Chapter 21: "You’re Right, But I Disagree"

Lin Jie barely remembered how he got home. It seemed that Ye Mo had escorted him, even walking him to his door. Yet, she hadn't stepped inside; after delivering him to the threshold, she simply turned and left.

Lin Jie didn't offer to see her off, nor did he utter a word of caution for her safety.

He was simply too exhausted, drained of the energy to speak.

More than anything, Lin Jie felt the chasm between them was too vast—so wide, he dared not entertain even the faintest notion of desire for her.

...

"So, you just let her walk home alone?"

After hearing Lin Jie's account, Mo Jiale looked at him with a bemused smile.

"What else should I have done?" Lin Jie retorted.

"Of course, you should've asked her to stay and take care of you! Who knows, you might have even sparked a romance," Mo Jiale said, cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Exactly, exactly. Lin Jie, you've really lost your mind," Zhao Yan chimed in, his tone laced with envy. "A girl spends 300,000 yuan on you in one night, and she's a top influencer, a stunner at that, and you don't appreciate it? Have you lost your mind?"

Zhao Yan was visibly stirred, his voice nearly cracking at the end of his rant. Lin Jie found it amusing.

"What's there to appreciate? Do you guys honestly think a girl like that would fall for someone like me?"

Zhao Yan snorted. "Then tell me, Lin Jie, why else would she buy such expensive drinks for you?"

Lin Jie scoffed in response and gestured toward Mo Jiale. "Mo Jiale's rich, right? Do you think he'd shell out unimaginable sums for some random girl?"

At that moment, Lin Jie realized his words had struck the wrong chord, and Zhao Yan also froze. Only Mo Jiale, still toying with his phone, flicked the ash from his cigarette and gave Lin Jie a serious look. "Actually, I might. Haven't I been pouring my heart out for He Yan?"

"And she still doesn't care for me," Mo Jiale added with a bitter smirk.

Lin Jie fell silent.

Zhao Yan, sensing the tension, decided to push through. Tapping his fingers on the table, he looked at Lin Jie and said, "Lin Jie... you've liked Su Jiamu for years now, and she's not interested. This girl, though, seems to like you, and frankly, Su Jiamu can't compare. You should just go out with her—you've got nothing to lose! Even if it doesn't work out, you won't regret it!"

Lin Jie narrowed his eyes at Zhao Yan.

Mo Jiale couldn't help but laugh. Flicking away the remaining ash, he teased Zhao Yan, "You'd better shut up, or you'll get punched."

Zhao Yan pressed on, bracing himself. "Punch me if you want, but I'm only saying this for your own good! Don't you think I've noticed how down you've been lately?"

"This girl has money, she's gorgeous! If she's genuine, then commit to her—date her honestly. If she's just playing, then play along... she's rich! Either way, you won't lose out!"

"Forget Su Jiamu! It's all the same—we're all chasing someone, right? Might as well chase a rich one!"

"Lin Jie, in matters of love, the more seriously you take it, the more you lose."

After finishing his rant, Zhao Yan stared intensely at Lin Jie. Mo Jiale, too, was watching him closely.

If this had been before that night, Lin Jie would've dismissed Zhao Yan's words as the ramblings of a fool who didn't understand love.

But now... Lin Jie found himself at a loss for words.

Yes, he was a lovesick fool... but what difference did it make who he adored?

Zhao Yan's words, though crude, resonated with the harsh truth of this fast-paced world.

In another light, it was because of people like Zhao Yan that love had become so fragmented.

"You're right. The more seriously you take it, the more you lose." Lin Jie nodded, signaling his agreement.

"Well then, Lin Jie, why don't you try talking to her more?" Zhao Yan said, feeling smug that Lin Jie had finally agreed with him.

"I would, but she hasn't messaged me. How am I supposed to start a conversation?" Lin Jie said, tossing his phone onto the table with a shrug.

Zhao Yan: "..."

Mo Jiale: "..."

After a long pause, Mo Jiale couldn't hold back. "What's the deal? You don't know how to text first?"

"Seriously, Lin Jie? You're acting like royalty, waiting for her to text you first?" Zhao Yan said, burying his face in his hands.

Lin Jie blinked, then awkwardly picked up his phone. "I was just about to... but what if she ignores me?"

"What if? Just go after her the same way you went after Su Jiamu!"

"I never went after Su Jiamu. I never intended to pursue Ye Mo either," Lin Jie corrected.

Come on, had he ever chased after Su Jiamu?

It was a secret crush.

Hardly a pursuit.

Zhao Yan seemed ready to argue further, but Mo Jiale intervened. "Alright, alright. Don't worry. You're both in the same driving class, right? Take it slow. Be attentive when the time comes."

"Exactly, exactly!" Zhao Yan nodded in agreement.

Lin Jie, half-heartedly, nodded along.

By the time he arrived home, Ye Mo had sent him a message.

Unlike her aloof and distant demeanor in real life, she was surprisingly outgoing online, flooding him with every type of emoji imaginable.

Ye Mo: Just woke up. Have you woken up yet?

Lin Jie: Yes, I have. Just had dinner with some friends.

Ye Mo replied with a smiling emoji and then asked: Want to grab a bite together?

Lin Jie replied, "I just ate."

Ye Mo: Then how about accompanying me for a late-night snack? It doesn't have to be now. You can just consider it a late-night meal.

Lin Jie politely declined, "I'm still feeling a bit dizzy from the drinks. I'd like to rest early. I'll treat you next time."

Ye Mo: It's a promise, then. Don't break it!

Lin Jie sent an "OK" emoji and set his phone down.

He might have joked with Zhao Yan, but in truth, he wasn't one for playing the kind of games they talked about.

Not to mention the obvious gap between him and Ye Mo; emotionally, Lin Jie only admired her—there wasn't any romantic interest.

So, he had no intention of doing anything that would be "profitable" for him.

Lin Jie knew this world had grown absurd when it came to relationships, but no matter how absurd it got, it had nothing to do with him. He was determined to stick to his own beliefs.

The rest... had nothing to do with him.

As Lin Jie recalled Zhao Yan's earlier words, he lowered his head slightly and chuckled to himself.

"We're all chasing someone, right?"

Indeed, if he could be as carefree as Zhao Yan... he wouldn't have been tortured for so long by the agony of unrequited love.

But Lin Jie still couldn't understand—why was his genuine affection so easily labeled as "pathetic"?

Really... was pursuing someone now equivalent to being a fool?