Chapter 575: Chapter 52 Chaos_2

Gongsun Ce braced himself for hurting someone or even breaking off a relationship as he prepared to give his answer, “I—”

“This isn’t a formal confession~” Qiluo waved her hand, “so please don’t respond to me in your current state, okay?”

“…Oh.”

Like a deflated balloon, the prepared speech floated right out of his mouth.

The words that had reached the tip of his tongue were forcibly shoved back by Gongsun Ce.

“It always feels like Gongsun Ce in this state would say something he’d regret later.” Qiluo puffed her cheeks, “It’s a girl’s intuition, intuition.”

Gongsun Ce felt his heart twist up like a knot. He awkwardly looked down and started eating his pasta, waiting until the plate was nearly clean before saying, “Why…”

“Do I want to tell Gongsun Ce all this?”

“Yeah.”

Covering her face with her hands, Qiluo shyly said, “I just got carried away…”

“Got carried away?!”

“When I heard Gongsun Ce ask that question, I thought, Ah, he’s finally going to change, and if I don’t speak now, I might never find the chance or courage to say it again in my life.”

Qiluo’s cheeks were red, looking… no, not just looking.

Gongsun Ce noticed, she really was a girl in the throes of love.

“I know it too. Someone like me, a buxom woman who comes into the story later without deep and touching memories, usually stands no chance in a romantic comedy. Even if I manage to confess my feelings before everyone else, it’s doomed to be just the cannon fodder that opens up the stoic male protagonist’s heart, shattering into pieces with a loud bang, paving the way for more charming female characters.”

Qiluo stirred her almost-finished salad with a fork, murmuring to herself while staring at the plate.

“Just standing still and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere is probably truly the best choice for everyone. But when I heard Gongsun Ce’s question, I realized, whether it is you or me, we all change with time.”

“Characters in a romantic comedy can maintain stable relationships even after dozens or hundreds of episodes because they can keep going indefinitely, changing only when the story needs a twist. But we’re different in real life; we always change from who we were yesterday, so our relationships are bound to change one day too!”

Gongsun Ce said with frustration, “…Maintaining the distance and preserving the relationship we’ve built would be enough.”

“That would also mean never taking a step forward, Gongsun Ce.” Qiluo smiled tenderly, “Every youth romance comedy eventually comes to an end. No matter if it’s sweet or bitter, we all have to walk that path to start the next chapter of our lives.”

“Even you’re changing, so I have to keep up as well. I’m a naive and wilful girl, and if I keep my feelings hidden, I’ll definitely be filled with regret. Rather than that sad development, I prefer a direct confession! Whether it’s accepted or rejected, that is the outcome of my own efforts, and it will never lead to regret!”

At a loss for words.

In regards to her own life, her own love, Qiluo’s considerations were so much deeper than his own. Even though she used clichés like romantic comedy, this girl was serious.

Somehow, Gongsun Ce, who had been determined to reject her just a few minutes ago, now felt something was amiss. His heart’s knot twisted in another direction, and it felt like cowardly evasion to reject her because of his own reasons…

Like a coward who can’t even face someone’s feelings.

Gongsun Ce took off his glasses and said with his eyes closed.

“Qiluo, I’m sorry. I don’t have the strength to give you an answer right now. This isn’t evasion, it’s definitely not a tactic to buy time. Can I give you an answer after I’ve dealt with my own issues?”

“No problem~” Qiluo said cheerfully, “When that time comes, I’ll come find Gongsun Ce for a formal confession!”

Another promise added to his burden. Gongsun Ce smiled wryly, paying tribute to his friend’s courage.

“Even though you keep talking about side characters and cannon fodder, I think you shine brighter tonight than ever.”

“Really?” The idol lady said shyly, “I’m so happy!”

After the late-night snack time ended, considering the so-called “disappearance,” Gongsun Ce personally escorted Qiluo back to her apartment building.

The idol’s parting words were “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to Qin Qianbai about this,” spoken with an ambience that gave the silver-haired young man chills, almost awakening a sense of fear inside him.

…What would the young miss think after hearing this?

Qiluo herself would certainly be safe; the young miss would never lay a hand on her friend. But what about him, unfortunately caught in the middle? Waking up the next morning to find his limbs gone, and looking up to see the young miss standing by his bed with a knife—such an absurd image seemed all too real.

He would definitely die, wouldn’t he!

With all sorts of bizarre thoughts, Gongsun Ce, upon returning home, turned his desk inside out, wondering if Knight Dawn had replied to him in the past month. But oddly enough, he found no letter-like objects in any corner. Could it be that Alandia was too busy to even respond to him lately?