“What did you say?”
Wang Hao’s eyes widened. His expression froze, the beer mug suspended midair in front of his chest.
“Y-you… what did you just say?”
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t believe his ears.
“You’re breaking up with Nan Xiuxiu!?”
Jiang Ran sat across from him.
He watched the foam in his glass slowly collapse, droplets of condensation forming along the outer wall.
“Mm.”
He responded softly.
It had been a long day.
After leaving Donghai University in the afternoon, he had returned to Donghai Foreign Economic and Trade Vocational College, called Wang Hao out, and co to their usual barbecue stall. He had told Wang Hao about receiving the recomndation from the president of the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences, about how he would soon withdraw from junior college and go to Donghai University to pursue graduate studies.
And yet—
Wang Hao had listened in silence. There was no joy, only quiet nodding.
As if he had already expected sothing.
As if he had been waiting for sothing.
So even though Jiang Ran’s story sounded absurd and exaggerated, he hadn’t raised a single question, hadn’t asked for a single detail.
Until—
The final mont.
When the dagger was revealed.
Jiang Ran said the sentence he had saved for last.
He said he was breaking up with Nan Xiuxiu.
Wang Hao’s palm tightened around the glass. He slowly set it down, teeth clenched, breathing heavy.
“Bro, what the hell are you doing?”
He couldn’t understand.
“You’re going to Donghai University, fine. We won’t even talk about that. If you got in, good for you. That’s where you belong. But what does that have to do with breaking up with Nan Xiuxiu? You go study properly. Did Nan Xiuxiu provoke you? Why are you breaking up with her!”
“It really has nothing to do with that.”
Jiang Ran licked his dry lips.
“I’m not breaking up with her because I’m going to Donghai University. The two things are unrelated.”
“Then what are you doing!”
Wang Hao slapped the table.
“First thing after getting ashore, cut down your beloved! Are you still the Jiang Ran I know? How do you do sothing like this without a shred of conscience! What, you’re proud because you study well? Because you upgraded from junior college to graduate school you think you’re too good for Xiuxiu now? You—”
“I already said it has nothing to do with that.”
Jiang Ran cut him off, propping his head up with one hand.
“It has nothing to do with Donghai University, nothing to do with upgrading to graduate school. Wang Hao… I’ve said that several tis.”
“It’s hard for to explain this to you. But from the very beginning, I’ve been thinking about how to break up with Nan Xiuxiu.”
“At first, I thought this would pass quickly, so there was no need to deal with it directly. I could just stall it out. No one would get hurt.”
“But later I realized many things wouldn’t be resolved in the short term. So I had no choice but to face this head-on—”
[If I don’t like Nan Xiuxiu, then I shouldn’t drag her along like this, shouldn’t string her along, shouldn’t deceive her and hypocritically pretend to be with her.]
[That kind of deception would hurt her far more. I’m not making excuses. I just don’t like her. That’s the truth. And at this stage… it’s sothing I cannot and should not force.]
Jiang Ran picked up the beer bottle, filled his glass, and gulped it down in one breath.
“When we’re on dates, my mind wanders. I resist any kind of physical contact. When we chat, I force myself just to keep the conversation going. Not once do I think about her during the day. Even eating with her feels like I’m wasting precious ti.”
“So, Wang Hao, give an answer—”
[If I truly don’t like a girl from the bottom of my heart, should I pretend I do? Force myself to date her? Play the role of a competent boyfriend? Or…]
[Should I be honest and tell her what I’m thinking and how I’ve changed—so I don’t waste her feelings?]
Wang Hao had been brimming with anger just monts ago, ready to tear Jiang Ran apart.
But hearing him ask so sincerely…
The anger drained from him.
He lowered his head, staring at the ssy skewers scattered across the table.
If—
You truly didn’t like a girl, couldn’t bring yourself to love her.
What should you do?
Pretend? Perform? Deceive?
Or be honest, part peacefully?
If it were just a theoretical question, anyone would say the second option was better. More respectful.
But…
What is love, anyway? Since when is there a single correct answer?
Apply the sa question to Jiang Ran and Nan Xiuxiu, and Wang Hao couldn’t see any answer at all.
