Chapter 22: It's Not Like He Couldn't Afford It

For the next few days, Lin Jie did not see Ye Mo. Wu Fei mentioned they were taking driving lessons together, but every time Lin Jie went, Ye Mo was absent.

He didn't dwell on it. He had approached things with a casual mindset, and Ye Mo's presence or absence scarcely had any impact on him.

"When have you booked your theory test?" Wu Fei asked from the passenger seat during one of their lessons.

"The day after tomorrow."

Wu Fei nodded thoughtfully. "Coincidentally, that's also when Xiao Ye's test is scheduled."

Lin Jie, steering his manual car through the driving school's narrow roads, couldn't help but smile. Wu Fei, a long-time driving instructor, had bent the rules a bit to let Lin Jie experience driving, and he was now navigating with ease.

Lin Jie glanced over at Wu Fei, amused. "Uncle… How did you meet her?"

"Who? Xiao Ye?"

"Yes. From how you call her, it seems like you know her well."

Wu Fei chuckled. "It's just one of those things. I was driving back from Tian Nan City one night and saw her crying by the roadside in the suburbs. It wasn't safe for a girl to be there alone, so I gave her a ride back to the city. She offered to pay, but I refused. Later, when she found out I was a driving instructor, she signed up to learn from me."

Lin Jie listened in surprise, glancing at his uncle, finding the situation rather amusing. "Quite the coincidence, Uncle."

"It's nothing. Don't forget how I won over your aunt."

Lin Jie remembered how his uncle met his aunt in a similar way—offering a ride. Only back then, Wu Fei was riding a motorcycle.

"By the way, what did you think of Xiao Ye when you went out with her the other night?"

Lin Jie shifted his gaze back to the road. After a moment of silence, he smiled. "What do you mean? How the night went or how she is?"

"Obviously, how she is."

"She's rich."

Wu Fei burst into laughter. "I asked about her as a person, not her wealth."

"When someone's rich, everything about them seems right," Lin Jie replied nonchalantly, his tone dismissive.

"But you know, she earned that money herself."

"Hmm? You know that too?"

"Yes, she told me. She's a… what do you call it? A social media influencer, right? A fashion and travel blogger."

"It's all the same," Lin Jie said, parking the car by the roadside.

Wu Fei handed him a bottle of water. "These days, short videos on the internet seem quite profitable. You should give it a shot."

"Maybe one day."

When they weren't chatting, Lin Jie pulled out his phone to reply to messages. As he opened his messaging app, his eyes inadvertently lingered on Ye Mo's profile picture.

Ye Mo still messaged him every day, but it was always trivial matters, little snippets of her life that seemed both chaotic and meticulously curated. She'd talk about how much she spent on pretty clothes or how she had her eye on a luxurious brand's necklace and ring. She'd mention her next travel destination or how many endorsement deals she'd secured.

And after all that, she'd wait for Lin Jie's response, expectant.

But Lin Jie thought to himself—what exactly am I supposed to say?

His replies were always brief, which earned him frequent complaints from Ye Mo. She'd accuse him of being too distant, too cold.

It wasn't that Lin Jie was deliberately aloof. He just couldn't find common ground with her.

So, if he were to follow Zhao Yan's advice and pursue a relationship with Ye Mo, their future would inevitably end in separation. If the ending was so clear from the start, why even begin?

Besides… Ye Mo was wonderful, but Lin Jie simply couldn't feel any spark for her.

In the small chat group with Zhao Yan and Mo Jiale, the two of them continued to tease him relentlessly, joking about how his "rich lady" had slipped away. Lin Jie merely scoffed at their remarks.

"Why haven't you treated her to dinner yet?" Mo Jiale asked.

"When I find the time," Lin Jie replied.

Mo Jiale fell silent. It was clear from Lin Jie's attitude that either he still hadn't gotten over Su Jia Mu, or he simply didn't like Ye Mo.

But does liking someone really matter that much?

People often end up growing fond of someone they didn't initially like.

After his driving lesson, Lin Jie returned home, only to receive an unexpected call from Su Jia Mu.

Seeing her familiar yet distant number, Lin Jie felt a slight daze. These past few days… he had genuinely forgotten about her.

Life without Su Jia Mu seemed no different than before, no more difficult or easier.

Lin Jie wondered, had he truly stopped caring?

He tried to recall that dreadful night, but now the memory stirred no emotional response within him.

Perhaps, now that graduation had ended the constant daily encounters, Lin Jie had gradually relaxed, slowly finding peace.

That was a good thing, wasn't it?

"Hello?"

"Lin Jie, it's me. What are you doing?"

There was a slight noise in the background, and Lin Jie couldn't tell where Su Jia Mu was.

"I'm at home."

"Oh, then could you come pick me up?"

"Hmm? Are Uncle and Auntie not home?" Lin Jie asked.

Internally, he felt a resistance toward meeting Su Jia Mu. It was a self-preservation instinct—an urge to maintain the fragile peace he had worked hard to achieve.

On the other end of the line, Su Jia Mu fell silent for so long that Lin Jie almost thought she'd hung up.

But even if she had, Lin Jie wouldn't have been surprised.

Sometimes, once we stop deceiving ourselves and accept our place in someone's life, there's no reason to be troubled anymore.

"Can't you come pick me up?" Su Jia Mu finally asked, her voice soft.

Like her, Lin Jie remained quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I was just asking."

Yes, that's right—he didn't want to pick her up.

But for reasons beyond his understanding, he couldn't muster the courage to outright refuse.

"They're not home," Su Jia Mu eventually replied. "If you're free, can you come to the airport and get me? I'll call a car for you."

"There's no need. I'll come by myself. Just give me the time," Lin Jie said.

It wasn't as though he couldn't afford the car fare. He didn't need her to arrange it for him.

It wasn't as though he couldn't handle the emotions. He didn't need her presence to undo him.