That deep sense of humiliation left the usually proud youth utterly embarrassed. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by ⓝovelFire.net "Fellow student, Yaya is my girlfriend, please don’t bother her again in the future, or don’t blame me for being rude." The tone carried a concealed warning. Yan Song just glared fiercely at Yun Ya, "I simply don’t believe it. Don’t think you can fool me with just any man; just you wait, I don’t believe I can’t win your heart." Pei Qinghan scoffed, "It’s truly laughable. Do you think I’m putting on a play?" As he spoke, he tilted Yun Ya’s chin upward, lowered his head, and slowly moved to kiss her lips. Yun Ya watched as his handsome face drew closer and closer... If they were to stage a full performance, Yan Song, being so intelligent, would surely spot it if it weren’t convincing. She should accept the kiss and let him give up completely. But ultimately, she couldn’t go on with it. Turning her head, the man’s kiss missed, and he was momentarily stunned. Yun Ya left first, pulling open the car door and slipping inside. Yan Song raised an eyebrow smugly; he knew she was acting. Thinking this would make me back off, keep dreaming. Pei Qinghan quickly recovered, smiled, and said, "She’s a bit shy, not used to being affectionate in front of others. Don’t take it the wrong way." With that, he cast a meaningful glance at Yan Song, a trace of coldness flickering in his eyes, and turned to sit in the car. Watching the car drive off, Yan Song shouted after it, "Ji Yun Ya, you just wait for me. I will never let you go in this lifetime." Yun Ya sat calmly in the car, her gaze fixed on the scenery flying past the window, and said softly, "I’m sorry about earlier." Pei Qinghan smiled, "I was quite happy to help. If something comes up again in the future, remember to call me." After a while, Pei Qinghan looked at her, hesitated, and asked, "You like him, don’t you?" The girl’s eyelashes, bathed in the play of light and shadow, quivered slightly, and her hands tightened on her knees. "You’re lying." His tone was ever so gentle, effortlessly smoothing out the restlessness in one’s heart. "Do you realize how bad you are at lying? There’s no need for such tactics against a suitor like him, yet you used me to make him give up. ’Thou doth protest too much’—aside from liking him, what other explanation do you have?" Yun Ya closed her eyes, "Do you think you understand me that well?" "I may not know you, but I do understand what you’re thinking." He sighed, "Why not give it a try? Perhaps, he’d be willing to accept it." "I won’t gamble on an outcome that’s guaranteed to fail." Pei Qinghan sighed, took hold of her arm, and turned her toward him, "If you feel like crying, then cry. My shoulder will always be here for you to lean on." Yet the girl smiled stubbornly, her lips pursed, "Life is long, and emotions are never essentials for living." Pei Qinghan bent down to embrace her, and Yun Ya struggled for a moment. He held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "You’re breaking my heart." Yun Ya closed her eyes, giving into the embrace, allowing herself this moment of weakness. "Yaya, if one day, you’re tired and want to find someone to marry, think about me." "I’m not particularly fond of children to begin with, and if you want, we could adopt from an orphanage. If not, we’ll just lead a simple life together until the end. When we grow old, we’ll move somewhere secluded, away from the world, to watch the blossoming and withering of flowers, the drifting of clouds. Let me hold your hand, and we’ll age slowly together..." His gentle voice painted such a compelling picture, one that was deeply moving. "I’m sorry..." That was all she could say. The man sighed, "It’s okay, we have all the time in the world..." Yes, they had all the time in the world; they were both so young. He thought he could be by her side for a lifetime, but little did he know, the lifetime he imagined was but a mere two years. Had he foreseen the future, he would have clung to her hand and never let go... She was too cowardly, too afraid of loss, so if one has never had something, they never fear losing it. She finally drove him away, that boy, completely out of her world. As Mayor Yan’s term ended and the family moved back to the Capital City, from then on, he was the proud and arrogant heir of the Capital City, and she, the heiress of a wealthy family in Jiangzhou. Worlds apart, their paths never crossed again. Yearning for family affection, her relatives wove a tomb of lies, trapping her within their web, confusing her with notions of kinship, then step by step, pushing her into the abyss. It was only upon Miaomiao’s death that Yun Ya finally saw the ugly faces of these relatives. Sadly, by then, she had no way out...