Lesson in Contrasts

Standing to the side, Lu Yichen seemed oblivious to the chaotic state of this family. In his eyes, there was only Xia Yuwei; in his ears, he heard nothing but every word she spoke.

"He's so young. I've always treated him like a little brother."

"I swear I've never dared to harbor feelings for him."

"I will never like him, not now, not ever."

"And I will never be with him!"

Lu Yichen paid no attention to Xia Yuwei's parents, only stared at her in a daze, as if asking, Is it true? Is everything you say true? If you don't like me, then why are you so good to me? Why?

His gaze followed Xia Yuwei, so piercing that she dared not look back at him after glancing once. The frankness in his eyes, as if speaking aloud, left her with a sense of guilt.

Her thoughts were in disarray; all she remembered was her resolve. That fleeting stir and emptiness when he embraced her filled her with panic. From the forced kiss yesterday to the embrace today, she could feel that something strange and different had begun between them. But she was afraid to dwell on such a change.

Lu Yichen waited in vain for their eyes to meet.

"Goodbye," he said softly, then left the Xia family home.

As the door closed, it felt as if a thorn had pierced Xia Yuwei's heart.

She was confined at home by her parents for several days, her phone confiscated, cut off from all contact with the outside world.

Her parents' guarded treatment of the two children was not without reason.

Her aunt, Xia Meixi, was a cautionary tale: a dazzlingly poor Cinderella and a wealthy young master, a glamorous romance between siblings. Throwing caution to the wind for love, she married into the family, only to face ridicule and disdain from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law in so-called high society. She endured humiliation, believing she could wait for a brighter future.

But only a few years later, what came was her husband's new wife—a beautiful woman ten years his junior, adored and cherished, while the old was left to weep.

Tormented by love, Xia Meixi ultimately chose suicide, leaving her elder brother Xia Changxi with lifelong heartbreak. Now, how could he allow his daughter to repeat the same mistake?

Faced with relentless questioning from her parents, Xia Yuwei confessed over and over, telling everything except for Lu Yichen's kiss and embrace. She repeatedly promised never to see Lu Yichen again, and after a few days, was finally granted her freedom.

The first thing Xia Yuwei did upon getting her phone back was to check for new messages.

A beep sounded. A notification appeared on the screen: "You have received a text message from Lu Yichen."

Hurriedly, she opened it to read. A single, brief line sent a chill rising from her heart, and even her cheeks felt cold.

"Like you so much, I hate you."

From that day forward, he never appeared before her again.

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