Chapter 79 Many, Many Will Love You

Qin Shuyi pushed his hand aside and got out of the car by herself. She then walked to the back and opened the rear door.

She patted Caesar, asking him to scoot over, and retrieved the insulated takeout bag from the back seat.

Although it had been slightly squished by the Alaskan Malamute, the contents were still fine.

She returned to the passenger seat and tossed the bag to Ling Jue, whose heart had been in his throat watching her.

"Eat something to tide you over."

Inside was a complete, untouched vegetable patty, and even a bottle of bayberry juice. Qin Shuyi had bought the bayberry juice specially on her way out, since Zhou Yunhe liked it.

She fastened her seatbelt, while Ling Jue sat holding the food in silence for a moment before quietly opening it and starting to eat.

"It's not good," he said, pouting.

Actually, the patty was well-packaged, still warm, and the flavor wasn't bad. But firstly, he wasn't a fan of vegetarian food, and secondly, he disliked anything associated with that doctor.

Qin Shuyi, who had been looking at her phone, glanced up at him.

Ling Jue shut his mouth.

To be fair, eating something did soothe his stomach—whether it was aching from hunger or anger.

After putting away the empty container, he coughed lightly, "Heading home?"

Qin Shuyi nodded.

The night in the capital, even as darkness deepened, still had crowds of people bustling about for their livelihoods, and brightly lit roads were filled with an endless stream of vehicles.

With the person he cared about beside him and the soft, harmonious sounds of the cats and dogs in the back, Ling Jue's heart felt a long-lost sense of steadiness in this ordinary scene.

His slender fingers couldn't help but tap lightly on the steering wheel, and a slight smile touched his lips.

He glanced in the rearview mirror and started a conversation, "Is your cat named Princess? She seems to really like Caesar."

Qin Shuyi looked at Princess, who was trapped under Caesar's paw, being licked and forced to endure it with a look of utter resignation, and gave him a skeptical look.

He seemed to realize this himself and corrected himself, "Caesar isn't affectionate with people, but he's very attached to you."

Talking about the dog, Qin Shuyi humored him for once, "Caesar is very clever."

Though, like his owner, he had a temper.

Ling Jue's smile widened even more, "Dogs take after their owners. Not all dogs are dumb." He couldn't resist taking a subtle jab.

Qin Shuyi, "..."

She was truly at a loss. Ling Jue could be really childish sometimes.

Ling Jue's eyes drifted toward her, and he remarked offhandedly, "If you like him, you can come play with him often."

He added, "After all, I don't spend much time with him either."

Qin Shuyi shook her head, "No, there shouldn't be a shortage of people around you to take care of him."

Ling Jue's thin lips pressed together slightly, "But Caesar doesn't like them."

Qin Shuyi remained quiet and didn't answer further.

The drive home was slow. Ling Jue gazed into the distance, his eyes cool and detached, while Qin Shuyi rested her head against the car window, lost in thought as she watched the endless stream of lights outside.

The car stopped downstairs at Qin Shuyi's apartment.

Recalling the last time they were in this spot, when Ling Jue had harshly told Qin Shuyi not to appear before him again, neither of them had expected there would be such a calm and peaceful day again.

Inside the car, neither of them was in a hurry to leave.

Ling Jue spoke slowly and deeply, "Raising a cat with him... does that mean you're already considering the future? Are you sure it's him?"

Qin Shuyi didn't correct him that this was a cat she had picked out with her family. She simply nodded, "For my next relationship, I would indeed consider marriage."

Ling Jue's heart ached, "You're only twenty-five. I don't think there's any need to rush into marriage. Are your parents pressuring you?"

"No, it's just going with the flow. If it's right, I have no reason to resist it."

Ling Jue clenched his fingers and suddenly said, "Shi Qilan wasn't a blind date. She came to discuss a collaboration. I know she went to see my mom."

At that time, he desperately needed something to prove that he could start a new life without Qin Shuyi, so he chose to go on blind dates. But among that stack of photos, he still subconsciously chose Shi Qilan, the least likely candidate.

Even if he hadn't run into Qin Shuyi at the café, he and Shi Qilan would only have had professional interactions.

Qin Shuyi paused for a moment and said softly, "That's a shame. Miss Shi is a very nice person."

Ling Jue, "I don't like her."

Qin Shuyi, "Finding the right person is difficult, but you'll eventually meet someone."

For the first time that night, she looked directly into Ling Jue's eyes, her expression gentle, "But if you never move on from the past, you can never accept someone new. And if we keep entangling like this, it's also disrespectful to the people we interact with. So, Ling Jue, let's not see each other anymore, okay?"

Ling Jue's heart ached dully, "Are you really that unwilling to let that guy surnamed Chi feel uncomfortable?"

Qin Shuyi shook her head slightly, "It's not just for him. It's also for Dr. Chi, Miss Shi, and everyone else who is or will be part of our lives now or in the future."

One or two chance encounters could be considered coincidences, but if an ex keeps appearing frequently in a couple's interactions, anyone would feel uncomfortable.

Even if they themselves might not necessarily have a future.

But showing basic respect for others' sincerity and time is fundamental courtesy.

Ling Jue's eyes reddened. He understood what Qin Shuyi meant. She was always so kind to everyone, yet ruthless to him.

"Don't forget, you can't date anyone within a month," he helplessly brought up the agreement again.

Qin Shuyi nodded gently, "I will keep the agreement."

"But if I'm not watching you, no one will supervise you," he stubbornly argued.

Qin Shuyi, "You can watch me for a month, but can you watch me for a year? Two years? Our validity period is only 30 days."

Ling Jue felt a strong sense of powerlessness. Yes, 30 days. After 30 days, what could he possibly use to demand that Qin Shuyi not love someone else?

"Was I a really bad boyfriend?" he asked with a bitter smile.

At the very least, she had never considered a future with him.

Unexpectedly, Qin Shuyi denied his self-deprecation, "No, you were great. I was very happy every single day of our relationship."

She wasn't lying. Ling Jue had never made her suffer grievances. Even when others spoke with jealousy, he would promptly put them in their place for her.

Whether it was taking her to explore mountains and seas, showing her a colorful world, or bringing her an umbrella, applying medicine, and coaxing her to sleep, she truly felt the genuine sense of being carefully treasured.

"Don't underestimate yourself. You are a very good partner. You're as good as they come," she comforted him gently yet firmly.

"It's just that people need to be a little more sincere with each other. Ling Jue, next time, don't go into it with a 'just for fun' attitude. Whether it's dating or marriage, having the right approach is very important."

She looked at Ling Jue, whose fingertips were trembling. "Actually, you have a great capacity for love and know how to treat people well. In the future, many, many people will love you."

Ling Jue's dark eyelashes quivered, his voice hoarse. "But you won't be one of them, right?"

Qin Shuyi remained silent, which was answer enough.

Ling Jue forced a smile. "I understand. Today was just a coincidence. I won't disturb you anymore."

Princess meowed from the back seat. Qin Shuyi turned her head.

Princess's emerald-green eyes looked at her, seemingly puzzled why they were still idling in the car.

Qin Shuyi pressed her lips together.

"It's time. I should get out of the car now."

----------------------------------------