My Youth Began With Him

“Thank you.” Huo Mian nodded at Ning Zhiyuan. Although polite, her gaze was incredibly distant.

As far as Huo Mian was concerned, Ning Zhiyuan was something of the past, not to mention they were never in love that much in the first place.

“Mian, where are the twins? Bring them here and we’ll eat together?”

“The kids are with Qin Chu’s parents right now. They went to visit his side of the family for the New Year…” Unfortunately, Wu Xiaoxue’s timing wasn’t great; Pudding and Little Bean weren’t there.

“Oh, I see. No problem. We can meet some other time. Our families can have lunch or dinner together before we leave,” Wu Xiaoxue suggested enthusiastically.

“Sure, we can plan on WeChat later.”

Before they left, Huo Mian gave Wu Xinyue a 6600 yuan red envelope as a nice gesture, which was a tradition in China.

Wu Xiaoxue finally accepted the money after a while of back and forth pushing.

After they left, Huo Mian couldn’t focus on her work anymore; she thought about her older days with Wu Xiaoxue and Ning Zhiyuan.

Back then, Wu Xiaoxue was always against her and had almost killed a pregnant woman by being negligent.

Huo Mian was very kind and saved the pregnant woman. However, her kind actions stirred up the huge subsequent drama. Luckily, Master Qin was there to handle the aftermath.

Come to think of it, the Huo Mian back then would have never imagined having Wu Xiaoxue visit her like an old friend.

The Huo Mian back then would have never imagined facing Ning Zhiyuan, polite as she was, without a hint of emotion.

The Huo Mian back then would have never imagined having all these people pass her by, with only Qin Chu left to keep her company. Just like their younger days, he would never leave her.

Walking out of South Side, Wu Xiaoxue wrapped her arms around Ning Zhiyuan’s.

Ning Zhiyuan had Xinyue in his arms and they strolled slowly, chatting as they walked.

“Zhiyuan, tell me the truth, you loved her before, right?”

After a moment of silence, Ning Zhiyuan nodded. “Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you…” Wu Xiaoxue couldn’t finish her sentence.

“You want to ask me why I didn’t give Huo Mian a chance to explain. If I didn’t act like such a bastard, someone like her would’ve never left me that easily, even if it was out of responsibility… right?” Ning Zhiyuan finished Wu Xiaoxue’s question for her.

“Yes.”

“Honestly, I think I was just too young. Sometimes, the more you like something, the more you’re afraid to lose it. I knew back then that she had an ex-boyfriend who lived abroad. He was her first love and she loved him dearly. I also knew that… I never truly entered her heart… So, when the obstacle came, I rejected everything and became hysterical. It was all due to my own insecurities. I knew that I wasn’t the man Huo Mian loved… I was just a necessity in her pursuit of a normal life. When Qin Chu came back, I knew that the rightful owner had returned. So, I acted like a petulant child, acting up and causing a scene…”

“Wow, I’m impressed by your objectivity for making this analysis about yourself…” Wu Xiaoxue smiled at Ning Zhiyuan, her head tilted.

“Well, I am an adult, you know. So many things have happened these past few years… It’s good to keep an open mind.”

“Mian… really is an amazing woman. As a fellow woman, I was very jealous of her in the beginning. Now, I have nothing but admiration for her. I know that I could never rise to her level, no matter how hard I tried. She’s as kind as she is strong. My entire family is in the medical field. Both my uncle and my grandpa are excellent doctors. They’ve always wanted me to reach the top as well. Unfortunately, I could never reach Huo Mian’s level, no matter how hard I tried. She’s currently the nation’s youngest vice director of a hospital… and she’s received so many international awards. I could only dream…Zhiyuan, don’t you think I’m a failure?” Wu Xiaoxue exclaimed.