Ling Xi shuddered violently, then seemed to freeze, caught in a shock he could not put into words.
"Y-you, what did you say?"
Ji Ting withdrew his gaze indifferently without answering his question. "Friedrich Nietzsche once said that demanding someone else's love is the greatest arrogance."
"But you don't just demand that others love you. You also assume they'll bow their heads and wait, day after day, for you to grace them with your favor."
At that, Ji Ting looked at him again, his emotionless gaze seeming to see through everything. "You just said you wanted to be with me, but you look as though you've suffered some tremendous injustice and resentment. There isn't a trace of the joy of being with someone you love."
"I..." Ling Xi's voice trembled, every word seeming to be forced from his throat. "I'm not resentful. I-I just didn't sleep well last night."
"From the perspective of human physiology, a brief lack of sleep doesn't prevent romantic feelings from stirring. Your claim that you didn't sleep well is merely an excuse."
Ling Xi's lashes trembled uncontrollably as he looked at the calm, composed Ji Ting. This person, with whom he had once spent every day in intimate closeness, now seemed utterly unfamiliar.
His appearance had not changed at all, yet his tone and the way he looked at Ling Xi made him question whether they had ever truly been close.
The more Ling Xi thought about it, the more it hurt, until a bitter ache rose in his throat. "Ji Ting, why? Why have you become like this?"
Ji Ting's expression remained cold as he spoke unhurriedly. "Do you think I've changed because I really am different from the Ji Ting I used to be, or because I no longer give you whatever you