Emotional Response

"Miss, why are you crying? Was this ad really that moving? I don't see what's so special about it," the driver asked, confused.

Lily slowly touched her cheeks, realizing they were soaked with tears.

Staring at the advertisement playing repeatedly on the screen, a bold and reckless idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

Wiping away her tears, Lily asked, "How far is it from here to the airport?"

"It's pretty far! Aren't you headed to Blackwood Enterprise? The airport is in the opposite direction!"

"I'll pay you."

Lily tossed some money for the fare and dashed out of the taxi, running through the traffic jam in the opposite direction.

Alex, I've never deliberately thought of you, but not a moment has passed where I've forgotten you.

Wait for me.

By the swings, wait to leave until we meet.

Alex, don't leave until we meet.

Turning off her phone and boarding the plane, Lily's heart pounded excitedly at her impulsiveness.

The background in the advertisement was from her and Alex's hometown. They had been childhood sweethearts, growing up together since kindergarten.

One year in elementary school, his family wasn't home when Alex's birthday came around. He had hidden away in the kindergarten by himself.

Lily had searched for him, dragging a massive bag of sparklers to where he was.

Standing on the kindergarten steps, Alex was shocked to see her. His dejected expression finally softened into a smile. "Lily, you're the first one to find me."

Alex had been incredibly handsome even as a child, with a gentle demeanor that made it seem like he could never get angry. But only Lily knew how stubborn he could be when pushed.

Hiding away in the kindergarten, ignoring the world, not caring if anyone was worried—he lived in his own little bubble.

He would've stayed there all night if she hadn't found him.

When the sparklers lit up, Alex's childish voice whispered in her ear, "Lily, from now on, will you spend my birthdays with me? Grown-ups just care about their business."

She remembered nodding firmly. "Okay, I'll always celebrate your birthdays with you."

From that day on, she spent every one of Alex's birthdays with him—until their first year of middle school… That year, Alex and his mother went on vacation to a romantic foreign city.

Her world had fallen apart, and her uncle had taken her away from their hometown to live in the city.

Everything had happened so fast, like the blink of an eye. She hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye.

Alex, wait for me.

She had missed nine of his birthdays. She wanted to spend just one more with him.

She wanted him to forgive her for leaving without saying goodbye all those years ago.

By the time Lily's plane landed in her hometown, it was already 1 PM. She hurriedly bought some sparklers and fireworks, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Bluegrass Kindergarten.

Nervous, expectant, and filled with an inexplicable sense of panic and anxiety.

Lily took several deep breaths but couldn't calm her racing heart. The closer she got to kindergarten, the faster her heart pounded. She hadn't seen these familiar surroundings in nine years. Everything had changed so much.

It was the holiday season, and the kindergarten was eerily quiet, devoid of children's laughter. The school building, painted in vibrant colors, looked like something out of a storybook.

The gates were wide open. Lily exhaled heavily, clutching the bag of fireworks as she walked inside.

The kindergarten had changed a lot, with many new facilities added. It looked even more beautiful than before.

The swing set was still in its usual spot. Lily gave the chains a slight shake, memories flooding back. People said that memories from kindergarten were the least clear, but she remembered every moment of playing here with Alex.

Without realizing it, her memories of Alex had become the happiest, most treasured part of her past.

A faint smile tugged at her lips.

Had Alex yet to arrive?

Lily glanced around anxiously. Alex had gone to such lengths to create that advertisement. There was no way he wouldn't show up...

Lily, get a grip. Don't be so nervous.

Silently scolding herself, Lily hugged the bag of fireworks closer.

"Miss Johnson, Mr. Carter refuses to leave. I've tried reasoning with him for a while now."

A voice broke the silence, and Lily turned toward the sound.

She saw a tall, beautiful young woman carrying a designer handbag confidently walking toward the school building. A man trailed behind her, chattering nonstop, "Miss Johnson, please try talking to him. If you don't, the master will be furious again."

"I know." The woman, addressed as Miss Johnson, responded curtly, removing her sunglasses with a hand that sported an elegant French manicure. As she passed the swing set, she glanced at Lily, and their eyes met.

Her bright red high heels paused briefly as if she were thinking about something. Then, without another glance, she continued walking, her head held high.

For some reason, Lily was sure the woman was Alex's fiancée.

She was beautiful, exuding the kind of aura only a wealthy heiress could possess—an aura that Lily had gradually lost over the past nine years. There was no way she could compare.

On a whim, Lily followed them, watching as they entered a classroom.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, decorated with cartoon characters. Inside, Alex sat at a piano, playing a melancholic Chopin piece. His tall, slender figure in a soft white suit perfectly suited his gentle personality. His fingers danced gracefully across the keys, filling the room with the sorrowful melody.

"Alex."

The woman's high heels clicked against the floor as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

The music stopped abruptly. Alex turned his head and smiled warmly at her, as gently as ever. "You're here, Alice."

Lily's heart clenched painfully as she stood frozen outside the window, her expression blank.

The bag of fireworks slipped from her grasp, dangling loosely in her hand.

Alice sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling into his chest. "Your dad is throwing you a birthday party tonight. If you don't leave soon, you'll be late."

Alex smiled softly again. He put his arm around her and explained, "I do this yearly. I'll make it to the party tonight."

