Chapter 25: Before You Come Back

He Ting froze for a moment, slowly rubbing the cup in his hands before asking, “Can you give me a reason?”

Zhang Xiaojing looked at him, a trace of barely noticeable sadness in his eyes. “Because it’s impossible between us. Is that reason enough?”

He Ting neither agreed nor disagreed. Instead, he asked seriously, “But you haven’t even tried. How can you be sure it’s impossible?”

Zhang Xiaojing fell silent. His lips parted several times, but no sound came out.

He was struggling, hesitating. He Ting didn’t rush him, just waited patiently.

“Three years ago, my father fell seriously ill,” Zhang Xiaojing finally said softly. “Our family wasn’t well-off. Even if we sold the house, we still couldn’t afford the medical expenses.”

He Ting listened quietly. He didn’t know why Zhang Xiaojing started with this, but the sadness on his face told him it was important.

Zhang Xiaojing gave a bitter smile, paused, then continued, “I sold myself to a man for three years. He gave me three million… but my father still couldn’t be saved.”

He Ting tightened his grip on the cup.

“In fact, I always knew the illness was incurable,” Zhang Xiaojing went on.

“But I still made that choice. I couldn’t just watch my father suffer. I was afraid I’d regret it forever… but later…”

The color drained from his face. “Later, my father found out about it by accident. He was furious… and soon after…”

He let out a breath, lowered his eyes, and fell into a long silence.

He Ting placed his hand over Zhang Xiaojing’s tightly clenched fingers. They were cold, trembling slightly.

“Now you understand, right?” Zhang Xiaojing looked up at him with a faint smile. “You understand why I’m not worthy of him?”

He Ting pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

The story was short, and Zhang Xiaojing remained calm aside from his pale face, but that only made it more painful.

“So, will you help me now?” Zhang Xiaojing asked again.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” He Ting said softly, feeling a pang of sorrow. “You should tell Su Bei directly.”

“You think I haven’t?” Zhang Xiaojing gave a helpless half-smile. “I told him right away, but he…”

“But he doesn’t care, right?” He Ting asked.

Zhang Xiaojing took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips without lighting it. The faint smell of tobacco seemed to calm him.

“I won’t be with him,” he said.

He Ting slowly sipped his milk tea. It had gone a bit cold, no longer pleasant.

“I just want to ask you one thing,” he said. “Do you like him?”

Before Zhang Xiaojing could answer, he added firmly, “You do, don’t you?”

Zhang Xiaojing smiled and shook his head. “I’ve already made myself clear.”

“You only said you’re not worthy,” He Ting insisted. “But everyone has a past. Who decides what ‘worthy’ means? Su Bei doesn’t care about those things. Why can’t you at least try before deciding?”

Zhang Xiaojing’s gaze shifted slightly, as if looking at a child too well protected.

“Su Bei may not care, but what about his family?” he said. “Even if I were a girl, the Su family would investigate me thoroughly.”

He stopped there.

He Ting was stunned. He had never thought that far. Maybe because he had grown up without family. Or maybe because people their age were supposed to be reckless.

He had always believed that if two people loved each other, they could simply be together.

He fell silent, unable to argue, yet knowing Zhang Xiaojing was right.

The cigarette filter was deformed from being bitten between Zhang Xiaojing’s thin lips. He was still waiting for an answer.

He Ting’s palms were sweaty, but he still said softly, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”

Zhang Xiaojing tugged at his lips, pulled the cigarette out, and tossed it into the trash. Then he leaned forward, hands on the table, looking down at He Ting.

“What about you?” he asked. “What would you do? If you knew you’d be humiliated, knew you’d gain nothing, knew you’d end up hurt and broken, would you still have the courage to try?”

He Ting stared at him blankly. Scenes of everything between him and Gu Qiuhang flashed rapidly through his mind. What right did he have to judge Zhang Xiaojing?

A ripple rose in his heart, growing into a storm.

“I would!” he said firmly.

The roar inside him was so loud he couldn’t even hear his own voice clearly, yet he had never been more certain of what he meant.

Zhang Xiaojing was stunned, lips pressed tight as he looked at him. His lips moved, but He Ting didn’t catch what he said.

