Xu Nuan took another sip of her sweet chilled latte and glanced at Yuhan who was sitting in front of her, without saying a word. It's been a while since they came here. They ordered their coffee and their order had even arrived, yet he didn't open his mouth to say anything.

Irritated, she folded her hands in front of her chest and asked, " Are you going to be sullen like this forever? Just say what is in your mind already."

He looked up at her with a frown, evidently upset with her. After taking a deep breath, he said, " You really...why didn't you say anything before? How can you hide such a big thing from me?"

" Hmm? What should I have said?" she asked, confusingly.

He took a sharp breath before saying, " I thought we were good friends. Yet you didn't tell me anything about you and Xingren. How can you all hide such a big thing from me for such a long time?"

He was hurt. He thought that she treated him as a friend yet she hid such a big thing from him. Not only that, she was being so nonchalant about it as it doesn't matter to her. After knowing the truth, even he was shocked and couldn't believe that she was the real heiress of the Gu family.

Xu Nuan came into the Gu family when she was 15 years old and at that time Gu family introduced her to the world as their adopted daughter. Everyone thought that Gu's were trying to do a good deed by adopting someone from the orphanage when they already have a daughter, Xingren.

This was taken as one of their good deeds and they were appreciated for it too.

Yuhan has seen her Xu Nuan since the time she came to the Gu family. He didn't have much impression of her at that time, other than that she is a quiet person and introvert.

Xingren always complained to him about how Xu Nuan is trying to be good in front of others and bullies her when they're alone. She even told him that Xu Nuan threatens her and says that she will take her place and will throw her out of the family.

He never talked to Xu Nuan but he was muddled. The girl who can barely make eye contact with him, can she act in a way, the way Xingren always describes her?

Because of this reason, he started to get estranged from Xingren. Her personality took a 180-degree change upon the coming of Xu Nuan. Unlike the pampered princess of the Gu family, she started to appear somewhat desperate.

He thought it was because Xu Nuan recently joined their family but her actions started to become stranger as time went by.

But not only Xingren, but Xu Nuan's personality also took a different path after the accident. The Xu Nuan he saw was the exact opposite of what he had seen before. She was bold, daring, and confident, unlike her previous self. Her presence sometimes can be so overpowering that even he felt intimidated by her.

How can she change this much? And even if she changed, why didn't she say anything? Why did she stay quiet and listen to everyone's insults?

Aunty Lin Ran and Grandmother Gu insulted her at the banquet anniversary, the guests bashed her for being rude to Gu's since they adopted her and gave her a lavish lifestyle. Despite being the heiress of the Gu family, she was treated as an outsider and was humiliated for whatever she did.

Yet How can she not say anything? More than that, how can she not say anything to him? Weren't they close friends? At least he thinks so.

-

Xu Nuan, who had almost finished her drink, swirled her remaining drink, mostly ice with the straw, and stared at him, noticing his troubled expressions, she said " Don't think about it. Those things, no one could have done anything. It wasn't anyone's fault."

" You don't have to worry about it. It's our family matter, we can manage it ourselves." She said nonchalantly. She doesn't want him to think about such things. Those things cannot be returned to the same, but she can do things her way from now on.

She is not Xu Nuan, who will listen to Xingren and Gu's obediently and let them take her advantage.

Upon hearing her half-hearted response, his expressions fell, " Your family matter? Do you know that I am also a part of your family? Technically, you and I were supposed to be engaged. My mom and Aunty Lin Ran made a promise to make us marry each other when we grow up and that's how they fixed our marriage when you were in her womb."

"....."

Xu Nuan raised her brows upon hearing his words. She took a deep breath and said, " It doesn't matter anymore. You're engaged with Xingren. If you hadn't found out the truth, you would have married her, didn't you?"

" But she isn't the same…."

Xu Nuan shakes her head and cuts him off, " Yuhan, I know that you don't care about her being the heiress of the Gu family. I also know for the fact that the engagement was something that you were going along with, because of your family."

" But let me tell you something, marriage is not a child's play. It is a promise for life. Getting married to someone because of a so-called promise is not ideal. You were children at that time for god's sake."

" Now you're an adult. If I say, going along with a marriage arrangement that was done by your parents when you both were children is ridiculous. If it would have been me and not Xingren, I wouldn't have gone along with this arrangement, unless we liked each other."

Her words are like a morning call for him, trying to wake him up from his hibernation.

" As your friend, I will suggest one thing. Think about this marriage carefully. Don't even think about canceling it just because she is not the heiress of Gu Corporation. However, think about the reason why you're marrying her. Or do you really want to marry her and spend your life with her?"

Upon hearing his words, he held his head down and clenched his palms together. Her words hit him like a dagger in his heart. Does he want to marry Xingren? He has asked this question to himself many times and the answer every time is….a no.

All this time, he has never thought of her more than a good friend. Despite him trying to understand Xingren, there was something that was pulling him away from her.

He thought that if he tried, they could get along, and then no one would feel sad. His mom, Xingren, and her family. Everyone will be happy, even if he doesn't.

But is it the right way to do things?

He took a deep breath and asked, " So….are you saying you don't like me? Is that a rejection?"

She chuckled and asked him in response, " Are you seriously asking me this question? Let me ask you another question, do you genuinely love me or you're just...attracted to me? Yuhan, it's normal to get attracted to the other person seeing their different side, sudden change."

" However, have you ever had a moment where you thought, ' Ah, this is the person I want to spend my whole life with. Or How amazing it would be if we lived in the same house and grew old together?'. Have you ever had that kind of moment?"

He pursed his lips and tried to think about it. But as long as he knows, he never had that kind of thought. Is that necessary?

She smirked, " No, right? Then...have you ever thought of kissing me? Like, how would it feel if you kiss me, or for instance, what will happen if we make out? Hmm?"

His eyes widened upon hearing her words. " Are you crazy? Why would I think of such perverted stuff?"

" That's not perverted stuff, you stupid. This is a part of a relationship, if you can't think of expressing love to your other half, then are you really in love or just...attracted to that person? Before asking out someone like this, think about these questions, and if the answer is 'Yes, then go ahead."

" After you find your answer, you can come to me anytime. I will free my time to have a drink with you, okay?" She tapped on the table to wake him up from his daze and packed her bag to leave.

He pursed his lips and nodded. Although this conversation didn't go as he imagined, her words did make an impact on him.

Since when she started to talk sensibly?

He closed his eyes and rested his head back. Her questions kept running in his mind. Does he like her what…

Why is it so difficult to answer the questions related to the heart?

How do people differentiate between the feeling of like and love?

Why is it so hard for him to answer this question?

-

Jia Fei, who was watching him from afar frowned seeing him sitting still, with his head hanging back and eyes closed.

" Tsk, Tsk. Who would have thought that I would get to witness someone's rejection today?"

Her eyes widened seeing that he didn't move for a while, " He isn't dead, is he?"

However, after a moment, he suddenly stood up and left the cafe. " What? I thought I would get to watch more of this melodrama. It ended so soon?" she pouted and glanced at the receptionist, who was looking at her in confusion.

"What? Is something on my face?"

The girl got scared and shook her head, " Ah, No. I...let me hand this over to the kitchen." she said and picked up the jar from the counter and ran inside the kitchen.

" What? Am I a monster or what? Why was she so scared of me?"

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