However, at this moment, Ming Yue boldly retorted to Gu Yanxing right in front of him: “Yan Xing, you all go to so much trouble. I’m not the root of the problem; there are some things he simply has to figure out for himself. If he keeps stubbornly clinging to that dead-end obsession, no one—no matter how hard they try—will be able to pull him out.”

Gu Yanxing: “I understand what you’re saying, and I’ve even tried to talk some sense into him, but it’s been no use. Ming Yue, as a friend, I really think you should give this some serious thought—how to help him untangle this knot. For example, find a good time to have a calm, heart-to-heart conversation with him. Even if he can’t accept it right away, just getting the conversation started is still better than continuing to treat him like a fool and keeping everything hidden from him.”

Ming Yue: “I’ve never treated him like a fool—I just… Never mind, Yan Xing. Let’s not talk about this anymore. I’ll definitely think carefully about what you said.”

Ming Yue didn’t say another word. After turning off her phone screen, she tossed it aside, ran a hand through her hair, and stared blankly at the shifting shadows outside the window.

Jiang Feng remained silent. He simply wrapped his long arms gently around the dejected woman beside him and asked, “Are you worried about him?”

“No.”

Ming Yue’s voice was soft, yet somehow insincere.

She knew full well Fu Qiancheng’s condition. Even though they were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend—or engaged—after all, they had known each other for years. How could she possibly feel completely indifferent?

Jiang Feng saw right through her attempt at concealment. He felt both a bit down and somewhat resigned.

He didn’t like the fact that she still had another man on her mind, but at the same time, he adored her fiery passion, her deep emotions, and her remarkable ability to keep things perfectly clear.

“Do you blame me for never telling you about his hospitalization?” Jiang Feng asked, rubbing her shoulder.

“So what if I did?” Ming Yue shot back.

Jiang Feng shook his head. “I don’t know. But honestly, I never even thought about telling you. It’s not some noble or principled reason—it’s just that I’m petty. I didn’t want you to experience any emotional turmoil because of him, nor did I want to see you grieve over him.”

“You…”

Ming Yue looked at him, utterly speechless.

It wasn’t that she blamed him for hiding Fu Qiancheng’s hospitalization; rather, she was surprised that he could so candidly admit to being such a petty person.

Jiang Feng, however, seemed completely unfazed. With his other hand, he took hold of Ming Yue’s small hand, intertwining their fingers.

“I’m not afraid you’ll think I’m petty. In your eyes, I am petty—absolutely unwilling to be generous. Everything else? Money, possessions—I can let it go, I can even give it all to you. But you? No way! In this lifetime, I’ve only been lucky enough to meet one person like you. If I don’t cherish you even a little, I might lose you forever. That’s why I have to be petty.”

He went on with this convoluted reasoning.

Yet Ming Yue tilted her head back and quietly watched him—watching his face, his brows and eyes, his lips as they opened and closed, watching his emotions gradually intensify.

Only when he finally poured out from the depths of his heart all the words he’d never dared to reveal did she slowly raise a small hand and gently place it on his lips.

“Jiang Feng, to you…” Ming Yue asked softly, “Am I really that important?”

“Yes!” Jiang Feng blurted out without a second thought, then grabbed the tiny hand resting on his lips, his deep eyes suddenly filling with something unspoken.

Ming Yue sighed. “But I’ve never done anything for you that would make you treat me like this. We both know it—we met in a year when we were both carrying secrets in our hearts, and we both saw each other merely as tools. Jiang Feng…”

She never finished the sentence, but she still couldn’t understand: what exactly did Jiang Feng see in her?

End of Chapter 204: Counterattack 131