"I know you come here every year to wait for your friend, but she's never shown up, has she?" Alice tilted her head and kissed his cheek gently, trying to coax him. "If you're late to your birthday party, your parents will be upset. Why make things tense with them over a friend who won't even show up?"

Alex was a man who cared deeply about his family.

At her words, his eyes darkened slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Alice pulled him up from the piano. "Come on, let's go. If you keep waiting here, I'll get jealous."

"Alice…" Alex sighed, his tone filled with helpless affection.

"Who waits for a childhood friend for nine years? Alex, I'm really jealous…" Alice pouted, her pretty lips forming a playful frown.

"Alright, I'll go with you." Alex tenderly touched her face before turning to the man by the door. "David, stay here. If Lily shows up, call me immediately."

"Understood, sir."

If Lily shows up, call me immediately…

Lily couldn't describe how she felt. She didn't step forward to reveal herself. Instead, before they could spot her, she quickly hid around the corner of the wall.

She had come all this way to see Alex.

But at that moment, she lost her courage.

The moment Alice had appeared, all her bravery evaporated.

Alice was dressed head-to-toe in designer clothes, while Lily's outfit and shoes didn't cost less than three hundred dollars.

Once upon a time, she had been just like Alice, always dressed in the finest clothes, always looking her best.

But now, she was no longer the pampered heiress she once was. She couldn't even imagine what Alex would think if he saw her in her current state.

She couldn't summon the courage to face him.

Letting the old Lily live on in Alex's memories would be better.

What was the point of showing up now only to humiliate herself?

Peeking out from behind the corner, Lily silently watched them leave.

Alice held onto Alex's arm, and as they walked away, Alex turned back and took one last look at the school building.

Lily quickly pulled herself back behind the wall.

"Let's go, Alex. If she wanted to see you, she would've shown up by now. There's no point in waiting like this," Alice said, tugging at his arm.

"It's okay. I've waited nine years. I don't mind waiting longer," Alex replied, his voice soft but tinged with a hint of sadness.

Lily leaned against the wall, biting her lip to hide her tears.

She waited until their footsteps faded before peeking around the corner again.

David, the man who had stayed behind, answered his phone. "Don't worry, Miss Johnson. I'm not really waiting here. I'll leave right now. I won't let Alex wait for Lily."

After hanging up, David lingered for a moment before walking away.

Lily let out a bitter laugh, then slowly sank to the ground, leaning against the wall. Alice was his fiancée. Of course, she wouldn't want her future husband to still be thinking about another woman...

Even if that woman was a childhood friend, he hadn't seen her in nine years.

Looking at the fireworks bag in her hands, Lily suddenly felt ridiculous. She had rushed here on impulse after seeing that advertisement, only to lose her nerve when the moment came to face Alex.

She felt genuinely pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

Leaving the bag of fireworks behind, Lily walked away like a lifeless shell. Before leaving, she glanced one last time at the classroom where they had been. She stopped in her tracks as if lightning had struck her.

On the blackboard, written in neat, colorful chalk, were the words: I'm getting engaged. Will you give me your blessing?

A significant question mark followed the sentence.

Lily's vision blurred, and she finally broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably as she rushed into the classroom. Grabbing a piece of chalk, she wrote the word Yes in large, bold letters.

"Alex, congratulations on your wedding."

The words left her lips in a choked voice. She reached up and touched the words she had written, her tears falling even harder.

To Alex, she was just a friend he wanted blessings from for his engagement.

He had no idea that she had always liked him. She had always wanted to be by his side, even if all they did was sit in silence together…

Lily grabbed the blackboard eraser and wiped away the word Yes. In its place, she wrote I like you, but after a moment of hesitation, she erased it again and rewrote Yes, only to erase it again.

After going back and forth like this for a while, the blackboard ended up with the words Yes, but I like you written in shaky, unsteady letters.

Alice would never let Alex see this, and Lily didn't want to ruin anything.

So... this was her way of being honest with herself while still wishing them happiness.

Lily's feelings for Alex, her childhood crush, were destined to remain buried forever…

Warm tears continued to fall unchecked, and she let herself cry freely for a long time before finally leaving the classroom.

By now, the kindergarten gates had been locked, and the sky was painted with dusk hues. The red clouds on the horizon were growing darker…

"…" Lily stared dumbfounded at the locked gate. It was too high for her to climb over.

Is this really my unlucky day?

After finally mustering the courage to see Alex, she hid from him… And now, the gate was locked. Was she going to be stuck here overnight?

Remembering that she had turned off her phone before boarding the plane, Lily leaned against the iron gate and powered it back on. As soon as it booted up, it started vibrating wildly.

"You have 72 missed calls and 20 new text messages."

Who had been trying to reach her so urgently?

Lily was momentarily stunned. She opened her call log and saw that 10 of the calls were from her uncle, and the other 62 were from Ethan.

What's going on with Ethan?

Just as Lily was about to call her uncle back, the screen lit up with the word 'Tyrant. '

Frowning, she reluctantly answered the call. "Hello, this is—"

"Where the hell have you been?!" Ethan's voice thundered through the phone, cutting her off. "Lily, how dare you turn off your phone?!"

Lily winced at the volume of his voice, pulling the phone away from her ear.

Has this man lost his mind?!

"Lily, you'd better have a damn good reason for not showing up at Blackwood Enterprise! Otherwise, I'll kill you!" Ethan continued to roar over the phone.