At that moment, something inside He Ting ignited. All his past worries disappeared. He realized, it could really be that simple.

Su Bei returned. In the height of summer, even just unloading books from the car twice had soaked his shirt with sweat.

Zhang Xiaojing stood up to organize the shelves. Su Bei took the chance to lean in, smiling brightly. “So? What do you think of him?”

His eyes sparkled with expectation and a boyish pride.

He Ting smiled softly. “He’s great.”

Su Bei flicked his forehead playfully. “If you’d said otherwise, I would’ve cursed Gu Qiuhang ten times.”

“Huh?” He Ting laughed, then said slowly, “He really is great.”

Evening fell, the sky dim and hazy.

Gu Qiuhang swam a few laps in the pool to shake off the summer heat, then wiped the water from his face and rested against the pool wall.

Someone entered the water across from him.

Gu Qiuhang blinked away the droplets on his lashes and saw a figure, pale skin, dark hair.

He swam toward the person, who swam toward him in return, arms opening underwater.

The light beneath the surface was dim, but he could see the gesture clearly.

Gu Qiuhang paused for a moment, then swam faster, rushing toward him.

Closer and closer…

A smile curved his lips underwater.

But just before they touched, his expression changed. The smile faded.

When the person’s hand brushed his waist, Gu Qiuhang pushed him away lightly. With the buoyancy of the water, they separated quickly.

He surfaced, slicking his wet hair back, water dripping from his lashes.

Breathing heavily, his gaze turned cold as it fixed on the other person.

It was Meng Ling.

Looking at that face, seven parts resembling He Ting, he felt a surge of disgust.

Not him. No matter how similar, it wasn’t him.

Even without seeing clearly, he could tell it wasn’t him.

Gu Qiuhang turned and climbed out of the pool, leaving Meng Ling behind, pale and breathless.

Like a mermaid rising from the water, under the dim light, his fragile beauty was almost unsettling.

He Ting got out of the car and took several deep breaths at the gate.

He walked faster and faster, until he was nearly running.

Night had fallen, streetlights flickering on. Even the daytime cicadas had quieted, as if the world held only him.

He rushed into the hall, taking the stairs two at a time, his heart racing wildly.

Gu Qiuhang pushed open the door with his suitcase just as He Ting ran up, drenched in sweat.

It was the first time he’d seen him so flustered.

They both froze.

He Ting braced his hands on his knees, panting, eyes fixed on the suitcase.

“Gu Qiuhang, where are you going?”

It was the first time he had called him by name. It sounded unexpectedly good. He couldn’t help but smile.

Gu Qiuhang kept his emotions hidden in his eyes, as if he hadn’t noticed.

“I’m going to Australia for a while. There’s a problem with the branch there.”

“Oh…” He Ting straightened, sweat glistening at his temples.

His cheeks were flushed from running, his eyes unusually bright, like they held stars, like flames were burning within.

“In such a hurry? Is something wrong?” Gu Qiuhang stepped closer, lowering his head to look at him, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead with his thumb.

His movements were soft, his eyes carrying a faint smile.

He Ting looked at him, trying to steady his breathing, but his heart beat even faster.

“Yes… I have something I want to tell you.”

Gu Qiuhang glanced at the time. “Is ten minutes enough? My flight is in an hour.”

He Ting opened his mouth. After a moment, he said, “It’s not urgent. I’ll tell you when you come back.”

Ten minutes wasn’t enough. He wanted to talk for ten hours, ten days, ten years… or more.

He didn’t want to rush. He wanted them to take their time.

Gu Qiuhang nodded. “Alright.”

He walked past him. He Ting watched his back.

Today, he dressed simply, like an ordinary college student.

“Sir!” He Ting called again.

Gu Qiuhang turned back. “Hmm? I’ve left Uncle Chen here. If you need anything, go to him. I’ll send you my number once I arrive. If you can’t reach me, call my assistant, I’ll send that too.”

He Ting’s throat tightened.

“I just wanted to ask… when will you be back?”

Gu Qiuhang looked at him, lips curling slightly.

“Before school starts.”

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