"Are you not at all curious why I suddenly transferred schools back then?"
Of course, she was curious. The day before he transferred, he'd sent Ge'er a message, and she'd been stunned. For years afterward, it felt like a thorn stuck in her heart, causing her pain whenever she thought of Lei Dongyi.
At that time, she felt their relationship was separated by only a thin veil.
Perhaps it would have been naturally broken after they got into university, but who knew...
She had reread that message countless times, wishing she could call Lei Dongyi to ask why.
But since he didn't volunteer the information, she proudly assumed he didn't want her to know.
If that were the case, why embarrass herself?
Besides, so many years had passed, what was the point of talking about it now?
Lei Dongyi observed Ge'er's expression and sincerely apologized to her.
"I'm sorry. I know anything I say now is too late, but I truly want to apologize. I shouldn't have left like that back then, and I shouldn't have stopped contacting you."
"I know very well how you feel about me, and you probably know too, I'm the same as you, it's just..."
"My family isn't as perfect as you imagine. You know, my dad is a lawyer, and he knows how to manipulate others while protecting his own interests."
"My mom has known him since they were twenty, but after so many years, she still doesn't understand him. If it weren't for the woman outside calling my mom to say their child was about to be born, my mom might never have seen through my dad."
"Do you know? To divorce my dad, my mom left with nothing."
"She suffered such a great betrayal. In middle age, she was hit hard both materially and emotionally. At that time, I couldn't abandon her."
"I didn't inherit much from my parents, but I definitely inherited their competitive spirit."
"I didn't know how to tell you about that mess, and I was afraid you'd become cautious around me, so I chose to escape by pretending to be aloof."
Ge'er had never inquired about Lei Dongyi's family background because she had heard from classmates that his father was a famous lawyer.
Since childhood, she had a favorable impression of professions like lawyers and doctors, always feeling that people in these jobs were sacred. She never imagined Lei Dongyi's situation was because of...
Hearing that a renowned lawyer had done such a thing shattered her worldview.
"Your dad... you... then what happened later?"
Lei Dongyi gave a bitter smile. "Actually, I repeated my final year of high school, just not in Nancheng."
"My mom was feeling too distressed at the time and was eager to escape China, so she went to the US first. I hadn't prepared anything, and when I got there, I couldn't enroll in school, so I had to repeat a year at my uncle's place in Sucheng."
"Although I received a full scholarship to MIT the following year and was accepted, how could I have the nerve to contact you? You had already become a sophomore, and I..."
"Seeing you occasionally in others' social media posts, I only felt the gap widening. I was so self-conscious and cowardly. Back then, I really didn't know what I could do."
"Moreover, there's a significant reason why I haven't contacted you all these years: I wanted to achieve something before standing before you again."
"Even though I knew you wouldn't laugh at me, I didn't want to face you in such a down-and-out state."
"Actually, I've been secretly observing your updates all these years. I knew you hadn't been in a relationship, and I was quite confident, guessing that maybe you were waiting for me? Waiting for me to grow strong enough, to return home triumphantly, and for us to rekindle our past. I never expected..."
Ge'er never knew that while she hated and resented Lei Dongyi, vowing never to see him again, he had silently endured so much.
So he had never forgotten their shared moments; he had just...
But now, what could be said?
It could only be said that fate played tricks, and she hadn't been firm enough.
If she hadn't held a party like Tiantian after moving, if she hadn't gotten drunk, she wouldn't have registered her marriage with Shang Jincheng. Then Shang Jincheng now...
After Lei Dongyi finished speaking, seeing Ge'er's condition worsening, he anxiously crouched in front of her and took her hand.
"I'm telling you all this not to make you feel bad, guilty, or to make you overthink things. I just want to honestly share my experiences over the years."
"At this point, all I can say is that it was fate. Let the past be the past. Let's not dwell on it anymore. From today onwards, let's live well and make up for what we missed, okay?"
The person she had loved for so many years was suddenly expressing his affection for her. While it was a huge surprise, Ge'er couldn't accept it.
She was currently carrying someone else's child; it was too ironic.
Her previous physical contact with him was entirely for the sake of the child; she hadn't thought much of it.
But now, the meaning had changed, and Ge'er quickly tried to pull her hand back.
"Lei Dongyi..."
Lei Dongyi knew what she was thinking and about to say, so he raised his hand to stop her.
"No need to say more, I understand."
"I won't force you or pressure you. We can interact however we're comfortable. You don't need to worry about me. Just letting me into your life, letting me see you all the time, is already enough for me."
"Leave the rest to time. Don't say anything else."
She had initially felt he owed her and could say whatever she wanted, as she had grown accustomed to it.
Upon suddenly learning the truth, she felt too embarrassed to get angry at him. Watching him busy himself in the kitchen, Ge'er felt completely at a loss.
She didn't dare to look at his face, unable to scold him anymore. She felt so awkward that she didn't even remember what dishes he made that evening, just vaguely filling her stomach.
After dinner, Lei Dongyi spent some time in the kitchen. He dried his hands and came out. Seeing her staring blankly on the sofa, he took the remote control.
"Want to watch a movie? I'll watch with you."
Ge'er didn't want to. Her mind was a mess, and she felt that the moment Lei Dongyi sat beside her, the atmosphere changed.
She wanted to escape: "I'm tired, I want to sleep."
Lei Dongyi didn't believe her. "You only woke up two hours ago and you're already sleepy again? Sleeping too early makes you wake up in the middle of the night. Let's stay up a bit longer. If you don't want to watch a movie, let's find a documentary. Or, is there anything you've wanted to watch but haven't had time for? I'm not picky, anything is fine."
Speaking of things she wanted to watch but didn't have time for, Ge'er actually had a few.
Alright, since he had seen through her anyway, and they would be spending time together from now on, she had to break this awkwardness.
She mentioned a movie title. Lei Dongyi found it, and they sat quietly watching, with an arm's width between them. A few minutes later, Lei Dongyi turned his head to look at her.
"I remember you used to be her fan, and you still like her."
Ge'er looked at the actress whose skin was starting to sag and had noticeable nasolabial folds, and nodded.
"Don't you think she's very inspirational? From a country girl to a Golden Horse Best Actress, she's low-key, her acting is superb, and she's very admirable."
Lei Dongyi said, "I don't pay much attention to these things."
But he silently took note.
He would find an opportunity to introduce her to the Best Actress.