I Want to Hear the Real Answer

Yu An stood at the restroom entrance, waiting for Song Yuechi.

He was a man of few movements. He stood there straight, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his expression calm. At first glance, he seemed aloof. On closer inspection—he seemed even more aloof.

Song Yuechi ran up to him with a toothy grin. "Hehe, I'm here."

Although he and Yu An were already quite familiar with each other, Song Yuechi was still occasionally intimidated by him.

Yu An glanced at him, then turned and walked toward the library.

Song Yuechi followed eagerly at his side. "Why didn't you ask where I went?"

Without looking away, Yu An said, "Explanations built on lies are mostly just excuses."

Song Yuechi: "..."

That was precisely why Yu An intimidated him.

He was too intelligent and perceptive, sharp as a cold sword that could freeze a person's blood.

Song Yuechi obediently said, "I won't make excuses. Ask me."

"No."

"Ask."

After all, He Li'an had not said it had to be kept secret. If Yu An asked, he would tell him directly.

Yu An stopped walking. "You went to see He Li'an."

Song Yuechi's eyes widened. (⊙o⊙)...

Kindly ensuring that Song Yuechi understood why he was doomed, Yu An explained, "You deliberately lied to me, which means the person you went to see was connected to me. The only person we both know, whom you would need to hide from me, is He Li'an."

The reasoning was sound and well-supported!

Song Yuechi was completely convinced!

"He mainly asked me to..."

"You don't need to tell me." Yu An cut him off. "From now on, you don't need to tell me anything about He Li'an."

"Huh?" Song Yuechi was baffled. "Why?"

Yu An said expressionlessly, "I'm not pursuing him anymore."

Song Yuechi was stunned. "Why?"

From what he knew of Yu An, if Yu An wanted something, he was supposed to get it. Giving up was not Yu An's style.

"I don't plan to like him anymore."

"Why?"

Song Yuechi felt a little like a robot, going back and forth and only knowing how to ask those three words.

"Feelings are an intangible, invisible psychological response. They require a great investment, carry an even greater risk of failure, and can leave immeasurable aftereffects." The books said that feelings were an important subject in life, divided into friendship, love, and family affection. Of those, love and family affection were the hardest to handle. Best not to touch them.

"Is it really that serious?" Song Yuechi was a little scared just listening to him.

Thinking about how everything He Li'an had asked earlier had been about Yu An, Song Yuechi could not help speaking up for him. "But I think He Li'an likes you quite a lot..."

Yu An tugged at the corner of his lips, forming a curve with no warmth in it.

For some reason, Song Yuechi suddenly did not dare continue. He quietly fell silent.

That night, Yu An began calculating the accounts as soon as he got home.

The furniture He Li'an had bought for him, including the gifts delivered yesterday.

He added it all together and made a detailed spreadsheet.

The moment he saw the total cost, he pinched the bridge of his nose to keep himself from passing out.

Seven figures.

Yu An expressionlessly transferred the money to He Li'an, then sent him the spreadsheet.

[Yu An]: I've transferred the money to you.

[He Li'an]: What does that mean?

He replied so quickly?

[Yu An]: The money you spent on me.

[He Li'an]: Let's meet.

[Yu An]: All right, tomorrow.

With such a large amount of money involved, they really did need to meet again to confirm it.

The next day, when Yu An went downstairs, he saw the familiar car.

As he was about to approach it, the front passenger door was pushed open from inside. Yu An halted his steps toward the back seat and got into the front passenger seat.

He looked at He Li'an, who had his hands on the steering wheel, and asked in surprise, "You're driving yourself?"

"Mm." He Li'an reminded him, "Seat belt."

Yu An fastened his seat belt, only then noticing that He Li'an was not wearing his uniform. "Are we just going to sit in the car and talk?"

He Li'an did not look at him, his tone even. "I'm taking you to school."

Yu An asked, "Has the money arrived?"

He Li'an's jaw instantly tightened. "Why did you settle the money so clearly?"

"It should have been settled clearly in the first place." Yu An looked at him openly.

In the first place, it should have been.

He said it as though it were perfectly natural.

He Li'an choked on a breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Yu An, I want to hear the real answer."

Yu An froze for a moment, then turned to stare indifferently ahead and fell silent.

He Li'an's words made him feel as though he had been seen through, and it unsettled him.

He could have told some ambiguous lies to throw He Li'an off and regain his inner calm, but He Li'an was not someone easily fooled. At a time like this, the more he said, the more mistakes he would make. Silence was better.

The car suddenly sped up considerably.

Thinking of the previous car accident, Yu An grew nervous. "Stop the car."

The car did not slow down.

Yu An shouted, "He Li'an!"

This time, the car finally slowed and gradually pulled over to the side of the road.

The moment the car came to a stop, Yu An tried to open the door and get out, but He Li'an locked the doors first.

He turned angrily toward the man who had locked the car doors. "What are you doing?"

"Why?" He Li'an's dark eyes were completely calm, looking no different from calm.

But that was only how they looked.

Yu An had a feeling that if He Li'an did not get the real answer, he would not let him out of the car.

But what did that have to do with him?

It was not as if he had to accept He Li'an's coercion.

Yu An's emotions calmed at once. He slowly took out his notebook and began reciting formulas.

He Li'an's hand on the steering wheel slowly tightened, with such force that his knuckles turned white.

The car was filled with Yu An's voice reciting formulas. After listening for a while, He Li'an somehow found a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and handed it to Yu An.

Yu An was indeed a little thirsty. He took it and drank a large mouthful before saying, "Thank you."

He Li'an gave a mocking laugh. "Should I say you're welcome too?"

Yu An said seriously, "You don't have to."

After all, he knew He Li'an was a good person. It did not matter if he was occasionally impolite.

This time, He Li'an was truly angered into laughter. "Sit properly."

Yu An screwed the cap back on and obediently adjusted his posture. He Li'an then started the car again.

He secretly glanced at He Li'an, then turned to look at the scenery outside the window.

He had won.

He was a little happy.

He Li'an casually turned his head and saw Yu An happily tapping his toes. For a moment, he did not know whether to be angry or laugh.

He had no idea what Yu An was trying to accomplish by transferring the money to him.

But he could not do anything about Yu An.

When they arrived at school, Song Yuechi caught Yu An the moment he got out of the car.

He circled Yu An and clicked his tongue twice. "Who was it that said yesterday, 'I don't plan to like him anymore'?"

Yu An said, "Me."

Song Yuechi: "..." He really did not need to be that honest.

After thinking about it, Yu An still explained, "We were only talking about the money."

"What money?"

"The money he spent buying things for me. I calculated it and paid him back."

Song Yuechi was shocked. "Do you have to be this ruthless? Are you really planning to make a clean break with him?"