Yi Tianyu was stunned for a moment before realizing what Xue Jiao meant—stop Liu Jiaxue?
Although he didn’t understand why, Yi Tianyu instinctively chased after Liu Jiaxue as Xue Jiao had said.
Liu Jiaxue was running too fast for Xue Jiao to catch up, but Yi Tianyu could easily overtake her—after all, he was a sports-specialized student.
By then, Liu Jiaxue had already reached the bridge.
“What are you doing?!” Yi Tianyu grabbed her in surprise.
Liu Jiaxue broke free and dashed toward the edge of the bridge.
Even someone as slow as Yi Tianyu could see it now—she was trying to kill herself!
“Stop her—” Xue Jiao, who had caught up from behind, shouted.
Acting on instinct, Yi Tianyu stuck out his foot and tripped Liu Jiaxue. Xue Jiao, panting heavily, finally reached them.
She wrapped her arms around Liu Jiaxue, her eyes reddening.
“Jiaxue! What are you doing?!” Xue Jiao tightened her grip.
Liu Jiaxue struggled fiercely, her nails scratching Xue Jiao’s arm, causing a sharp sting.
Clenching her teeth, Xue Jiao summoned unprecedented strength and held onto Liu Jiaxue with all her might.
“Jiao Jiao… just let me go!” Liu Jiaxue broke down in tears, her body going limp as she collapsed downward.
Xue Jue fell to the ground with her but paid no mind to it. “Letting you go means watching you die?!”
Her voice cracked with urgency and anger, her eyes bloodshot.
How could she stand by and watch a life slip away before her?
“Ahh—” Liu Jiaxue opened her mouth and wailed.
“Living… is so exhausting. Just let me go… please!”
Xue Jiao’s eyes stung as tears rolled down her cheeks. Without knowing why, she began crying too.
“Jiaxue…”
“Jiao Jiao, let me go. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I’m too tired…” Her voice was broken and despairing, as if she were enduring unbearable torment.
Xue Jiao knew how painful overwhelming pressure could be. Before the second mock exams, the teachers barely lectured—instead, they handed out test papers, had students complete them, then graded them…
And then came the endless talk about scores, rankings, declines, and improvements.
Class One was an experimental class, so the pressure they bore was incomparable to others.
It wasn’t uncommon for students to burst into tears while working on test papers, wiping their tears away before stubbornly continuing.
In her past life, Xue Jiao had been the same. To save time for review in the second semester of senior year, she had spent her entire winter break—even during the New Year—working to earn money.
But her foundation was too weak. Though she improved bit by bit in the second semester, her scores never met her expectations.
Her obsession with getting into university ran deep—not just for herself, but also for those who had helped her and the elderly woman who had passed away.
As the college entrance exams approached, there were times when Xue Jiao couldn’t hold back her tears upon receiving her grades, only to wipe them away and keep correcting her mistakes.
No one knew why she was crying.
It was as if her eyes were just dry.
Senior year was like a mountain, crushing people until they could barely breathe. And if external pressures kept piling on, the damage could be devastating.
“Jiaxue… Jiaxue…” Xue Jiao hugged her tightly, calling her name.
Her face was streaked with tears, but she didn’t know what to say.
This semester, Liu Jiaxue had worked so hard, yet her grades…
“Let me go…” Liu Jiaxue’s voice was hoarse from screaming.
Xue Jiao held onto her, refusing to loosen her grip.
On such a cold day, in such freezing water—how could she just watch her jump?
Hugging her tightly, Xue Jiao murmured, “There’s a way… There has to be a way…”It took a full half hour before Liu Jiaxue finally caught her breath.
She stopped crying and said softly, "Jiao Jiao, let go. I won't kill myself."
Xue Jiao didn't dare release her, still holding her tightly.
Her voice still carried despair. Though she said she wouldn't kill herself, her tone clearly held finality.
"Jiaxue, only by living can you solve problems. Death leaves you with nothing." Xue Jiao gently patted her back, comforting her.
Liu Jiaxue stared at the lake, biting her lower lip.
"Living... is just too exhausting."
"Jiaxue..."
Xue Jiao wanted to ask—what about your family? What about us?
But she couldn't say it. Liu Jiaxue was in such pain right now. Speaking like that would only feel like emotional blackmail.
What she should do was try to ease her suffering, make her willing—for her own sake—to keep living.
Yet at this moment, she didn't know how to achieve that.
