Chapter 301

"Her name is Hua Xin." "Hua Xin, whom you've always taken care of." "No... Gu Xin Hua." Hua Xin slowly closed her eyes and whispered. Her heart, which had been racing with tension, inexplicably calmed down. Darkness enveloped her vision again. These three simple sentences seemed to have drained all the strength and energy from the girl. Her bloodless lips and drooping hair made her look like a prisoner on trial. She wanted to explain further, to say something more, or to struggle and defend herself, at least to say something like, "I didn't mean to," or "I'm sorry." But the girl couldn't utter a single word. Time seemed to stand still. It stopped. The rustling of the surrounding branches, the sound of her heartbeat, her breathing... Her vision was dark; she couldn't hear the sounds of the world. What would the ending be? Hua Xin had imagined this scene countless times while lying in bed before deciding to reveal this secret. He would be very angry. But he would still be gentle. He would be surprised, then look at her with conflicted and cold eyes, neither hitting nor scolding her, but silently processing the information, finally feeling incredulous and angry upon her confirmation. Xia Yan hated lies. Hua Xin knew Xia Yan well, so she knew this very well; he... "Hmm." "I know." The girl suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with tears as she looked incredulously at the man with the gentle smile in her vision. At this moment, her world regained sound and color. 235. Lies and Doubts Will Not Shatter True Feelings "You said... you know?" Hua Xin's voice trembled violently, her fair hands clenching tightly in an instant, her gaze towards Xia Yan filled with disbelief and shock. Hua Xin no longer knew how to face Xia Yan, how to express her emotions. Why did those simple words sound so... so... so...? The girl was slightly at a loss. Was she heartbroken, shocked, happy or sad because the person before her was Xia Yan? Hua Xin didn't know. This sudden change had overwhelmed all her emotions. All preparations and construction were utterly destroyed, leaving nothing behind. It was as if her defenses had crumbled, leaving only a deep sense of bewilderment regarding those few words. Xia Yan observed the girl's transformation, pondering deeply within himself. When did he begin to doubt "Hua Xin's" identity, receiving his first insight into this Hua Xin who was both his good friend and his girlfriend? That night in the park, while eating and confiding in Hua Xin under the influence of alcohol... he already knew everything. Afterwards, all the clues and events hidden in their daily lives seemed to simultaneously coalesce into a series of interconnected events. The threads that could connect slowly linked together all the things Xia Yan hadn't paid attention to or ignored. In fact, things hidden in people's hearts and memories, unnoticed until a hard-won opportunity allowed everything to be fully understood. He had seen Hua Xin's old, war-damaged phone with its cracked screen on "the two" more than once. Perhaps he should have paid more attention the first time he noticed it. But what if it really was such a coincidence? Two phones of the same brand, both coincidentally with broken screens but still in use—probably very unlikely. One possible thing, but that doesn't necessarily prove they're the same person. And... the bracelet on their wrists. Similarly, if we think about it the same way as with the phone, wearing a bracelet would be perfectly normal. But two identical coincidences happening to one person seems rather unusual. Of course, if you don't think about it too much, there's nothing wrong with it. But Xia Yan kept remembering Hua Xin's words. No... or rather, Gu Xin Hua's words. She said she studied at a foreign language university and was in the same year as him, both freshmen, but their classes often overlapped, so they hadn't been able to... They met frequently. This is why, even though they had already met in real life, they still seemed like they were in Online Relationship. Now it seems that it was all just Hua Xin's forced explanation. But when Shanghu University and Shanghai Foreign Language University held a joint event, he and Lin Qingyu went to Shanghai Foreign Language University together and even met a few students from the other university's student Student Council were in charge of the event. Well, if he hadn't seen Hua Xin's "true face" in the park, he probably would never have remembered this, nor would he have remembered that he still had her contact information saved on his phone. Things would obviously be much easier afterward. Although he had already seen the girl's true face, the unnecessary confirmation made him... He still went to do it. A simple "The person you're looking for isn't on our school's list" completely resolved the lingering doubt in Xia Yan's heart. What kind of feeling was this? Xia Yan felt it was indescribable. He had always considered Hua Xin his only confidante, a friend he had built a deep friendship with. He never imagined that night that the face hidden behind the mask was actually the girl he wanted to protect for a lifetime. Dramatic? Surprised? Angry? Xia Yan thought, perhaps none of these. Although he didn't know Hua Xin's reasons for doing this, what her motivations were... His thoughts, the pressure he faced, led him to do this. But... what's there to be angry about? Xia Yan is an adult. He has his own thoughts and judgment as a man. Perhaps at first he'll be surprised, feel it's unbelievable, his emotions will surge, and he'll feel confused. But the one thing that hasn't changed is that Xia Yan has always believed in Hua Xin. He has always believed that she likes him. What's the point of digging into the differences between Hua Xin and Gu Xin Hua? As long as she still likes him, thinking about these things is completely meaningless. Xia Yan doesn't want to think about these meaningless questions. The simple fact that Hua Xin still likes Xia Yan is enough. This is why, even a month after learning the truth, Xia Yan didn't confront Hua Xin about it, but instead waited silently. He wanted to wait for Hua Xin as before, just like always. He waited for the day when Hua Xin would have the courage and determination to tell him. Because his world was almost entirely filled with her. If he couldn't help Hua Xin overcome this hurdle herself, how could he continue to erase the entanglement in the girl's heart? Only one can bridge the gap between people. Waiting, waiting... he finally waited for the day Hua Xin could say it herself. It wasn't too late, but it also seemed rather late. "Yes, I know everything."