After a brief conversation, Shen Su led Ji Tong out of the exhibition hall. In the car, Ji Tong was lost in thought, not even remembering to fasten her seatbelt.
Shen Su leaned over and buckled it for her. "What do you want to eat?"
Ji Tong: "...Anything is fine."
Shen Su: "Then shall we go to Gu Song's place?"
Ji Tong nodded.
Twenty minutes later, Shen Su brought Ji Tong to Ru Feng Club. They went up to a private room and sat down. The dishes Shen Su ordered were all Ji Tong's favorites.
Soon, the waiter served all the dishes. Shen Su placed a crystal shrimp dumpling, which Ji Tong liked, onto her plate. Ji Tong, however, kept her head down and didn't touch her chopsticks.
Ji Tong was not someone who usually dwelled on negative emotions for long. This was the first time Shen Su had seen her like this. "What happened? Are you sure you don't want to tell me?"
Ji Tong: "My mother called this afternoon."
After some hesitation, Ji Tong finally spoke. As soon as she did, Shen Su understood why she was acting this way.
Shen Su: "She asked you to resign?"
Ji Tong: "Yes."
Shen Su: "Next time something like this happens, tell me first. Don't keep it to yourself. We can solve problems together."
Ji Tong lowered her head, not responding.
Shen Su said to her, "The choice is yours. If your parents disagree, as long as you persist, they will eventually agree. This isn't a big problem, so don't get stuck in these minor troubles."
Listening to Shen Su's calm analysis, Ji Tong subconsciously tightened her grip on her skirt. She remembered that the last time they were in Huaixi, her parents had objected in person, and Shen Su had maintained the same composed demeanor.
He was strategic and full of confidence in their relationship, which, in reality, was confidence in controlling her.
Ji Tong took a breath and retorted, "Are you so sure that I will argue with them for you until the end?"
Shen Su heard the underlying meaning in Ji Tong's words. He narrowed his eyes. "You won't?"
Ji Tong: "In front of you, I'm like a blank slate. You can guess what I want to do and what I will do right away."
Her tone was not intense, even calm, but Shen Su could still detect her dissatisfaction.
"I'm older than you, it's normal," Shen Su said. "You're in a bad mood today, don't overthink things."
Ji Tong: "Is stating facts considered overthinking?"
Shen Su: "Not at all. Then how about we discuss how to solve this problem you've brought up?"
Shen Su wasn't particularly angry. Having been together for a year and a half, Ji Tong was indeed maturing at a visible rate. She was naturally someone with her own ideas, and as they spent more time together, her personality grew stronger, and she naturally began to consider more things. No one likes to be controlled, and moreover, Shen Su himself knew very well that he had always been the dominant party in this relationship.
Speaking of the matter, Ji Tong gave a weak laugh. "If I wanted to get my way, I wouldn't be sitting here."
The age difference between them was real, six years, two generations apart. He had experienced too much, and she couldn't catch up even if she tried her best.
Shen Su: "Then let's not think about it for now. Eat well, and I'll take you home after we're done."
Ji Tong: "Were you always like this in your past relationships?"
Shen Su: "Like what?"
Ji Tong: "You arranged everything, always taking the lead. If the other person deviated from your control, or did something outside your acceptable range, you would break up with her, or find a way to make her break up with you."
Hearing this, Shen Su's expression finally turned a bit serious. He asked Ji Tong, "What did Qin Siruan say to you?"
Ji Tong shook her head. "She didn't say anything."
"I went to an exhibition today and coincidentally met her. I learned she is a very famous photographer with a successful career."
But even someone like her couldn't achieve an equal standing in a relationship with Shen Su. She had once failed to understand why Qin Siruan had initiated the breakup, but after the events of the past few days, she was beginning to grasp it.
With such a successful career, Qin Siruan would certainly not want to be a man's appendage. But what Shen Su might need is simply a pet to please him—
It was a cruel thought, but Ji Tong felt that for the past year or so, she had been playing precisely that role.
At first, she hadn't realized it, thinking his pampering and patience were proof that she was special. Now she understood that, in fact, for him, doing such things was effortless.
Because she hadn't deviated from his control, because he still had the final say in their relationship, within this scope, he could tolerate even her minor emotional outbursts.
But if she were to stop acting this way, the eventual outcome might be similar to Qin Siruan's.
Shen Su looked intently at Ji Tong. "What do you want to say?"
Ji Tong: "To be your girlfriend, do I have to follow your script?"
Shen Su: "What do you mean?"
Ji Tong: "For example, when you're not considering marriage, don't fantasize about marrying you. If you do, you'll be abandoned. But if you start considering marriage, you must follow your thoughts—in short, it must be what you say."
Shen Su touched his cup. "After saying all that, are you trying to express that you don't want to marry me?"
Ji Tong: "Yes."
She admitted it directly.
Perhaps she had genuinely considered marrying him before, but now she didn't. It was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, extinguishing all her past passion and fervor.
No wonder people used to tell her that relationships could lead to a loss of self. Now that she had cooled down, looking back, she felt more and more like his little pet.
Shen Su: "Okay, no rush. You can take your time to consider. When you're ready to get married, we'll discuss it then."
Ji Tong buried her head in her food, no longer speaking.
Shen Su, as always, served her dishes and took care of every detail. However, Ji Tong could no longer feel as happy as before.
Sometimes, realization happens in an instant. Relationships are never about one person pampering and the other enjoying. She shouldn't be a puppet without independent thought.
Ji Tong remained silent until the end of the meal. As they left the private room, the atmosphere was still strange. Coincidentally, Gu Song bumped into them.
Gu Song greeted Ji Tong first, but Ji Tong's response was noticeably less warm than before.
Gu Song immediately sensed something was wrong and instinctively looked at Shen Su. They exchanged a glance, and then Shen Su drove Ji Tong home.
On the way, Ji Tong turned to look out the window, her thoughts drifting far away. Shen Su steered the car, glancing at her from time to time.
Finally, the car stopped downstairs from Ji Tong's apartment. Shen Su unbuckled his seatbelt and got out with Ji Tong to go upstairs. As soon as they entered, Shen Su pulled Ji Tong into his arms and leaned down to kiss her.
Ji Tong raised her hands and pushed against his shoulders, her intention to resist clearly evident.
Shen Su: "Are you still angry about what happened that day?"
Ji Tong shook her head, denying it. "No."