field of a thousand flowers without a single petal touching him... But now, Li Yuan realized he had fallen in deep, unable to extricate himself. His heart ached every time he saw one of the girls cry for him. Love was a double-edged sword, hurting others as well as himself.

Lying in Li Yuan’s arms, Jiang Zhiyu nodded gently. "Mm, I understand how you feel, Xia Hua. You don’t need to overthink it or feel sorry for anyone. In matters of love, people are inherently willful.

"Just like me. They all say I’m a fool for love, that I shouldn’t have anything to do with you anymore. They say I should cut ties with you completely, and even get revenge on you...

"But whenever I see you, I can’t help but want to hug you and be with you. Even knowing there might be no future for us, I still can’t control myself. I want to give you everything, to be your real girlfriend, just this once...

"Maybe everyone will call me a fool. I know I am, but I don’t care. This is what I want. In a relationship, even one that’s so hopelessly sad and heart-wrenching, you have to be impulsive at least once, right?"

Li Yuan listened quietly to Jiang Zhiyu’s outpouring of emotion, his heart filled with a complex mix of feelings.

This girl really was a fool—so foolish it was cute, so foolish it was heart-wrenching. And because of that, he was overwhelmed with guilt. He couldn’t even offer her any compensation. This was Jiang Zhiyu, a Little Fish who dared to love and hate, so foolishly adorable she had swum into his heart and settled there forever...

Li Yuan looked at Jiang Zhiyu in his arms, unable to guess her thoughts. His voice was heavy as he asked, "Little Fish, will we be able to meet again?"

Jiang Zhiyu blinked and asked playfully, "Well, Xia Hua, will you want to see me again?"

"I will!" Li Yuan replied without hesitation.

He stared into her eyes, earnestly awaiting her reply. Flustered under his intense gaze, Jiang Zhiyu tucked her head back into the blanket and answered, her voice full of meaning, "I want to see you too, Xia Hua! But..."

Li Yuan’s heart tightened as a bad premonition suddenly surfaced.

"But... I can’t bear to share your love with other girls. I’m afraid that after being so impulsive today, I’ll lose the courage to refuse you.

"Xia Hua, please let me be willful one last time. Don’t blame me, okay?"

Li Yuan understood the meaning behind her words. A deep sense of loss surged through him, making him feel powerless. He couldn’t find any words to persuade her to stay, not even a single excuse.

With a wry smile, Li Yuan stroked Jiang Zhiyu’s head, his tone low and helpless. "Little Fish, I told you I would respect all of your choices." He paused. "Even if you choose to leave."

Jiang Zhiyu fell silent, her heart heavy. After a long moment, she stared into Li Yuan’s eyes and drew her head closer. Her voice was thick with emotion as she whispered, "Xia Hua, love me one more time!"

Feeling Jiang Zhiyu’s passion, Li Yuan no longer hesitated and embraced the peerless beauty in his arms... This time, he held nothing back, using all his skill. And Jiang Zhiyu, though new to such things, responded like a warrior goddess, fiercely releasing all the deep love she held for Li Yuan... Once, and again...

That night, neither of them slept.

...

「Late the next morning.」

Exhausted from the long night, Li Yuan stretched languidly and slowly opened his eyes. He reached for the beauty beside him, only to find the space empty.

A jolt of alarm shot through him, and Li Yuan leaped out of bed. He rushed to check the living room and bathroom of the presidential suite, but there was no sign of her. The peerless beauty he had been entwined with all night had left at some unknown time.

"Little Fish!" Li Yuan murmured to himself, his heart suddenly twisting in pain.

Jiang Zhiyu, that love-struck girl... After her impulsive act, she had regained her senses and chosen to leave him. She left while he was fast asleep. He hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye!

Li Yuan felt as if he had been drained of all his vitality. He sank powerlessly onto the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the hotel ceiling as an oppressive, unbearable feeling washed over his entire body.