You Are Like the Bright Moon, Beyond Reach.

"Look over there! Another fellow with a death wish is confessing to Mo Yuqing!"

"That guy doesn't look bad at all, though. He's totally my type."

"He's not bad, but look at who the girl is! She's gorgeous, and her family is loaded. Don't bother watching, it's never gonna work out."

"I heard they've known each other forever, and he's been chasing her for ages. Sigh, simp all you want, but you end up with nothing in the end."

Hangcheng was only just entering early spring at this time, and all the plants were just beginning to sprout tender buds. The surroundings looked somewhat desolate, yet even on such a barren-looking athletic field, a crowd of onlookers had gathered in a circle.

Faced with the sneers and jeers from around him, Chen Lu simply listened in silence. He knew very well that he was just entertainment right now.

He stood on the field holding a bouquet of roses, looking at the young girl walking toward him—the most gorgeous girl recognized by the entire school, and the one he had pursued for a full seven years, Mo Yuqing.

The weather was still somewhat cold, and the chilly breeze kept blowing against Chen Lu's flushed cheeks, stirring Mo Yuqing's waterfall-like black hair and milk-white long dress.

As if temperature had zero effect on a creature like a girl, her collar still revealed her pretty collarbones and snow-white, smooth neck.

Mo Yuqing's expression was detached, her lips pressed slightly together, and a pair of extremely pretty almond-shaped eyes resembled shimmering autumn water, making it impossible for anyone to look away.

The heavens had stinglessly bestowed upon her an exquisite and aloof face, making every movement of her brows and lips deeply moving.

Chen Lu let out a breath and walked forward slowly. In truth, he didn't want to make a public confession, feeling that doing so was a lot like moral blackmail.

Yet he wanted even less to let Mo Yuqing brush it off again.

That's right, pulling a stunt like this puts a lot of pressure on the person receiving the confession.

However, Mo Yuqing, you wouldn't feel it.

You are the unattainable in everyone's eyes, the bright moon surrounded by the stars. The people you've rejected could probably form a line stretching outside the school gates, right?

No matter how "worthless" the failed confessions were, they would all become stepping stones for your continued elevation.

Sure enough, just as he had anticipated, seeing the crowd of onlookers growing denser, Mo Yuqing still wore an utterly indifferent expression-except that because this suitor happened to be him, her brows furrowed slightly more than usual.

"How long... have you been chasing me?"

Mo Yuqing asked, her cold and distant voice entering Chen Lu's ears alongside the chilly wind.

"Today makes it exactly seven years."

She didn't make Chen Lu speak first, and Chen Lu tacitly refrained from shouting out loud that he liked her in public, because... this was already his second confession.

The last time was back in high school, when Mo Yuqing said she wanted to focus on her studies, and Chen Lu expressed his understanding.

Then he let go of his yearning for other cities and came to the same university.

Ever since he discovered that their relationship hadn't changed in the slightest even after arriving at university, Chen Lu actually already had his answer in his heart.

If there were truly mutual feelings, the pace of getting together would be very fast. If a single man and a single woman had known each other for years without making any progress, it meant that anything between them was basically impossible.

What's more, although he had pursued her for a full seven years, the two of them had known each other since they were very little.

They were true childhood sweethearts.

So right now he simply wanted to reach a conclusion, to draw a period at the end of seven years where he had humbled himself like a dog and rejoiced over just the tiniest bit of response.

To be worthy of you, I've also worked hard for seven years.

Seven years is simply too long, Miss Mo. I get tired, too.

This time, it's about time to settle our inexplicable relationship once and for all, right?

Finally, Mo Yuqing parted her vermilion lips, pulling Chen Lu's thoughts back.

"That's right... seven years, Chen Lu."

Her demeanor was detached, her tone icy.

"It's been this long, and you still haven't sensed that I don't like you at all?

Let's just keep being friends.

If you bring this up again, we won't even be able to be friends."

Chen Lu looked up at the gloomy sky with unexpected calmness. "Be friends? And then stand by your side watching you be with other people, watching you get married and have kids in the future? Mo Yuqing, I like you, but I'm not that pathetic."

Mo Yuqing didn't say anything more. After sweeping a cold gaze across the circle, she turned and left, leaving Chen Lu with nothing but a curvaceous yet utterly ruthless back.

"Mo Yuqing! I like you!! I've liked you for a full seven years!!" Chen Lu watched her departing figure, shouting loudly regardless of the gazes around him.

Just as the crowd instantly began to buzz with discussion, he spoke slowly again with a self-deprecating smile: "But I won't anymore..."

Instantly he turned and walked away, turning his back to the crowd, solitary and utterly desolate.

Like a gambler who had lost everything, losing thoroughly.

Chen Lu suddenly discovered that besides sorrow, he also felt a release akin to a sigh of relief.

"I don't like you" sounds very simple, but in reality it is an even harder chasm to cross than family background, appearance, or incompatible personalities.

Other things can be worked on through effort, but not liking someone just means not liking them.

Thinking of these things, Chen Lu squeezed out a smile for Jiang Chao, who was waiting for him.

This was his good brother and sworn son. Because he somehow possessed a somewhat pugilistic air and would bring breakfast to his dormmates every morning after the morning run, Chen Lu and the others jokingly called him "boss".

"The better ones are still ahead!" Jiang Chao comforted him by throwing an arm around his shoulder. "You know what? We didn't even prepare to celebrate because, win or lose, it's not that you're unworthy of her, but that she's unworthy of you!"

Chen Lu glanced at the many party poppers that had just been tossed into the trash can. He smiled and said nothing. "Later, let's hand these roses out to the kids on the street. It'd be a waste otherwise. Little kids would probably love them."

"See? I told you. With a personality like yours, who wouldn't be happy being with you?"

Jiang Chao said with a look of disdain, "And it's not like you're lacking in other ways, either.

"Tell me, what's not good about you? Does she really think that being pretty means she'll never have any troubles? Whenever she ran into a problem, weren't you there after just one phone call? And didn't you solve everything for her? If I were a woman, I'd drag you off to get our marriage license."

"Enough, enough. If you hadn't said that last part, I'd actually have been touched."

Chen Lu scanned the area, then asked, "What about those two who went missing?"

"Those two idiots had something come up. They can pay for drinks later. Come on, I'll take you out to clear your head." With that, Jiang Chao took Chen Lu and headed out of the school gate.

The sky was gradually darkening. The streetlights along the road came on one by one, and plenty of vendors had gathered outside the school gate.

Little light bulbs glowed brightly atop their modified tricycles, with plenty of tiny bugs buzzing around them. Fragrant steam kept rising from the oil in the frying pans.

These varied street-food stalls had kept who knew how many college students alive-students who couldn't stand the food in the dining hall.

Looking at Chen Lu's grief-stricken expression, Jiang Chao advised him in a low voice, "You've known each other for so long. If she really liked you, she would've said yes by now... Stop putting yourself through this. You're such a smart person, Chen Lu."

Why couldn't he stop being stubborn about this, of all things?

Chen Lu stared blankly into the distance, the corner of his mouth lifting in a complicated smile. "I'm done chasing her."

Those three words took everything he had left in him. Relief hid endless sorrow.

"Really done chasing her?"

"I traded half my life for this awakening. If I even look back once, I deserve to die."