Chapter 11: Buried Memories

After speaking, Jiang Yihuai got into the car and sped away.

Shaoyu Wei was so furious that she stomped her feet and cursed, “What kind of person is he?! Scumbag! Trash! Absolute garbage! I’m so mad I could explode!”

She grabbed the collar of the young pup beside her. “Listen, this time, Mianmian is definitely not going back! Absolutely not!”

The young pup hurriedly tried to calm her down. “Yes, yes, don’t be mad…”

But… was that even possible?

That man spoke so confidently, so assuredly—it was clear he already had everything planned out. The young pup sneaked a glance at Shaoyu Wei. If only she could be as devoted to a man as her best friend was…

Stop! Stop right there!

He wouldn’t dare dream of such a thing.

—

In the car, Jiang Yihuai received a call. He was in a bad mood, and his tone was equally cold. “What is it?”

“Babe, I recently found this amazing restaurant with the fattest crabs! Tomorrow’s Saturday—let’s go, okay?”

Shi Muxi’s bright, cheerful voice came from the other end. She knew Jiang Yihuai loved seafood, so she tried to cater to his tastes. Besides, they hadn’t spoken since last night, and the lack of contact made her anxious. That unease pushed her to set aside her usual reserve and call him first.

In the past, it was always Jiang Yihuai who arranged their dates. All she had to do was act shy, politely refuse a few times, and then agree with a reserved nod.

But lately, things had changed.

He contacted her less, his messages were brief, and sometimes, he didn’t even reply. If she asked, the answer was always the same: Busy.

Like now. “Saturday? I’m busy. No time.”

“If you’re busy on Saturday, Sunday works too…” Shi Muxi gripped her phone tightly, her lips turning pale.

“I said I’m busy. That’s it.” With that, Jiang Yihuai hung up. Shi Muxi stared at the disconnected call, panic sweeping over her once again. No. She had worked so hard to become Jiang Yihuai’s official girlfriend—she couldn’t give up now…

—

As the sun set, Shao Wenbai and Su Yumian bid farewell to Ouyang Wenqiu.

“Time flies so fast,” Professor Ouyang said, looking at the sky with reluctance. “Stay for dinner before you leave?”

Shao Wenbai shook his head. “No, I still need to stop by the lab.”

Su Yumian also declined. “There will be more opportunities in the future.”

“Alright, take care on your way back. And visit me whenever you have time, okay?”

The last sentence was directed at Su Yumian. She quickly nodded. “Mm-hmm!”

“Oh, by the way, there are some documents and three books on the table for you to take back. They’re the ones you left behind.”

Her major was bioinformatics, and she had studied algorithms.

Before graduation, she had started writing a paper for an SCI journal but never finished it. Yet, the professor had kept all her materials for her…

Su Yumian’s eyes trembled. “Professor, I…”

“Enough, enough, hurry up and go. Oh, and take the lunchbox on the table—I already washed it for you.”

Su Yumian was momentarily stunned.

Professor Ouyang sighed in mock annoyance. “You didn’t even step into my hospital room, just left a lunchbox outside. I almost ate too much because of it.”

Su Yumian blushed. “I won’t do that again…”

On the way back, knowing Shao Wenbai was busy, Su Yumian didn’t have the nerve to ask him to drop her off downstairs. Instead, she suggested getting off at the B University gate.

It wasn’t far anyway—she could just take a short walk.

Shao Wenbai nodded. “That works.”

—

When Jiang Yihuai saw the figure sitting in front of the villa, his heart clenched. But as soon as he got a clear look at the woman’s face, the tension faded into a dull thud. “Xixi.”

“Huai-ge, you’re back?” The girl stood up excitedly, her bright black eyes sparkling like stars.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you! I called earlier, but you said you were busy, so I figured I’d wait until you got off work. I didn’t disturb you, did I?” She looked at him carefully, a hint of nervousness in her gaze.

“No,” Jiang Yihuai said slowly, shaking his head.

“That’s good!” She smiled again, but it quickly faded. “Huai-ge… I’m hungry…”

Shi Muxi lowered her head bashfully, puffing out her cheeks like a little bun.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to eat.”

“Okay!”

They went to a western restaurant. Jiang Yihuai barely touched his food, while Shi Muxi happily enjoyed her meal. Maybe she noticed his bad mood because she talked much less than usual.

“Are you full?”

Shi Muxi nodded. “Mm-hmm~”

“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to school.”

“Oh.”

The restaurant wasn’t far from the university. It only took ten minutes to arrive.

Shi Muxi paused before stepping out of the car and looked at Jiang Yihuai. “You’re not going to walk me inside?”

Jiang Yihuai hesitated before nodding. “…Alright.”

At the university gate, students were finishing their evening classes, and many were out looking for food. Shi Muxi was the school’s recognized campus belle, so her presence immediately drew attention. Especially since she was holding onto the arm of a strikingly handsome, wealthy-looking man.

She acted as if she didn’t hear the murmurs around her, smiling sweetly at Jiang Yihuai. “When will you meet my roommates? They’re so curious about you.”

No—actually, the whole university was curious about the campus belle’s official boyfriend.

Before, when that woman was still in the picture, and Shi Muxi wasn’t the official girlfriend yet, she wouldn’t have dared to show off like this. But things are different now. He had promised her a proper title. And now, he has followed through. She no longer had to hide.

Jiang Yihuai didn’t respond. Or rather, he had no interest in meeting her roommates at all.

Shi Muxi didn’t seem to notice his indifference and just laughed. “Being with you is so wonderful, Huaige. Every second is pure happiness.”

Then, suddenly, she tiptoed and kissed him. Her ponytail swayed behind her, forming a sweet arc. Gasps erupted around them.

“Wow! So it’s true—the campus belle really has a boyfriend!”

“Oh my god! It’s just like a drama!”

“She’s so pretty, and he’s super handsome, too.”

“They’re a perfect match! I’m shipping them!”

Su Yumian happened to be passing by. She wasn’t deliberately watching—but the commotion was too big to ignore.

What a coincidence.

Jiang Yihuai snapped back to reality.

Looking at the bright-eyed girl in front of him, a memory suddenly surfaced. A pair of equally radiant, starry eyes. Back at the B University graduation ceremony, a girl had once looked at him the same way. Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled like a blooming flower.

“Jiang Yihuai, I choose you. I don’t regret it.”

A memory he thought had long been buried—long dead—suddenly resurfaced, striking his soul.

Instinctively, he took a step back, widening the distance between him and Shi Muxi.

“Huai-ge? What’s wrong?” She looked confused. 

Jiang Yihuai said, “It’s late. You should go inside.”