Chapter 35: I Like You

He told himself not to like her, and she, being considerate, stopped disturbing him. Even though she couldn’t let go in a short time, she believed that time would heal everything. One day, when they could chat again, she would be able to talk about this unrequited love without hiding anything and be able to calmly watch him holding someone else’s hand and smiling, offering her blessings.

But not now, and not today.

Right now, she just wanted to leave quickly, afraid that those delusions would resurface and deceive herself.

She and Zhou Shubei were from two different worlds.

He was free-spirited, while she was ordinary and monotonous. He was outstanding among the crowd, while she was barely managing to survive. Things that he could easily accomplish, she had to work hard to achieve, step by step, struggling to climb the ladder and reach the door.

When she found out about his family setting him up with someone, she should have put away any unrealistic thoughts.

Zhou Shubei had already done enough to be considerate. His rejection was polite, so she stopped asking, because the answer wouldn’t change.

“Goodbye.”

She turned and left, her steps firm, not looking back.

Zhou Shubei instinctively reached out to grab Jian Li, but missed. A sharp pain pierced deep in his heart, a mix of confusion and anxiety spreading inside him.

Is this what he wanted?

He asked himself in his heart.

From now on, they would be strangers. Maybe on some day in the future, he would see her standing next to someone else, smiling at them, or perhaps, in a few years, she would need to recall who he was.

That figure gradually walked farther away, and Zhou Shubei clenched his fist, his face tense, holding himself back from chasing after her. But the next second, Jian Li’s pace suddenly quickened, and with a speed that he couldn’t react to, she disappeared from his sight.

All the emotional defenses in his heart instantly crumbled. His legs were more honest than his brain.

The campus in the afternoon was bustling with people. The broadcast station was playing Jay Chou’s songs as usual, and passersby unknowingly started singing along. Behind her, she could hear Zhou Shubei calling her, but she didn’t look back, switching from a brisk walk to a run.

Zhou Shubei didn’t expect her to take off like she was running a 100-meter sprint. He rolled up his sleeves and chased after her.

He caught up with her just before the road ended and grabbed the girl who was running like a rabbit.

“I still have something to say.” Zhou Shubei was out of breath.

Jian Li tried to break free but failed. “What is it?”

She had her back to him. Zhou Shubei suddenly remembered that on New Year’s Eve, she had tried so hard not to cry, escaping as if she was fleeing. When he found her, she was crouched on the ground, silently crying, hugging her knees.

Everything around them was silent, not even the wind made a sound, but she didn’t make a single noise, as if she had mastered the skill of crying silently. Only her trembling shoulders told him how much she was hurting.

She didn’t cry for long, maybe a minute or two, then stood up and casually wiped away her tears, as if nothing had happened, looking up at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

“Happy New Year.”

He stood there, watching her leave, only leaving when he saw her safely enter the dormitory. The snow kept falling harder, as if it was going to cover all the marks of last year. He held her jacket in his hand and felt a little cold.

He had rejected many people before, with different reactions—some cursed, some cried, some left in a graceful manner. His heart had remained unaffected, but that day, for the first time, he felt a little regret.

Regret for being clear, regret for saying those words. That feeling slowly gnawed at him, and after seeing two other people appear around Jian Li, it had completely consumed him.

He didn’t want to let go.

Zhou Shubei loosened his grip on her hand a little but didn’t let go. “I’m sorry.”

Jian Li froze for a moment. “What?”

“I’m not as good as you think I am. What you see now is just the surface of me. I’m not a good person; I’m just wearing a pretty title.” His voice was slow, as if he wanted her to hear every word clearly. “Do you like the Zhou Shubei from a few years ago who helped you in the alley, or do you like the Zhou Shubei you’ve seen recently?”

Jian Li turned around. “What are you trying to say? Do you think I’m just relying on you because I was hurt, and now I see you as a source of comfort? Or is it your good looks and carefree attitude that made me admire you because of a ‘love for the strong’ mentality?”

“I’ll tell you, it’s neither.” Jian Li looked into his eyes. Since he already knew, there was no need to hide it or be embarrassed, so she decided to be straightforward. “I like Zhou Shubei as a person. It’s undeniable that there’s an element of ‘admiring the strong,’ but that’s just an additional factor. I like how confident and assertive you are on the basketball court, I like that you always keep your promises, I like your attention to detail, and it seems like there’s nothing in this world that can defeat you. But I also feel sorry for your loneliness, for your losses, and I want to make you a little happier.”

“These are all parts of Zhou Shubei, and it’s because of him that I like him and see these qualities in him.” Jian Li continued, “Even if I only see a third of him, because he is Zhou Shubei, I will love the other two-thirds as well.”

Zhou Shubei stood still for several seconds, the softest part of his heart being gently pressed. Gradually, his eyes began to shine.

He stepped forward, pulling her into his arms.

The fragrance of sandalwood filled the air, his warm chest pressed against the side of her face, his hands around her, one holding her back and the other gently cradling her neck. Jian Li felt his chin resting on her head, the perfect height difference that made the embrace comfortable without needing to tiptoe.

Her heartbeat quickened, like fireworks exploding in the sky during the New Year, and her hanging hands didn’t know where to go. She could only remain stiff in his arms.

“Are you sure?” Zhou Shubei’s voice came from above her.

Jian Li felt her eyes burn with tears. She was afraid of being too self-deluded. “What do you mean now?”

“Give me a chance,” Zhou Shubei’s voice was soft, “to be with you.”

The emotions were like a rollercoaster, and before he said this, Jian Li had already imagined many possibilities, just like the awkward scenarios she had once imagined on the server. But what awaited her was completely unexpected.

She pulled away from his embrace and looked up at him. “Why?”

She had to ask clearly, why did he want to be with her, why after rejecting her earlier, he now said this. Was it because he was used to it? Or was there another reason?

Zhou Shubei looked down at her. “Because I like you.”

“Before, I rejected you because I was afraid you only liked the surface of me. I wanted to stay away from you, and I wanted you to stay away from me, but I realized I couldn’t do it.” Zhou Shubei tucked a stray hair behind her ear and smiled with a touch of self-mockery. “It’s a bit melodramatic, but I was afraid that if I got something, I’d lose it.”

Afraid that once there was hope, when he thought he could have it, it would suddenly be taken away.

Like when his mother and grandmother passed away.

Jian Li held his hand, as if giving him strength. “It won’t happen.”

Those two words fell heavily into Zhou Shubei’s heart, and all the uncertainty at that moment was settled. He tightly held her hand in return, his tone serious, officially confessing, “Jian Li, I like you.”