Takahashi's Self-Description

Ye Shuang vaguely remembered that when Gu Wanqing jumped off the building, it seemed to have something to do with her boyfriend calling her "dirty."

But Ye Shuang would never judge someone's character or morals based on rumors alone, just like how Bai Yuyou had also been slandered before—like the completely false rumor about her wielding a knife to attack someone in the middle of the night.

Everything we hear is merely an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is just a perspective, not necessarily the truth.

He motioned for Gao Qiao to sit down. "Come, take a seat."

"O-okay." Gao Qiao sat on the chair, fidgeting slightly as he rubbed his palms together.

Gao Qiao had a rather handsome and clean-cut appearance, with a well-proportioned figure and a healthy tan—Ye Shuang couldn't help but acknowledge that the guy before him was about a quarter as good-looking as himself, letting out a quiet "hmm" of approval.

"W-what's wrong?" Gao Qiao grew uneasy under Ye Shuang's scrutinizing gaze. Realizing this, Ye Shuang simply chuckled lightly and sat down beside him.

"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Gao Qiao glanced around the room, but his eyes inevitably drifted toward An Shiyu, whose gaming setup stood out like it belonged in a different world. Noticing his gaze, An Shiyu shot him a sidelong glance.

Got a problem?

Gao Qiao cleared his throat awkwardly and turned back to Ye Shuang. "No, I'm fine... I just heard that this place offers counseling."

"Of course," Ye Shuang said.

"But... there's someone else here..." Gao Qiao couldn't help but glance at An Shiyu again—

However, in the next second, An Shiyu wordlessly put on a headset without even turning around.

Muttering under her breath, she grumbled,

"Why are these Pals slacking off? If they won’t work, then beat them till they do."

"Don’t worry, she can’t hear us," Ye Shuang reassured him.

"Okay..."

Gao Qiao rubbed his palms again, clearly agitated. "Dr. Ye, actually... I was the boyfriend of the girl who jumped."

Ye Shuang already knew this. "Mm, go on."

"I'm scared."

"Why?"

"It's my fault." Gao Qiao clutched his hair in frustration. "I said something I shouldn’t have... But the truth isn’t what it seems. Seeing Wanqing like this... I don’t know what to do anymore."

"What do you mean, 'the truth isn’t what it seems'?" Ye Shuang took a sip of water, sensing something important.

"I..."

Gao Qiao hesitated, his pained expression unmistakably genuine.

"It's alright, you can tell me," Ye Shuang said with a gentle smile, exuding trustworthiness.

"Actually... two girls liked me," Gao Qiao admitted.

"Gu Manman?"

"Huh?" Gao Qiao blinked, surprised that Ye Shuang knew. Still, he nodded.

"Yeah... Gu Manman is Wanqing’s cousin. She’s living with Wanqing’s family now."

He sighed. "Wanqing... she’s actually Mr. Gu’s child with another woman. Because of that, Mrs. Gu would beat or scold her every day, never even giving her basic living expenses. Wanqing had to work part-time while studying just to survive. She’s... really strong."

"Compared to Wanqing, Mr. and Mrs. Gu prefer Gu Manman."

Ye Shuang nodded slightly, taking in this unexpected backstory.

That poor girl...

"Wanqing and I dated for half a year. Around that time, she started getting hurt a lot—small injuries at first. I thought it was strange until I realized Gu Manman was behind it."

"At first, I didn’t understand why. But after Gu Manman confessed to me, I realized she liked me too."

"She was jealous, so she kept finding ways to torment Wanqing... and Wanqing just endured it silently." Gao Qiao exhaled heavily.

"Gu Manman even warned me that if I kept dating Wanqing, the consequences would be severe."

"Then the stalker incident happened... Wanqing was bullied so badly. That’s when I knew Gu Manman wasn’t bluffing."

"I think... Gu Manman might’ve been involved in that too." Gao Qiao continued, "I panicked. I was terrified Wanqing wouldn’t survive if this kept going... so I broke up with her."

"When she refused, I... I said it was because I thought she was 'dirty'..."

"I..."

"I never thought she’d jump." His voice cracked as he gripped his hair.

"If I’d known..."

The school infirmary fell silent for a moment. After listening, Ye Shuang finally spoke. "If everything you’ve told me is true... then yes, you were wrong."

"Gu Wanqing had a hard life. Despite all the pain, she kept going—probably because of you. You were all she had."

"When someone you don’t care about hurts you, it doesn’t cut deep. But when it’s someone close to you... it’s like tearing open a wound."

"Gao Qiao, you were her only lifeline."

Gao Qiao covered his face in agony.

"The stalker’s been caught now. If possible, you should visit Gu Wanqing at the hospital. If she pulls through... you need to explain everything."

"Maybe then, she’ll find a reason to keep living."

"Kids who attempt suicide... they just need someone to give them that reason. You messed up, but... it’s not too late to fix it." Ye Shuang paused.

"If you clear up the misunderstanding, I think... she still cares about you."

"Of course, this all depends on whether you’ve been honest with me."

Gao Qiao nodded firmly. "I... I understand."

Then he suddenly asked, "Dr. Ye... the stalker was really caught?"

"Yeah, though it hasn’t been announced yet. You’ll probably hear tomorrow." Ye Shuang pulled out his phone and showed Gao Qiao the video—

Footage of several police officers pinning down a man, the scene intense.

Gao Qiao watched, then frowned. "Is there more?"

"No, that’s it."

"What about the other one?"

"What other one?" Ye Shuang was confused. Did he mean another video?

"The stalker... there wasn’t just one." Gao Qiao said. "Wanqing told me... She wasn’t in a good state mentally, but I don’t think she was lying."

More than one stalker...

Ye Shuang’s eyes widened. Immediately, he grabbed his phone to message Bai Yuyou and the others.