Chapter 59

Xiao Yan showed Lin ChuSui his abs, but Lin ChuSui went back on her word and even blocked him directly. For a long time after that, she ignored him completely.

With the Spring Festival approaching, Lin ChuSui was busy with many police tasks. She didn't have time to think about Xiao Yan at all.

However, her mentality had changed a bit. Even Lin ChuSui's colleagues at the police station said she looked spirited and cheerful recently, she must have met with some happy event.

Qin Nai also noticed her change, and would make sarcastic remarks to provoke her from time to time, but Lin ChuSui couldn't be bothered.

During the Spring Festival holiday when she went back home, her middle school classmates from Class B at Nancheng No.1 Middle School organized a reunion at Xiting Club, a place they were all familiar with.

"Why did you guys choose this place?" Lin ChuSui asked Lu TianBai beside her, "Even the private rooms are the same, it feels like you just turned eighteen yesterday."

Lu TianBai majored in German in university and now worked at a foreign company as a simultaneous interpreter. She had completely shed her silly and timid image from her school days and now exuded an elite aura.

After that unrequited "crush" in the past, she had also grown up quickly and made herself more outstanding, with no lack of pursuers around her.

"Yeah, because it's an old place, it has memories." Lu TianBai said with a smile, "Picking here for the reunion is meaningful, we can reminisce about our youth."

"Are you sure everything that night is a fond memory?" Lin ChuSui glanced at Xu JiaNing in the corner, "This place might evoke someone's dark history."

Xu JiaNing was playing dice games with Zhang ChengYu and the others. Gone was his aloofness from his student days, his temperament had become much softer and he blended in easily.

Over the years, Xiao Qian had changed him a lot.

He wasn't so arrogant anymore.

"Is JiaNing going to get married soon?"

"Yeah, he and his sister have always had a great relationship."

In the years Xu JiaNing stayed in Nancheng for university, his bond with Xiao Qian had grown seamless. The two were so close it was like they had become one person. Even after five years, they were still as lovey-dovey as when they first started dating.

Not long ago, when Lin ChuSui accompanied them to an amusement park, she even let them feed her dog food. Xu JiaNing kept calling "Sister, sister", sounding all mushy and sticky as he clung to her like a little puppy.

Lin ChuSui whispered to Lu TianBai, "Don't tell me you still like him?"

"No way, I have a boyfriend now."

Lu TianBai took out her phone and showed Lin ChuSui a photo of her with a guy: "See, he's my senior from university."

Looking at the photo, the boy was clean-cut with sunny good looks.

Just Lu TianBai's type.

"Not bad, your boyfriend is handsome."

"I know right."

Lu Chi asked Lin ChuSui, "I heard you got back together with the school genius?"

"Don't say such cryptic things in front of Officer Lin." Lu Chi came over with a laugh and asked Lin ChuSui, "I heard you rekindled things with the school genius?"

Lin ChuSui frowned. "Who told you guys that?"

"The school genius who disappeared for years recently posted something on Moments." Lu Chi said with a grin, "You didn't know?"

"How would I know."

Lin ChuSui had ruthlessly deleted him already.

Lu Chi handed over his phone. Indeed, Xiao Yan rarely posted anything on Moments, with only three posts total.

One was "I'm sorry" after the fire incident.

Another was on the day they became official, under the floral arches at Xiang Li Xiang Café, he posted a lyric: "It feels a lot like summer." The third post was half a month ago, the day they reunited. At 2am, he posted:

"Deleted me again."

...

Looking at his Moments posts, Lin ChuSui didn't know what to say.

"The stars tonight are not like last night's, for whom does the wind and dew stand in the deep of night?" Lu Chi clicked his tongue and lamented, "The school genius posting melancholic literature on Moments at 2am, makes you wonder who he's sleepless for huh."

Lin ChuSui didn't want to respond, she put down her phone to calm herself.

These three Moments posts spanned his entire youth, and each seemed to be related to her.

She knew Xiao Yan loved her, loved her a lot. She loved him deeply too.

Their feelings for each other far surpassed ordinary couples. Their bond transcended life and death, containing the love of kin...

But after he disappeared for so many years without a trace, it still left Lin ChuSui full of lingering doubts.

These five years were really hard to let go.

...

Soon, a uniformed man came into the private room with a smile and said, "Lively bunch here, just a routine inspection to check for illegal gatherings or drugs."

Everyone looked at each other, then towards Lin ChuSui.

Seeing the person was Qin Nai, Lin ChuSui was a bit speechless.

On her day off, Qin Nai had asked about her plans for the holidays. Lin ChuSui casually mentioned a class reunion, she didn't expect him to actually tag along.

"Qin Nai, you're that free?"

"I'm very busy." Qin Nai scanned the room, and upon seeing no one he "disliked", finally felt assured. "Coming here to inspect is just routine."

"You're just an intern, what routine inspections?"

Qin Nai was exposed, he couldn't keep up pretenses, so he went to sit next to Lin ChuSui. "I was just...afraid Teacher Lin would get tricked again."

