"I wanted to make something clear with you."
Bai Bo's chest felt constricted, his words becoming jumbled. "What, what is it?"
The girl was pure and beautiful, sitting obediently. Her eyes were clean and clear, her long lashes slightly downturned, and her pale pink lips were pursed.
Her lips were perfectly shaped, small and thin, with a full color, as if a gentle bite would release sweet juice. When she spoke, a fragrant breath escaped, tempting one to lean closer and inhale deeply.
Bai Bo's gaze couldn't be controlled, his eyes stiffly lingering on those lips, his heart racing like a startled deer.
He tried to calm his racing heart and overly rapid breathing, only to hear the girl softly say something he didn't quite catch.
The young man took a sip of coffee, to moisten his dry throat, and softly, hoarsely, full of apology, asked, "I didn't hear clearly, can you say that again?"
Shen Yue glanced at him, staring at her milk tea, and repeated what she had said.
"I cannot accept your feelings."
His hand, stirring the coffee, paused. Bai Bo's expression went blank for a moment, the temperature in his eyes plummeted, and his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
With his handsome brows, high-bridged nose, and tensed jaw outlining a sharp curve, he, who usually wore a gentle smile for Shen Yue, was now expressionless, making him seem more somber than if he were menacing.
Bai Bo rarely showed this side of himself to Shen Yue. He always fawned over Shen Yue like a lapdog, fawning and trying to please, which made Shen Yue subconsciously forget who Bai Bo truly was.
She seemed oblivious to the young man's change, her eyes lowered as she slowly said, "Me accepting that bouquet of roses doesn't mean I accept you. I was just afraid that if I didn't take it, it would make you look bad in front of everyone."
This statement absolved her completely, making it seem as though it was Bai Bo's fault, that he had been overly presumptuous.
In reality, Shen Yue felt guilty. Most people would feel played in this situation, and Bai Bo seemed to have a good temper… perhaps? He probably wouldn't make things difficult for her.
This kind of persona was really difficult to handle; playing with people's feelings like this was truly despicable.
The young man seemed displeased, his voice much colder than usual. "So, you were toying with me?"
Her reddened fingertips trembled slightly, flustered and uneasy. Shen Yue looked up, her exquisite, picture-perfect brows glancing sideways. Her small face was transparently pale, her eyelashes fluttering, and she pursed her lips, looking at the young man.
Bai Bo's chest trembled violently for a moment, wanting to grab the girl without restraint and punish her.
Letting her know the price of playing with him, and punishing her with more fierceness and severity.
Stared at by such dark, gloomy eyes, Shen Yue's palms were slick with sweat. The red edges of her eyes drooped for a moment, she bit her lip, and said pitifully, "I wasn't toying with you, Bai Bo. You're like a brother to me. You're a very good person, and I think you'll meet someone better, someone more suitable for you."
The pure white lotus loved giving the "friend zone" card the most. The girl's eyes were red, as if she were the one being bullied.
Bai Bo was almost amused to the point of laughter, and indeed, he let out a low laugh. The laughter was mocking and sarcastic, making Shen Yue's scalp tingle.
After laughing for about five seconds, he abruptly stopped, a vein throbbing on his temple, grinding his teeth. "Brother? You think you can just send me away so easily?"
Shen Yue shivered her eyelashes, her face pale, and she had to brace herself and pour oil on the fire. "Bai Bo, if you say that, we can't even be friends."
"Who the hell wants to be friends with you?"
The young man, unable to control his anger, slammed the table. The transparent glass table trembled twice, and the excessive commotion attracted the attention of those nearby.
The girl flinched, her shoulders shrinking, crystalline tears dripping from her eyelids. She lightly bit her pale pink lip, her expression desolate and pitiable, small and vulnerable.
Bai Bo's gaze lingered on the crystalline tears for a few seconds, his eyelids twitching several times, his heart clenching instantly.
Anyone who didn't know would think she was the one who had been played.
"Why are you crying?"
He retracted his fingers, his handsome brows furrowed. With a dark expression, he said, "What's there for you to cry about?"
If Shen Yue hadn't accepted his feelings, she could have simply refused his roses. Bai Bo wasn't someone who couldn't afford to lose face, but now he had tasted a joy and excitement he had never known before. He had been so happy yesterday that he couldn't sleep, waking up laughing from beautiful dreams halfway through the night.
Now Shen Yue called him some dog-like brother, sending him from heaven to hell.
How could he be willing to let go?
He had always been the one to toy with others. It was the first time someone had played with him like a dog on a leash, and then cried after a few words. How dare she cry?
The young man's eyebrows were raised in anger, his face so dark it could drip water. "Shen Yue, I'm not someone you can easily fool. Your excuses won't make me leave."
The girl's face was pale, and she opened her lips, finally saying in a small voice.
"I have someone I like."
This sentence exploded in the young man's mind like a bomb. He stared with incredulous eyes, his expression contorted, his face churning with a cold tide.
He said word by word, "Shen Yue, you have guts."
The girl seemed to sense the young man's bluster, her eyelashes trembling, her thin eyelids reddening. She frowned, appearing troubled.
"Don't pester me anymore, it's unsightly."
Shen Yue dared not continue to string Bai Bo along. Seeing his demeanor, she knew he was difficult, and not just ordinarily so. If he was pushed too far, who knew what he might do. While there was still a chance to escape, she had to sever ties.
Perhaps he had only been pretending in front of Shen Yue, harboring a hidden madness within.
Unseemly?
Bai Bo clenched his fingers, his breathing momentarily ceasing.
To call him unsightly. The girl's skin was snow-white, her eyes downturned, looking pure and docile. To say he was unsightly with those pale pink lips.
It was as if he were something that couldn't see the light of day. Whether it was the fragile pride of an adult male at play, he let out a cold laugh, not deigning to beg for reconciliation.
He lifted his chin slightly, his tone sarcastic, "Shen Yue, don't flatter yourself too much. Who do you think you are? Worth my pestering? Stop putting yourself on a pedestal."
"If you have the guts to toy with me, you'd better be prepared to never appear before me again, or I'll make you regret everything you've done today."
Shen Yue's heart tightened, and she slowly raised her eyes. Bai Bo was also staring at her.
Having grown accustomed to Bai Bo's gentle, humble, and fawning demeanor in front of her, she now saw him looking at her expressionlessly. His dark eyes were deep and dense, his rugged face devoid of any emotion, as if he had completely transformed.