The Moonlight Never Falls

Part 7 [End]

20

Yang Jing Zhi took out his phone and showed me his own chat history.

He told his dorm mates that he had cleared a batch of overdue project fees for the company.

Then those conversations happened.

The chat history somehow ended up in Xu Wan Xing's hands, she cut it, twisting the meaning.

"But how did she know you were going to help me pay off debts?"

"When repaying debts for others, she had experience in this area, so I asked her a bit."

Yang Jing Zhi drove the car to his house.

This was the third time I came here, but with a completely different mood.

"Let's clear things up today since we're here." Yang Jing Zhi poured me a cup of coffee, "Yu Ming, I have a lot of questions I want to ask you."

"Just ask."

"Why break up?"

"I became a burden, and after thinking about it, breaking up was better. "

"Not because you got tired of me?"

Stunned for a moment, I remembered, "tired" was the reason I gave for breaking up.

As soon as this word came out, Yang Jing Zhi walked away without looking back.

He said heavily, "I thought you treated me as a plaything, and after four years, you got tired of me, plus the family incident, I couldn't help much, so you didn't want me anymore."

How could he think that?

I opened my mouth, hadn't answered yet.

Yang Jing Zhi preemptively revealed his bottom line.

"Even if it's like that, it doesn't matter."

He seemed afraid to hear the answer, taking the initiative to show his hand.

"Yu Ming, I've thought it through."

"Even just as a plaything, I still want to stay by your side."

21

Yang Jing Zhi's eyes were dark and moist, just like those days.

It took me a while to digest his words before I spoke: "You misunderstood."

"Huh?"

"That was just an angry outburst, Yang Jing Zhi, I never treated you as a plaything, I was serious about our relationship."

"Why was it a angry outburst?"

"Before the graduation ceremony, you told your dorm mate you wouldn't marry me."

Yang Jing Zhi was taken aback.

He recalled for a long time, then laughed helplessly.

"My intention back then was that I had just graduated and didn't have the ability to get married. Actually... I started looking at engagement rings very early, just couldn't afford them."

We went through incident after incident.

Discovered that we had misunderstood each other.

Why did it turn out this way?

The fundamental reason was that our reality was too far apart.

Yang Jing Zhi thought I helped him just for fun.

And I thought, Yang Jing Zhi was with me because he felt obligated, not willingly.

I didn't believe he loved me.

Back to the present.

Yang Jing Zhi asked, "Yu Ming, why would you accept Xiao Hui's help but not mine?"

"Because I like you, I don't want our relationship to develop like this—"

I suddenly understood.

Yang Jingzhi nodded, "Exactly, I felt the same way back then."

"Wait, did you like me too when I confessed?"

"Yes, Yu Ming, I liked you, even before you."

22

"The first time we met during freshman registration, you said your name was Yu Ming, and I remembered it..."

Yang Jing Zhi's narrative made me see how foolish I was back then.

He fell for me earlier.

Just confessed a step later.

And my way of showing love was wrong from the start.

I tempted him with what he lacked the most.

It was hard for him to speak up.

He actually said many times that he liked me.

But no one believed it.

Everyone thought he was just saying it to please me.

Over time, I believed it, and even he almost believed it.

—Did he like Yu Ming, or was it for grandpa's medical bills?

Countless times being mocked, countless times realizing our differences, Yang Jing Zhi himself became confused.

He was conflicted and twisted, tormenting himself day after day.

Anyone could help him.

Just not me.

Because money would change the flavor of love.

Yang Jing Zhi was so stubborn, he could have comfortably depended on me.

But he didn't.

That's why he's the boy I like.

Yang Jing Zhi began slicing an orange, bringing me back to the day we reunited.

"What did you mean by those words that day?"

"You can have an angry outburst, can't I? I thought you got tired of me, dumped me, and directly disappeared for four years, as if deliberately avoiding me... Can't I get angry?"

I guess he can.

"But Xu Wan Xing said you hated me."

"Sorry, it was my fault, I didn't correct her in time."

Yang Jing Zhi slowly finished slicing the last piece of orange.

He sighed lightly.

"After all, I thought you really... didn't want me anymore."

Snow fell outside the window.

Making the interior feel dry and warm.

This moment, I finally confirmed, in the river of time, my boy had been struggling to come to me.

23

At the school anniversary, Yang Jing Zhi and I both went back.

He, as a representative of outstanding graduates, had to give a speech.

The school was still the same, only the youthful faces had changed batch after batch.

There will always be people who are young.

Always people striving for dreams, in their prime.

My graduate's name tag fell out of the pocket.

A senior helped me pick it up, surprised: "Senior, you are Yu Ming?"

"Do you know me?"

"I interned at Mr. Yang's company, you are a celebrity in our company."

"Really?"

I visited Yang Jing Zhi's company once, just sat at the reception waiting for him.

When the receptionist registered my name, it was the same reaction.

"Are you Yu Ming?"

But until today, I still didn't know why.

The junior said: "There was a set of core bottom algorithms for that project in the company, said to be written by Mr. Yang when he first made this system."

"He left a comment."

"If you meet Yu Ming, please tell her, I love her."

"Anyone who interfaced with this algorithm can see this message."

I was stunned for a long time, just listening to the junior happily say, "It's great, Mr. Yang has finally found the person he was looking for."

After the speech, Yang Jing Zhi and I slowly walked along our past life tracks.

We stopped at the library entrance.

Yang Jing Zhi looked at the big tree to the left: "You confessed to me right here back then."

"Yes, I remember, I was so brave back then."

He stared, his memories seeming to drift very far away.

"Yang Jing Zhi, did you enjoy your university life?"

He struggled, was slandered, and also felt lonely.

I thought he must have been unhappy.

But Yang Jing Zhi said, "Very happy."

"Because you were there, all the pain turned into joy."

He turned around, just like back then, looking down at me.

"Yu Ming, now it's my turn to say."

"It's almost the ninth year I've liked you, can you give me a chance?"

Snow began to fall again.

Snowflakes landed on his head.

I smiled: "In the new year, I will be in your care."

Happy New Year, my boy.

Happy New Year, my youth.

Although we have regrets, we will always at our best.