Zhou Yuanhang buried his face in his palms, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
Only after a long while did he draw a deep breath and begin:
"When we first arrived at the banquet last night, Cheng Hui was perfectly normal. We went to the long table together and had dinner. Later... later, she had some wine and pulled me aside to talk! I... knew she had feelings for me, but I didn't-I didn't like her that way! As she became more and more direct, I deliberately avoided her and went to talk to other people!
"Later, by the living room window, she came over with red eyes, as if she'd made up her mind... and confessed her feelings to me! I was flustered, but also a little angry... She just had to bring it up in our foreign friends' home, putting me in an impossible position! I didn't want to embarrass her in front of those foreigners!
"A girl named Anna was standing nearby, and, to my surprise, she understood what Cheng Hui meant! She said, 'You're so romantic! I wish you both happiness!' Cheng Hui seemed almost possessed at that point. She didn't correct her and even said shyly, 'Brother Zhou, look! Even our foreign friend is giving us her blessing!'
"I... I don't know what I was thinking then. Maybe it was partly my male pride, but anyway, I felt extremely uncomfortable, as though I was being guilted into accepting her!
"So-so my expression turned cold, and I rejected her in no uncertain terms! Right in front of her, I even told Anna... 'You've misunderstood! I've never had feelings for her!'
"Cheng Hui's... face changed immediately! I saw her eyes turn red, and she turned and hurried out through the balcony toward the garden! I-I regretted it almost at