"That's none of your business."

Seeing Xiao Yan wasn't here, Qin Nai also felt relieved. He sat for a bit before leaving—

"Alright, nothing wrong with the inspection. You guys keep eating and drinking, I'm gone."

But just as he reached the elevator hall, the elevator doors slowly opened, and the man who brushed past him instantly made his scalp tingle.

Xiao Yan wore a casual shirt. His tall and slender figure especially stood out under the ceiling lights, and his fair skin seemed to glow.

Over the years, Qin Nai would often see videos and photos of him online. His facial features didn't photograph well, but he still amassed a large number of fans for his looks online.

The real life Xiao Yan was much more handsome than his online persona.

"Stop right there." Qin Nai called out to him.

Xiao Yan ignored him completely and walked right by.

"I told you to stop, are you deaf?" Qin Nai caught up and grabbed Xiao Yan's arm. "Can't hear me?"

Only then did Xiao Yan stop and calmly glance at him. "What is it?"

"You still remember me right."

"Why should I remember you?"

Qin Nai's expression darkened. As always, the way he spoke really pissed people off.

"I'm Qin Nai." He said through gritted teeth. "I'm Lin ChuSui's boyfriend."

Only then did Xiao Yan look straight at him and size him up for a bit, before seeming to recognize him. "Oh, it's you."

"What are you doing here?" "Do I need to tell you?"

Qin Nai walked right up to Xiao Yan and twisted his arm back, intending to subdue him with some recently learned grappling moves.

But unexpectedly, Xiao Yan's skills were superior. He not only dodged, but got behind Qin Nai and easily pressed him against the wall.

"Xiao Yan, in the five years you abandoned ChuSui, I was with her. What right do you have to compete with me! When she was injured, I accompanied her; when her aunt had stomach pains, I went to her house to care for her; when she ate hot pot alone, I shamelessly chased after her..."

Qin Nai ground his teeth and said indignantly, "Why should I hand her over to you just because you came back!"

His words made Xiao Yan falter slightly.

Seizing the opening, Qin Nai reversed their positions and threw a fierce punch at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan stumbled back from the blow, his mouth bleeding.

The club's security guards arrived promptly. Seeing Qin Nai in uniform fighting with Xiao Yan, the burly guards immediately grabbed hold of Xiao Yan.

Qin Nai walked over and slapped his face, coldly ridiculing, "I won't fail twice with the same person. You have no chance, she's mine."

"She belongs to herself." Xiao Yan said expressionlessly, "Not even her dad would say something like that, who do you think you are."

Qin Nai was provoked to anger by Xiao Yan again within seconds. He ordered the guards, "This guy is no good, throw him out."

The guards were also intimidated by Qin Nai's uniform and decisively dragged Xiao Yan out of the club.

Xiao Yan was pushed down onto the road by them, looking very disheveled.

Qin Nai was leaning against the door, smoking a cigarette, as if watching a defeated dog, and mocked: "As long as I'm here today, you can forget about getting through this door."

Xiao Yan tidied his collar and calmly said, "Are you sure?"

"I'm telling you plainly, as long as I, Qin Nai, am here, no matter what tricks you try, they're useless!"

The corners of Xiao Yan's thin lips suddenly turned up slightly.

Qin Nai felt a tingling in his heart: "You... what are you smiling at?"

"There's a reason I haven't caught up to her in five years." His eyes were faintly contemptuous: "As immature as ever."

"I may be immature, but I didn't abandon her."

"So what do you have now?"

"What do I have now?"

Xiao Yan looked at him calmly, his gaze making Qin Nai's heart tingle.

"I heard your family is well off, so for the girl you like, you can willfully choose which university and major, and when she's injured or on her period... you can stick to her like glue, and then complacently use your so-called 'deep feelings' to morally bind her, calling her yours - who do you think you are?"

Xiao Yan spoke very calmly, without emotion, but his words cut to the core.

Qin Nai was stunned for a moment, suddenly at a loss for how to respond.

Indeed, all these years, he had never seriously considered the future. He had followed her to university, to her workplace, then moved himself with his persistence, believing that one day, she would be touched by his perseverance.

But so what, he had the financial resources to persist.

"Xiao Yan, you're more eloquent than me, I can't beat you in an argument, but you're still not getting through that door today."

"Is that so?"

Xiao Yan made a phone call, and soon after, the manager of Xuite Club personally came out, smiling -

"Mr. Xiao is here! Please come in, please come in. You should have called ahead, I would have arranged for you!"

He enthusiastically welcomed Xiao Yan inside.

Qin Nai watched incredulously, not understanding what was happening. "Hey, you..."

"Forgot to mention, I had my eye on this club back when I was working odd jobs. Recently got the funding, so I bought the place."

"..."

He looked at Qin Nai and enunciated, "I worked hard and crawled my way out of the mud, and finally made it to her side. What right do you have to block me outside?"

Having said that, Xiao Yan strode inside with large steps.