This time Yurong was really upset. In fact, she had been angry ever since she saw Yu Xiaodi and Qiao Huanxuan, but at that time she was more worried about Li Yan's health, and it wasn't convenient to talk about it, so she held back. But tonight, due to the special circumstances, her annoyance was accidentally triggered, and she couldn't help but bite this guy as a punishment. Yet, he kept pursuing the matter, so she just told him directly.

This time, she was even angrier than when it came to Yu Xiaodi, and there was a reason for it. Because she didn't know when Li Yan and Yu Xiaodi had started. If it was before the two of them got married, she, of course, couldn't say anything, and would rather feel indebted to Yu Xiaodi. However, from Yu Xiaodi's tone during that conversation, it seemed it was after they got married. But during the first six months of their marriage, she and Li Yan didn't interfere with each other's affairs. Even if he went out at night and came back late, she never intervened, asked, or even thought about it.

If it started during that time, then there was nothing to say, because she didn't see him as someone to control like a husband, and he just respected her as part of a contract, without any affection. And such a nominal marriage could end at any time, so their being together was understandable and acceptable.

But this Qiao Huanxuan was something she couldn't accept. Because in the past few months, she and Li Yan had already developed feelings, and he repeatedly stated that he wanted to pursue her, that he liked her. In this situation, even if he couldn't resolve the issue between her and Yu Xiaodi, so be it, but to get involved with some first love he hadn't seen in more than ten years, how could that be explained? It was knowingly committing an offense!

Of course, there was another point she hadn't realized herself, which was that she now obviously valued and liked Li Yan more. If she didn't care, why would she be angry?

A year ago, they were still strangers, not even thinking about it; six months ago, they were semi-strangers living under the same roof, and she could completely ignore whatever he was doing; but now, the situation was much more complicated. This feeling of anger actually encompassed emotions like affection, concern, disappointment, and jealousy, among other complex feelings. And Yurong didn't know how to deal with such emotions, so, looking at his face, it directly translated into a biting outburst of anger.

Seeing that Yurong had completely guessed the situation, Li Yan felt a bit embarrassed, not knowing if this was her own speculation or one she had devised together with Yu Xiaodi.

However, for some things, revealing them doesn't benefit either party, which was a lesson Li Yan learned firsthand after bringing Yu Xiaodi home. For women, some things are better left unexposed, even if it's just a beautiful lie.

So, he decided to tell a lie, not that he hadn't lied before, but some lies needed to be continued. The world now is already filled with all kinds of lies, and everyone is used to it. Just drinking a glass of water or eating a bowl of noodles involves facing lies, like an advertisement claiming it's mineral water but it's actually tap water; or an advertisement for beef noodle soup showing big beef chunks, but no one has ever actually seen beef bigger than a fingertip.

Of course, Li Yan's lies always had a basis in reality. For example—

"I didn't expect you to know about Qiao Huanxuan too, but I can swear, I absolutely wasn't any first love with her!" Because back then there was no romance involved.

Hearing Li Yan speak so decisively, Zhang Yurong felt a bit moved. In her heart, of course, she didn't want this suspicion to be true. Even though rationality told her it likely was, emotionally, she hoped for that small chance that it wasn't true.

"Really? So, that night, were you with her? Did you end up going to a hotel with her?"

Facing her probing questions, Li Yan let out a bitter smile, "I think, considering tonight's rare romance between us, shouldn't we avoid talking about other people?"

Zhang Yurong gave him a smile and then immediately, with a cold face, said, "Not romantic at all! Say it or don't, it's up to you, but if you don't… then you can go sleep on the floor!"

"..."

Li Yan felt a bit dizzy, darn, isn't that move instinctively known by all women! He didn't mind sleeping on the floor or anything, but he thought this must be a knot in Yurong's heart, and she had already put up with him being with one woman outside for the sake of helping his health by seeking out Xiaodi, so how could she not be saddened by the addition of another woman?

He felt it necessary to explain a bit, even if it couldn't change the overall situation, at least to make her feel a little better.

"Alright, since you want me to talk, I'll share then. Once, there was a girl and a boy..."

Li Yan sat up and started recounting, based on his memory, he briefly retold the story Qiao Huanxuan had shared, the story connected with a young Li Yan and Qiao Huanxuan. [For details, see Chapter 377]

After finishing the first half of the story, Li Yan paused, looking at Zhang Yurong by his side; she had been listening attentively all along.

"You were the class monitor? That girl was Qiao Huanxuan?" These questions were basically rhetorical, so Zhang Yurong continued to ask, "So you secretly liked her? Not a first love but a secret crush? That's unusual! Someone like you actually had a secret crush?"

The last sentence made Li Yan blush slightly out of embarrassment, and he retorted, "Why? What kind of person am I? I'm reserved! I had a secret crush on you too, didn't put myself out there shamelessly or pester you…"

Yurong slightly pouted, thinking to herself: If you don't have a thick skin, then there's no such thing in the world.