Yi Tianyu had been standing nearby for a long time. Earlier, watching the two of them weeping, he had been at a complete loss.
Now that their crying had subsided, Yi Tianyu crouched down and said gently, "Um... Liu Jiaxue, death really doesn't solve anything, and it's painful... There are still many wonderful things in this world. There's no need to leave so soon."
"Yes, Tianyu is right." Xue Jiao continued soothing Liu Jiaxue. "High school pressure is intense and painful, I know. We're still crossing the most difficult single-plank bridge. But there's only half a year left. Once the college entrance exams are over, we can step into a broader world. At that time, the sea will be wide for fish to leap, the sky high for birds to fly. After the exams, life's drama is just beginning. Why would you want to exit the stage so early?"
Liu Jiaxue remained silent.
Xue Jiao patted her, speaking softly, "I know what you're thinking—that the future will bring more storms, more hardships, right? But Jiaxue, our future will also have skies we create ourselves. Life always moves forward—sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter or astringent. You can only experience it if you're alive. Jiaxue, don't you want to know what your future holds? Don't you want to see what you can make of it?"
Her voice was very, very gentle. As she finished speaking, Liu Jiaxue gave a slight tremble.
"Jiaxue, let's hold on, work hard to create the future we want, okay?" Xue Jiao's voice was light.
Yi Tianyu nodded in agreement. "It's not like academics are the only path. Don't feel like slipping grades means the sky is falling. If we thought that way, this bookworm and I would've killed ourselves back in middle school."
Xue Jiao glared at him.
Her eyes were red, the tip of her nose red too.
Snowflakes drifted through the air, landing on her. The weather was rather cold today...
Yi Tianyu's heart ached seeing Xue Jiao sitting frozen on the ground like this.
"Liu Jiaxue, how about we take you home? You should talk with your family."
Liu Jiaxue shuddered, biting her lip as fresh tears rolled down.
"I... I... don't want to go back..."
"Then don't!" Xue Jiao straightened up, looking at her. "Come home with me instead."
When Xue Jiao returned, Li Sitong and Auntie had already prepared a table full of dishes.
"Jiao Jiao, you're finally back! I've been waiting—hmm?" Li Sitong came forward complaining, then paused in mild surprise upon noticing Liu Jiaxue behind Xue Jiao.
This was the first time Xue Jiao had ever brought a classmate home!Xue Jiao patted the nervous Liu Jiaxue and smiled at Li Sitong. "Mom, I brought my friend home. This is Liu Jiaxue. She'll be staying with us today."
"Oh, wonderful! Jiao Jiao finally has a friend." Her gaze fell on their reddened, damp clothes. "You two..."
"Ahem, hello Jiaxue! I'm Jiao Jiao's father. Why don't you two go upstairs and change first? Come down quickly for dinner afterward," Cheng Shuo said with a smile, standing up to tactfully interrupt Li Sitong's questioning.
Cheng Mingze, sitting across from him, offered a polite smile. "Go on up. It's snowing heavily today—don't catch a cold."
"Got it!" Xue Jiao responded promptly, pulling Liu Jiaxue upstairs.
She was relieved. Her father and brother were perceptive—pressing for details now wouldn't be appropriate.
Liu Jiaxue murmured, "Thank you, Uncle, Auntie..."
Once the girls had gone upstairs, Li Sitong frowned slightly. "Shuo, were you stopping me from asking?"
Cheng Shuo shook his head with a smile and glanced at Cheng Mingze.
Understanding, Cheng Mingze explained, "It's the 28th of the twelfth lunar month—just after school break. For Jiaxue to come here instead of going home suggests something happened. Both girls clearly cried, and their clothes are dirty—definitely a serious incident. Since Xue Jiao didn't volunteer details, she likely doesn't want us to know yet. Respecting that is best."
"What? Did someone bully Jiao Jiao?!" Li Sitong's eyes widened.
"Judging by Jiao Jiao's demeanor, she's fine. But her friend seems troubled," Cheng Mingze clarified.
"This..." Li Sitong hesitated, unsure how to handle this situation—Jiao Jiao's first friend visit under such circumstances.
Cheng Shuo reassured her, "Just act normally, as you would with any guest."
"Oh, alright." Li Sitong nodded and returned to the kitchen, asking Auntie to prepare an extra bowl of rice.
Soon, Xue Jiao returned downstairs with a freshly changed Liu Jiaxue.
