Chapter 8: No Matter What, He Lost Completely

After Su Jiayu left, Mo Jiale and Zhao Yan exchanged puzzled glances, then looked at Lin Jie with equally confused eyes.

Yet, wary of Lin Jie's somber expression, neither dared to ask a single question.

Lin Jie glanced at them, gradually calming his mood, and continued to listen absentmindedly as they chattered on about trivial things.

Zhao Yan, unable to hold back, noticed Lin Jie's return to his usual mild temperament. He sidled up to him, grinning cheekily, and whispered, "Jie, Jie... that's not how you pursue a girl. If she rejects you, then she rejects you. We part on good terms and, at worst, stay friends. But with this attitude of yours, are you really giving up on her?"

Lin Jie's face remained impassive. After a brief pause, he met Zhao Yan's bewildered gaze with a smile laced in mockery.

"Rejected?" he sneered.

"Am I even worthy?"

Am I worthy?

Was Lin Jie even worthy of confessing?

His sardonic smile faded, replaced by a grim expression. He turned his head slightly, waving his hand dismissively. "Let's leave it at that. There's no point in saying more."

Seeing Lin Jie like this, Zhao Yan felt a pang of regret. If he still didn't realize he had touched upon an unspoken wound, he wouldn't be Zhao Yan.

He cast a pleading glance at Mo Jiale.

Mo Jiale rolled his eyes. Walking over to Lin Jie, he pulled a car key from his pocket and dangled it before him like one might try to appease a child.

Lin Jie blinked in surprise.

Mo Jiale grinned mischievously, "Want it?"

After a moment of silence, Lin Jie took the key, a faint smile curling his lips. "You're actually giving it to me?"

"It was meant for you all along. I don't need it anyway. Only..." Mo Jiale trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished, mumbling the rest away.

He had intended to say that if Lin Jie's confession had succeeded the previous night, the car key would have been his celebratory gift—on "indefinite loan."

After all, it was just a Porsche 718. Mo Jiale had even suggested Lin Jie get a better car, but Lin Jie insisted on this one.

What Mo Jiale couldn't understand was that to Lin Jie, the 718 was the only sports car within his grasp.

He adored beautiful cars, but he was all too aware of which were attainable through hard work, and which would forever remain beyond his reach.

"Of course. I'm a man of my word," Mo Jiale said, a hint of pride in his voice. Yet as Lin Jie studied the key, a playful grin on his face, Mo Jiale's own smile faded entirely.

He had never seen Lin Jie so defeated.

Lin Jie, usually so composed, could handle any situation with poise, rarely showing extreme emotions in front of others.

But the Lin Jie he had just witnessed seemed utterly crushed—his eyes filled with despair, his face etched with disappointment.

Mo Jiale had no idea what had happened to Lin Jie the night before, nor did he intend to pry... If Lin Jie didn't want to share, he would respect his silence.

The last time Mo Jiale had seen Lin Jie in such emotional turmoil?

He thought for a moment... Oh, yes, it was when He Yan got together with another guy. Back then, Lin Jie, usually so elegant and composed, was consumed with rage, seeking them out in a fury.

At that memory, Mo Jiale couldn't help but laugh.

...

Lin Jie sat in the classroom, gazing serenely out the window. The last time he had felt this dejected... it was when He Yan had chosen someone else.

Lin Jie had never understood how He Yan could reject Mo Jiale's affections yet so shamelessly accept everything he gave her. Nor did he understand how Mo Jiale, knowing he was being made a fool of, could still willingly continue.

But now, Lin Jie understood.

Feeling weary, he slumped over his desk. He had spent the entire previous night in a restless daze, and mentally, he was already drained. Closing his eyes, all he could see was Su Jiayu, her radiant smile as another boy affectionately tousled her hair.

He hadn't experienced the same misfortune as Mo Jiale, but what difference did it make?

"I'm just a fool."

A fool, through and through.

The teacher, noticing Lin Jie slouched over his desk, approached with concern. Lin Jie, genuinely fatigued and uninterested in the lesson, informed him that he wasn't feeling well and spent the rest of the day in that same position.

Being a model student, Lin Jie was both trusted and cared for by his teachers. On several occasions, they encouraged him to visit the infirmary or even return home to rest, but Lin Jie declined every time.

He pressed his face against the desk that had been his companion for two years, soaking in its familiar presence. He knew these moments were fleeting; soon, they would be gone forever.

Ironically, on the comfortable bed at home, sleep had eluded him, but here, hunched over the desk, he quickly drifted into slumber.

And this time, there were no more unsettling dreams.

Occasionally, when he stirred, he still reflexively sought out that familiar silhouette.

"Jie, you want to hang out tonight?" Zhao Yan seized a moment to ask, his tone probing.

He could sense that Lin Jie was not in a good place, his emotions tangled in some inexplicable mess, as if something heavy weighed on his mind.

Lin Jie shook his head. "I'll head home and study a bit more. There's plenty of time for fun after the exams."

Zhao Yan, however, was unwilling to give up so easily. "But if you're practicing driving, how are we supposed to go out together?"

"Give me a month. I'll have my license soon. My uncle's a driving instructor, after all. We still have two months to hang out."

Zhao Yan picked at his nose, unimpressed. "As long as you don't fail your second or third test, we're good."

Lin Jie flipped him off. "Shut it."

Watching Zhao Yan sigh in exasperation, Lin Jie hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided not to share what had happened the night before.

He couldn't trust that Mo Jiale would remain calm if he found out... It was frustrating, this entire situation was frustrating, but Lin Jie didn't want to drag them into his mess.

He especially didn't want Mo Jiale to think of him as pitiful.

The Lin Jie of the past had been so confident, so proud. He had stood up for Mo Jiale, scorned He Yan for her shamelessness, believed Mo Jiale was chasing the wrong person, and convinced himself that he would never endure the same pain...

Lin Jie rose from his desk, stretching, then slowly made his way out of the classroom. He leaned on the railing in the corridor, gazing silently at the distant scenery.

So, he wouldn't say anything.

He'd rather Mo Jiale and Zhao Yan think of him as moody and irrational than burden them with his own woes.

Besides, he had already made up his mind.

And there was nothing wrong with that. A wistful expression crossed Lin Jie's face as he realized... no matter what, he had never once occupied a place in Su Jiayu's heart.