A feeling of disorientation came over Yating at that moment. A heavy sensation sunk in his stomach. Ai had decided. There was no more room to negotiate. Her voice held finality.
"Ai, please don't say this…I know I made a horrible mistake. You could have gotten injured because of me. Even I cannot forgive myself for that," his voice was shaky. "But please…please don't be so harsh, Ai. Give me one chance."
Ai finally looked up and was stunned to his eyes misty with tears. She couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
He is crying? Yating is…?
Her lips held a wistful smile.
"Don't cry, Gu Yating. Please don't."
You left me heartbroken by your betrayal in my past life, and now you…why do you look like this? You ended our five years of commitment so easily by choosing Guiying over me.
And now you make an expression as if this rejection affects you? If you had really loved me even a little bit, then you wouldn't have stabbed me in the back.
Her wet gaze pointed accusations at him. She wiped her eyes. "I hope you don't pursue this any further."
Yating was shaken by her cold words. "Ai, I don't want to give up on you. I am sincere towards you with all my heart-"
"Enough!" Ai gasped. Her irises lingered with grief. "Stop this already. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I know you don't love me, so please…stop saying such things."
Yating widened his eyes. "I don't love you? Ai, I just confessed my feelings to you."
But five years later, that love would vanish as if it wasn't there in the first place.
"I am begging you like crazy to give me a chance. I made a terrible mistake, but it won't happen again. I will protect you even if it costs my life!"
She gritted her teeth and turned to leave. "I am leaving."
He hastily blocked her way. "Ai, I feel there is some other misunderstanding between us. Since the past few weeks, even before the event happened, you have been ignoring me. You hardly talk to me, and you didn't come to Dream High too. It's as if you are avoiding everything related to me."
"You are mistaken."
"Then what is it? I am not hallucinating! You have definitely changed," his chest heaved in anxiety.
A change which Yating was finding increasingly distressing and confusing.
Ai felt bitter. "I have already given you my answer."
"You haven't given me the complete answer, Ai. You are making me more and more sure that you are hiding something from me."
The more he talked, the more impatient she felt and the more tears filled her eyes.
He tightly held her hands and whispered. "If you don't tell me, then how would I know how I have hurt you?"
"Please stop…" her voice cracked. "Please stop!"
She harshly shook her hands off. Gritting her teeth, she felt anger rush in her body. Ai was the type who would remain calm even if she was furious. But the pain and death of her past life didn't let her be tranquil this time.
"I don't want to do this! I don't want to come between you and Guiying. So, you can save your confession for her!" She trembled.
Yating listened and shock only kept piling in his expression. "What? Where does Guiying come from?"
She sadly laughed. "She was always there, Gu Yating. Guiying was always there because she loves you. I am not only rejecting you because I don't return your feelings but also because I know you would be happier with Guiying."
"Hold on!" Yating stopped her. "Guiying doesn't like me. Who told you that?"
Ai was breathing faster in distress. She couldn't really tell him that he would break up with her five years later because he realized his love for Guiying.
"...I just know."
"No, you are misunderstanding it. Guiying doesn't have any feelings for me. I don't love her either. There is no possibility of any relationship between us!" He exclaimed, aghast.
His denial was just pricking her even more when she knew what would happen in the future.
"I just know! So, please I beg you to stop here."
Yating exhaled in frustration. "How can I stop here when you are seeing everything wrongly? Guiying and I only have a professional relationship. There is nothing romantic between us, and it never would be either. So you can throw that thought out of your mind. Okay, did Guiying say anything to you?"
Ai stiffened.
"I am pretty sure she doesn't like me that way. Trust me, I am not that of an airhead not to realize if she had feelings for me."
She clutched the hem of her dress in her fist. "You won't understand it now, Gu Yating."
Ai felt regretful that it slipped out of her mouth in a moment of impatience. It became difficult to explain something that would happen five years later.
Yating took a deep breath. "Okay. I know now. If it's because of this, then I will call Guiying right and ask her right now. You can hear the answer for yourself. Then you wouldn't have any doubts anymore."
Ai froze. Yating was about to dial her number when she hastily stopped him. "No! Gu Yating, please don't ask me any questions!" She urged. "Don't ask Guiying either."
"Why not?"
He was stunned seeing Ai suddenly break down. "Please…don't ask anything…Can you please stop this here?"
Her knees trembled weakly as if she would fall at any moment.
"Gu Yating. I don't like you," her heart burned as it was attacked by poison, "Please don't make this difficult for me…" she gasped. "I am not rejecting you because of Guiying or your mistakes. I simply don't love you."
Yating felt as if he was thrown into a pool of ice. He couldn't move.
"As for Guiying…you will know it when the time is right. But until then," she whispered tiredly, "don't ask her anything. Please respect my wish if you treat me as your friend."
Ai pulled her bag up her shoulder and ran away as fast as she could.
Yating collapsed on a chair, feeling lost. His gaze was empty as he stared ahead. He chuckled as his lips got wet from tears.
That's the worst way to end a year, isn't it?