"Xue Jiao, Jiaxue! Come eat!" Li Sitong called cheerfully.
"Coming!" Xue Jiao replied brightly.
Liu Jiaxue bit her lower lip and nodded silently.
As everyone settled at the table, Li Sitong poured milk for each person. "Sister Xu just went home, so enjoy this feast while you can. I'll be cooking the next few days—don't expect this many dishes."
"Eat up. Treasure this meal," Xue Jiao whispered to Liu Jiaxue.
"Huh?"
Xue Jiao dropped her voice further. "Mom's cooking... well... let's just say she's not gifted."
Liu Jiaxue blinked in confusion.
"Look at Dad and Brother's smiles."
Following Xue Jiao's gaze, Liu Jiaxue saw both men wearing strained smiles as they looked at Li Sitong.
A faint smile finally touched Liu Jiaxue's lips—her first in a long while.
"Jiaxue, have some more!" Li Sitong served her another portion.
"Thank you, Auntie..." Liu Jiaxue replied hastily.
The meal continued with lighthearted conversation and laughter. No one asked why Liu Jiaxue wasn't home or probed further, focusing instead on pleasant topics and plans.
By dinner's end, Liu Jiaxue felt unexpectedly at ease, as if her burdens had momentarily lifted.
But afterward, her phone began vibrating incessantly.Liu Jiaxue stood frozen, unable to answer the call.
The phone kept ringing, its urgent vibrations mirroring the fury from the other end.
Xue Jiao gently reached out: "Jiaxue, may I answer it?"
Liu Jiaxue instinctively bit her lip before closing her eyes and nodding.
The moment Xue Jiao accepted the call, an ear-splitting voice erupted—
"Liu Jiaxue, where the hell have you run off to?! Do you know how worried I've been?!"
"Auntie, this is Gu Xue Jiao. Jiaxue is at my place."
Silence fell on the other end. After a long pause, a much softer voice responded: "Miss Gu, could you ask Jiaxue when she's coming home?"
Xue Jiao smiled. "Auntie, Jiaxue might need to stay with us for a few more days."
"It's almost New Year! What's she doing staying at your place?!" Qian Yu began roaring again.
Xue Jiao maintained her smile. "I think you should allow Jiaxue to make her own decisions sometimes, instead of treating her like your puppet."
Heavy breathing came through the phone—Qian Yu was clearly furious but restraining herself.
"Auntie, I'll send you my address. You can come see Jiaxue if you'd like."
After hanging up and sending the address, Xue Jiao said softly, "It's okay now, Jiaxue."
Liu Jiaxue bit her lower lip as Xue Jiao gave her a reassuring pat.
Cheng Shuo set down his newspaper. "Jiaxue, you can stay with Xue Jiao these days. I'll move another desk into her room tomorrow so you two can study together."
His words represented the Cheng family's welcoming attitude toward Liu Jiaxue staying over.
Liu Jiaxue gripped Xue Jiao's hand tightly and whispered, "Thank you."
Li Sitong came over and ruffled her hair. "Young girls should smile more. Don't be like Jiao Jiao here—such a little bookworm."
Xue Jiao widened her eyes in disbelief.
Seeing this, Liu Jiaxue finally laughed.
Xue Jiao had expected Qian Yu to come. Sure enough, around ten o'clock, a couple arrived in a hurry.
Qian Yu looked the same as usual, though less flamboyantly dressed in her haste. Behind her was Liu Jun—Liu Jiaxue's father—as taciturn as ever.
"President Cheng! Hello, hello! I'm Jiaxue's mother. This is her father, Liu Jun. Our family runs—"
Cheng Shuo smiled. "It was my daughter who asked to meet you. Since I don't know the details, she'll be the one speaking with you."
With that, he stood up and left with Cheng Mingze.
Qian Yu was stunned. She nudged Liu Jun. "What does that mean?"
Liu Jun smiled awkwardly. "It means their daughter invited us. The Chengs aren't getting involved."
"How is that possible?! A teenage girl making decisions independently? Surely President Cheng must have approved this?" Qian Yu was bewildered.
Liu Jun shook his head.
At that moment, Xue Jiao came downstairs—alone.
She'd left Liu Jiaxue upstairs, tucked into bed with strict orders to sleep and not come down.
"Miss Gu, where's Jiaxue?" Qian Yu looked behind her.
"Jiaxue isn't coming down. I wanted to talk with you both." Xue Jiao sat across from them.
