Xu Ai had indeed had this intention when she took him into the room.
She was obsessed with Lin Shen; even though she had given up on him and could only follow him with her eyes, she couldn't lie to herself.
She just couldn't forget him.
Lin Shen could affect her emotions any time; she could pretend indifference, but deep inside, she knew her love for him couldn't fade away so soon.
Hearing Su Xuan spoke her mind, she didn't know how to describe what she was feeling. She could only nod.
In this place, she could tell Su Xuan frankly her true feelings for the past three years.
She wanted him to know that she had loved Lin Shen for three years, which was three fourths of her college life and the best time of her youth.
Su Xuan was born with everything good. A proud guy, he could never allow his girlfriend to have her heart filled with love for another guy, right?
He'd never allow it.
He'd never bear to be slighted like this.
So, her frank talk should end their ridiculous relationship.
Xu Ai wrung her fingers and didn't dare to look at him.
"I drove you all the way back to school and this is how you repay my hard work?" Su Xuan looked at her with a faint smile. "What are you afraid of? Do you want to dump me, so I'll never badger you?"
He said he was badgering her?
Xu Ai looked up at him.
Sitting there gracefully with crossed legs, he had a faint smile on his handsome face. "About your relationship with…" He paused as if he didn't want to say the name. "I didn't expect you'd tell me about it so soon. You caught me by surprise."
Xu Ai didn't speak.
He picked up the empty mockup and turned it this way and that for a while before asking in his melodious voice, "The guy you've liked for three years…Does he like you?"
Xu Ai lowered her head and bit on her lip, saying bitterly, "It doesn't matter that he doesn't like me. My feelings for him have nothing to do with him."
Su Xuan smiled suddenly. "Don't tell me you'll keep waiting until he likes you."
Xu Ai didn't speak.
With a cringing look in his eyes, he continued in his usual tone, "You've waited for three years. Do you think things will change if you wait for another three years?"
She closed her eyes and said in a low voice, "I… don't expect he'll return my feelings. But I've liked him for three years and I can't stop liking him immediately. With him in my heart, how can I become another guy's girlfriend? I just can't do it."
Su Xuan's eyes softened with warmth. Putting down the mockup, he tousled her hair and chuckled. "I love and hate your honesty at the same time."
Xu Ai looked at him with a frown.
He withdrew his hand and said with a smile, "What if I say I don't mind it?"
Xu Ai froze.
He said earnestly, "What if I say I'll give you time to forget him and like me?"
Xu Ai shook head immediately.
"Huh?" Su Xuan gazed at her. "I don't mind it; why did you shake your head? You mean you'll never like me even if I make this big concession?"
She shook her head again. Seeing his earnestness, she said, "It's not that. I just feel…"
Surprised at his response, she considered what to say. After she told him frankly about her feelings for Lin Shen and showed him Lin Shen's photos in the room, she had expected that he'd feel humiliated and leave after finishing the coffee gracefully and never come back. But he made the concession and offered to give her time to forget Lin Shen.
Astonished, she didn't know what to say. After a long moment, she finally looked up at him and said, "I wonder if you've ever liked someone before."
"Yes!"
Xu Ai stared at him immediately.
He smiled. "She's sitting before me and looking me in the eye."
Xu Ai rolled her eyes and said in a huff, "I'm serious. Please be serious, too, okay?"
Su Xuan sighed. "I listened to you with all seriousness and I answered your question earnestly. I truly like you and you are sitting before me."
"Why do you like me?" Xu Ai frowned.
"Do people need a reason to fall in love?" Su Xuan looked at her in puzzlement. "I just like you."
Dejected, she understood what he meant since she liked Lin Shen for no specific reason, too. Looking away, she said in confusion, "Even though Lin Shen doesn't like me, I don't know when I'll get him out of my heart; maybe it'll take another three years or longer. Are you sure you'll wait for me indefinitely?"
"Why not?" He raised his brows.
She stood up abruptly. "Su Xuan, please be serious, okay?"
He looked helpless. "Why do you think I'm not serious? What should I do to make you realize that I'm serious? Do you think I'd break up with you just because of these photos and your confession?"
Xu Ai glared at him. "I didn't go out with you. So, there's no break-up for us."
