Chapter 4: "Three Minutes" Chased Him for a Year.

“I’ve broken up with Gu Shiyan. From now on, we’ll keep coming to my brother’s place as usual on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Yao Xiangming’s mouth fell open. “You broke up? But you two weren’t together for long, were you?”

Shen Que adjusted his glasses. “It’s good that you broke up. I told you before, he’s not a good person—smoking, drinking, fighting, there’s nothing he doesn’t do.”

Luo Xing twirled her pen between her fingers. “Even though I broke up with him, I still have to say—these aren’t the reasons. As for smoking, he never lights up in public or in non-smoking areas, and never in front of me, so I don’t mind. As for drinking, well, even we have a drink during festivals, don’t we? It’s just personal preference. Ming’an likes spicy snacks, Yuncai likes cola, Yao Xiangming likes chips, and you prefer plain water. These are all just preferences—can you really judge someone for that?”

Ming’an, in the middle of munching on spicy snacks, lowered his head. “No need to drag me into this…”

Yuncai squeezed her can of cola. “Honestly, soda tastes great…”

Yao Xiangming dared not chew his chips any louder; he raised his hand to speak. “Shen Que doesn’t like plain water—he just thinks it’s healthier than soda.”

“Is this really how someone who’s broken up with him should sound?” Shen Que cut straight to the heart of the matter, pointing out Luo Xing’s continued defense of Gu Shiyan.

“My breaking up with him has nothing to do with the kind of person he is. I just don’t like him anymore.”

The group fell silent, bowing their heads.

They worked quietly for a while before Shen Que suddenly stood up and looked at Luo Xing. “Come outside with me for a moment.”

Yuncai, Ming’an, and Yao Xiangming exchanged glances.

Luo Xing set down her pen, picked up her now-melted slushie, and followed Shen Que out.

...

In the internet café, Gu Shiyan and Yi Chuan played a few rounds of games. Even though they kept winning, he felt a dull heaviness inside. His gaze repeatedly drifted to his phone, its screen still dark.

“Yan, maybe I should go buy us some snacks. Do you want something to drink or eat?” Yi Chuan could see his mind was elsewhere.

Gu Shiyan picked up his phone and stood. “You keep playing. I’ll go get something.”

Before he’d finished speaking, he was already out the door.

The café was dim and gloomy, but outside the sun blazed down, so bright it was hard to open his eyes. Gu Shiyan glanced toward the dessert shop near the café—Starlight.

It sounded familiar, though he couldn’t recall where he’d heard the name.

Maybe it was just because it had the word “star” in it.

He stepped inside and stood near the entrance, scanning the new arrivals on the menu.

He asked a staff member, “Do you deliver?”

“We do, but there’s a delivery fee.”

Gu Shiyan nodded and gave the address. “One mango mille crepe and one blueberry lava Basque to this address…”

He also bought some snacks and two drinks, then left Starlight with the bags in hand.

And immediately, he saw a familiar figure.

She wore her hair in a bun, a star-shaped hairpin glinting, and a light yellow dress. In the sunlight, she seemed to shine like a second sun. Just looking at her made his heart feel warm.

Standing beside her was a boy in a white shirt, a head taller than her, brows furrowed. The two were talking about something he couldn’t hear.

She obediently lowered her head and sipped her drink.

“Xingxing, did you even hear what I said?” Shen Que had known her since childhood.

Luo Xing had always listened to him. When she was determined to get into Xing University, she’d clung to Shen Que for tutoring every day.

Luo Xing patted his arm. “Of course I listened. I told you I wanted to pursue Gu Shiyan, and you and Yuncai were the first I told. You said he didn’t seem like a good guy, so I tried to get to know him. Everything you saw was a misunderstanding. The fighting, for instance—he was only…”

“Xingxing, I don’t care why he was fighting. Fighting itself is wrong. He’s emotionally unstable—what if he bullies you? Could you beat him in a fight?”

Luo Xing laughed. “Shen Que, he would never hit me.”

Even in the novel, Gu Shiyan only fought to protect the heroine; he’d never laid a hand on a woman.

“Anyway, you’ve broken up now, so stay away from him from now on.” Shen Que patted her head. “Your brother told me to keep an eye on you. No dating before you’re twenty. I haven’t mentioned Gu Shiyan to him, but if he ever finds out, I’ll probably never get free cake again.”

Luo Xing handed him her nearly empty drink and patted his shoulder. “Then hurry up and eat and drink your fill now—enjoy it while it lasts!”

Gu Shiyan watched as Luo Xing handed her half-finished drink to Shen Que.

Shen Que took it without hesitation, and the two began chatting again. Their smiles were so bright it stung his eyes.

Suddenly, Gu Shiyan remembered what Li Zhao had once said to him.

“I know that Luo Xing. When I took an after-school class with her, she quit after a few days. Later I saw her sign up for other classes too—never stuck with anything, just played around. The phrase ‘three-minute enthusiasm’ was practically coined for her.”

Then Yi Chuan chimed in, “Then there’s nothing to worry about. She’s obsessed with you now, but she’ll probably give up soon. Three-minute enthusiasm, right?”

After that, whenever Luo Xing came looking for Gu Shiyan, they’d tease: “Here comes three minutes.”

Even Gu Shiyan hadn’t expected that “three minutes” would chase after him for a whole year.

...

After dinner with her friends, Luo Xing headed home.

No sooner had she walked in than her mother, carrying a small cake, asked, “Xingxing, didn’t you eat at your brother’s place today? Why is there a delivery order here? Too many sweets aren’t good for you.”

Luo Xing looked at the cake in her mother’s hand. “I didn’t order anything.”

Mrs. Jiang put the cake on the table. “Then who did…?”

Luo Xing walked over and saw “Mr. Gu” listed on the order slip.

Gu Shiyan?

“That can’t be…” Luo Xing muttered as she reached for her phone.

Mrs. Jiang immediately sensed something was up. “Xingxing, did someone who likes you send this? I told you, never give out our home address. If someone who’s interested in you finds out where we live, who knows what they might do?”

“Mom, I didn’t tell anyone. It’s just a friend, and he doesn’t even know Starlight is our family’s shop.”

“Oh, I see. Then I’ll put it in the fridge for you—you can have it tomorrow, alright?”

Luo Xing stood up. “No, just give it to me now. I’m heading out for a bit.”

Before her mother could ask anything else, Luo Xing grabbed the cake and left.

She took the elevator downstairs, glanced at the cake in her hands, and unhesitatingly tossed it into the community trash bin.