Qian Yu and Liu Jun froze.
Xue Jiao continued, "I want to know why you've pushed Jiaxue to this point?"
"What do you mean? Pushed her how?" Qian Yu was stunned.Xue Jiao said quietly, "Jiaxue almost committed suicide today. If we hadn't saved her, the message you'd be receiving now wouldn't be from me, but news of Jiaxue's death."
"Wh-what..." Liu Jun was stunned.
Qian Yu, however, sprang to her feet, her face filled with rage. "How dare she?! She actually tried to kill herself?!"
Xue Jiao frowned. "Auntie, I think you need to reflect on your attitude. We might have saved Jiaxue this time, but there's no guarantee we can do it again."
"How could she be so foolish?!" Qian Yu suppressed the mix of emotions rising in her heart—fear, panic, worry—but in the end, anger surfaced on her face.
"Because the pressure became too much for her to bear. I'd like to know, Uncle and Auntie, what other pressures do you usually put on her?" Xue Jiao asked patiently.
"What pressure do I give her? I work hard to earn money to support her, provide her with good food and education. How could I possibly be pressuring her?!" Qian Yu's face was full of disbelief.
"The pressure in senior year is immense. You must be adding to it, which is why she's afraid to come home."
Qian Yu stood up, incredulous. "This is ridiculous! I work hard every day to earn money, her father slaves away in the kitchen cooking, and she—a student—doesn't have to endure wind or rain. All she has to do is study. What could possibly be unbearable about that?! Bring her down here. I'll have a proper talk with her!"
Xue Jiao took a deep breath. "Auntie, I think your fundamental understanding is wrong. I can't communicate with you right now. You need to recognize the hardships and pressures of senior year before we can continue this conversation."
"First, bring Liu Jiaxue down! I'm taking her home."
"No—"
"Xue Jiao," Cheng Shuo interrupted, "you go upstairs first. Let me talk properly with Jiaxue's mother."
Xue Jiao stood up and made way for Cheng Shuo.
He was indeed far more capable than her, with much more life experience. She didn’t know how to explain things, but perhaps Cheng Shuo had a way.
Fuming, Xue Jiao went upstairs.
Cheng Shuo sat down opposite Qian Yu and Liu Jun with a book in hand and said, "Both of you, Jiao Jiao couldn’t explain some things clearly, and I’m not entirely sure about the details either. But I must correct your understanding about whether studying is hard or not."
The two of them froze.
Cheng Shuo continued, "Ms. Qian, you run a restaurant, right?"
"Yes," Qian Yu nodded.
Cheng Shuo said, "That must be quite exhausting—from purchasing ingredients to attracting customers, then managing accounts..."
"Exactly! I work so hard to provide—"
Cheng Shuo waved his hand, cutting her off, then spoke slowly, "Then how about this—why don’t you just close your restaurant? That’ll make life much easier. And since running a restaurant seems profitable, how about Pengcheng opens an identical one right next to yours to help ease your burden?"
Qian Yu’s face stiffened. After a long pause, she forced a smile. "Director Cheng, you must be joking..."
Cheng Shuo smiled. "Feeling the pressure? Let me ask you—when business is bad, do you feel more stressed and miserable, or do you feel worse just from running the restaurant every day?"
Qian Yu stayed silent.
"You probably know deep down—running the business every day is exhausting, and you come home full of complaints. But when business is bad, it’s even worse. You can’t sleep, you’re anxious. Logically, work is lighter, so why does it feel even harder? Do you know why? Because you have the pressure of survival."
Qian Yu stared at him, stunned."Thinking about it this way, do you still find studying painless? She faces the pressure of college entrance exams, the pressure of grades—with such immense pressure, when she doesn't perform well, her pain is unimaginable. And then you push her further—it’s almost like you’re pushing her toward death."
Cheng Shuo stared straight at her: "Jiao Jiao was being too polite. I believe Jiaxue’s suicide was driven by you."
Qian Yu’s face paled.
"At the start of the school year, all the teachers emphasized how exhausting senior year is and urged parents to support their children. Yet here I am, sitting across from parents who are pressuring their child. Ms. Qian, you should be aware of the suicide rates among young people."
Cheng Shuo stood up: "We deeply respect Jiao Jiao. If she has decided that Jiaxue will stay here tonight, we fully support it. So I won’t let you take her away. Now, both of you may leave. The sooner you go, the sooner you can rest."
