Just because he thought Elysia might cause him quite a bit of trouble afterward, he had deliberately found an excuse to fool her into leaving, making her miss the upcoming Livehouse performance...
Was that really okay?
Perhaps, with Elysia's heart as vast as the sea, even if she learned the truth afterward, she would only blink playfully and smile as she said, "It's okay. As long as Qianyi is happy. Besides, what I did wasn't pointless. At least those Sarkaz really did receive help, didn't they?"
But precisely because he knew Elysia would not blame him, Qianyi felt an inexplicable stab of pain.
If he truly did that, would he not be relying on Elysia's unreserved gentleness and trust to deliberately isolate and bully her in such a despicable way?
How would that make him any different from those who had willingly disbanded their band for selfish reasons?
Looking into Elysia's clear, expectation-filled eyes, Qianyi instinctively looked away, not daring to meet her gaze. "No, how should I put it... Actually, Theresia, Kal'tsit, Amiya, and the others have been trying to resolve this matter all along. It isn't that urgent..."
"Huh?"
Elysia tilted her head, question marks practically popping up above it. "If that's the case, then why did you say that just now, Qianyi?"
"Because..."
Qianyi paused, then decided to answer honestly. "Because I thought it would be troublesome if you got involved, Elysia, so I wanted to send you away."
"I see."
Elysia straightened her head, and her tone gained a touch of solemnity and seriousness. "Then, Qianyi, do you dislike me?"
"How could I?"
Qianyi shook his head, his expression turning serious. "Elysia, do you know? Night sunflowers are creatures exceptionally skilled at enduring. As long as there is even a little starlight, even a little hope,