章 80: I'm sorry

"Jianyi, why are you so quiet? Are you really going to reject him?" Lin Qingqing nudged her, casting a confused glance her way, as if unable to understand why her friend would hesitate.

Qi Jianyi blinked, pulled from her daze, and forced a smile. Turning back to Xu Yichen, she uttered softly, "I like you too." The words slipped out just as they had five years ago, filled with a breathless sincerity that felt as natural as it did surreal.

"I like you, Xu Yichen," she repeated, her voice catching slightly.

The fifteen-year-old version of herself had truly loved him, without reservation or caution. Qi Jianyi knew, even as she stood there now aware it was all just a dream, that she wouldn't rewrite this part of her life. 

No matter the hurt that had come later, the happiness and thrill of those early moments remained unspoiled in her memory.