After all, she was a girl, and what Li Yan had just recounted was a story told by Qiao Huanxuan. It was told in a delicate, feminine tone, so Yurong could not only discern that it wasn't a made-up story on the spot, but she was also filled with a touch of yearning and emotion towards the innocent childhood love depicted in it. As her youth was spent skipping grades, learning more content in less time than others, naturally, she didn't have the leisure to pay attention to other things.

"And then? You guys... never saw each other again?"

"Actually, what I just told you was what I heard from Qiao Huanxuan that night. Some of it I knew, some I didn't, and what I knew, I had long forgotten, it was her words that reminded me. And that's not all the story she told me that night, there's more to come. To know what happens next, stay tuned for the next chapter..."

Yurong was listening to him intently, already beginning to empathize. A pair of friends from middle school who hadn't seen each other for years, among them were stories of secret admiration, rejection of confessions, and more. Reminiscing together doesn't necessarily mean doing anything about it; hearing that there's more to the story, she knew that it might have even more exciting parts, otherwise, it wouldn't have drawn Li Yan's attention that night.

But at such a formal moment, this guy actually said something like "To know what happens next, stay tuned for the next chapter," which made her really want to punch him.

"What did you say? When will you tell the rest? Do you want to sleep under the bed?" Yurong turned to look at Li Yan, putting on a fierce face, her hand clenched into a fist, but unfortunately, her soft little hand couldn't produce a 'pop' sound.

"Actually, I feel it's quite late, and I'm a bit sleepy. Let's go to sleep first..."

His answer was met with a waving pink fist.

When someone starts to like another person, they always care more about his or her stories. If it's about a past story they don't want to talk about, so be it. But if they do start to talk about it, of course, one would be very curious and want to know everything.

Yurong also had the urge to learn about Li Yan's past. Now that her interest had just been piqued, he stopped talking, which naturally made her quite displeased. "Hurry up! You can't just tell half the story without any reward!"

"..." Li Yan continued: "Alright, I can finish the next part, but I mostly heard it from Qiao Huanxuan, don't think it's some self-indulgent story I made up."

"Blabbermouth!"

"First, let me explain something before we proceed, the first being the issue of admiration..." Li Yan gave his explanation to Qiao Huanxuan, and then he began to recount Qiao Huanxuan's story over the past twelve years.

Hearing about the girl in the story being misunderstood by her classmates and blaming herself, while fixing a music box she picked up, Yurong felt a sense of empathy. And hearing that during college, the girl didn't accept anyone's pursuits, never had a boyfriend, but instead used the internet and various other means, just relying on a name, trying her best to find Li Yan, it shocked her!

In this rapidly changing era, in the fast-food era of love where material, time, space, and family could easily affect relationships, there was actually a girl who, for a boy who made no promises, not even expressed his feelings, stayed true to her youthful, innocent affection and searched on. It truly moved Yurong.

Hearing that the girl went abroad to study and work, and until now, twelve years had passed, with never a clue, never a miracle, yet she still persisted in this waiting...

Zhang Yurong sighed deeply, looking at Li Yan, and said seriously: "You are so heartless! If this accidental meeting hadn't happened, I think this Qiao Huanxuan would one day die for your sake! She... deserves your good treatment and cherishment!"

Li Yan also looked at her, stretched out his hand to wrap her shoulder, pulling her into his arms, and said softly: "I know... but, having met me now, do you think it's a dream come true or a dream shattered for her? Do you think the me she likes is the me from back then, or the me now?"

This question left Yurong speechless. She was a genius in academics and career, but a blank page when it came to emotions. With logical analysis, now a very mature female designer, Qiao Huanxuan, surely wouldn't be deeply in love with the high school version of Li Yan, but to say it's the current Li Yan, she hadn't seen him for over ten years and had no idea what he was like now.

"What she likes... is a version of you that doesn't exist?"

Li Yan nodded: "Or you could say it's an illusion of Li Yan that exists in her consciousness, the one she's waited for twelve years, and also the one that has accompanied her for twelve years."

(A chapter from the day before had errors due to consecutive uploads, only noticed after seeing the reviews. A day later, I found out that chapter subscriptions were significantly higher than before, ironically suggesting many checked out the pirated version, realized the error, and then subscribed legitimately... Ah, there are various reasons people don't subscribe to the official version, and I can't force everyone to view the official one. Mixed faces multiple pressures, and works tirelessly so everyone can enjoy and for a bit of income. Mixed has no other income sources, just a simple person trying to earn school fees for the kid. When you find the content from Mixed satisfying, or when you acknowledge Mixed's efforts, please support the official version to the best of your ability—subscribing even just one chapter helps get the highest subscription reviews, as the 24-hour subscription is the true income for Mixed. Thanks to all friends who subscribed, this chapter is an extra one for you silent supporters! Stay tuned for at least five chapters in today's explosive session as a gratitude!)(To be continued, to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com for more chapters, support the authors, support genuine reading!)

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