Chapter 8

He hurried downstairs and, without a word, pulled Wen Ran into a deserted corner.

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? That's my question, Zhixu. Why haven't you answered my messages? Why won't you even take my calls? Everything was fine this morning. What's happened?”

“Wen Ran, let's end this.”

“What?”

She wondered if she'd misheard.

“Are you serious, Jiang Zhixu? We slept together last night. Now you're telling me it's over?”

“Shushu graduates tomorrow. I have to go and see her. I promised I'd stay with you until graduation. We're both about to graduate. It's time to end it.”

His voice was cold, his face almost expressionless.

Wen Ran knew he meant it, but she couldn't take it in.

“Three times last night. Do you know that? It was my first time. It hurt, but I put up with it because I was happy. Because I thought you loved me. I even thought you'd leave Ji Shu for good and stay with me forever. But you never intended to spend your life with me? If you never meant to stay, why did you sleep with me?”

Overcome, she slapped him.

## Chapter 11

Blood appeared at the corner of Jiang Zhixu's mouth. He didn't move.

Slowly, he raised his eyes.

“You wanted to give yourself to me. I didn't force you. I thought I was giving you what you wanted. It was my first time, too. You haven't lost out.”

Wen Ran stared at him in disbelief.

She had thought him so pure, so gentle and refined. Being with him had seemed the happiest thing in the world, because he was worth it.

How could he speak to her like this?

“How can you say that? I'm a woman. Do you have any idea how much a woman's first time means to her?”

“I promised Shushu I'd save my first time for her, too! But I gave it to you. I agreed to be with you because I couldn't bear to hurt you. Now I've hurt Shushu. I can't keep hurting her. This has to end.”

“No. I don't want it to end.”

She broke down and threw her arms around him.

“Please, don't leave me. I was wrong. I shouldn't have said those things and upset you. I won't say them again. We can go back to the way it was. You can be with Ji Shu. I'll wait. Come when you have time. Four times a year… No, once a year. I'd be happy with that. Please?”

“No.”

He pushed her away coldly.

“I said it's over. I'm leaving for Jiangcheng first thing tomorrow. I'm getting Shushu back. And you—please don't ever show your face in front of me again. Seeing you would upset her.”

He turned and walked away without looking back, only to run into his roommates.

Worried, they had followed him downstairs. They hadn't expected to overhear all that.

Their eyes held shock, contempt, and sympathy for Wen Ran.

“Zhixu, that's no way to treat a girl.”

“Yeah. Whatever else, you should take responsibility.”

“Stay out of it.”

He glanced at them and walked on.

Wen Ran tried to follow, but the dorm supervisor stopped her.

“Where do you think you're going? This is the men's dorm. Women aren't allowed in.”

“Please, I need to see Jiang Zhixu. Let me in.”

“No. Off you go. A girl hanging around here this late. Have some self-respect.”

The woman's muttering left Wen Ran burning with humiliation.

She watched Jiang Zhixu walk away, tears streaming.

“No, Zhixu! I don't want to break up! Come down!”

“Ji Shu, I hate you! I hate you!”

Early the next morning, Jiang Zhixu packed his things for Jiangcheng.

As he was leaving, a roommate stopped him.

“I went out for breakfast. That girl's still sitting downstairs waiting for you.”

“What has that got to do with me?”

He looked up, his eyes cold.

“Are you really that heartless? If you don't like her, you shouldn't have slept with her. She's a girl, for God's sake.”

“I made myself perfectly clear. If she doesn't understand, how's that my problem?”

“You really are—”

His roommate hadn't imagined he could be like this. For a moment, words failed him.

“A piece of shit.”

Jiang Zhixu didn't care what his roommates said.

To avoid Wen Ran, he left by the back door.