Chapter 96: Shared Memories

To have a young woman confess her love and also offer her virginity, any man would be moved. Mei Xiawen never thought Ai Weinan would be so bold and passionate. He was shocked for a second as Ai Weinan hugged his waist tightly and couldn’t help hugging her back, gently patting her back. It was true he didn’t love Ai Weinan. There was nothing to explain further. There was no reason or cause why a man and a woman loved or didn’t each other. Sometimes there was no spark, regardless of how hard one person tried. Love must be a mutual thing between a man and a woman. Anything else would be considered a crush or one-sided love, not mutual love. There was nothing wrong with Ai Weinan, but she didn’t arouse Mei Xiawen’s affections. In other words, they had no chemistry and couldn’t have love between them.

However Ai Weinan understood men well. For a man, sex was always a possibility regardless of love. There was a saying called mercy fuck, which was the kind of hook up Ai Weinan was requesting from Mei Xiawen. So this was the final step in her scheme and also the last resort for the worst case scenario. She requested this because she was confident that as long as Mei Xiawen slept with her once, there would be a second and a third time… Their relationship would progress to love as they continued to have sex. Regardless of what Mei Xiawen believed, Ai Weinan was confident about this. Seeing that Mei Xiawen wasn’t pushing her away, she assumed he had acquiesced.

She whispered, “…I booked a third room here…”

Originally she told everyone she booked two rooms, one for the girls stay in and the others for the guys. She actually booked a third room in secret, just for herself and Mei Xiawen. She wanted her first time to be perfect and be without regrets. She also wanted to get Mei Xiawen hooked on her and be unable to leave. Unfortunately, she overestimated her appeal.

Not only did the his past with his ex-girlfriend that was engraved in his heart flash through Mei Xiawen’s mind, but also Gu Nianzhi’s clear and expressive large eyes.

He finally pushed her away and smiled, “Weinan, your first time should be reserved for the one who cherishes you the most. I don’t love you, so I can’t sleep with you.” He looked at his watch, “It’s late, I have to go. You guys have fun, I’m gonna head back first.”

Ai Weinan had painstakingly planned this and anticipated all kinds of scenarios, including the worst case of Mei Xiawen rejecting her. But she never thought that he would reject her to this extent. He pushed her away despite her presenting herself and throwing herself at him… Watching his retreating back, Ai Weinan muffled her mouth and cried.

…

By the time Mei Xiawen was back on campus, it was nearly one in the morning. The dorm building was already locked and he had to rouse the Resident Advisor to let him in. However he couldn’t sleep at all. Today Ai Weinan mentioned the person he had hidden in his heart for the last four years. He thought he had left it all behind, and when he faced her again he would be nonchalant and see it as merely a romantic past. But tonight’s events made him realize that he actually hadn’t forgotten her. Everytime Ai Weinan mentioned her, his heart beated furiously for a long time. He had never gotten this feeling from anyone else, including Gu Nianzhi. Of course, Gu Nianzhi touched his heart a lot more than other women, and that was why he decided to pursue her. When the day came that they experienced a long time together and their love had solidified, perhaps it could wipe away all traces of his first girlfriend. For now, they hadn’t reached this point yet.

Mei Xiawen took out his phone and opened the Weibo called “Black Tea’s Sky.” This was their shared Weibo account when they were dating in high school. They both had the password and had no other followers, only writing for each other to see. They were both artsy youth–the phrases and poems expressing love and every status recording their tender past was the best catalyst for their relationship. Mei Xiawen sat in the dark and entered the password that had been engraved in his heart, but as soon as he submitted it, he was shocked to find it was not accessible! Mei Xiawen sat up straight in his bed. They were the only ones to know the password. He had logged in this account not long ago–just a few months prior, why had the password changed?! Could it be.. That’s she’s back? And even changed the password?! Mei Xiawen’s fingers continued to enter all combinations of passwords into the Weibo login page and he even tried to use the password retrieval function.

But nothing. There was no text sent to his phone. This meant that the security settings on the account had been modified. Mei Xiawen sat in a daze, He was initially shocked, but gradually calmed down and looked at the Weibo account. He wasn’t totally sure that it meant she was back. Maybe it was hacked? This was a common thing to happen. Mei Xiawen logged into his own Weibo and searched the “Black Tea’s Sky” account he shared with his first girlfriend. He was floored to see that there was a recent update.

“Perhaps the scenery from a far land is not guaranteed to be beautiful, and perhaps the most beautiful scenery is right by our side. I’m sorry for my youthful rebellion, and how I let go of the

most beautiful scenery is right by my side…”

Mei Xiawen’s hands trembled, unable to believe his own eyes. After four years, he saw her again… After seeing this latest update, he was certain the account was not hacked, but that she changed the password. He had intermittently updated these past four years in hopes she would read them. After the break up, he didn’t know if she would come back or if she would see it. He would just login and write his thoughts, even if he was the only one to read it. And that was why once he decided to pursue Gu Nianzhi, he rarely logged in that account.

It was because Ai Weinan mentioned it tonight that he thought to check. He didn’t think that this would lead to him discovering a truth that would make it impossible for him to sleep. He hesitated for a long time, his finger hovering on the “Message” button for a long time, but he stopped himself. She was the one to leave, and if she still had feelings for him, she should be the one to seek him out… Mei Xiawen couldn’t sleep until dawn broke. He woke up almost at noon the next day. He casually picked up his phone and saw he missed several texts from Gu Nianzhi’s. They were all sent this morning and he missed them in his sleep. Mei Xiawen hastily called her back. She picked up at the first ring.

“Xiawen, you’re awake?” Gu Nianzhi’s bubbly voice rang from the other side of the line, “I heard from Strongman that you slept late last night?”