He grabbed a bottle opener, cracked open a beer, poured it full, foam and all, and drained it in one go.
He sighed.
“So you’re saying… you don’t like Xiuxiu anymore. You don’t have feelings for her.”
“Mm.”
“When did that start?”
Wang Hao’s eyes were sharp as he stared at a crumpled paper ball rolling across the ground in the wind.
“When did you start not liking her?”
Jiang Ran rested his head on his hand.
[From the very beginning.]
“…”
Wang Hao kicked a beer bottle flying and glared at him.
“Then why did you agree to date her in the first place! If you didn’t like her, you shouldn’t have agreed! Isn’t that just screwing her over?!”
At that mont—
He truly felt the friend before him was a stranger. As if… as if a soul from another world had taken over Jiang Ran’s body and possessed it.
Jiang Ran said nothing.
He had no way to explain.
At the end of April, when Qin Feng sent that ti-traveling text across ten years and the worldline shifted, bringing him to Worldline 1… Nan Xiuxiu was already his girlfriend.
Though only four days had passed since they confird their relationship, it was a fact witnessed by everyone.
In Nan Xiuxiu’s eyes, she had spent two years as Jiang Ran’s classmate.
They had gone together to the rice noodle shop outside the school gates that had since closed. They had sat idly on the steps of the track field. They had joined each other’s friend groups for birthday parties and worried about exams together.
But from Jiang Ran’s perspective—
She was a complete stranger.
There were no shared mories between them. Naturally, there were no feelings.
He understood her feelings. He understood what she had given.
But empathy that didn’t exist simply didn’t exist.
At this stage, he only wanted to save Cheng ngxue. There was no room in this world for distractions.
And once Cheng ngxue was saved, once the worldline shifted closer to Worldline 0… on the new trajectory, he and Nan Xiuxiu would never intersect.
As long as Cheng ngxue didn’t die on the day of the college entrance exam, she and Jiang Ran would both score highly and apply to Donghai University, where her cousin Xu Yan studied. He would never co to Donghai Foreign Economic and Trade Vocational College. He wouldn’t even hear its na.
Naturally—
He would never et Nan Xiuxiu.
There would be no Nan Xiuxiu in Jiang Ran’s story.
And no Jiang Ran in Nan Xiuxiu’s.
They were a fairy tale book and a novel.
Not even placed on the sa shelf.
“It’s actually not too bad right now.”
Jiang Ran’s voice was quiet.
“We haven’t done anything substantial. No physical contact. The only ti was when she held my hand once at a bus stop. I haven’t taken advantage of her. I haven’t wronged her…”
“Stop. Don’t say that.”
Wang Hao waved him off.
“That’s the most scumbag thing you could say. It’s just you giving yourself so pretty-sounding psychological comfort, acting like you’re noble. It doesn’t even match what you’re doing!”
“…Forget it.”
Wang Hao sighed.
“Forget it. Jiang Ran, even the cleanest magistrate can’t judge family matters. This is between you two. Handle it yourself.”
“You’re my best friend in life. Nan Xiuxiu is also my classmate, my good friend. I can’t take either side.”
“But if you ask … right or wrong, you’re my best friend. In the end, I’ll stand with you.”
“So… don’t ask about this. Like you said, if you’ve changed your heart, if you don’t like her anymore, then words are pointless. Better to tell her clearly. Long pain is worse than short pain.”
“Of course, I still suggest you think about it again. But looking at you… sigh. You’ve probably thought about it for a long ti already.”
Though his words earlier had been harsh, a best friend was still a best friend. Wang Hao understood Jiang Ran.
If he was saying this now, then the decision had already been made in his heart.
“Drink.”
He opened two more bottles, filled both glasses, and raised his.
“To you! May you have a bright future at Donghai University!”
Jiang Ran smiled helplessly.
“Cut the sarcasm.”
Clink.
The glasses collided.
Along with the secrets floating in the foam and breaking apart, the entire glass went down.
The next day, evening.
Jiang Ran and Nan Xiuxiu walked slowly outside the campus walls.
“Jiang Ran! You’re amazing!”
