Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 42 - 40 Stopping Here, How Nice That Would Be

This seemingly simple question was not so easy to answer when it came to it.

Qi Yi looked at Yan Yan’s worried eyes, and for a long time, he didn’t speak.

"No, I won’t," Qi Yi finally made up his mind and answered Yan Yan’s earlier question.

"Why?" Yan Yan voiced her doubt, her expression and tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Because, the last time I said I would give up Peking University, you gave up on me. I won’t make the same mistake a second time," Qi Yi explained.

"Oh my God, my boyfriend is just so charming!"

Yan Yan’s once lifted heart finally settled down.

Qi Yi seemed to really understand her better than before.

"Ey, are you finally willing to admit that I’m your boyfriend?" Qi Yi said with a laugh as he touched Yan Yan’s head.

This gesture was something Qi Yi had never done before, nor had he even thought about it.

No one had taught him, and there was no need for a reminder; everything happened so naturally.

"Mmh, coming across a promising stock that’s about to work at UBS and Barclays, I have to hold on tight and never let go.

You know, even MBAs from Wharton Business School find it hard to get an offer from either.

My boyfriend has already shot through the roof, left Earth, and headed straight for the Milky Way."

Yan Yan was genuinely happy for Qi Yi.

"Is it really that great?" Qi Yi couldn’t help but laugh at Yan Yan’s highly exaggerating tone.

"More real than pearls!

Qi Yi, I still have the letters I wrote to you.

When both of us are back in China, I’ll exchange them with you then.

It always feels odd that the letters I wrote to you are still in my hands."

It was only then that Yan Yan finally remembered the question she had yet to answer.

"Well, I’ll try my best," Qi Yi replied somewhat helplessly.

"What do you mean by that? What does ’try my best’ mean?" Yan Yan didn’t quite understand Qi Yi’s words.

"Although I did shamelessly pick up the letters I had thrown away,

to keep from constantly thinking about those heartbreaking days,

I’ve forgotten where I hid those letters," Qi Yi said, looking at Yan Yan.

In Qi Yi’s eyes, there was still some lingering gloom that kept asking Yan Yan, "Why did you do that to me back then?"

"Can’t you be a bit happier? I thought after all these years in the United States, you’d have become much stronger mentally. Why can’t you let go of such a little thing?" Yan Yan moved her hand that Qi Yi was holding.

"Do you really think this is ’a little thing’?" Qi Yi asked with a hurt look on his face.

It definitely wasn’t a small matter, and even regarding the decision to break up, Yan Yan now felt somewhat at fault.

"Ah, you’re about to leave. I’m so sad. What will we do in the future?

What we’re facing is basically an unprepared, unplanned, groundless ’three no’s relationship,’" Yan Yan quickly shifted the topic with a sorrowful expression.

If words couldn’t best Qi Yi, couldn’t she still escape?

"Why would it be groundless? Our feelings for one another are deeply rooted," Qi Yi immediately switched from complaining to comforting.

"But being unprepared and unplanned is still true, right? And what deeply rooted feelings? Liu Siyan and Lu Ying, now theirs are what you call deeply rooted," Yan Yan was not ready to surrender just yet.

"So tell me, who is to blame for ruthlessly shattering the emotional foundation between the two of us?" Qi Yi steered the conversation back again.

"Goodness, my Lord Grandpa, are you ever going to let this go?" Yan Yan pouted, looking at Qi Yi with mock "anger."

"I’ve accumulated five years of ’resentment’ that I absolutely must vent out today. Just endure it for this one day; after today, I’ll drop it," Qi Yi declared, his gaze on Yan Yan was passionate yet somewhat childish.

"Fine, I’ll just put up with it then," Yan Yan cheerfully accepted Qi Yi’s proposal.

Given Qi Yi’s personality, it was good that he could talk about it.

Otherwise, if he kept it bottled up inside, it would certainly turn into a hurdle in Qi Yi’s heart that he couldn’t get over for a long time to come.

"When are Liu Siyan and Lu Ying getting married?" Qi Yi finally switched to a topic unrelated to Yan Yan’s initial decision to break up with him.

"At the end of August. Right after they graduate, they’ll head back to Wenzhou to prepare for the wedding," Yan Yan replied.

"So, will you be going back to attend it as well?" Qi Yi asked Yan Yan.

"Of course, it’s all settled in our class group chat; the entire Class 4 of senior year three will be there, except of course, for you, who floats outside of our class collective," Yan Yan gave Qi Yi a rather sympathetic look.

"Then add me to the class group later," Qi Yi decided cheerfully.

"I don’t want to," Yan Yan expressed firm opposition.

"Why?" Qi Yi was a bit puzzled; Yan Yan had no reason to oppose such a thing.

"During the years you went off the grid, they all refused to believe that the two of us hadn’t been in touch.

They even said that I must have been hiding you.

Having been wronged for so many years, if I suddenly pull you into it now, wouldn’t that just confirm their accusation of ’adding insult to injury’?

No way, I absolutely refuse!" If Yan Yan did that, she would indeed be in deep trouble, with no way to clear her name.

"But you did hide me away," Qi Yi decided it was time to "stand up for justice" on his own behalf.

"Where did I? It was your own choice to go off the grid, okay!" This was not a blame Yan Yan was willing to bear.

"Then tell me, did I choose to go off the grid because of a broken heart? And who was it that caused my heartbreak?" Qi Yi circled the topic back again.

Whenever Qi Yi wished, he could always steer the conversation to the same place.

"I’ll add you tonight, is that not soon enough?" Yan Yan simply didn’t know what better way to deal with the "unreasonably persistent" Qi Yi of today.

"That’s my good granddaughter," Qi Yi was pleased with the "debate" outcome.

"I’ve always been very well-behaved," Yan Yan replied playfully.

"Your personality has become a lot more cheerful than before," Qi Yi concluded, as if giving a closing statement.

"So cheerful that you can hardly recognize me, right?

What? Want to return the goods, or what?

Let me tell you, return it while you can, lest you regret it when the return period is over," Yan Yan’s tone remained as it was before.

"You’re like a personal item; once sold, there are absolutely no returns or exchanges," Qi Yi continued his summary.

"You’re the one who’s an item!" Yan Yan glared at Qi Yi, her face clearly saying "don’t you take advantage of me."

January in the Southern Hemisphere summer.

The steps of Federation Square bustled with people coming and going.

The sky was still bright, yet the clock hands had long since moved past six in the evening.

How wonderful it would be if time could just stop right here.