Chapter 7: So Be It

Mo Jiale, Zhao Yan, and Lin Jie attended different schools, so they didn't linger in the hallway for long. Instead, they chatted as they walked toward the school gate.

Lin Jie and Zhao Yan accompanied Mo Jiale to the gate.

None of them seemed in a rush. In these days leading up to the college entrance exams, the school and teachers had become uncharacteristically lenient, almost endearingly so.

The once stern homeroom teacher, who used to frown at students arriving a second late, now only offered a gentle smile when they dashed into the classroom, flustered and breathless.

Besides, Mo Jiale had a chauffeur waiting for him.

So why hurry?

"If you're not in a rush, then neither am I."

"If none of you are in a rush, then I have even less reason to be."

"Haha," Zhao Yan laughed, looking between Lin Jie and Mo Jiale. "You two think you're Hu Ge and Eddie Peng, huh?"

Mo Jiale draped an arm over Lin Jie's shoulders, raising his chin slightly with confidence. "Exactly. How could you, Lao Zhao, possibly understand the level of handsomeness that Lin Jie and I possess?"

Zhao Yan clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Lin Jie laughed along. As they walked, many students passed by, greeting him. He responded only half-heartedly.

Smiling all the time is exhausting.

He once thought Su Jiamu preferred sunny, cheerful, and polite guys—those bright and lively types, just like herself. But after all his efforts, what did he become?

A joke?

A simpering fool.

Lin Jie couldn't help but find it all laughable, his lips curling into a self-deprecating smile.

"You know," Mo Jiale remarked, a touch of nostalgia in his voice, "Lin Jie wasn't always this handsome."

They'd met in the gym. Back then, Mo Jiale had been dragged there by his family, while Lin Jie had been diligently working out, focused and serious in both cardio and strength training.

And Mo Jiale? He was just there to take selfies. Eventually, he roped Lin Jie into taking pictures for him, and the two became fast friends.

Some people can improve their looks through hard work, and Lin Jie was undoubtedly one of them.

"Hey, I've always said Brother Jie's a looker," Zhao Yan interjected. "Honestly, with all those girls crushing on you, why don't you just find someone new and forget about her?"

Zhao Yan's carefree attitude often made both Lin Jie and Mo Jiale envious. He liked what he liked, and when he didn't, he let go without a second thought.

Not like the two idiots standing beside him, mentally torturing themselves.

Mo Jiale nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you'll be in college soon. There'll be plenty of beautiful girls to chase."

Lin Jie smiled but remained silent as they discussed their post-exam plans. He would occasionally nod, but his mind wandered.

Chase someone new?

Was it only beauty he sought?

No. What he longed for was the fleeting image of that girl on a summer night three years ago, as delicate and ephemeral as a bubble.

He had encountered plenty of pretty girls since then, some of whom had even confessed their feelings for him. But no matter who stood before him, all he saw was Su Jiamu, her white dress fluttering as she flashed him that radiant smile.

The school gate wasn't far, and soon they arrived.

Clusters of students gathered there, some buying breakfast, others loitering or simply enjoying the morning air. Among them were young couples, holding hands and sharing their meals.

Lin Jie watched them quietly, a pang of envy rising within him.

How had he spent his high school years?

Studying. Studying hard. Working out. Pushing his body to its limits... And secretly loving someone, pouring every ounce of energy into that unrequited affection.

For a brief moment, he felt as though he'd wasted his high school life. But Lin Jie quickly brushed the thought aside. After all, with exams on the horizon, wasn't this the perfect, if tragic, conclusion to his journey?

While Zhao Yan and Mo Jiale discussed post-exam travel plans, Lin Jie stood nearby, arms crossed and head bowed, lost in thought.

His reverie was abruptly interrupted by Zhao Yan's voice.

"Brother Jie! Brother Jie! Su Jiamu's talking to you."

Startled, Lin Jie raised his head, locking eyes with those familiar bright ones.

His body stiffened, an inexplicable discomfort rising within him. The urge to flee, to avoid her entirely, gnawed at him.

"Good morning," he forced a smile, strained and unnatural.

"Why didn't you wait for me today?" Su Jiamu asked, her tone light. "I thought you overslept. I knocked on your door for ages."

She looked the same as always—her hair tousled, sunlight filtering through the strands and casting a halo around her face, making her delicate features seem even more ethereal.

It was as if she had forgotten everything from the night before. Forgotten the boy who had reached out to touch her hair, forgotten her harsh words that had left Lin Jie shaken, forgotten how cold and distant she had been toward him.

She had forgotten it all.

She didn't even think about whether her words had wounded him, especially with the exams so close.

Instead, she smiled, sweet and innocent, as if a single smile could wash away all the hurt.

As if Lin Jie was worth no more than a smile.

A smile can be priceless... or utterly meaningless.

Lin Jie didn't understand.

"I left early," he replied, his tone indifferent. The unexpected coldness in his voice stunned both Zhao Yan and Mo Jiale, who had been silently hoping for some reconciliation.

Su Jiamu's smile faltered for a moment but quickly returned, though it no longer reached her eyes. She adjusted her hair and said, "Next time, let me know if you're leaving early. I worry about you."

Lin Jie narrowed his eyes, studying her carefully before smiling. "Thank you, but there's nothing for you to worry about."

With Mo Jiale and Zhao Yan standing nearby, Su Jiamu felt slightly uncomfortable. She fidgeted, the words she had so carefully rehearsed on the way to school now stuck in her throat.

Especially when Lin Jie stood there, indifferent, as though none of it mattered. A wave of sadness washed over her.

She bit her lip, hesitating, before finally walking past him with a quiet, "Alright."

If Lin Jie didn't care, then why should she? Why should she have spent a sleepless night, replaying the events over and over in her mind?

So be it.