Chapter 43: A Chaotic World

After tidying up, Lin Jie stood at the entrance of his residential complex, glancing at the time while waiting for Mo Jiale to pick him up.

Only then did it dawn on him that Mo Jiale didn't even have a driver's license. What kind of car could he possibly drive to pick him up? Surely he wasn't driving without a license?

Shaking off the trivial thought, Lin Jie resumed pacing by the gate.

"Lin Jie."

He hadn't expected to run into Su Jiayu there.

Carrying a bag of trash, she rubbed her eyes sleepily as she approached him, offering a casual greeting.

Lin Jie was surprised. After the door-slamming incident the other night, he had assumed she would no longer talk to him. Yet here she was, greeting him as though nothing had happened.

It didn't seem like she was intentionally seeking him out either.

"Just woke up?" Lin Jie asked.

"Yeah, stayed up binge-watching a show last night, so I've been out of it all day," Su Jiayu replied, her voice soft and sleepy. After tossing the trash aside, she finally gave him a good look.

"You heading out?"

"Yeah, going out with Mo Jiale and Zhao Yan," Lin Jie replied.

He saw no need to be mysterious or secretive. There was no point in using underhanded tactics to mask his own insecurities.

"Oh, sounds nice."

Instead of heading back inside right away, Su Jiayu lingered at the entrance with Lin Jie. She was dressed in a loose T-shirt and light blue denim shorts—the shirt so long it almost covered the shorts entirely, revealing only her slender, pale legs beneath.

She tapped the ground lightly with her toes, watching Lin Jie. "The sunset's beautiful. The evening glow is really stunning."

"It is."

It was as though they had forgotten what had transpired between them. Standing there, exchanging idle words just like before, only to go their separate ways once more, resuming their own lives.

It seemed like nothing had changed—yet, perhaps, everything had.

Su Jiayu no longer clung to her grievances against Ye Mo, and Lin Jie no longer harbored resentment over that night. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and when they stumbled upon heavier topics, they simply brushed them aside with a nonchalant "oh."

"Oh?"

Lin Jie knew that Su Jiayu was holding something back, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason. Was it her unwillingness to accept being outdone by Ye Mo, or was it some other wounded pride?

The more indifferent she appeared, the more he knew she cared.

Lin Jie understood her all too well.

And he was certain of one thing—her frustration had nothing to do with romantic feelings for him.

Did Lin Jie care?

Yes, he cared just as much as she did. In their mutual act of pretending not to care, the truth was plain: they both did.

But he had to pretend not to, until the day came when he genuinely didn't.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lin Jie found himself chuckling softly.

"What's so funny?"

He shook his head.

He hadn't expected to realize how similar he and Su Jiayu were in temperament.

Su Jiayu continued to feign disinterest until Mo Jiale finally arrived, riding up on a small electric scooter, helmet on. Only then did she relax, dusting her hands off and checking her phone with feigned nonchalance. "My mom's calling me to dinner, I should head back now."

Su Jiayu knew Mo Jiale didn't think highly of her. In the past, she wouldn't have cared. But now, strangely, she felt a little uneasy.

"Alright."

Lin Jie watched as she walked away, only then turning to Mo Jiale, who was removing his helmet by the roadside.

Behind Mo Jiale stood Zhao Yan, muttering incessantly as he, too, removed his helmet. Spotting Lin Jie, he immediately grinned and sidled up to him. "Hey, bro! It's been ages! Let me give you a hug—have you lost weight?"

Lin Jie pushed the grinning Zhao Yan away, rolling his eyes. "Get lost."

Then, smiling, Lin Jie turned to Mo Jiale. "Jiale, I thought you were going to pick me up in a sports car and show off your unlicensed driving skills."

Mo Jiale laughed. "If anyone's driving without a license, it'll be you. At least you passed the first part of the driving test, which is like having a quarter of a license."

For some reason, Lin Jie felt a small sense of pride at having passed that part of the test. It was odd, considering he had only just finished his college entrance exams and hadn't even received his results yet.

Talking about cars reminded him of Ye Mo's serious face when she accidentally drove into a ditch earlier today. The thought made him smirk.

"What's so funny?" Mo Jiale asked as he dismounted his scooter, retrieving a brand-new helmet from the storage compartment and handing it to Lin Jie. His gaze was playful. "Did you think of something funny?"

"Just because you were chatting with Su Jiayu at the entrance?"

If that were the case, Mo Jiale wouldn't have much to say—he'd simply think Lin Jie was being foolish for liking someone who didn't return his feelings.

But Lin Jie quickly denied that idea.

He wiped the smile from his face, adopting a cool, distant expression, his brows furrowing slightly as he turned away.

"It has nothing to do with her."

That response seemed to satisfy Mo Jiale, and Zhao Yan as well.

For the former, it was about understanding that one-sided love had no future; for the latter, it was the pragmatic approach of swiftly moving on to the next.

"Hurry up and get your license, then you can take me out in that Porsche I'm giving you," Mo Jiale teased, patting Lin Jie's shoulder.

"Soon enough."

"You guys are so selfish, getting a two-seater sports car just so you don't have to take me along!" Zhao Yan protested loudly.

Lin Jie gave him a look, as if he were a fool, before sharing a knowing glance with Mo Jiale. They both burst out laughing.

"So, where are we headed?" Lin Jie asked.

"Center Club."

The name sounded familiar to Lin Jie, though he wasn't sure if he'd ever been there before.

"I'll drive us there, just pull up the directions."

"No need. I know the way. Just follow my lead."

"Alright."

Feeling ignored, Zhao Yan awkwardly rubbed his nose. "Mo's booked a private room tonight, and a few girls are joining us. If any of them catch your eye, just let us know. Tonight's all about you."

"Come on, who looks for love in a bar?" Lin Jie scoffed.

"No one said anything about love—it's just for fun," Zhao Yan shrugged, nonchalant.

Lin Jie looked at him, and in that moment, he felt like he understood this chaotic world just a little more clearly.