Chapter 52: Set Up a Grand Confession in High School

Chapter 52: In High School, He Made a Public Confession

Qin Yan cut him off.

Jiang Yizhou's unfinished words came to an abrupt halt: "Wha—what?"

Qin Yan gave an apologetic smile and said seriously, "Although I don't know when you started liking me, or why you like me, liking someone doesn't need a reason."

"Jiang Yizhou, thank you for feeling that way about me."

Jiang Yizhou's face turned pale in an instant. He struggled to speak before finally asking, "Can you tell me who you like?"

"Su Zhiyu."

Qin Yan said the name without hesitation. As he said it, a faint smile curled up at the corners of his mouth. Even though he tried to suppress it, his feelings still showed in his eyes.

Jiang Yizhou could see it clearly—when Qin Yan mentioned Su Zhiyu, his whole face softened.

So, he had lost before he even had a chance to try?

Just a few days ago, he'd been lecturing Su Zhiyu about who got there first, only to realize he was the latecomer.

He'd wanted a fair shot, but he never stood a chance from the start.

"Brother Qin." Jiang Yizhou managed a painful smile, clinging to his last shred of hope, and asked him, "Did you two... know each other a long time ago? Even before I did?"

Qin Yan hesitated for a few seconds.

He and Su Zhiyu hadn't known each other that long, but the original Qin Yan and Su Zhiyu had known each other for a very long time.

But no one would ever find out.

He nodded. "Yes. We've known each other since way back—since high school."

"So you liked him back then?"

"Jiang Yizhou." Qin Yan said, "I like Su Zhiyu. Only him. Now and always. So don't waste your time on me. We can still be friends."

"I..."

"Let's go back. Don't keep them waiting."

Qin Yan turned and left. Jiang Yizhou, in a daze, put the box away and stood there frozen.

"Wait."

His expression was stiff as he fumbled with the small box and opened it to reveal a necklace.

"Brother Qin, I don't know if you still remember, but you gave me this necklace. Even though you've already rejected me, I still want to give it to you—think of it as me giving it back. Will you take it?"

Qin Yan stopped a few steps away but didn't turn around. "Thanks for the gift."

With that, he headed back to the private dining room first.

The hope in Jiang Yizhou's eyes died instantly. He looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Back then, Qin Yan had just handed it to him casually. Maybe... he'd already forgotten all about it.

From day one of the show, Qin Yan's reaction had made it clear it was nothing but a trivial thing—how could he possibly still remember?

He shouldn't have let himself hope.

Jiang Yizhou took a few deep breaths, carefully pulled out the necklace, and put it on.

Qin Yan, the things you've forgotten, I still remember.

When he got back to the private dining room, everyone was chatting, and nothing seemed off.

Qin Yan was sitting with his back to the door. When Jiang Yizhou pushed the door open, he saw Qin Yan's hand under the table, reaching toward Su Zhiyu.

He only glanced for a second before looking away, hiding his emotions, and sat down with a smile: "What were you guys chatting about so happily? Did you cook up a new plan while I was gone?"

Liu Mian caught the shift in his expression the moment he walked in, reached over, took his cup, and poured him some wine, smiling:

"What else? Qin Yan's big plans. Why'd you take so long? Come on, down a drink as punishment."

"Liu Mian, you're something else, pulling that on me." Jiang Yizhou acted like he was refusing, but he quickly grabbed the cup and downed it in one go.

"Why're you drinking so fast? No one's racing you."

"Yeah, you can hold your liquor."

Qin Yan chimed in too: "Don't get wasted now. Everyone's been drinking tonight, and if you get too drunk, you won't make it downstairs later."

Jiang Yizhou shot him a glare: "I'm about to be your shareholder, and you're still bossing me around?"

"Haha, fine, I'll back off."

Su Zhiyu quietly watched, grabbed a fresh cup, poured some tea, and handed it to Jiang Yizhou: "Want some? It's hot tea. I just tried it—it's light and sweet."

Jiang Yizhou hesitated for a second, then smiled and took it: "Sure, I'll try it."

Liu Mian took a sip from his own cup. When he turned, he caught Yang Yichen looking at him too.

Yang Yichen winked at him, and Liu Mian gave a small nod.

Everyone seemed to have noticed something was off, but no one said anything.

Late at night.

Qin Yan and Su Zhiyu left first. Jiang Yizhou stood off to the side, watching them get into the car, the sting in his eyes still hard to hold back.

If... if he'd met Qin Yan earlier, or if he'd been braver back then, would things have been different...

"Yi Zhou." Yang Yichen, stumbling a bit, slung an arm around Jiang Yizhou's shoulder and let out a drunk burp. "I gotta tell you a secret."

Jiang Yizhou snapped out of his thoughts and played along: "What secret?"

Yang Yichen chuckled a few times, clearly wasted. He pointed in the direction Qin Yan's car had just gone and whispered, "Don't tell anyone, alright? It's something embarrassing Qin Yan did, hahaha."

Hearing it was a secret about Qin Yan, Jiang Yizhou was actually curious now.

"What secret?"

He asked again.

Yang Yichen dragged it out, and only when he was about to topple over did he finally giggle and say: "Back in high school, he..."

Zhi Yu even made a whole spectacle of confessing publicly, and then—and then he got rejected by Zhi Yu, hahaha."

"..."

"..."

This time, not only Jiang Yizhou was stunned, but Liu Mian on the side was too.

So that's what happened between Qin Yan and Su Zhiyu?

Jiang Yizhou suddenly let out a laugh.

So he had liked Su Zhiyu that early on—no wonder he never stood a chance.

Ah, forget it.

As soon as Jiang Yizhou left, Yang Yichen slowly snapped out of his drunk act, and Liu Mian steadied him: "You're pretty good at faking being drunk—I almost thought you were really drunk."

Yang Yichen snorted twice, crossing his arms: "When you're out in the world, you've got to have some tricks up your sleeve."

Liu Mian chuckled: "You weren't just making that up, were you?"

"It's true." Yang Yichen emphasized seriously, "Brother Yan's wrapped around Zhi Yu's finger—those two are definitely going to end up together."

Liu Mian pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "I think so too."

Yang Yichen clicked his tongue: "It's just that Yi Zhou drew the short straw—of all people to have a crush on, he had to pick Brother Yan. It's not like he's the only top-tier Alpha out there; I'm a damn good Alpha myself."