"ARI"

"What are you screaming about, Fang Jinglin?" Zhan Yuxi grumbled, covering her ears, which were still ringing from the noise.

She rubbed them furiously.

"Look over there! He's here!"

Fang Jinglin stammered, pointing in Meng Chenzhou's direction.

Zhan Yuxi rolled her eyes at him but followed his gaze—and froze.

She hadn't expected Meng Chenzhou to show up here.

And judging by his expression, he must have heard her earlier outburst.

Biting her lip, Zhan Yuxi hesitated, unsure whether she should explain herself.

Fang Jinglin, sensing the tension, shifted uncomfortably and clung to the nearest tree, clearly wanting to vanish from sight.

"Alright, you two talk. I'll leave you to it—just try to work things out, okay?"With that, he scurried off, leaving the two of them alone.

After saying that, he hurriedly dashed away.

Across from her, Meng Chenzhou quietly looked at Zhan Yuxi before walking toward her.

The moment he took a step forward, Zhan Yuxi instinctively stepped back. "W-What are you trying to do?"

Seeing her reflexive retreat, Meng Chenzhou's’ eyelashes quivered slightly, and he stopped, returning to his original spot.

"Sweetie, I have something I want to tell you."

Upon hearing that, Zhan Yuxi immediately thought of what she'd seen on the online forum: "The cold-hearted guy has finally fallen for someone!"

The mere thought that his words might involve that girl caused a flicker of hurt to flash through her eyes.

This was the last thing she wanted to know.

"If what you want to say has nothing to do with me, then don't bother telling me. There's no point in me knowing something that will only make me unhappy."

She didn't say the last sentence aloud.

Meng Chenzhou's jaw tightened, and after a long silence, he nodded slightly.

"Alright. It's nothing important anyway. Just about the vacation trip— sorry, I won't be able to go with you."

"Oh." Zhan Yuxi lowered her gaze, kicking at a small stone near her feet.