"Are you not curious at all about why I suddenly transferred schools back then?"
Of course, she was. The day before he transferred, he’d sent a message to Ge'er that left her stunned. For years afterward, it was like a thorn in her heart, causing her pain whenever she thought of Lei Dongyi.
Back then, she’d thought the gap between their relationship and a more intimate one was as thin as a sheet of paper.
Perhaps after they got into university, it would naturally be broken. Who knew…
Countless times she’d reread that message, countless times she’d wanted to call Lei Dongyi to ask why.
But since he didn't volunteer it, she proudly assumed he didn't want her to know.
If that was 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 apologized to her with sincere regret.
"I'm sorry. I know whatever I say now is too late, but I truly want to say sorry. I shouldn't have left like that back then, and I shouldn't have stayed out of contact with you."
"I'm very aware of your feelings for me, and you should be too. I was the same as you, just…"
"My family wasn't as perfect as you might have imagined. You know, my father is a lawyer. He knows how to manipulate others while protecting his own interests."
"My mother had known him since they were twenty, but after so many years living together, she still didn't understand him. If it weren't for the woman outside calling my mother to tell her that their child was about to be born, my mother might never have seen through my father."
"Do you know? To divorce my father, my mother left with nothing."
"She suffered such a great betrayal. In middle age, she was hit hard, both materially and mentally. At that time, I couldn't abandon her."
"This person, I didn't inherit much from my parents, but I certainly 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, as she'd heard from classmates that his father was a renowned lawyer.
From childhood, she had a favorable impression of professions like lawyers and doctors, always considering those who did such work to be noble. She never imagined that Lei Dongyi's situation was due to…
Hearing that a well-known lawyer had done such a thing shattered her worldview.
"Your father… you… what happened then?"
Lei Dongyi gave a wry smile. "Actually, I repeated my senior year of high school, just not in Nancheng."
"My mother was going through a lot at the time and was eager to leave the country. She went to the US first. I had nothing prepared, and upon arriving there without a school, I had to go to my uncle's place in Sucheng to repeat the year."
"Although I received a full scholarship to MIT and was accepted the following year, how could I have the nerve to contact you? You had already become a sophomore, and I…"
"Seeing glimpses of you occasionally on other people's social media, all I felt was the growing gap between us. I felt inferior and cowardly. Back then, I really didn't know what I could do."
"Moreover, the significant reason I hadn't contacted you all these years was that I wanted to achieve something before standing before you again."
"Even though I knew you wouldn't mock me, I didn't want to face you in a state of despair."
"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 if maybe you were waiting for me? Waiting for me to grow strong enough, to return triumphantly, so we could rekindle our romance. 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 just…
But what could be said now?
It could only be said that fate played tricks, and she wasn't firm enough.
If she hadn't held a party like Tiantian after moving that day, if she hadn't drunk too much, she wouldn't have registered her marriage with Shang Jincheng. Then Shang Jincheng now…
After Lei Dongyi finished speaking, seeing Ge'er growing paler, he anxiously crouched down in front of her and took her hand.
"I'm telling you all this not to make you feel bad, or guilty, or to make you overthink things. I just want to honestly express my experiences over these years."
"At this point, all I can say is that it was all 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 all that was missing, okay?"
To have the person she had loved for so many years suddenly express his affection was a tremendous surprise, yet Ge'er couldn't accept it.
She was pregnant with someone else's child, how ironic.
Her physical contact with him earlier was solely for the sake of the child; she hadn't given it much thought.
But now, the meaning had changed. Ge'er quickly tried to pull her hand away.
"Lei Dongyi…"
Lei Dongyi knew what she was thinking, what she was about to say, and raised his hand to stop her.
"No need to say more, I understand."
"I won't force you, I won't pressure you. We can interact however makes us happy. You don't need to worry about me. Just letting me in, letting me see you all the time, already makes me very content."
"Leave the rest to time. Don't say anything."
She had initially felt he owed her and that she could say whatever she wanted, having grown accustomed to it.
But upon suddenly learning the truth, she felt too embarrassed to be angry with him. Watching him busy himself in the kitchen, Ge'er felt utterly adrift.
She dared not look him in the face, unable to scold him anymore. She felt so awkward that she didn't even remember what he had cooked for dinner, filling her stomach in a daze.
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 picked up the remote.
"Want to watch a movie? I'll join you."
Ge'er didn't want to. Her mind was a jumbled mess, and she felt that as soon as Lei Dongyi sat beside her, the atmosphere in the room changed.
She wanted to escape: "I'm tired, I want to sleep."
Lei Dongyi didn't believe her: "You've only been up for two hours and you're tired 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, we can find a documentary. Or, is there something you've always wanted to watch but never had the time for? I'm not picky, anything will do."
Speaking of things she wanted to watch but never had the time for, Ge'er actually had a few saved up.
Alright, since he had seen through her anyway, and they would be living together from now on, they 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. After a few minutes, Lei Dongyi turned his head to look at her.
"I remember you used to be her fan. You still like her, don't you."
Ge'er looked at the actress, whose skin had started to loosen and whose nasolabial folds were clearly visible, and nodded.
"Don't you think she's very inspiring? From a country girl to a Golden Horse Award winner, 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 award-winning actress.