After saying this, Jiang Zhiyu shyly lowered her head. A faint blush crept over her entire body, tinting her slender, jade-like neck. Her heart pounded furiously, threatening to leap from her throat.

Li Yuan froze, staring blankly at the coy and timid Jiang Zhiyu. A tremor ran through him. It felt so unreal, as if he were dreaming.

"Little Fish, what are you talking about?" Li Yuan asked dazedly.

Gathering her courage, Jiang Zhiyu lifted her head. Her large, beautiful eyes gazed deeply at Li Yuan as she bit her lip and shyly repeated her words.

"Xia Hua, I want to be your real girlfriend!"

Li Yuan was stunned into silence. His lips parted as if to speak, but he was cut off by Jiang Zhiyu’s shy voice.

"Xia Hua, it’s just like you said before: live up to our meeting and leave no regrets."

"Since I’ve chosen to love you, I want to be your real girlfriend, just like them..."

Hearing her words, Li Yuan’s body trembled. He looked at her incredibly earnest eyes, his mouth opening and closing, unsure of how to respond. He never would have expected Jiang Zhiyu to say something like this.

I’ve already played her for a fool. For her to not hate my guts is already a blessing, yet she actually wants to be my *real* girlfriend? Is this what they call true love? A girl so hopelessly in love that she’s willing to give everything, even knowing I’m a total scumbag? Is it worth it? I don’t deserve this from her. I don’t deserve her love at all!

He had at least provided material security for Xia Zhijin, Zhong Tingyue, and Bai Weixi. But for Jiang Zhiyu, besides giving her a few songs, he had given nothing. And yet, this girl had given him so much.

Li Yuan sighed internally. If this had happened before, he probably wouldn’t have hesitated. But after everything that had happened in the last few days, he wavered. He had seen the lonely Xia Zhijin, the pitiful Bai Weixi, and the heartbroken Zhong Tingyue.

Because he had already crossed the line with those three, he would never let them go unless they themselves were determined to leave. But Jiang Zhiyu was different. They had been intimate, but they hadn’t taken the final step. The damage wasn’t that deep yet. If they really went that far, he didn’t know how he could ever face her.

Li Yuan took a deep breath, reached out to stroke her head, and forced a bitter smile. "Little Fish, don’t be impulsive. Be reasonable. I really don’t want to hurt you anymore."

Jiang Zhiyu stared at Li Yuan, speaking each word with deliberate weight. "Xia Hua, I am being perfectly reasonable. I don’t care. I just want you! I can do anything they can do for you. I want to be your real girlfriend, just once."

Li Yuan looked shaken and shook his head. "Little Fish, you’re different from them. I really don’t want to hurt you anymore. Let’s stop now, while we still can."

Jiang Zhiyu stared at him stubbornly. "But you’re the one who said to live up to our meeting and leave no regrets. Was that all a lie? I don’t want to live my life with regrets."

"Xia Hua, you’re my first love, the first man I have ever truly loved. Can’t you even grant me this one request? Or were you lying all along when you said you loved me?"

Li Yuan felt utterly helpless. He had known since he first met Jiang Zhiyu that she was a bit obsessed with the idea of love. He had thought this ordeal would help her mature, but he never imagined her feelings for him ran this deep.

Still, Li Yuan stood his ground and refused. He was genuinely afraid. "Little Fish, let’s talk about this when you’ve calmed down."

"I am calm now, Xia Hua. Do you dislike me? Why is it okay with them but not with me?" Jiang Zhiyu looked like she was about to cry, but her gaze remained defiant. "Did you ever love me at all, even from the beginning?"

Li Yuan paused before explaining softly, "I couldn’t possibly love you more, so how could I ever dislike you! It’s just... I’m afraid you’ll regret this in the future. I can’t promise you anything, and I can’t just abandon them. Doing this will only get you hurt more deeply. Please, be clear-headed. I’m really not worth all this."

"Xia Hua, ’You are not a fish, so how can you know a fish’s happiness?’" Jiang Zhiyu bit her lip. "I already told you, I’m doing this of my own free will. I won’t blame you."

"If you don’t agree, I’ll leave the country this weekend, cut off all contact, and you’ll never see me again for the rest of your life."

Faced with Jiang Zhiyu’s ultimatum, Li Yuan fell silent for a moment. He looked into her sincere eyes and finally, helplessly, nodded.

This foolish girl... why is she so foolish? The realization made his heart ache.

Seeing Li Yuan agree, Jiang Zhiyu’s stubborn expression instantly melted into a shy smile. She gently tugged at his sleeve and urged, "Xia Hua, let’s go then!"

Li Yuan was stunned. Does it have to be this urgent?

"Little Fish, have you really thought this through?"

Jiang Zhiyu rolled her eyes at him. "Yes. Xia Hua, why are you being so wishy-washy now? You weren’t like this in the car that day!"

Li Yuan awkwardly touched his nose. How could that situation be compared to this one?