Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 73 Reason for leaving

Ai Liang summarized her experiences over the past ten years in just a few short sentences.

After listening, even Fang Xiaoxiao, who was usually the most talkative, fell silent.

As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes; it's not appropriate for outsiders like us to make too many judgments about other people's family matters.

The cheerful atmosphere was gone; they stared at their bowls and chopsticks, motionless.

This is something that has never happened since the group met.

The hot pot was steaming, and the customers at the next table were still talking loudly about the current situation in Nevada. People on the street outside hurried by, but the four people next to Ai Liang stared at the table in a daze, as if time had been frozen.

Ai Liang looked at the four people with different expressions and felt a bit complicated.

He deliberately concealed this matter to avoid the current situation, after all, these people were one of his few friends.

Seeing that the others were in low spirits, Ai Liang sighed silently in her heart.

“I only completed one year of primary school. You are some of my few friends of the same age in this city. I originally planned to confess after I got there because I didn’t want to see you all depressed about this before I left…”

Seeing the two girls beside her secretly wiping away tears, Ai Liang ultimately couldn't bring herself to be ruthless.

Neither Yue Qihua, who is usually strong and proud, nor Yang Xingyue, who only knows how to laugh foolishly all day, rarely show this side of themselves.

Over the course of three years, Ai Liang only saw them looking sad twice.

One instance was when Yang Xingyue secretly hid in the school's flower bed and cried because of her poor academic performance.

Another instance was not long ago when he comforted Yue Qihua, who was frightened, at Qiushui Manor.

During her three years of junior high school, Ai Liang was almost inseparable from them except during winter and summer vacations.

Without realizing it, he had come to regard the two little ones as his own sisters.

They were sad and their own mental state was not good either.

As for matters of the heart...

Ai Liang was already in her twenties in her previous life, so it was hard for her to have any special feelings for two kids who had just graduated from junior high school.

Even if it exists, it's not love.

The ideological gap between the two sides is too great.

Although Yue Qihua is quite mature in many ways, she has never really been exposed to society, and her views on some things are still at the student level.

Yang Xingyue goes without saying; she's a simple, naive, and innocent girl.

Ai Liang doesn't know what the relationship between the three of them will be like in the future, but at least for now, he doesn't have any romantic feelings for either of them.

With Ai Liang's explanation, Yue Qihua and Yang Xingyue's emotions calmed down.

Yue Qihua felt a sense of relief, because Ai Liang hadn't concealed her college application because he didn't care about her, which proved that she still held a certain place in Ai Liang's heart.

At the same time, Yue Qihua also felt guilty because she had never noticed Ai Liang's living environment in the past three years, and only knew to keep making Yang Xingyue get closer to him.

Yue Qihua looked at Ai Liang's profile, her eyes filled with apology.

Yang Xingyue was much simpler; when she heard that Ai Liang considered her her best friend, she immediately stopped crying.

She didn't expect Ai Liang to confess his feelings to her right away; becoming close friends was already a huge breakthrough.

The ice in the air gradually melted. Boys are much more open-minded about parting than girls. As long as they're not dead, they'll see each other sooner or later anyway, and they can always keep in touch by phone.

So Ma Yu was just a little surprised, but not too sad.

Not attending the same school didn't stop him from playing games with Ai Liang.

Seeing that the two people opposite him had calmed down, Ma Yu began to tentatively inquire about the specific reasons for Ai Liang's departure.

"Xiao Ai, if you just want to move, there's no need to go so far. Wouldn't it be the same to just move somewhere else in Nevada?"

That's an excellent question.

Ai Liang's decision to leave Neva City was not solely influenced by Feng Yue and Ai Zhe. As mentioned before, Ai Liang had witnessed the dark side of everyone in the city.

No matter where I go, I leave no good memories.

However, this reason could not be stated explicitly, so Ai Liang simply pushed all the blame onto Ai Zhe and Feng Yue.

“My biological mother wanted me to apply to police academy, and she wanted to use the fact that the criminal investigation team leader thought highly of me and Gao Fuye’s connections to help her manage the group’s business.”

"My biological father wanted to use my brain to get me enrolled in the Experimental Middle School, then skip a grade to join his mentor at Asia United University of Science and Technology in exchange for the right to purchase new equipment. After graduation, he planned to come back and help him improve the company's precious metal recycling technology."

Ai Liang was telling the truth, but she was only hiding a small part of the truth.

“The two of them wield considerable influence in Nevada. No matter where I hide, they will harass me. So I simply headed to Thousand Flower City to get out of their sphere of influence.”

Of course, these are all just excuses.

Ai Liang has many ways to break free from their constraints, or even directly destroy them, but there's no need for that.

Although Ai Liang didn't like her biological parents, and they didn't like her either, they did contribute to ensuring she grew up without any worries about food or clothing.

Compared to those who never had enough to eat or wear as children, at least he wasn't mistreated materially, which makes him luckier than most people.

Ai Liang wouldn't consider this a familial relationship, but he would repay this favor, just not now.

How could parents be like this?!

Yang Xingyue said indignantly after hearing this.

Having grown up in a sheltered environment and never having entered society, she found it hard to understand why such people existed.

After saying that, Yang Xingyue stopped talking. She was mainly worried that continuing to bring up this topic would hurt Ai Liang's pride.

"It's understandable that they would act this way. After all, their marriage was just a transaction, and my birth was just an accident. We can't expect them to invest their emotions in a burden."

Ai Liang picked up her chopsticks again, took a piece of shiitake mushroom, and put it in her mouth, showing no sign of caring.

After his unfulfilled yearning for family affection, he chose to accept reality and stop trying to get them to accept him.

The phrase "familiar stranger" perfectly describes Ai Liang's feelings toward her parents.

"Where will you live over there? Will you live in a dormitory or rent a place? Have you made any financial preparations? If not, I can lend you my New Year's money first."

Seeing that someone had finally started eating again, Ma Yu said while stuffing a nearly overcooked beef roll into his mouth.

"Xingyue and I also have some savings..."

Yue Qihua sounded a little embarrassed.

After all, she usually presents herself as a bossy woman, but just now she showed a more feminine side, so it's understandable that she's feeling a bit awkward.

Everyone planned to provide Ai Liang with some financial assistance, except for Fang Xiaoxiao.

"Oh...you all have savings and I'm the only penniless one, I feel so bad..."

Fang Xiaoxiao scratched her head in frustration.

She always spends money as soon as she has it, buying dresses, dolls, and decorations; she never saves money.

"I plan to rent a place outside, and I've already found a place through an agency."

Looking at the gloomy sky outside, Ai Liang guessed that a downpour would be coming soon.

"I don't need to worry about the finances. I've made a lot of money recently through stock trading, which is more than enough to support me through high school and college."

"Really? You're not lying to us, are you?"

Ma Yu had some doubts about Ai Liang's source of income. He worried that Ai Liang was deliberately saying this to save face and refuse their kindness.

"When have I ever lied?"

"Last time you told us that your choice of school was Experimental High School."

Ma Yu wanted to use the example of filling out college applications.

Ai Liang calmly retorted, "Isn't the Experimental Middle School in Qianhua City an experimental middle school?"

Ma Yu was speechless for a moment.

(End of this chapter)