Amused, he watched as the melancholy look on her face was replaced by fury. Standing up, he asked, "You didn't go out with me? No one believes it."
Xu Ai was speechless.
"Your grandma, my grandma, my aunt, Grandma Li's family, your roommates and even the boyfriend of your roommate…" Su Yu named them one by one and asked, "Can you say they don't regard us as a couple?"
Xu Ai didn't know how to retort.
"Besides, some people like the image of things while others like the truth behind the veneer. I'm satisfied to be your boyfriend in people's eyes and don't want to break up with you yet. I like the image of our relationship. As to the truth under it, I don't care that you have another guy in your heart. If you can't forget him now, let it be. It has nothing to do with me."
"You…" Xu Ai didn't know what to say.
Xu Xuan moved closer to her suddenly and put an arm around her waist lightly; he lowered his head and before she knew what was happening, he pressed his lips against hers.
Xu Ai widened her eyes and turned stiff all over, too startled to react.
He pressed his lips lightly against hers and let her go. With a smile, he flicked his finger on her head and said in a gentle and loving tone, "We got everything clear now. Don't dwell on it. I'm leaving."
He closed the door behind him with a light click.
Xu Ai snapped back to her senses and turned around but saw no sign of him. She touched her lips which were still warm with his elegant scent.
Her fingers flinched back as if they were burned. Then she ran downstairs and out of the coffeehouse.
When she reached the door, Su Xuan's car had entered the traffic, looking luxurious and low-keyed among other cars.
She stomped her foot and yelled in anger, "Su Xuan!"
Han Ye ran out after her. Seeing her anger, he asked immediately, "Sister Ai, what happened? Did you have a fight with Young Master Su?"
"Shut up!" Xu Ai kicked him.
Receiving a kick for no reason, Han Ye hugged his leg and hissed with a bitter face. "Sister Ai, I did nothing! Why did you kick me?"
Xu Ai scowled at him.
Han Ye put down his leg and raised his hands, saying in trepidation, "Okay, okay. My fault. My fault. I shouldn't have come out…" Immediately, he ran back in.
Xu Ai covered her face with hands, feeling her lips were burning.
It was her first kiss!
Her first kiss!
Does Su Xuan know it?
He was so despicable!
How could he do this to her?
She felt rage rising but at the same time her heart trembled and tingled as she remembered how he leaned over, held her to him and pressed his warm lips against hers.
She felt as if her whole body was burning as the sensation spread all over.
Standing at the entrance for a long while, she didn't move until the door was pushed open from inside.
A couple walked out hand in hand, laughing and talking intimately.
Watching them walk away, she went inside.
Seeing her, Han Ye who was standing behind the counter lowered his head.
Frustrated, she went upstairs to her room. Closing the door behind her, she saw everything was in its original place except for the two coffee cups; but she felt everything had changed.
Standing before the table, she picked up the empty cup that Su Xuan had used and threw it to the floor.
But the moment it left her hand, she scrambled over and caught it before it hit the floor. She dropped to the floor on her butt due to the momentum.
The coffee cup was intact.
Looking at the coffee cup in her hand for a long while, she cursed silently for her madness!
She lost the battle completely and did such a stupid thing.
She shouldn't have taken Su Xuan into this room!
Listless, she leaned against the table leg and closed her eyes in defeat.
After a while, her cellphone rang.
Lazily, she stood up and dug out her cell phone from her bag. Seeing it was from Su Xuan, she revived and glared at the name on the screen with gritted teeth.
He had the nerve to call her?
She didn't want to answer it; but she wasn't the one who did wrong and there's no reason for her to refuse the call.
Pressing on the Answer button, she said in a furious tone, "What?"
Su Xuan's smiling voice came to her ears, deep and melodious. "Are you still mad?"
She said in a huff, "You have the nerve to mention it. You dared to do it; then why did you run?"
He chuckled. "If I stayed, you'd beat me."
"So you know I want to beat you!" Xu Ai was furious that she didn't catch him before he left; if she got him, she'd kick him to death. "Don't let me see you again."
Su Xuan chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't do it." After a pause, he got serious and said in a gentle voice, "Please don't be mad at me. I kissed you but you're not on the short end of the stick. It was my first kiss."