Her gaze didn't meet his, making the gratitude feel somewhat insincere.

Julian naturally knew what she was talking about. He didn't mind, but he hadn't expected her to find out so quickly.

He nodded, letting out an "Um." Since Clara already knew, he didn't feel awkward and asked again: “Is there anything else you need?”

Clara answered softly: “No, nothing.”

After she spoke, Julian didn't know what else to say. The atmosphere froze again. Seeing two people who used to talk about everything reach this point left a bitter taste in Clara’s heart.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. My mom just finished her chemotherapy this afternoon.”

After saying this, Clara turned around as if to escape.

Julian’s voice rang out the next moment: “Qiaoqiao, actually, I had considered not coming to see you during this time.”

Clara’s movements stopped dead in their tracks.

“But I couldn't help myself.”

After she had personally said she wanted to get married, Julian had been acting like a madman at the office. Even though he had told himself to wait until everything settled down before coming to see her, he couldn't stop himself; whenever he was free, he couldn't help but think of her.

At the parent-teacher conference last time, his mouth had been faster than his heart when he told Sharon he wanted to go. He hadn't cared about his cousin at all.

He simply wanted to see Clara.

He had “passed by” Clara’s neighborhood so many times, just wanting to see her openly.

“The engagement with Bai Ruxuan is fake. It was a unilateral oral promise by the two families. I never agreed to it.”

“Last time I brought her, I wanted to annoy you, but I didn't expect to end up annoying myself.” Julian’s self-deprecating laughter drilled into Clara’s heart, leaving her breathless.

Chapter 26

“Clara, let’s make up. I don’t know why you broke up with me before, but I know it must be my fault.”

Hearing this, Clara shook her head silently—It has nothing to do with you; it’s my fault.

She was too cowardly, self-deprecating, and sensitive; she dared not rebel and feared change.

Julian walked in front of Clara and saw her face quietly streaming with tears, his own eyes turning red as well.

“Don’t cry, Qiaoqiao.” Julian wanted to reach out but feared she wouldn't consent, so he held back. “Every time you cry, I don't know what to do.”

He first met Clara on a bright, sunny afternoon.

That day, he was coming back from the court, spinning a ball while he walked. Passing an alley, he heard sobbing like a small kitten.

The sound was faint, and if one didn't listen carefully, they wouldn't hear it. But Julian was born with keen senses, which was how he caught the tiny sound.

Curiosity drove him to look around. Finally, in a small alley, he saw a little girl sitting at the very top, buried in her own tears.

It was a closed-off alley filled with boxes of miscellaneous goods and a large umbrella. The handle of the umbrella was stuck in the gap between the boxes, showing only a small section, and Clara was underneath it.

Julian found it somewhat funny. She was crying so miserably, yet still had the spare energy to climb up there. If one wasn't paying attention, they really couldn't find her.

He watched for a while, walked over to the side of the boxes, and looked up at her: “Hey, do you need tissues?”

Clara had been severely scolded by her mother for doing poorly on an exam. She had run out in a sulk, bringing nothing with her. She had no money, not even a place to hide from the sun, so she had ended up climbing up there.

The sun was intense, and part of her hand was exposed outside the umbrella, tanned bright red, creating a sharp contrast with the rest of her skin.

Clara was drenched in sweat from crying, feeling sticky and uncomfortable. She raised her tear-stained eyes: “…Yes.”

Julian felt his pockets, realizing with a sinking heart that he hadn't brought any tissues.

By the time he found a store to buy tissues and came back, she was gone.

Thinking back on it now, he—a person who never liked to meddle in others' business—had actually taken the initiative to help a complete stranger. Their story must have been written long ago.

He was destined to fall in love with Clara.

Twelve years ago, it was the same; he had clearly made up his mind not to tell Clara anything, but as soon as she cried, he surrendered and spilled everything.

Now, she stood before him looking so frail, as if a gust of wind could blow her over. Julian’s heart ached so much he didn't know whether to reach out or leave, so he just stood there stiffly.

Just as he was wondering what to do, his chest suddenly felt heavy. Clara’s forehead was pressed against his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.

All the emotions of the past few days erupted in this moment.

Clara’s voice was nasal and choked: “I’m sorry… Julian, it’s my fault.”

“It’s because I’m not mature enough, listening to rumors… I’m not worth you liking me…”

Julian instinctively shook his head. Remembering Clara couldn't see, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, his voice hoarse: “Qiaoqiao, you are the best person in this world. I only like you. It was like that ten years ago, and it remains unchanged ten years later.”

“If you lack a sense of security, you can ask me to prove it to you at any time.”

When Julian said this, he suddenly realized he had never once told Clara "I love you" out loud. There had been no formal confession; they had just ended up together in a muddle.

He told himself in his heart that the breakup was what he deserved.

Chapter 27

People came and went, but seeing Clara crying so sadly, no one stopped to watch. After all, in a hospital, there were plenty of people breaking down.

Clara cried enough, looked up, and seeing a smudge of her tears on Julian’s shirt, suddenly burst into laughter.

Julian loosened his arms slightly. Seeing Clara crying and laughing, he didn't know what was wrong, but he laughed along, his tone rising, as gentle as water: “What’s wrong, Qiaoqiao?”

Clara shook her head while wiping her eyes.

After a while, seeing Clara had calmed down, Julian asked cautiously: “Then can we make up?”

Clara remained silent for a long moment, and Julian patiently waited for her answer.

Julian had taken so many steps toward her; it would be a lie to say Clara wasn't moved.

It was precisely because of this that giving up during this time had been extremely difficult.

Clara took a few slow breaths, made up her mind, and nodded: “Okay.”

Receiving an affirmative answer, the clouds that had been hanging over them for days were instantly dispelled, ushering in long-awaited sunshine.

Returning to the ward, her mother was still fast asleep. Clara knew her mother thought more and looked further ahead than she did, but she was simply craving the beauty of this moment.

As for the future, if she changed her mind or regretted it, she would naturally have to face it herself later.

When surrounded by warmth, one must expect the cold to follow, but then, she would have a winter coat to shield her.

Furthermore, right now, she believed with absolute certainty that Julian would do everything he said he would, and she believed she had the mindset to accept whatever the future brought.

As things stood, she didn't intend to tell her mother yet. Clara thought she should wait at least until her mother’s surgery was over and she was doing better.

Forgive her for this white lie.

The surgery would wait until September. When that time came, she would take an extended leave from school and wait until her mother’s condition was stable before talking about it.

By all accounts, she shouldn't have kept it from her mother.

…

After two rounds of pre-operative chemotherapy, and following a period of depression, Clara’s mother’s condition improved significantly. The surgery was scheduled for September, and she had to focus on building up her strength before then.

The attending physician for this ward had been the same throughout, coming every morning to do rounds. One day, her mother noticed a stranger’s face and, once he left, whispered to Clara: “Qiaoqiao, was this my doctor before?”

Clara: “…The previous doctor was busy, so they replaced him.”

Her mother didn't ask again.

School had already started in September, and Clara took half a month off, asking a close colleague to teach her classes for her.

Her mother sat in the hospital bed, bored, scrolling through her phone.

Ever since she learned that Julian was the young master of the Xie Group, she would occasionally pay attention to news about him.