Chapter 264: Summer, Beach, Fireworks, and a Confession! (Yuanyuan’s Bewilderment)
Chen Mo’s analysis was like a beam of light, cutting through the thick fog of despair in Huang Mao’s heart. But what followed was an even deeper sense of anxiety and helplessness.
He was like a lost little puppy soaked by the rain, looking pitifully at Chen Mo. "Act like usual? Old Mo, that’s easy for you to say! Right now, just the thought of seeing her later... I... I’m so embarrassed my toes are trying to dig a hole through the floorboards! How am I supposed to act like usual?"
"You idiot." Chen Mo gave Huang Mao an unceremonious eye-roll. "What is ’usual’? Isn’t it just you being a pest and her getting pissed off? Isn’t it just you stealing her snacks and her chasing you around to hit you? What’s the key here? It’s being natural, being carefree! What you need to do now is temporarily take this ’I like her’ thing, pack it up, seal it, and lock it away in the ’Pending’ folder in the deepest recesses of your mind.
In front of her, you’re just Huang Mao. Her good friend, Yellow Hair. Not the crestfallen Huang Mao whose confession just failed.
Understand? The more deliberate you are, the more awkward it gets. The more natural you act, the faster she’ll be able to relax."
Huang Mao rubbed his chin, seeming to only half-understand, but he still gave a difficult nod. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face hard, as if trying to scrub away all the dejection and anxiety.
"I... I’ll try!" His voice was still a little hoarse, but it held a new sliver of determination.
Seeing that Huang Mao’s situation was more or less handled, Chen Mo gave him some space to be alone so he could think things through more clearly.
𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"I’m going to check on the late-night snack. I’ll call you when it’s ready."
Chen Mo got up, walked out, and gently closed the door to the boys’ room, temporarily shutting Huang Mao’s devastated back and the heavy atmosphere inside.
He walked to the other end of the hall, where Su Yuqing was standing quietly outside Zhao Yuanyuan’s room. When she saw him come out, she immediately came over, her face full of worry and questions.
"How’s Huang Mao?" Su Yuqing asked, lowering her voice.
"I’ve got Huang Mao settled for the moment. I gave him a ton of advice; we’ll see how much of it he can actually process." Chen Mo summarized, then gestured with his eyes toward the girls’ room. "What about Yuanyuan? Why are you standing out here?"
"She said she wanted to be alone for a bit, so I came out... I can tell she doesn’t hate Huang Mao. She’s just... stunned, and a little scared."
"About what I figured." Chen Mo sighed. "She needs time, and she needs to feel safe. And don’t actually leave her alone. That girl is still a kid on the inside, clueless about relationships. Her mind is usually sharp when it comes to other people, but not so much for herself. This time, she’s completely floored and needs someone to guide her.
Yuqing, you should go in and stay with her. Don’t rush to ask questions. Just let her know that no matter what happens, she’s not alone. We’re all here for her.
Especially you. She trusts you the most."
"Okay." Su Yuqing nodded in understanding.
Chen Mo gently squeezed her arm, offering silent support. "I’ll go check on the snack. I’ll call you guys when it’s ready."
Su Yuqing managed a weak smile, watched Chen Mo head downstairs, then turned back to the door. As quietly and gently as possible, she turned the handle.
Leaving Zhao Yuanyuan alone hadn’t done her any good. She was still curled up in a corner of the bed. Evidently, Chen Mo had been right; telling her to be alone with her thoughts hadn’t brought her any peace at all.
Hearing the door open, her body visibly stiffened, and she buried her head even deeper into her arms.
Su Yuqing closed the door behind her, shutting out the light and sound from the hallway. She tiptoed over, not sitting on the bed right away, but instead pulling a chair from the nearby coffee table and placing it at a distance that was close but not suffocating.
"Yuanyuan," Su Yuqing’s voice was as soft as a feather. "I’m here with you. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk, but if you have anything you want to ask, you can tell me. Sometimes, bottling things up just makes you feel even more lost."
The only sounds in the room were the low hum of the air conditioner and the faint sound of the now-quiet waves from outside the window.
The air was filled with a silent tension and confusion.
After a long while, just as Su Yuqing thought she wouldn’t speak, Zhao Yuanyuan’s muffled voice, thick with a nasal tone, came from the crook of her arm. "...Yuqing... I... Am I... a terrible person?"
Su Yuqing’s heart clenched. "Of course not. Why would you say that?"
"I..." Zhao Yuanyuan finally, slowly, lifted her head, revealing a face full of helplessness and self-blame.
Her eyes were unfocused, staring blankly ahead. "I didn’t know how to respond, so I just ran. At that moment, I saw the look on Huang Mao’s face... he looked so... so hurt. But I was just stunned... Now that I’m back, all I can think about is the way he looked, hurt by my reaction..."
Her voice faltered, as if she were in a daze.
"Yuqing, I really didn’t mean to hurt him. I was just... completely stunned... I really was! It was like... like someone suddenly stuffed a tangled mess of yarn into my brain! I’ve never thought about... dating, or relationships, or anything like that... My mind is a complete blank when it comes to that stuff..."
She started speaking faster and faster, a frantic edge to her voice as she rushed to explain and seek validation. She suddenly grabbed Su Yuqing’s hand, her cold fingers trembling slightly, her eyes filled with a childlike panic and confusion. "Yuqing, what do I do? My head’s still a mess! I... Did I hurt him? He looked... he looked so sad... When I ran away, that look in his eyes... I don’t even dare to think about it... Did I... Did I do the wrong thing?"
For Zhao Yuanyuan, who rarely cried, tears suddenly began to stream uncontrollably down her pale cheeks.
Su Yuqing took her cold hand and held it tightly, warming it with her own palm. With her other hand, she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away Zhao Yuanyuan’s tears.
She didn’t immediately offer comfort by saying, "You didn’t do anything wrong," nor did she rush to make excuses for Huang Mao. She simply guided her gently, "Yuanyuan, don’t be so quick to blame yourself. Tell me, when you ran, was it because you hate Huang Mao? Was it because you felt repulsed when he said he liked you?"
Zhao Yuanyuan froze for a moment, then shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum. "No! Absolutely not! How could I hate him... You, Brother Mo, and Huang Mao! You guys are the best friends I’ve ever made in my life! As long as I’m with you guys, I’m always happy, no matter how bad my mood is! I just... I just..."
She got stuck, unable to find the right words to describe the immense shock and confusion.
"It was just too sudden? Like it completely upended the relationship you’ve always had?" Su Yuqing finished for her with a gentle smile, her calm voice full of understanding and tenderness.