"Do you... do you know what 'like' means?" Meng Ruozhao's voice trembled slightly.
She didn't even dare to look down into Pei Jiangmu's eyes, afraid of seeing an earnestness she shouldn't in those clear irises.
But Pei Jiangmu suddenly raised his head. The redness in his eyes hadn't completely faded, but the stubbornness in them was impossible for Meng Ruozhao to ignore.
"I know."
He tightened his grip on the corner of Meng Ruozhao's clothes, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"Like is... feeling sad when I see you talking to others, wanting to stay by your side all the time, and wanting you to be nice only to me."
His words were straightforward, without any disguise, just like a child clutching a candy and refusing to let go, stubbornly declaring his feelings.
But it was precisely this straightforwardness that made Meng Ruozhao even more flustered.
She didn't know when he'd developed such feelings.
She was also afraid that her actions had misled him.
"Pei Jiangmu, you've got it wrong," Meng Ruozhao took a deep breath and gently pushed him away a bit.
She kept a distance that wasn't too far but was enough for them to stay clear - headed.
"What you feel for me is just gratitude and dependence. When you get through this low - point and meet the girl who really makes your heart flutter, you'll understand that what you're feeling now isn't like."
She tried to keep her tone gentle, afraid of hurting this sensitive and vulnerable man. But the worry in her words was hard to hide.
As the dominant one in this relationship, she shouldn't let this misplaced affection continue to grow. It wasn't good for Pei Jiangmu, nor for herself.
But Pei Jiangmu seemed either not to understand her words or to deliberately ignore them.
He took a step forward and grabbed Meng Ruozhao's wrist again. The warmth of his fingertips was so hot that she almost wanted to pull away.
"I'm not wrong."
There was a hint of aggrieved sobbing in his voice.
"I've liked you since the first time I saw you."
"I'm very clear that my feelings for you aren't gratitude. It's like."
The warmth from Pei Jiangmu's palm seeped through his sleeve and made Meng Ruozhao's heart tremble.
She looked at the intense stubbornness in the man's eyes.
The words "I've liked you since the first time I saw you" were like a thin needle, gently piercing the calm she'd deliberately maintained.
It turned out that his feelings had started earlier and were deeper than she'd thought.
Meng Ruozhao instinctively tried to pull her wrist away, but her fingertips touched the thin calluses on his palm.
Those were from when he'd practiced drawing in the studio and helped her move fabrics in the warehouse.
In an instant, fragments of the past came flooding back.
He'd squatted in front of the store to repair the leaking water pipe for her, his fingertips stained with mud but his smile shy.
He'd come to the store with a large bunch of freshly - bloomed daisies, saying, "I saw that sister likes this kind of flower."
Every time he came to the store, he'd bring her some of her favorite snacks - she'd never even said what she liked, but he'd observed quietly.
Every time there was danger, he'd always stood in front of her...
These little bits of warmth had actually taken root in her heart long ago.
But she'd always suppressed that inappropriate flutter of the heart with the excuse of "not being able to have inappropriate feelings, he's still in school."
"You..." Meng Ruozhao's voice suddenly softened, and her originally tense shoulders slumped slightly. "You clearly know I just broke up..."
"I know what you're afraid of," Pei Jiangmu interrupted her. The grievance in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a determination she'd never seen before.
"You're afraid I'm acting on impulse, afraid I can't tell my feelings apart, and afraid this relationship won't have a happy ending."
"But sister, you don't seem to know me well. Once I've made up my mind, I'll never change it easily."
The strength of his grip on her wrist loosened a bit, but he didn't let go. His fingertips gently caressed her skin, as if confirming something.
Only then did Meng Ruozhao realize that Pei Jiangmu's eyes had changed.
They were no longer the clear, dependent eyes from before, but instead held a deep earnestness and aggression.
"I liked you when you still had a boyfriend, so I hid my feelings."
"Now, you've broken up."
"I originally wanted to take it slow, wait for you to gradually accept me, wait for you to sort out your feelings, and then tell you I like you."
Pei Jiangmu reached out and gently touched her face. The warmth of his fingertips was so gentle that it made her heart flutter.
"But Qin Mu showed up. The way he looked at you scared me."
"I'm afraid he'll pursue you. In front of him, I don't stand a chance... I'm afraid all my waiting will end up in vain."
Looking at the uneasiness in his eyes, Meng Ruozhao suddenly reached out and gently hugged his waist.
She buried her face in his chest and could clearly hear his rapid heartbeat gradually merging with her own.
"Silly boy, let alone the fact that he won't pursue me."
"As for you, you'll always stand a chance against anyone else."
From the first time she saw him in the temple, she'd thought this man was really good - looking.
It seemed that every bit of him was just what she liked.
After that, every time she'd been unprincipled with him, it all came down to "selfishness."
If it weren't for her selfishness, how could he have lived with her?
It's just that, given her previous situation, it was really hard for her to admit this "selfishness."
Hearing her words, the uneasiness and impatience in Pei Jiangmu's heart instantly vanished.
He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, his movements as gentle as if he were caring for a rare treasure.
"So, you like me too, don't you?"
There was a hint of just - right tremor in his tone, not a deliberate pretense but real nervousness.
Just as Meng Ruozhao was about to answer, the door of the warehouse was pushed open.
Yi Mo's voice came from the doorway.
"Why did it take you so long? Ruozhao, guess what gossip I've heard?"
She'd asked around and finally heard a piece of gossip that excited her.
After waiting for Meng Ruozhao for a long time without seeing her come back, she'd come to look for her.
Just a second before hearing her voice, Meng Ruozhao had instinctively distanced herself from Pei Jiangmu.
She was a bit flustered now. Before this relationship was officially established, it was better not to let it be exposed. It wouldn't be good for Pei Jiangmu's reputation.
And Pei Jiangmu seemed to understand her concerns. He casually hugged a bundle of fabric beside him.
Yi Mo didn't notice anything unusual and told Meng Ruozhao to hurry up and go out.
Meng Ruozhao responded and took a few steps outside. Then she stopped, turned to Pei Jiangmu, and said, "Yes."
Do you like me too?
Yes.
Pei Jiangmu almost couldn't hold the bundle of fabric in his hands.
His Ruozhao liked him.
All his fears and worries during this time finally disappeared, leaving only overwhelming joy that engulfed him.
At the same time, in a black sedan not far from [Fuyunxuan].
Qin Mu sat in the car. There was a cigarette that had burned to the end between his fingers resting on the car window.
He seemed completely unaware, just staring in the direction of [Fuyunxuan].
Yan Sisi beside him suddenly let out a soft laugh. "I didn't lie to you, did I? She doesn't remember any of us."
After she'd called Qin Mu, his first reaction was that she was lying.
How could Meng Ruozhao forget them?
Then he'd been determined to come back at all costs. He'd even reached the airport but was grabbed back by his agent and others.
After all, the crew was spending millions of dollars a day, and he, as the leading actor, couldn't leave.
Later, he'd worked desperately to catch up on the progress and finally managed to get a one - day vacation.
He had to rush back to the crew in the evening.