"Why apologize? How do you know I didn't do it intentionally?" Qin Yuchuan's voice was somewhat low.
Feng Qingyi was a bit confused by his words. What did he mean by "whether it was intentional"?
She felt that something was off about him today!
"Qingyi, do you remember when I told you before that I had someone I liked?"
Feng Qingyi nodded, "I remember, but didn't you say you were just joking with me at the time?"
"The joke was just an excuse. If I hadn't said that, would you still interact with me as usual?"
Feng Qingyi turned to look at him, "What do you mean by that?"
"I thought you knew." Qin Yuchuan stared intently into Feng Qingyi's eyes.
"What do I know?" Feng Qingyi shifted slightly to the side.
As soon as she moved a bit, Qin Yuchuan also moved with her.
"Qingyi, I have feelings for you!"
Although it was a brief statement, it truly frightened Feng Qingyi.
He liked her? How was this possible?
"How can that be?"
Qin Yuchuan slowly began, "Why can't it be?"
"Qingyi, you didn't think I would cook for an ordinary friend time and time again, wake you up every day, and bring you dinner."
"When she's sick, I worry. When she encounters difficulties, I want to help with all my might. For anything she asks, I give it my all."
"We've known each other for several months. Although it's not a long time, I'm clear about what I want."
"I'm not a person without desires, nor am I just a kind-hearted individual."
"Helping you earn points without any benefit to myself, why do you think I would agree to such a thing?"
"Because I have ulterior motives, and the person I'm after is you!"
Feng Qingyi clutched tightly at the hem of her clothes. This was too sudden for her.
She didn't know what to say to him at all for a moment.
These days, they had been getting along very well, and she had grown accustomed to his presence.
Waking her up every day, preparing dinner for her, occasional video chats - this had indeed exceeded the scope of ordinary friendship.
But they were from different worlds. Could it really work?
After Qin Yuchuan said those words, he continued to observe the changes in Feng Qingyi's expression.
He dared to express his feelings so boldly today because he knew the girl before him didn't have anyone she liked at the moment, and she also had some feelings for him.
However, he didn't have high hopes for how deep those feelings were. There was still time; the future was long.
But the premise was that she wouldn't reject him today. Given her personality, if she didn't agree today, his path might be very difficult afterward.
Feng Qingyi said softly, "Qin Yuchuan, can you give me some time to think about it? This is too sudden, I don't know what to do right now."
If she refused, the two of them probably wouldn't be able to interact like before.
Even if he didn't mind, she would probably deliberately keep her distance from him.
If she agreed, she didn't know if there was a future for them.
If they were always separated by two worlds, only able to be together briefly, it wouldn't be the best choice for either of them.
To prevent her from overthinking, Qin Yuchuan said, "If you have any concerns, you can tell me."
There were indeed many concerns, so many she didn't know where to begin.
"I've really enjoyed spending time with you lately, but I don't know if we can continue together in the future."
"I think matters of the heart should be considered carefully. We can't be together just because of a momentary impulse. That wouldn't be good for either of us in the long run."
She hadn't outright refused him. He already understood her concerns.
But he didn't agree with what she said.
"You think this is a momentary impulse?"
Feng Qingyi glanced at him, "That's not what I meant... I just, I just feel I'm not good enough for you."
Qin Yuchuan: "Don't belittle yourself. You're worthy of anyone."
"I'll give you time to think it over, then give me an answer."
"I don't want to wait too long, understand?"
Feng Qingyi nodded numbly, "Mm."
"This is your birthday gift. Keep it safe."
Qin Yuchuan produced a jade pendant from somewhere and placed it in Feng Qingyi's hand.
Feng Qingyi looked at the translucent green jade in her hand, stunned for a moment. "Didn't you already give me a gift?"
"The clothes don't count as a gift. This jade pendant has been with me for many years. Today, I'm giving it to you." For now, consider it a token of our affection.
Feng Qingyi: "This is too precious. I can't accept it..."
"The measure of preciousness has never been about the value of the item itself, but the sentiment behind it."
"I'll give you three days. If you agree, I'll be overjoyed. If you're unwilling, I'll respect your choice."
"Either way, give me a clear answer in three days. I'll take my leave for today."
"I understand your concerns. I've already found a way to travel between our two worlds. I can come see you, and I can also take you to my world."
"Although there are some limitations for now, these won't be problems in the future."
After Qin Yuchuan finished speaking, he disappeared from the sofa.
After he left, Feng Qingyi frustratedly ran her fingers through her hair. Today's events were truly beyond her expectations.
What was supposed to be a simple birthday celebration turned into a confession, and from someone she never dared to imagine, no less.
Having spent so much time with Qin Yuchuan, she had always seen him as a friend, a teacher, even an elder. She had never thought of him in terms of romantic feelings.
He was mature and steady, calm and composed. She had rarely seen much emotional change on his face.
She had never tried to understand him fully, knowing she didn't have that ability.
Even in their daily chats, when she shared her day-to-day life, she always maintained boundaries, not asking too much, not overstepping.
Now she couldn't figure out exactly how she felt about him. It seemed she needed to seek some advice.
Feng Qingyi looked at the long list of contacts on her phone and finally decided to call Jiang Xiaoxiao.
"Xiaoxiao, are you busy?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao's voice came through, "Not busy. I was just about to call you. Who would have thought you'd call first? We really are in sync. Happy birthday!"
"Thank you. Something happened today, and I don't know what to do," Feng Qingyi said, getting straight to the point.
Jiang Xiaoxiao: "What happened? Tell me about it!"
"Someone confessed their feelings to me!"
"Isn't that a normal thing? It's not like you haven't experienced it before. What's so strange about it?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't think there was anything unusual about this situation. For Feng Qingyi, receiving confessions of love was just a regular occurrence.
After hearing this, Feng Qingyi said, "Xiaoxiao, this time it's different. The person is an online friend."
"We've been chatting well online, and he came specifically to celebrate my birthday. Then he confessed his feelings. Now I don't know what to do!"
Regarding her best friend's online romance, Jiang Xiaoxiao was somewhat surprised. This was completely unlike something she would typically do!