Nan Xiuxiu gave him a thumbs-up.
“The whole school was talking about you today! So many people ca to ask ! They were like, how did your boyfriend pull that off? They said you got a recomndation letter from the Dragon Country Academy of Sciences— is it true?!”
Though the matter involving Goldbach’s Conjecture was confidential, the guaranteed admission to Donghai University for graduate study couldn’t be hidden.
All five dorm roommates had seen the recomndation letter. The news had spread like a flood in half a day.
For the first ti in his life, the na Jiang Ran had replaced Nan Xiuxiu as the most well-known figure on this junior college campus.
“I told you it was what you deserved!”
Nan Xiuxiu walked ahead, chest puffed proudly.
“I told them Jiang Ran spends every day in the library, forgetting to eat, studying the hardest stuff.”
“Circuits, picture tubes, math… basically everything! No one in the whole school works harder than you. If they didn’t recomnd you, who would they recomnd!”
“Hehe, I heard you went to see the principal today. Was he shocked? People say they’re going to hold a comndation ceremony for you! The honor board at the school gate has been cleared, ready to post your profile!”
“My roommate said they even gave you a ‘Withdrawal Notice’? Haha, I bet the school regrets everything now! By the way… when are you going to Donghai University? Next sester?”
Jiang Ran fell silent and stopped walking.
“Nan Xiuxiu.”
He looked at the girl gesturing animatedly in front of him.
“I have sothing to tell you.”
“Hey! Why did you stop? Keep walking!”
As if she hadn’t heard him, Nan Xiuxiu kept moving forward.
“Actually Donghai University isn’t that far from our school. Last ti we took a taxi, it wasn’t even an hour.”
“An hour is totally fine! That’s just how Donghai City is. It takes an hour to get anywhere.”
“But I think the subway would be faster. It never gets stuck in traffic. I can take the subway to see you!”
“Nan Xiuxiu.”
Jiang Ran called out again.
“I know, I know. You’ll be directly in graduate school, so you’ll be busy. It’s okay! I won’t bother you often. I’ll just take the subway on Fridays after class!”
As if deaf, she kept walking.
“It doesn’t have to be every week either. Just tell when you’re free. I’m basically a free person. I have ti whenever.”
Jiang Ran watched her walking farther away and quickened his pace.
But Nan Xiuxiu seed to have eyes in the back of her head. She walked faster and faster.
He caught up and grabbed her shoulders.
“Listen to —”
“I’ll study hard too! Maybe I just wasn’t interested before. It doesn’t an I can’t learn—”
She still didn’t turn around. Her voice carried a forced brightness.
“I can upgrade to a bachelor’s degree! I might not get into Donghai University, but there are lots of schools in the university town nearby. I can apply for a slightly worse one!”
“It’s just one year later than you! Your master’s is three years. If you go on to a PhD, we could study together in the university town—”
“Nan Xiuxiu!” Jiang Ran raised his voice.
“Don’t say it!!!”
She covered her ears.
The emotions she had been suppressing finally burst.
Her back trembled. The pink tips of her hair shook.
Slowly—
She turned around.
The forced smile was gone. Her eyes flickered as she looked at him.
[Don’t say it… okay?]
For a mont—
Jiang Ran froze.
The words lodged in his throat.
Neither spoken nor swallowed.
Nan Xiuxiu’s throat moved.
“I… it’s my first ti dating too. I don’t know how to do it…”
Her voice was very soft.
“So if I did sothing wrong… can you tell ?”
This proud, willful girl—
Jiang Ran had never seen her so flustered.
She could arrogantly say studying was useless.
She could casually ntion her family’s wealth.
She could treat her exceptional archery talent as re amusent.
She could live freely, as if every second belonged to her.
But now—
She was rambling, terrified only that Jiang Ran would open his mouth and say the sentence she already knew was coming.
Yes…
It seed she had already guessed. Or sensed it.
Sotis a woman’s intuition was like that—just like her uncanny archery.
Unerring.
“Nan Xiuxiu.”
In the end—
Jiang Ran lifted his head and t her trembling eyes.
“We should break up.”
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