Chapter 1284: SU YUQI'S DECISION

LUO YAN opened the passenger door of Shen Ji Yun's car and slid into the seat. He had barely closed the door and fastened his seatbelt when Shen Ji Yun turned to him, his expression full of concern.

"How did your talk with Sister Yuqi go?" Shen Ji Yun asked immediately.

"It went about as well as it could have, I think," Luo Yan said, leaning his head back against the seat. "At least, I want to believe it did."

As he said that, he couldn't help but think back to how Su Yuqi had reacted after he gave her that piece of advice at the end of their conversation.

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Luo Yan had watched Su Yuqi closely. After he finished speaking, she had suddenly gone silent. He wasn't entirely sure what's going through her mind, but based on the continuous, subtle changes in her expression, he knew she had taken his words to heart. He felt a small sense of relief at that. It meant something in what he said had truly hit home for her.

After a long while, she finally spoke again. "You're right. I couldn't make the gamble because, deep down, I was afraid. I still am. I'm afraid that if I risk everything in a relationship with him, we'll both just end up getting hurt in the end. I'm scared that we might not even be able to stay friends afterward. I know it's a cowardly way to think.

"Hearing you talk about your relationship with Shen Ji Yun… I realized how he has a kind of faith that I don't. It's not that I don't believe Ah Jin is sincere. I do. What I don't have is faith in myself. I don't trust that I can handle it if it all falls apart. Shen Ji Yun was brave enough to bet on you. I'm just not brave enough to bet on me and Ah Jin."

Luo Yan considered her words for a moment, turning them over in his mind. Then he asked as gently as he could. "So, from everything you've just said... is this really your final decision, Sister Yuqi?"

Su Yuqi smiled helplessly then. "It should be. But what you said made me rethink everything. Because, as you've said, pain is part of growing up and happy endings wouldn't be achieved by giving up."

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Luo Yan wasn't completely sure if Su Yuqi meant she would actually take back what she had said to Luo Jin. What he knew was that she's definitely considering it now, and that she's seriously rethinking her choice. For this conversation, that's the best possible outcome he could have hoped for.

Well, Ah Jin, your big brother has done his best to help you. The ball is now in your court.

***

After her talk with Luo Yan, Su Yuqi left the cafe and rode her motorcycle straight to the airport. She had already booked a flight to S City. Her plan was to go there and talk to Luo Jin face to face. It was a good thing this was the weekend right before the new semester started, so she didn't have to worry about missing any classes.

She knew this was probably a rash decision. A part of her brain was telling her to stop for a second and think things through more carefully. But she also knew that if she let her logical, cautious side win this argument, then she would just arrive at the same conclusion. And she couldn't let that happen, not this time.

What Luo Yan had said to her made her realize a few important things. He had reminded her of simple sayings she knew but never really took to heart. Things like no guts, no glory. Or nothing ventured, nothing gained. And maybe the most important one right now: you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take. He was right. Playing it safe all the time just meant she would never know what could have been.

And she finally realized a simple truth. She didn't want there to be a permanent 'what-if' hanging between her and Luo Jin. The idea of never knowing what could have been was suddenly much worse than the fear of trying and failing.

***

Just like what Luo Yan told Shen Ji Yun, after leaving the cafe, the two of them went on a date. Shen Ji Yun was the one who suggested it. He drove them to a shooting range, remembering that Luo Yan had mentioned once that he actually enjoyed the target practice sessions during his military training.

But in truth, Luo Yan only liked the shooting practice because it was the least physically demanding part of the whole training. He didn't have a genuine passion for it. But he couldn't bring himself to tell that to Shen Ji Yun, not when the other had looked so pleased and excited when he announced his plan. And especially not when Shen Ji Yun turned to look at him in the car, his blue eyes practically glittering with anticipation for their date.

Even more so, Luo Yan could tell that Shen Ji Yun's excitement probably came from the fact that he thought he was making Luo Yan happy by planning this. He was clearly proud of remembering that minor detail. So, looking at his boyfriend's hopeful expression, how could Luo Yan possibly disappoint him by saying he didn't really care about shooting at all?

And so, here they were. Luo Yan stood in one of the lanes at the shooting range. He was wearing protective earmuffs and holding a pistol in his hand, aiming at the paper target down the lane. Shen Ji Yun stood close behind him. He was gently adjusting Luo Yan's elbow and shoulder, trying to fix his posture. From a distance, it almost looked like Shen Ji Yun was holding him from behind.

He glanced around. There was almost no one in the lanes near them, and the instructor was busy at the counter. So, feeling naughty, he deliberately leaned back, pushing his backside a little against Shen Ji Yun's front.

He smiled to himself when he heard the other gasp softly in surprise.

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