With that, he turned and walked toward the room.
Qian Yu and Li Jun exchanged glances, then stood up in confusion and left.
In the kitchen, Li Sitong, holding a fruit platter, was in tears, sliding down to the floor.
Jiaxue… attempted suicide…
The pressure…
How was she… any different from Qian Yu?
Upstairs, Xue Jiao and Jiaxue lay under the same blanket.
"Dad said your parents left," Xue Jiao said softly.
Liu Jiaxue bit her lower lip, fear flickering in her eyes.
Xue Jiao reached out and gently patted her through the blanket: "It’s okay now, it’s okay."
"Jiao Jiao… I’m scared…"
"Don’t be afraid. You’re angry now. If your parents don’t correct their mistakes, you don’t have to forgive them—ignore them!" Xue Jiao turned to face Jiaxue with a light smile.
Her tone was playful yet comforting.
Jiaxue stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning to face Xue Jiao.
"Jiao Jiao… your family is so happy…"
Xue Jiao stayed silent, simply watching her.
Jiaxue continued: "My mom dropped out before finishing elementary school. She’s never thought studying could be painful or exhausting. Before, I had to be first in everything—if I ranked first, she wouldn’t say anything. But in high school, I realized how hard it was to stay at the top. There were so many people better than me, and it felt like I could never be first again."
Xue Jiao only looked at her with concern, saying nothing.
A glimmer of tears shone in Jiaxue’s eyes before they spilled over.
"My mom used to scold me too, but whenever I ranked first, she’d be happy and wouldn’t yell at me for a long time. After my grades dropped, she started berating me every day. Sometimes I wonder—am I just a burden? Why does she hate me so much?"
Jiaxue closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.
"My family isn’t like others. I grew up listening to my mom’s yelling—she’d shout at my dad, at the neighbors. When I was little, we only had a small street stall. My parents would push the cart out every day to sell things. Her voice was so loud—calling out to customers, cursing at people—I could hear it all the way from our apartment."She seemed lost in memories: "My dad never had much ability. Whatever my mom said, he would do, and yet she still often scolded him. The year I graduated from elementary school, our family finally opened a restaurant—it was my mom who started it. My dad worked as a waiter and was frequently scolded by her. Later, when I was in middle school, my mom thought the restaurant relied too much on the chef, so she made my dad learn from him."
"Later on, my dad took charge of the kitchen while my mom managed everything else. She often scolded him, and I grew up in that kind of environment. Jiao Jiao, tell me—if my mom treats my dad like this, am I really the product of their love? To my mom, my dad is just her punching bag. They definitely didn’t welcome my arrival. If I died, wouldn’t they stop forcing themselves to stay together for my sake? My mom would be free, and my dad wouldn’t have to endure her scolding every day."
Xue Jiao reached out and took her hand.
Liu Jiaxue shut her eyes tightly. "After my last exam, my mom said if I didn’t do well in the second mock test, she’d break my legs. I... didn’t do well, and I don’t want to live anymore..."
"Don’t say things like that!" Xue Jiao interrupted sharply. "Don’t talk about dying. You’re so young—stop thinking about death. The day you get into university will be the day you leave home."
Liu Jiaxue didn’t respond, only tightening her grip on Xue Jiao’s hand.
Xue Jiao opened her mouth and said softly, "Actually, I used to be very unhappy too. My mom didn’t understand me, my dad was just my stepfather and didn’t dare to discipline me, and my biological dad, stepmom, and stepsister all wanted to harm me."
"I didn’t understand or realize it at first. But later, I learned that my life is my own. People should live for their own goals, not for others." She gave a light laugh.
"After that, I stopped caring about my mom, and she probably came to understand some of my struggles. Slowly, my family became what you see now."
Liu Jiaxue was still crying. After a moment, she let go of Xue Jiao’s hand.
Then she leaned in slightly, resting her head gently on Xue Jiao’s shoulder.
"Jiao Jiao... thank you..."
"You’re welcome," Xue Jiao replied quietly.
Liu Jiaxue leaned against her, her breathing gradually evening out.
Just from the dark circles under her eyes, Xue Jiao could tell Liu Jiaxue hadn’t slept well in a long time.
Maybe she was exhausted from crying, or perhaps it was because there were no shouts of anger here in Xue Jiao’s home. She finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
Xue Jiao stayed silent. It was good that she was tired—it meant she had relaxed.
"Buzz—" Her phone vibrated.
