Dubian Che rowed the boat, and the three of them came to the middle of the lake.

The lake water was so clear that the bottom could be seen, the blue sky, and the white cumulus clouds reflected on the lakebed.

Their little boat seemed to be walking on the clouds, amidst the high altitude of eight thousand meters.

"When night falls, I'm afraid all the stars will fall into the lake," he finished speaking, and Dubian Che chanted in Chinese, "Searching for dreams? I push a long pole, heading to a place where the grass is greener; laden with boatfuls of starlight, I sing amidst the kaleidoscopic glimmer."

Kiyono Lin sat at the bow, her long hair swaying in the breeze, and she too spoke in Chinese:

"A drunken soul knows not the heavens in the water, a boat full of clear dreams presses down the Milky Way."

"Have you also started studying Han poetry like Nagai Kaoru?" Dubian Che asked.

"It's not just Nagai Kaoru who studies Han poetry. Oh dear, I apologize," Kiyono Lin covered the corner of her mouth, smiling, "Do you think Nagai Kaoru is the only writer who studies Han poetry?"

"Kiyono, has anyone ever told you that you're unpleasant to talk to?"

"Besides you and Jiutiao, no one else dares to curse me."

"You two really have a good understanding," Jiutiao Meijie said with a laugh.

Dubian Che stopped rowing and looked at her, "Meijie, I..."

"No need to explain," Jiutiao Meijie interrupted him, "For the anniversary gift, I don't want anything else; just honestly answer a few of my questions."

At that moment, many thoughts flashed through Dubian Che's mind, but in the end, he chose to nod.

"Okay," he said.

Kiyono Lin folded her arms, looking indifferently at the two of them.

Jiutiao Meijie glanced at her, then turned to Dubian Che:

"I won't ask Kiyono Lin for help, but if you choose to lie to me on our anniversary, in front of Kiyono Lin whom you consider a confidante, then I have nothing to say."

Dubian Che remained silent.

The wind blew over the lake, and without Dubian Che's control, the little boat was left in limbo between the heavens and the earth, drifting aimlessly.

"Do you have a woman on the side?"

Dubian Che's heart contracted, thumping wildly, almost jumping out of his chest.

Other than that, looking at his outward appearance, there was no change.

'With you, Meijie, even if I wanted to, I wouldn't do such a thing,' but it came out as, "Yes."

Why?

Dubian Che asked himself.

Knowing Jiutiao Meijie's temperament, clearly aware that such an answer would put Mayi Asuka and Xiaoquan Aonai in danger, why still answer this way?

Didn't want to deceive Jiutiao Meijie on the anniversary?

Didn't want to lie in front of Kiyono Lin?

Yes, didn't want to.

It wasn't just that, there had to be something else.

Deep inside, there existed a hidden thought—'to confess everything to Meijie so that there would be no secrets, no grudges between them, and to live a good life from then on.'

"How did you find out?" Dubian Che asked, his voice dry, his throat parched.

"I haven't had anyone tail you, but as a girlfriend, should I really show no interest in my boyfriend's new address? Or ignore the woman who has been with my boyfriend?"

Jiutiao Meijie let out a cold laugh before continuing:

"Dubian Che, you're really something. That Xiaoquan Aonai, the fact that she's been receiving a bouquet of roses every day, has long been the talk of the school, did you think I was deaf?"

"...I'm sorry."

"With your caution, why would you do something so obvious? Do you like that teacher that much?" Jiutiao Meijie asked accusingly.

"Of the three, the one I love the most is of course you, Meijie, but having decided to be together, I didn't want to disappoint them," Dubian Che replied painfully, "You can punish me however you want, please spare them."

He let go of the oars with both hands, propped his elbows on his knees, and his palms overlapped on his forehead.

"I won't do anything, but you have to leave them."

Dubian Che remained silent.

This multiple-choice question, he had been faced with it every day since the first day he was with Mayi Asuka.

And now, when it was time to make a real choice, he still had no answer.

"I had planned to do just that," Jiutiao Meijie said, "Using the guilt of your deceit, threatening with their safety and lives, to say, 'I only have eyes for you, what about you?' to make you stay by my side."

Dubian Che felt even more pain.

'I only have eyes for you, what about you?' The sentence brought him immense sorrow.

The thought surfaced in his mind: Is Meijie going to leave me?

The moment this thought appeared, even before he had time to ponder, an instinctive emotion took hold—absolutely not, it cannot be permitted.

Jiutiao Meijie looked deeply into Dubian Che's eyes, and with a voice that seemed she could tear him apart, asked:

"Why did you only say 'I won't leave you' last night, and not answer how much you love me?"

"I..." Dubian Che became at a loss for words, staring blankly, unable to speak.

"Do you resent me for having wanted to kill you in the past, are you worried I'd discover your mistress, so you dare not love me?" Jiutiao Meijie's tone was as if stating a fact.

"I love you, that's an absolute truth."

"But you love Kiyono Lin more?"

"..." Dubian Che had no words.

Kiyono Lin glanced at him and said calmly, "Since you don't intend to make Mr. Dubian leave them, what do you plan to do, Jiutiao?"

Jiutiao Meijie stood up, walked on the slightly rocking boat plank, and stepped up to Dubian Che.

"Lift your face," she commanded.

Dubian Che lifted his face.

Jiutiao Meijie hitting him would have been a relief.

But Jiutiao Meijie didn't hit him.

She looked him in the eye and said, "Once at Ochazuke, once at the Goda gymnasium, I owe you two... I'll allow you to keep those two women."

The various things Dubian Che wanted to say were stunned silent with surprise.

"If there's a third time, don't blame me for making a final move. I can't kill you, but don't expect either of them to live."

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