Chapter 24: I’ll Go When I Have Time

"Oh, I see," Su Jiamei continued speaking, completely disregarding Lin Jie's expression. "Did you meet that girl at a bar? Let me tell you, girls you meet in bars are never any good..."

Su Jiamei was like that—around Lin Jie, she never had to care about anything. She said what she wanted, did what she pleased, because for the past three years, Lin Jie had always supported her no matter what. Even if she was wrong, even if her actions weren't right.

Lin Jie never liked sweeping generalizations, nor did he appreciate judgmental remarks about someone barely known.

So, he frowned slightly, then paused at the intersection, pulling out his phone to hail a ride. As he glanced at her with a faint smile, he asked, "And why do you think they're not any good?"

"Well, I just feel that girls in bars aren't really... you know, trustworthy. There's nothing fun about bars anyway. Don't let them trick you," Su Jiamei's speech quickened as she spoke, her urgency apparent.

It was clear she was upset about something, but Lin Jie remained indifferent.

He stared at her, meeting her gaze. That beautiful face, the one he had once been so enchanted by, now brought a sudden laugh to his lips. "You think girls from bars are no good?"

"Yeah, what? Do you think they're great?" Su Jiamei raised her eyebrows slightly, questioning him.

"But didn't you go to a bar too? Does that mean you're not a good girl either?" Lin Jie asked.

"Lin Jie!" Su Jiamei glared at him, her chest heaving with indignation, revealing her turbulent emotions.

Lin Jie burst into laughter, waving his hand dismissively. "I was just joking."

"I'm not joking!" Su Jiamei said angrily, "Do you think I'm some kind of bar hostess?"

The old Lin Jie would never have acted like this. He was always gentle, always supportive of everything she did. He would never have responded with such indifference.

Lin Jie nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He looked at her and said, "Neither is she. She's just a friend."

"A friend? Since when do you have female friends?"

Lin Jie glanced at her, feeling a slight discomfort in his heart. "What's that supposed to mean? I've got plenty of female friends, you know."

It wasn't a lie. Back in school, many girls had asked for his contact information. He wasn't good at saying no, so he had added them all. But that was as far as it went—there was never any real interaction.

"Wow, impressive."

Su Jiamei's tone was dripping with sarcasm, and Lin Jie merely turned his head, feeling at a loss.

They stood at the curb, waiting for their ride. Lin Jie didn't speak again, because whatever he said, Su Jiamei would have a biting remark ready. And honestly, he didn't feel like talking anyway.

Su Jiamei stood beside him, her head slightly lowered, an inexplicable sadness on her face.

On the plane, she hadn't expected to argue or throw a tantrum with Lin Jie. In truth, she still couldn't understand why every word she said seemed to be aimed at provoking him.

Why?

Her eyes dimmed slightly. But deep down, she knew the answer.

It was because Lin Jie no longer treated her with the same care and attentiveness as before.

That's why Su Jiamei's sense of balance had tipped. She wanted to reclaim that feeling of superiority, but Lin Jie wasn't giving her the chance.

Su Jiamei could have had a normal conversation with him, but the problem lay with Lin Jie. His responses were indifferent, and he never initiated conversation anymore.

In her mind, everything was Lin Jie's fault.

It had nothing to do with her.

"How was it? Was it fun?"

As they sat in the car, Lin Jie gazed out the window and asked softly.

Su Jiamei blinked, glancing at him before letting out a faint hum. "It was alright. I went to Shanghai and Hangzhou, and I'm planning to rest a bit before heading to Sanya."

"So now you care to ask if I had fun?"

As she spoke, Su Jiamei rummaged through her bag, pulling out a few items. She poked Lin Jie's arm, saying, "Here, these are for you."

Lin Jie was mildly surprised. "For me?"

Su Jiamei chuckled, a mix of amusement and frustration. "Of course they're for you. Who else would they be for?"

Once Lin Jie took the items, Su Jiamei finally breathed a small sigh of relief. She muttered under her breath, "If you had come with me, we could've done a lot more fun things together…"

Lin Jie didn't reply, merely inspecting the souvenirs in his hand. After fiddling with them for a while, he slipped them into his pocket and looked at her. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. Why would you thank me?" Su Jiamei responded.

"You went to Disneyland?" Lin Jie asked suddenly, noticing a Disney pin among the items.

"Yeah, I went alone. Everyone else was there with friends…" Su Jiamei gave Lin Jie a sidelong glance, clearly hinting at the fact that he had stood her up.

But then she quickly lifted her chin, a little smug. "But I ended up meeting two girls, and we had a great time together. We took tons of photos. Have you seen my Moments?"

"I've seen them."

"And? Aren't they nice?"

"They're beautiful."

"Let me show you the ones I didn't post. Disneyland is even more magical at night. Look…" Su Jiamei's excitement grew as she leaned in, pulling out her phone to show him more photos.

Most girls have a knack for photography, and Su Jiamei was no exception. She loved it, and the pictures she took—whether of people or landscapes—were stunning.

Lin Jie silently watched as the photos slid by—scenes of Shanghai, the cheerful faces of girls, and the vibrant night sky. He glanced at her again, a slight unease settling in his chest.

Noticing his gaze, Su Jiamei asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Your photos are really beautiful."

"Of course they are. It's a shame you didn't come with me. I would've taken so many nice pictures of you." She teased.

Just as Lin Jie was about to respond with another polite comment, he realized something: even the way Su Jiamei spoke to him seemed different from before.

Had she always spoken so casually?

No.

Back then, Lin Jie had been courteous, and Su Jiamei had been reserved, polite... except for that night.

"What's wrong? Regretting not coming along?"

As he looked into her bright, beautiful eyes so close to his, Lin Jie smiled softly.

"I'll go when I have time."