Jiang Mianmian stared at Ming Yao, whose face was full of anger, as if she had betrayed him by being with another man.

Didn’t he say last time that it would be the last time he came to find her?

Why is he here again…?

Jiang Mianmian was utterly speechless.

“Ming Yao, how can you be so shameless? Last time, you said it would be the final time you came to me, and now here you are again.”

“Or is your memory so poor that you’ve already forgotten what you said?”

Jiang Mianmian’s expression turned cold as she addressed Ming Yao.

As someone “she” had once liked, she knew she had to reject him firmly; otherwise, it would be unfair to Zhou Nanye now.

Zhou Nanye had been in a good mood, but seeing Ming Yao trying to pester Mianmian again made him feel unsettled.

His eyes darkened slightly, and a faint jealousy stirred in his heart.

Yet he didn’t have the standing to reprimand Ming Yao—

He was merely someone secretly in love with Mianmian…

His dark, hidden thoughts could never see the light of day. Right now, he wasn’t worthy of Mianmian.

Ming Yao, on the other hand, looked deeply pained by Jiang Mianmian’s words.

“Jiang Mianmian, must you be so heartless and ruthless?”

“Before, for my birthdays, you always went out of your way to plan elaborate celebrations, gave me thoughtful gifts, and even made me a birthday cake by hand.”

“I don’t believe you’ve really forgotten my birthday now!”

As he mentioned the handmade birthday cake, Ming Yao shot a disdainful glance at Zhou Nanye.

How could a poor transfer student compare to him, someone who had shared over a decade of memories with Mianmian?

Sure enough, when Zhou Nanye heard everything Mianmian had done for Ming Yao in the past, his eyes inevitably dimmed.

He wanted to stay unaffected…

But just thinking about Mianmian made his heart ache.

Yet more than jealousy, Zhou Nanye felt sorrow and anger on Mianmian’s behalf.

She had done so much for Ming Yao…

And Ming Yao clearly hadn’t appreciated any of it.

Jiang Mianmian, on the other hand, sneered as she listened to Ming Yao’s self-righteous declaration about his birthday. She couldn’t help but feel indignant on behalf of the foolish girl she once was.

“Oh, so you remember that it was in the past?”

“Yes, the old me was indeed foolish—planning surprise birthday parties for you days in advance, saving up to buy the gifts you wanted, and even taking the time to learn how to bake a cake from scratch.”

“And what did I get in return? You called it ‘ugly,’ smashed the cake I had painstakingly made over several hours, and walked out on the birthday party I’d spent days planning.”

She let out a cold laugh as she spoke.

Her stunningly beautiful face was mesmerizing, but her words pierced like daggers—

“So, Ming Yao, what makes you think I would keep giving selflessly, without complaint, just waiting for you to turn around?”

“Dream’s over, Ming Yao. The old Jiang Mianmian might have been that naive, but the new Jiang Mianmian won’t be.”

Ming Yao was left in disbelief by Jiang Mianmian’s words, his face filled with pain and shock.

Staggering back a step, he shook his head, unwilling to accept the cruel truth she had just spoken.

“I don’t believe it… You must be lying to me!”

“After all these years, there’s no way you’ve truly stopped liking me!”

“I’ll wait for you—I’ll keep waiting for you to come to my birthday party… I don’t believe you can be this heartless…!”

With that, as if afraid to hear anything else she might say, Ming Yao turned and fled.

The classroom fell into silence.

Some felt pity for Ming Yao, who had only realized too late what he’d lost, while others admired Jiang Mianmian for her clarity—loving with her whole heart and decisively leaving when that love was no longer returned.

Jiang Mianmian, oblivious to her classmates’ thoughts, just felt exhausted.

Talking to Ming Yao, the male protagonist, was such a chore!

As she finally caught her breath, she heard Zhou Nanye, who had been silently brooding beside her, speak in a low, angry voice.

“He… he doesn’t deserve Mianmian…”

“In the f-future, I’ll protect Mianmian…”

Hearing his words, Jiang Mianmian’s spirits instantly lifted.

Her bad mood, brought on by Ming Yao, vanished in an instant.

With a mischievous smile, she looked at the handsome, fair-skinned boy and teased him,

“And under what title…?”