"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
He struggled to suppress his grief, repeating the word "sorry" over and over. His voice trembled uncontrollably, like a mirror about to shatter into pieces.
"Oh, why are you crying..."
No matter how hard-hearted Su Zhiyi was, she couldn't stand seeing a man cry. Jiang Yuanheng's tear falling on her hand left a faint trail, piercing straight into her heart.
She wanted to be firm and reject him outright, but when he looked up at her with those pitiful puppy-dog eyes, the refusal died on her lips.
Jiang Yuanheng looked... a little pitiful, didn't he?
She loosely embraced Jiang Yuanheng, her cheek gently resting on his shoulder. Her fingers softly stroked his back, patting it lightly, transforming into a caring older sister mending a melancholy boy's broken heart.
"What I mean is, we're both at a stage where our careers are rising. It's not the right time for romance. Not just for me, but also for you."
"I want to focus on my career."
She wanted to earn the three million bonus.
"You also said you want to become even better."
Jiang Yuanheng couldn't stop her from earning the three million bonus. Once a celebrity publicly reveals a relationship, whether in the industry or as a civilian, netizens will dig up their family background. To be safe, she was absolutely not going to date anyone in this world. No one could stop her from completing her mission and winning the three million bonus—no matter how pitiful Jiang Yuanheng was.
Jiang Yuanheng didn't grasp Su Zhiyi's deepest thoughts, but he understood the surface meaning of her words.
"So, the reason you rejected me isn't that you don't like me, but because you're worried that our relationship would be exposed and affect our careers?"
"Yes."
"I'm not afraid of our relationship being exposed," Jiang Yuanheng said. "But... if that's how you feel, then I'll respect your wishes."
"Sis, do you like me?"
Jiang Yuanheng had calmed down, but he posed a fatal question.
Seeing that his emotions had finally settled, Su Zhiyi continued to soothe him, saying all the right things.
She didn't really like Jiang Yuanheng that much. If she told the truth, she didn't know how badly he would break down. Saying "I like you" wasn't hard—if it could calm him down, it was worth it.
"How could I not like you? You're handsome, sing well, and know how to cheer me up."
"Don't cry. Seeing you cry makes my heart ache."
She reached out and gently wiped away the tear about to fall from the corner of Jiang Yuanheng's eye.
"Maybe a hug will make you feel better?"
She opened her arms wide to him.
After understanding the meaning behind her words, Jiang Yuanheng stopped crying. He opened his arms and hugged Su Zhiyi.
His embrace was shy. He buried his face in her soft hair, feeling her warmth and the faint scent of daisies that set his heart racing.
So warm... So lovely... He wanted to have Sis all to himself... Even if he couldn't, it didn't matter. After all, Sis would always have a place for him in her heart.
In a place Su Zhiyi couldn't see, the shyness in his eyes vanished in an instant. There was not a trace of tears. Instead, there was an indescribable gloom and an obsessive infatuation.
"I'll be happy."
"Hearing you say you like me makes me so happy, Sis..."
"From now on, keep liking me. Always... like me."