"Thank you," Jiang Yuekai said to Lin Jingchu, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Lin Jingchu had been truly good to her, buying all her favorite foods, which only deepened her guilt about her past behavior. "Um... how about we go out to eat with Xiangxiang tomorrow? She should be done with her exams too."
"I'll pick you up tomorrow," Lin Jingchu replied, not quite answering her question.
Jiang Yuekai nodded in agreement and didn't have time to say anything more before Gu Jiang called her. "I'm leaving now."
Lin Jingchu had no choice but to watch Jiang Yuekai and Gu Jiang leave, feeling an indescribable sense of frustration.
After standing at the school gate for a moment, Lin Jingchu drove away. With nowhere else to go, he headed to Jiang Rongkai's kennel.
Lin Jingchu had had dogs at home since birth and had grown up with pets, so he was very fond of puppies. Jiang Rong was also on very good terms with his parents, and Lin Jingchu often visited her kennel to play.
Jiang Rong's kennel specialized in breeding Border Collies. When Lin Jingchu arrived, Jiang Rong happened to be there and took him to watch the puppies' daily training.
Lin Jingchu picked up a puppy, stroked its ears, and looked dejected.
Jiang Rong finished her work and sat down nearby. Seeing his troubled expression, she asked, "Are you feeling down?"
Jiang Rong was among the younger elders, and she spent a lot of time with animals. Lin Jingchu was very close to her, so she was well aware of some of his unspoken thoughts. "Is it about Yuekai's relationship?"
Lin Jingchu asked, "You know about it too?"
"Yes, her maternal grandmother came here last month and told me," Jiang Rong replied. "Are you very sad?"
Lin Jingchu didn't know how to answer the question. After much deliberation, he told Jiang Rong about Jiang Yuekai avoiding him for the past few months.
Although he expressed it subtly, Jiang Rong understood. Lin Jingchu disapproved of Gu Jiang's actions, and Gu Jiang clearly saw Lin Jingchu as a threat.
As someone who had been through similar experiences, Jiang Rong immediately grasped the situation after hearing Lin Jingchu's account.
Regardless of whether Jiang Yuekai had romantic feelings for Lin Jingchu, or how much Gu Jiang minded, it couldn't change the fact that they were childhood sweethearts. Lan Lan and Lin Mei had been close friends for decades; how could their families not interact at all?
Given Gu Jiang's level of possessiveness, any meeting between Jiang Yuekai and Lin Jingchu would make him unhappy. Over time, this would inevitably create friction in their relationship.
During this period of intense romance, Jiang Yuekai might compromise for a while. However, she wasn't the type of girl who lacked her own opinions and would blindly follow her boyfriend's every word. If Gu Jiang didn't change his approach, these two were bound to have a major conflict, ranging from silent treatment to outright breakup.
Jiang Rong could understand Gu Jiang's possessiveness, but relationships between men and women were inherently complex. She could only say that Gu Jiang's way of handling things was rather immature.
Lin Jingchu didn't ask Jiang Rong for advice, nor did she offer any. However, after saying some things aloud, Lin Jingchu felt much better.
Gu Jiang, on the other hand, was not feeling as good.
He watched a movie with Jiang Yuekai and then they went to a restaurant for dinner. Gu Jiang had chosen the restaurant days in advance, but Jiang Yuekai paid little attention to the menu. Instead, she sat down and began eating the pastries Lin Jingchu had given her, enjoying them immensely.
Gu Jiang flipped through the menu, his expression growing increasingly grim. However, Jiang Yuekai was focused on the food and didn't notice his mood.
Gu Jiang suppressed his feelings, but when Jiang Yuekai asked him if he wanted to try some of the pastries, he finally lost his temper.
"Yuekai, this is the restaurant I spent a week choosing. I brought you here to eat, not to watch you eat pastries," Gu Jiang said.
Were these pastries from Lin Jingchu? Did she like everything Lin Jingchu gave her so much?
Gu Jiang's tone was unpleasant. Jiang Yuekai stopped what she was doing. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and saw Gu Jiang's furious gaze. She didn't quite understand why he was so angry.
"I didn't say I wouldn't eat. You can order the dishes. These are just pre-meal desserts," Jiang Yuekai replied patiently, explaining.
However, Gu Jiang became even angrier. He questioned Jiang Yuekai, "Do you like everything he gives you so much?"
Jiang Yuekai suddenly understood. Gu Jiang was so angry because she had eaten the pastries Lin Jingchu had given her?
She couldn't accept this reason.
Gu Jiang had seen the entire process of Lin Jingchu giving her the pastries earlier. She hadn't had any ambiguous interactions with Lin Jingchu, so why was he so angry?
Shen Yujin's words suddenly flashed in Jiang Yuekai's mind: "Your boyfriend is so stingy."
She had never thought that before, but Gu Jiang's behavior today was truly outrageous.
Jiang Yuekai's tone also became serious. "I just genuinely like these pastries. Gu Jiang, please don't make a mountain out of a molehill. I don't want to argue."
Today was the end of the final exams, and she should have been in a good mood, but he had to come and cause trouble.
"Am I making a mountain out of a molehill, or are you feeling guilty?" Gu Jiang was blinded by jealousy. "How did he know our exam schedule and appear so precisely at the school gate? Didn't you arrange it?"
"You promised me before that you wouldn't see him again. You were lying to me all along, weren't you? You've been in contact with him privately all this time." The words tumbled out impulsively, without thought.
These words completely angered Jiang Yuekai. "Gu Jiang, to correct you, I never promised not to see him. I only said I would reduce private contact with him."
"And after I promised you, I haven't seen him again. Today is the first time I've seen him in over three months, and in your words, I've been lying to you and feeling guilty." Jiang Yuekai was very disappointed in Gu Jiang. Her initial compromise was only out of understanding his emotions, not because she was willing to make endless concessions in this relationship.
Seeing Jiang Yuekai angry, Gu Jiang calmed down a little but still asked, "Then how did he know our exam schedule? Didn't you tell him?"
"Is the school's exam schedule a secret? He graduated from our school too. Do you think it's difficult for him to find out?" Jiang Yuekai was getting tired. She put away the pastries Lin Jingchu had bought and said to Gu Jiang, "I've suddenly lost my appetite. Let's end it here for today. I don't want to argue, let's both calm down."
Jiang Yuekai was not someone who liked to have hysterics, but Gu Jiang's actions today had truly angered her. If they continued, their argument would become very ugly.
But Gu Jiang didn't seem to understand this. He refused to let it go. "I hope you won't see him again in the future. He doesn't really care about you..."
"Don't you think your request is excessive?" Jiang Yuekai didn't even let him finish. "I've known him since I was born. How can I just stop seeing him? I can avoid suspicion, but I won't give up my existing relationships for you. Gu Jiang, you're too immature."
Jiang Yuekai felt that her perception of Gu Jiang was starting to crack.