23. In a moment of absent-mindedness.

“So, why did you break up later? Did he stop loving you?”

Yu Yue made a friend abroad named Steven, who was also a fellow international student.

Steven was a nice person, willing to help Yu Yue with anything, but the only downside was that he loved gossip, especially relationship gossip. Almost everyone in the school had been the target of his investigative gossip sessions.

When Yu Yue first arrived at this school, Steven took an interest in him, and according to Steven, Yu Yue had a face that was full of gossip.

Today, while going to class, Steven was once again following Yu Yue, bombarding him with questions about gossip.

Previously, Steven had been pestering Yu Yue about his dating history, asking if he had been in relationships, how many, and what his exes looked like. Yu Yue didn’t want to disclose that information, but unable to withstand the pressure, he reluctantly admitted to having one past relationship that had ended.

Unexpectedly, this revelation greatly piqued Steven’s interest.

In Steven’s words, tragedy was more intriguing than comedy.

So every day, he kept asking Yu Yue why they broke up.

Perhaps because Steven appeared rather simple-minded, or maybe because everyone in the school knew that Steven was working on a script and sought inspiration through gathering relationship gossip, people didn’t take offense at Steven’s actions, and he faced no resistance from those he questioned.

Yu Yue didn’t mind either, but he didn’t want to talk about it.

However, Yu Yue underestimated Steven’s persistence.

Finally, on a day Yu Yue couldn’t remember if it was the third or fourth day of being hounded by Steven, unable to endure any longer, he decided to answer Steven’s question, “Many things happened, so we broke up.”

Upon hearing Yu Yue’s response, Steven immediately ran over to him, pulled out a pen and paper, and exclaimed, “What are these many things?! Tell me in detail! So, these things wore down your relationship? Did you try to salvage it? Why did the attempt to save your relationship fail in the end?”

Yu Yue: “…”

He regretted speaking.

Carrying a book to class, Yu Yue majored in directing. The professor at the podium was screening a film and explaining its shooting techniques. Yu Yue was seated, attentively listening to the lecture. However, without paying attention, Steven sneaked up to him again, whispering a sentence:

“Your ex is outside the classroom.”

Yu Yue was already focused on the class, and when he heard this sentence, it felt like his head had been hit, buzzing. Without considering the truthfulness of this statement (with only a 0.01% chance of being true), he abruptly turned his head to look out through the classroom’s glass window.

However, the other side of the glass was empty.

Yu Yue, belatedly realizing that Steven was playing a trick on him, turned back and saw Steven still laughing, saying, “I’ve done this test many times before. Many people who have broken up before, when they hear me say this, they don’t even bother looking and just say, ‘It’s none of my business.’ You’re the first one to react so dramatically…”

After class, Yu Yue ignored Steven and went straight home. Steven realized he had made a mistake and followed Yu Yue, continuously apologizing.

When they were close to home, Yu Yue suppressed his anger and said to Steven, “This joke isn’t funny.”

“I’m sorry,” Steven said. “I won’t do it again.”

Thinking about his foolish reaction when he turned around, thinking that Xu Yuanzhe had really come, Yu Yue felt more and more stupid. He lowered his head, unlocked the garden gate with his key, and just as he was about to enter, he heard Steven ask behind him, “So, is it possible that your ex might come looking for you?”

Yu Yue replied, “Impossible.”

Because Xu Yuanzhe was out of money, Yu Yue was well aware. Until their breakup, Xu Yuanzhe had no extra money on him. He spent all his money on Yu Yue, paying rent, car loans, and many other aspects of life.

Closing the garden gate, Steven leaned against the railing, “By the way, Yu Yue, are you interested in making a short film with me? Let’s call it ‘About First Love.’ I’ve collected a lot of materials, but I can’t shoot it alone…”

Yu Yue didn’t hear clearly what Steven said.

His gaze passed Steven and fell on the street corner diagonally across not far away.

It seemed like a figure had just turned around.

Like an illusion, it flashed by in the sunlight, quickly disappearing.

But that figure seemed oddly familiar.

Steven tapped on the railing, “Yu Yue?”

Yu Yue snapped out of his thoughts, looking at Steven.

Steven turned his head to look at the opposite street block, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Yue, without realizing it, felt his hand was somewhat cold, squeezing the corner of the railing. For some inexplicable reason, he recalled many things he had deemed impossible before—things that Xu Yuanzhe had actually done.

For example, having a house and a car, although neither can be considered high-end, but he had all the essentials.

In fact, many people at Xu Yuanzhe’s age can’t achieve these things.

However, at the age of twenty, Xu Yuanzhe took on so much, and even Yu Yue didn’t realize that Xu Yuanzhe didn’t need and shouldn’t bear those burdens in the first place.

The warmth and sweetness that Yu Yue enjoyed were exchanged by Xu Yuanzhe through all the ups and downs outside.

Steven wanted to say something more.

Yu Yue, however, pushed open the garden gate.

He walked across the street, ignoring Steven calling from behind, “Hey!”

Yu Yue reached the opposite street block. At the corner, he only saw an empty street, sunlight streaming down, flowing on the street. Occasionally, pedestrians passed by, but none of them were the imagined figure.

Steven caught up, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Yue looked at the street for a long time before muttering, “I must be crazy.”

Otherwise, how could he fantasize about meeting Xu Yuanzhe here?

Yu Yue turned and walked away.

Steven stood bewildered in place.

After a while, he turned back and glanced, but this glance fell on a person not far away on the street.

That person seemed to have just walked out from the corner. There were quite a few people on the street, but he stood out because, like Yu Yue, he had black hair, and his physique was excellent, especially with slightly long hair, exuding a unique beauty.

Steven subconsciously took out the camera he carried.

He opened the camera, captured the scene, and when he wanted to zoom in for a close-up shot of that person, the person looked over.

Steven’s hand trembled, and he almost made eye contact with the person through the camera lens.

Jet black, cool like peppermint.

However, years of filming experience kept Steven calm. He moved the camera lens away, focusing on the scenery instead.

After a while, when he moved the lens back, he found that the person had disappeared.

Gentle, golden sunlight flowed on the street. The scene in front of him was still bustling with people, but for some reason, it seemed particularly lonely through the lens.