Chapter 1280: THIS HURT

LUO JIN stared at her, his anger momentarily stalled by pure confusion. He couldn't understand what she's saying. What neon sign? What was she talking about? Was she trying to say that his feelings for her were some kind of red flag? His mind raced, searching for a meaning. But how could his feelings be a warning sign? The only thing he could think of was his age. Was that it? Was the simple fact that he was younger the glaring neon sign she meant? The idea that his age alone made his affection something bad left him feeling even more hurt and bewildered.

"Stop," Su Yuqi said quickly. She could see from the changing expression on Luo Jin's face that he was getting the wrong idea. "Whatever you're thinking, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" Luo Jin couldn't help but raise his voice. "Stop speaking in circles and just tell me directly!"

Su Yuqi took a deep breath and told herself to be patient. It's completely understandable for Luo Jin to be this emotional right now. He was hurting because of her. Seeing his pain made her own chest feel tight. She shouldn't match his anger with her own. That would only make everything worse. She's the one who had caused this, so she had to be the one to explain it clearly.

"What I'm trying to say is that being young means your feelings can change as you change. It's not a bad thing. It's just a fact. When you go to university next year, you'll see and learn so many new things. You'll become a slightly different person because of it. And that new person might not feel the same way about the things—or the people—from their past. You might not stop caring on purpose. But the feeling itself could just... fade as you grow. It could change without you even meaning for it to."

And that's what scared her the most. The idea was a cold, heavy weight in her stomach. It meant his feelings were not something she could fight for or argue against. They could just vanish on their own, quietly, as a natural part of him changing. She would have no warning and no way to stop it. Her own feelings would then be left alone, with nothing to hold on to.

Meanwhile, Luo Jin couldn't believe what he just heard. Was this really the reason Su Yuqi had been avoiding him? All this distance and coldness between them was just because of this? He didn't know if he should laugh at how stupid it all sounded or cry from the sheer frustration of it. He stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to find the right words. But as the silence stretched, the initial shock burned away. What rose to take its place was anger.

"What the hell are you even saying? Why are you sitting here and predicting a future that hasn't even happened yet? Since when did you become a fortune teller? You're deciding for both of us based on fearing something that might not even happen! What about what's happening right now? Does that mean nothing to you?"

His chest was rising and falling fast, his breath coming in short, harsh pulls. He took a step towards her, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists at his sides. Every line of his body was tight with raw anger.

He stopped short when he finally looked at Su Yuqi's face. She was not arguing back or looking scared. She was just watching him. He saw the way she was looking at him, like he was a child who needed to be understood and calmed down. That look drained all the fire out of him. The fight left his body in a rush. He suddenly felt foolish. He realized that by shouting and losing his temper, he was only proving her point. He was acting exactly like the young, unstable person she thought he was.

Luo Jin closed his eyes tightly. He took one deep breath, then another, forcing himself to be calm. When he opened his eyes again, he looked straight into Su Yuqi's eyes. His voice was quiet and clear when he spoke. "Just tell me one thing. Do you want me to stop liking you?"

Su Yuqi's eyes widened. He watched as a complicated expression crossed her face. He saw the surprise there, and a flash of pain, and other feelings he could not read. She opened her mouth.

"Ah Jin," she started to say.

"Just say yes or no," he said, cutting her off before she could say anything else.

He almost let out a mocking laugh when he saw that Su Yuqi didn't seem to know how to answer him. But that urge died just as fast. He just felt deflated, like none of this even mattered anymore. The longer she stayed silent, the more he thought she didn't know what she wanted either. That realization angered him and saddened him at the same time. Why would she start this whole painful conversation if she was still so unsure? It's just so fucked up.

"Understood," he could only say.

Then, Luo Jin turned around and walked out of the lounge area. This didn't mean he was giving up, though. He was just giving Su Yuqi the space she clearly wanted and maybe needed. He understood that right now, with her current state of mind, it wouldn't matter what he said or how carefully he explained himself. She would still be convinced that her decision was the correct and responsible one. Trying to talk any more would just be a useless argument. So, it was better to just walk away and let her think this through on her own.

See, he could be mature if he wanted to.

He rode the elevator down and sent a message to his father.

[Dad, I'll go home first. You can finish the event, I'll just grab a taxi.]

As the elevator went down, he could feel his heart breaking a little.

Shit. This hurt.

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