It was Hua Ying.
She was surrounded by three drunken men.
The three drunken men looked very young.
They were dressed like thugs, with floral shirts, green pants, and yellow hair. None of them could even stand steadily.
But their eyes were fixed on the beautiful Hua Ying.
Hua Ying, wearing a white dress, had delicate and small features, with a pure yet alluring aura, the type that easily made men falter.
The three men looked at her with eyes full of lust.
Hua Ying tried to leave, but was blocked by a slightly chubby man.
Hua Ying had come here because she missed Lu Jinyan.
This was the place where they had their first kiss.
She couldn't forget Lu Jinyan's lingering, tender kiss, nor his gentle gaze.
In her eyes, those smiles, as clean, clear, and gentle as hot springs, were genuine; they couldn't be faked.
It had been a month, a full month, since she had last seen Lu Jinyan.
After having dinner tonight, she went for a walk and found herself drawn here.
"Miss, come on, if you don't have a boyfriend, we'll keep you company." The man reeked of alcohol and reached out his hand towards Hua Ying.
"Get lost." Hua Ying was furious.
There were pubs along the street, and many people were drunk at night.
This wasn't the first time Hua Ying had encountered drunk people, but it was the first time someone had harassed her.
She dodged to the side, and suddenly heard a scream beside her ear.
"Ah… my hand." The sharp scream made Hua Ying turn back abruptly.
She looked up and saw a tall, slender figure behind her. He tilted his head back, his jawline exuding a cool, sharp contour.
Her beautiful eyes widened in panic. Lu Jinyan, it was him!
Lu Jinyan was gripping the man's hand fiercely, his gaze icy.
"Get lost!" Lu Jinyan roared and pushed the man to the ground.
The other two, seeing this, would not leave so easily.
Alcohol emboldened cowards, and at this moment, only one thought occupied the minds of the three men: they were being bullied.
The other two men attacked together, raising their fists to hit Lu Jinyan.
When Lu Jinyan was in high school, with his raw strength, no one dared to bully him.
Fighting was also commonplace, but he didn't believe in hitting faces; if he beat someone black and blue, he felt it was weak. For some people, he believed in breaking their hands and feet to teach them a lesson.
Lu Jinyan's tall frame shielded Hua Ying, and then he kicked the man running towards him in the waist.
The man wasn't tall, but Lu Jinyan's kick was filled with power. He was instantly sent sprawling to the ground.
Coincidentally, it also tripped the man who had rushed towards him along with the first.
"Ah…"
The three men writhed in pain.
Seeing that Lu Jinyan was not to be trifled with, the pain sobered them up a bit.
They scrambled to their feet and ran, no longer daring to provoke Lu Jinyan.
Lu Jinyan then looked at Hua Ying in his arms and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
He released her and saw that her face was pale, and she was staring at him blankly.
"Ying Ying." He called out worriedly.
Hua Ying's tears instantly streamed down her face. His embrace was so warm. "Lu Jinyan, is that you?"
Her voice trembled slightly, filled with longing.
She thought they would never see each other again.
"Mm!" Lu Jinyan's deep gaze fixed on her, suppressing the longing in his heart.
"Are you okay?" Lu Jinyan asked.
Hua Ying nodded slightly. "I'm fine. Thank you tonight!"
After saying that, Hua Ying left.
She dared not face Lu Jinyan, afraid of falling for him again.
"Ying Ying." Lu Jinyan called out gently, watching her retreating figure.
Hua Ying's steps faltered, and she stood still.
Lu Jinyan walked a few steps closer to her, but still stood behind her. He dared not look at her face, fearing he would be unable to resist pulling her into his arms the next moment.
"Ying Ying, I know you've started a new relationship with Su Yu, but I still want to tell you, I didn't touch Gu Mingsi. You know there's surveillance footage in the private room. You can go and check. That day, I was just lying there asleep, waiting for you to come.
I didn't betray you. To avoid making you sad, I went to find you. I just wanted to tell you that I never betrayed you."
Hua Ying tightly gripped the strap of her bag. He didn't touch her?
He never betrayed her?
Hua Ying suddenly turned to look at him.
Lu Jinyan continued to explain, "That day, didn't you arrange to meet me to discuss the endorsement? I thought you would be working overtime and be very tired, so I wanted you to go to the hotel and rest for a while. But I fell asleep in a daze. When I woke up, Gu Mingsi was lying next to me. I had never met her before, and she knew you would be coming that day, so she deliberately set me up. I'm telling you this to alleviate your pain. You were not betrayed."
After Lu Jinyan finished speaking, he turned and walked away first.
In the end, it was about their love not being deep enough.
Hua Ying didn't trust him enough.
In love, it's not just women who are fragile; men are also fragile. Because they love too deeply, they are hurt the most.
And he wasn't the type to drag things out. Since they couldn't be together, he would let her find happiness.
Love must be open and honest; that was his principle.
Hua Ying watched Lu Jinyan's receding figure, tall and refined. In the colorful night lights, his steps were slow, and he seemed somewhat dejected.
Lu Jinyan had never betrayed her. Looking at his disappearing back, she finally felt a strong sense that they were going to miss each other for life.
But she…
Hua Ying thought of Su Yu, whom he had mentioned, and quickly chased after him.
"Lu Jinyan."
Hearing her voice, Lu Jinyan stopped abruptly.
Hua Ying walked over and said, "Why did you say I was dating Su Yu?"
Lu Jinyan frowned, turned slightly to look at her, and said, "Ying Ying, I've explained what I could. I will let go and let you be happy. I won't pester you."
He knew that a forced melon wouldn't be sweet.
When love loses its passion and surprise, it becomes cautious.
His love didn't need forced pleasing or pretense; it only needed mutual happiness.
His love required the most comfortable way of interacting.
"No, Su Yu and I are not dating. Who told you that?" Hua Ying didn't want him to misunderstand.
Before a new relationship could even end, and before she could move on, how could she start a new one?
Lu Jinyan frowned and said, "I heard you say it yourself. That day, I followed you to explain, and I saw you with him. You accepted his proposal."
Did he have to force her to say it?
Lu Jinyan pursed his lips, his heart aching.
He didn't know how he had lost his love, but his heart truly ached at this moment.
Hua Ying looked at him in surprise. "Lu Jinyan, you only heard the first part. Did you hear the rest? I was just joking with him. I explained everything to him afterward, and we are just friends."
"He has liked me for years, but I knew I could never like him. I was the one who broke off that relationship and then told him that it was impossible between us and that he shouldn't waste his time on me. As friends, we occasionally have dinner and talk about collaborations. We are not dating."