Xue Jiao reached over and picked it up. It was a message from Lin Zhihua:
[Happy holidays.]
Xue Jiao typed softly:
[Thank you.]
On the other end of the line, Lin Zhihua was slightly surprised. He checked the time—it was already 11:30 p.m.
It was the end of the year, and the company was busy. Lin Zhihua had only just caught his breath.
He hadn’t expected Xue Jiao to still be awake...
[Lin Zhihua: What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?]
Xue Jiao glanced at the message, then turned to look at Liu Jiaxue, whose eyes were closed.
She didn’t know how to comfort her or how to dissuade her from suicidal thoughts. She was terrified that in an unguarded moment, Liu Jiaxue might impulsively harm herself.
So, she had to find a way to solve the problem—after all, she couldn’t watch over her forever.
"I’m sorry..." Xue Jiao whispered.
Then she quietly moved away from her, got out of bed, and left the room with her phone.
She walked to the balcony before replying:
[Can I... call you? I’m really troubled right now.]
A moment later, Lin Zhihua’s call came through.
"What’s wrong, Jiao Jiao?"
His voice was filled with concern and worry. Hearing it, Xue Jiao felt some of the panic in her heart fade away."I'm really scared. I have a classmate..."
Xue Jiao told him everything from beginning to end, then squatted down, her eyes turning red.
"What should I do to make her give up this terrible thought? I'm so afraid I'll still be powerless... If that happens, I'll hate myself forever."
"Jiao Jiao, don't be upset." Lin Zhihua slightly frowned.
To Lin Zhihua, this was simply a young person under great pressure who couldn't handle it and wanted to give up.
But isn't this how the world is?
As Anna Karenina says—"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
This unhappiness doesn't belong to her alone—there are countless families suffering their own misfortunes.
In the past, he might not have even glanced at such a situation.
So many people struggle to survive, yet some want to abandon life.
But when Xue Jiao is upset, when Xue Jiao suffers, his heart aches too.
"Lin Zhihua, I want to keep her here, have her stay with me until the college entrance exams are over... The exams are almost here, there's no time left to slowly resolve her family issues or help her overcome her family shadows..."
"That's not a good solution," Lin Zhihua said firmly.
Xue Jiao was slightly taken aback.
"If she stays with you, she'll feel like she's living under someone else's roof. No matter how welcoming your family is, she'll feel uncomfortable. And since she's so distressed, it shows she deeply cares about her family. If her family issues remain unresolved, she'll still be upset and distracted," Lin Zhihua explained calmly.
The most crucial point Lin Zhihua didn't mention was his concern that Liu Jiaxue might affect Xue Jiao.
She would worry about Liu Jiaxue's state and get distracted trying to take care of her.
But now was not the time to be distracted.
"Then what should I..." Xue Jiao bit her lower lip.
"Jiao Jiao, this isn't about what you should do—it's about what she should do herself."
"Huh?" Xue Jiao was puzzled.
Lin Zhihua guided her: "Ask Liu Jiaxue—is the relationship between her father and mother really as bad as she imagines?"
Xue Jiao fell silent.
She had actually wondered about this too. If things were truly that terrible... why hadn't they divorced?
"If her mother truly despised her father, why hasn't she cheated? She runs a restaurant, has some money, and takes care of herself. If her father resents being scolded by her mother, why hasn't he left? He's a skilled chef—why hasn't he walked away?" Lin Zhihua countered with several questions.
Xue Jiao immediately understood—
"You're right! Jiaxue's parents might not be without feelings for each other. If that's the case, Jiaxue's birth isn't what she imagined either! Her parents might not not love her... they just don't know how to love her, just like how they don't know how to express love to each other."
Lin Zhihua smiled faintly: "Yes, you're right. Her stress comes from her declining grades and her family. The former is something only she can fix. If the latter is resolved, the burden on her heart should lessen significantly."
"Thank you!" Xue Jiao found the breakthrough she needed, and her fear completely vanished.
"No need to thank me. Get some rest early and talk to her properly tomorrow."
"Okay! Goodnight!"
The voice on the other end of the phone was soft and warm: "Goodnight."
Xue Jiao hung up and turned to go back.Just stepping in from the balcony, her footsteps suddenly halted.
There stood a person—how long had he been there? How much had he heard?
Xue Jiao's chest tightened as she slowly parted her lips—
"Brother."
Had he heard her call Lin Zhihua's name?
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