The company in New York was a place Li Yue had always wanted to go. He hadn't forgotten to submit his resume even during his relationship with Feng Feng, which was proof enough.
Now that he had the offer in hand, he wouldn't give it up easily.
The next step was to see when he would make his decision. Either they would stay together and endure a long-distance relationship, or he would propose that Feng Feng move to New York with him.
Regardless of which path they chose, both would introduce various uncertainties into their relationship.
Especially the latter—
Feng Feng disliked others dictating her life. She had been at her institute since graduation, and a company from New York had approached her before. At that time, she had made it clear that she had no plans to relocate.
Li Yue walked aimlessly outside for a whole day. As evening approached, he returned to the apartment. After a day of consideration, he still found it difficult to abandon this hard-won opportunity. He was young, with limitless possibilities in his career, and the offer was from a company he had always aspired to join. In such a situation, it would be difficult for anyone to let go.
Therefore, he decided to talk to Feng Feng again. When Feng Feng returned from work, she saw Li Yue sitting in the living room. His expression was solemn, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time.
Feng Feng saw through it at a glance. "Do you have something to tell me?"
Li Yue: "Yes."
Feng Feng changed her shoes, hung her bag on the coat rack, and walked over to sit beside Li Yue. "Go ahead."
Li Yue looked into her eyes. "I've thought about it for a day. I don't plan to give up the opportunity in New York."
Feng Feng was not surprised by this outcome. She nodded. "Okay, I support your decision." If she were Li Yue, she would have made the same choice.
Despite Feng Feng's "thoughtfulness," Li Yue couldn't feel happy. He deliberated for a long time before asking her, "Is there any possibility that you might also go to work there?"
Feng Feng paused. "I remember telling you before that I have no plans to leave Nanjiang."
Li Yue: "I know, you have your social circle here, and you don't want to change it."
Feng Feng: "Yes."
Li Yue: "But I still want to try and persuade you."
"Long-distance relationships are tiring. I want to see you every day," Li Yue said sincerely. "Think about it again. We can build our own circle over there."
In reality, Li Yue was being very restrained in his discussion with Feng Feng. However, it still required Feng Feng to make a sacrifice, and given her personality, it was difficult for her to maintain a smile in such a situation.
Feng Feng: "When I answered you before, I had already thought it through."
This meant she would not consider leaving Nanjiang to go to America with him.
Li Yue retorted, "Then have you thought about the future? What will happen later?"
Feng Feng: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Long-distance relationships are indeed tiring, but it's not a major problem. I travel there for business frequently, and we can also video chat," Feng Feng said. "You should prioritize your career plan first. Romance isn't the primary pursuit in life."
What Feng Feng said was very true, and Li Yue nodded, though he still felt a little uncomfortable.
Perhaps this was what it felt like to be in a relationship with a rational person.
Of course, there was one point Feng Feng didn't mention. People are greedy; it was true. Li Yue was initially attracted to Feng Feng because of her mature demeanor and her rationality. But reality was also cruel; her rationality meant she wouldn't sacrifice herself for a relationship.
She was very determined and had her own life plan. A mere relationship couldn't tie her down.
Li Yue had anticipated that being with Feng Feng wouldn't be easy, especially given their age difference. He would need to be very mature to keep up with her thought process.
But before this, they had been very compatible. He hadn't expected the problem to surface at this moment.
After hearing Feng Feng's words, Li Yue remained silent for a long time. Coupled with his slightly dejected expression, Feng Feng could immediately tell how he was feeling.
Feng Feng directly asked him, "Are you unhappy?"
Li Yue nodded. There was no need to hide such a thing. "Indeed."
"I know you are very rational, but as you said, people are greedy. They always want to be special, and once they get one thing, they want the second and third. I also want to be that special person for you," Li Yue expressed his inner thoughts to her, his attitude very candid.
After hearing this, Feng Feng raised her hand and touched his chin. Her usually indifferent eyes held a hint of seriousness. "You are already very special to me, Li Yue. You are the first official boyfriend I've had in over thirty years."
"But I am a boring person, I admit," Feng Feng said. "I don't plan to change locations for now, nor do I want you to give up a job opportunity you really like because of me."
"You would feel burdened, wouldn't you?" Li Yue voiced her inner thought.
Feng Feng: "Yes, I would feel burdened."
She paused for a moment and then said to him, "No one truly makes a sacrifice for another person willingly. Even those who do sacrifice are not willing. These two words are inherently contradictory."
"Think about the reason you broke up with your ex-girlfriend. When she asked you to give up Princeton and study for your master's degree in China with her, how did you feel? Did you feel willing?"
Feng Feng's question left Li Yue speechless.
He quickly recalled the period when he broke up with Zhang Shuang. They had indeed had many conflicts over this issue.
Zhang Shuang wasn't as direct as Feng Feng. She didn't explicitly state her needs, instead sulking, giving him the cold shoulder, and only finally expressing herself as if venting.
At that time, Li Yue was already preparing his visa to go abroad. Naturally, he couldn't agree to such a request. Back then, like Feng Feng now, he had analyzed the future possibilities for Zhang Shuang, trying to persuade her to abandon the idea.
But Zhang Shuang was stubborn and refused to listen to him, leading to unpleasantness and ultimately their breakup.
It was Zhang Shuang who initiated the breakup. By then, Li Yue had been tormented by her, so he readily agreed. Zhang Shuang said to him with self-mockery, "You don't love me at all."
Li Yue didn't answer the question at the time, but he knew in his heart that he did love Zhang Shuang. However, love was never the entirety of life.
Upon reflection, Zhang Shuang in the past was exactly like him now.
Seeing Li Yue remain silent for a long time, Feng Feng changed her approach. "Never mind her. Suppose it were me. If I demanded that you must stay at the institute, must stay in Nanjiang, by my side, and that you are not allowed to leave no matter how many opportunities exist elsewhere, would you be willing?"
When Li Yue heard this, the first three words that flashed in his mind were "impossible."
No one likes to be controlled. If Feng Feng really made such a demand, he certainly wouldn't agree.
"You don't need to say it; I know your answer," Feng Feng said, having dated him for over half a year, she knew him well. "We are very similar in this regard, so you should just make your choice according to your own thoughts. The rest will follow naturally."