Don't Contact Me Anymore

"Why bother keeping me company! I'm a grown man—do I need a woman to protect me?"

An Yi scratched his head, his righteous and stern demeanor tinged with impatience.

After all, An Yi was a proper man through and through.

He liked Qin Yao, the universally adored campus goddess.

He also liked Shen Muxuan, the adorably naive and sweet girl.

Even Yan Zhi, whom he privately called "that woman" in his mind—a fiery, domineering beauty with an irresistible figure—he liked her too.

Men judged by looks, body, and aura. If those standards were met, as long as the person’s character was halfway decent, liking them was only natural.

As for Lan Ruoxi, with her gentle beauty, stunning figure, and serene personality—if An Yi claimed he didn’t like her, he’d be lying.

Which national goddess didn’t have hordes of admirers cheering for her? At the end of the day, he was just like those countless admirers, yearning for a romantic encounter with a captivating girl straight out of a drama.

But when Lan Ruoxi showed her affection for him, An Yi suddenly felt uneasy.

Hearing his words, Lan Ruoxi froze, her face paling slightly.

She didn’t even know what she had done wrong to make An Yi angry.

"Then... then I’ll go home. Goodnight, An Yi."

Lan Ruoxi forced a gentle smile and gave him a small wave.

"Yeah, goodnight. Let’s not contact each other anymore. Pretend you never knew me."

An Yi waved dismissively, his tone merciless.

Lan Ruoxi’s expression stiffened. For a moment, an icy wind seemed to pierce her heart, tearing through its softness.

The pain made it hard to even breathe.

Plop, plop—

Large teardrops fell from her eyes, rolling down her delicate cheeks.

"Hey, why are you crying?"

An Yi rubbed his temples, exasperated.

Rejecting such a beautiful girl hurt him too.

After all, someone like Lan Ruoxi—a once-in-a-lifetime kind of girl—might never cross his path again.

But it was better to end things now, while they barely knew each other. He couldn’t afford to hold her back, to ruin her life.

"Did I... do something wrong?"

Lan Ruoxi stared at him, her voice trembling.

During those days at the hospital, she had learned about An Yi from Aunt Zhou.

She knew Qin Yao, who had appeared once, was just a classmate—nothing more.

And Shen Muxuan was just a roommate, someone he had only met recently.

An Yi had never been in a relationship. He had always been alone.

That was why she had decided to pursue him.

There was one thing she had never told anyone.

Donghai University wasn’t her first choice. Her college entrance exam scores could have gotten her into the top universities in the capital.

But in the end, she had chosen Donghai University.

Because the person she liked was there...

She had even taken a summer job at Shengda Supermarket with embarrassingly low pay—all because... but she had never shared any of this with anyone.

Lan Ruoxi had imagined, rehearsed, every possible encounter with him, even practicing what she would say in her mind.

An Yi’s expression remained cold. "You didn’t do anything wrong. We’re just different—not even from the same world. Let’s be real, I’m just a troublemaker. You saw it today—fighting, smashing up shops, just got out of the police station late at night."

Lan Ruoxi hurriedly explained, "But... but you weren’t in the wrong! You did it for others..."

"So what?"

An Yi’s voice was flat. "This kind of thing will keep happening. You shouldn’t get dragged into it. You could get hurt."

"I’m not afraid. Because... because you’ll be there!"

Lan Ruoxi’s tear-filled eyes met his with unwavering determination.

"Who the hell has time to protect you? I can barely take care of myself!"

An Yi ruffled his messy black hair, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Go home by yourself. And try not to see me again. Seriously, this is exhausting."

With that, he turned away, waving dismissively without looking back. His figure gradually faded into the darkness of the night.

Lan Ruoxi stood frozen, her delicate hands clenched. Tears welled up in her eyes, stubbornly held back—until they finally spilled over, trailing down her chin.

It hurt so much.

The summer night’s breeze carried an unexpected chill.

The rustling shadows of the trees swayed like monstrous figures.

Perhaps because of her childhood insecurities, Lan Ruoxi had always been afraid of the dark. But tonight, she felt no fear—her heart was too full of pain to leave room for anything else.

Only she knew why she had fallen so hard for this boy she had barely known for days.

That day at the hospital, when she couldn’t afford her mother’s surgery and death loomed over them, she had been utterly hopeless—her world turned gray.

The despair had left no warmth, making life itself a torment.

Then An Yi had appeared.

Like a light tearing through the darkness, he had shattered her defenses in an instant.

When they met again, Lan Ruoxi realized—she loved everything about him.

His handsome face imprinted in her heart.

His fearless courage when standing up for others.

His confident, sunny smile.

His strength and agility.

Even what others saw as his cheeky, roguish grin—to her, it was unbearably endearing.

For the first time in her life, she had wanted to pursue someone with all her might.

Now, it seemed she had ruined everything.

The boy she liked despised her—didn’t even want to see her again.

And to this moment, Lan Ruoxi still didn’t understand what she had done to make An Yi hate her so much.

"Ah!"

Her vision blurred, Lan Ruoxi stumbled, tripping over an uneven brick.

Her stockings tore, blood seeping from her scraped knees, her palms cut by sharp gravel.

She tried to stand, but the tears came again, unstoppable.

"What the hell? There’s a streetlight—can’t you watch where you’re going?"

An Yi’s tall figure reappeared under the glow of the lamp, his gaze fixed on her.

An Yi?!

Lan Ruoxi looked up—it wasn’t an illusion. It was really him!

"Get up."

An Yi crouched down, gripping her hand to pull her to her feet. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Of course he hadn’t really left. He had doubled back, intending to make sure Lan Ruoxi got home safely before disappearing for good.

Who knew she’d be in such a state? How could she miss such an obvious bump in the road?

Tear streaks still marked Lan Ruoxi’s face as she sniffled, "My... my ankle. I think I twisted it."

"Tch. What a hassle."

An Yi sighed, then knelt. "I’ll carry you home."

Watching him, Lan Ruoxi wiped her tears, steadied her breathing, and carefully climbed onto his back.

An Yi hoisted her up, their elongated shadows stretching under the dim streetlight.

The night was quiet, the cold wind now strangely gentle.