NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 37:
Chapter 37: Giving Each Other a Chance:
After dinner, it was already past 8 p.m. They had spent the entire afternoon together. Although there wasn’t much conversation, their time together was pleasant.
As they left the restaurant, Qin Luo, out of politeness, said, “Let me get a cab and take you home.”
Ji Yan shook her head. “My house is pretty close. It’s only a ten-minute walk.”
“Then no need for a cab. I’ll walk with you.” Qin Luo offered.
Ji Yan seemed hesitant, but then she nodded. “Okay.”
The glowing lights intermingled, making the night in the city even more enchanting than the day.
Some were taking a break from their busy 996 work schedule, while others were just getting off work.
Buses alternated between stopping and leaving, and the lights intertwined with the green leaves of early summer, brushing past every pedestrian.
A group of young, stylish girls walked arm in arm, holding milk tea or Starbucks coffee, constantly changing poses as they took selfies, radiating youthful energy.
A chic city woman caught the attention of a bespectacled guy, causing him to walk into a lamppost and nearly fall.
A couple passed by a snack shop, with the girl pointing at it and saying something. The guy, with a helpless but affectionate smile, accompanied her inside.
There was also an elderly couple. The grandmother sat in a wheelchair, looking dazed, while the grandfather pushed her along with a big yellow dog on a leash. They stood on the other side of the street, waiting for the traffic light to change. The old man occasionally bent down to speak to his wife, a calm and gentle smile on his face.
Qin Luo and Ji Yan walked side by side, their steps slow.
Though they seemed like a couple, an invisible barrier seemed to keep them apart, preventing any conversation.
Finally, Ji Yan stopped in front of a gated community. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m home.”
Qin Luo nodded calmly. “Okay.”
Ji Yan didn’t leave immediately. She looked up at Qin Luo, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. As Qin Luo was about to turn and leave, she finally spoke up, her voice trembling slightly.
“I… I actually want to apologize to you.”
Qin Luo stopped and turned back. “If it’s about what happened at the basketball court yesterday, you don’t have to…”
“It’s not about that,” Ji Yan interrupted, her face slightly red with embarrassment. “It’s about before.”
“Why apologize for that?” Qin Luo asked.
Ji Yan took a deep breath, her eyes downcast. “You confessed to me so many times before, but I never accepted.”
“My initial refusals were out of habit. I’m used to rejecting and distancing myself from others. It’s part of my personality and also because of how my mother raised me. But I don’t blame her; she did it for my good.”
“But because of that, I developed this personality. At first, I thought you were like everyone else who approached me, but then I realized you were different.”
“I don’t know when it started, but I got used to your confessions. Even though I acted indifferent, I actually cared a lot.”
“Sometimes, when your confession was late, I’d get inexplicably anxious, constantly looking out the window, wondering if you had given up.”
“When it was windy or rainy, I’d worry you’d stubbornly come looking for me and hope you’d at least know to take shelter.”
“I thought these feelings were just empathy, but a few days ago, when you said you were giving up, I realized that actually, I…”
Her voice trailed off, perhaps due to modesty or shyness, unable to finish her sentence. She cautiously looked up and met Qin Luo’s gentle gaze, seeing his warm smile.
This smile seemed to give Ji Yan courage. She took another deep breath and said firmly, “I want to apologize for the times I hurt you, and I don’t want our relationship to end here. I hope… we can give each other a chance.”
She finished and looked at Qin Luo intently. Her long eyelashes trembled, her fair hands clenched tightly, and her eyes remained fixed on him, her entire being expressing her nervousness.
[You have gained +1 endurance]
[You have gained +1 gaming skill]
[You have gained +1 cooking skill]
[You have gained 50,000 yuan]
[You have gained an opportunity to create a perfect painting]
Qin Luo looked at her quietly, then suddenly raised his hand. To Ji Yan’s surprise, he gently brushed her messy bangs from her forehead.
“I didn’t really understand today’s movie. Let’s watch another one next time,” he said. Then he pointed to the little girl sculpture in Ji Yan’s hand. “Be careful not to lose it.”
Ji Yan was momentarily stunned, but her eyes soon brightened, and she seemed to relax, a weight lifted off her shoulders. “Okay,” she said firmly.
Qin Luo smiled. “Alright, go home now.”
“I will. You too… goodnight.” Ji Yan said, turning to leave. She didn’t notice that as she walked, she seemed like a happy little girl, occasionally bouncing with joy.
Humming a cheerful tune, Ji Yan made her way home.
When she reached her door, she took a deep breath to calm her inexplicable excitement before entering.
“Mom, I’m home,” she called softly but received no response.
She wasn’t surprised, as the house was usually empty when she returned. Her mother would be back soon, claiming she had been out for a walk. Ji Yan never questioned this and had grown accustomed to it.
She hurried to the bathroom to remove her light makeup and then returned to her bedroom. She placed the little girl sculpture on her desk, crossed her hands on the table, and rested her chin on them, tilting her head to look at the sculpture.
Scenes from her day with Qin Luo flashed through her mind, finally settling on the moment he gently brushed her bangs aside.
Unconsciously, Ji Yan smiled sweetly.