Chapter 307: You Don’t Just Stop Liking Someone Just Like That

Wei Zilin’s lips opened just barely and his gentle eyes twinkled as he lowered his head and asked, “Now, will you give me a chance to invite you to dinner?”

Last night, Zheng Yuntong blurted out that Shen Zongyi and Wei Zilin had left on a business trip to G City to talk to Brand H, a skincare manufacturer that was based there, hence he might not be able to make it back by Valentine’s Day.

“Shen Zongyi gave me a call on the way there saying that if everything goes well, they’ll be able to settle everything tomorrow. If so, he can make it back in time, maybe even before Valentine’s Day is over. I just want to spend at least a minute of Valentine’s Day with him,” Zheng Yuntong said as she pointed at the chocolates spread across the table.

Only then did Xu Moyan notice that they were all chocolate bars.

“I went to the supermarket while I was on the way back and I found these at the import goods section. Shen Zongyi doesn’t like eating sweet things, so I bought these dark chocolates. They have a higher cocoa content so they’re slightly bitter and not too sweet; I think he’ll at least eat one or two of them,” Zheng Yuntong said as she pulled her phone out from her pocket and opened a video.

“Look at this, look how beautiful the pattern on the chocolate is! I want to try to make something like that, can you please teach me?” Zheng Yuntong showed Xu Moyan the video.

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“We’ll need white chocolate though,” Xu Moyan replied, “Did you get some?”

“Yes, I’ve already bought some.” Zheng Yuntong pulled two boxes of white chocolate out from the pile of chocolate bars with a satisfied look on her face.

Xu Moyan resisted the urge to laugh and responded with a kind compliment, “Very smart of you. Alright, we can start right after dinner since we’re not exactly sure when Shen Zongyi will be back. If he comes back earlier than expected, the chocolate might not have had enough time to set and your effort will all have been in vain.”

Zheng Yuntong immediately nodded with agreement.

After dinner, Xu Moyan took out the baking moulds from the cupboard that would used to shape the chocolates.

“We’ll melt the dark chocolate tonight and let it sit until tomorrow morning. Then, we’ll melt some white chocolate to add some pattern to it to finish up,” Xu Moyan said.

The next day, under Xu Moyan’s guidance, Zheng Yuntong succeeded in making the chocolate and promptly put them away in the refrigerator.

Looking at the remaining chocolate pieces, Xu Moyan decided to melt them to bake a cake after a moment of consideration. Since it had been a while, and a chocolate cake tutorial fit the theme of Valentine’s Day, she uploaded a tutorial of how to do so on her Weibo account; She thought it would make for a great video. After positioning her phone at an appropriate angle, she started baking the cake.

Her final outcome was a small six-inch cake, which she stored in the refrigerator. Then, she proceeded to make some decorative chocolate pieces of various shapes. After letting it set in the fridge for some time, she added them to the cake.

By then, Zheng Yuntong had smelled the delectable scent and joined Xu Moyan in the kitchen. Because Shen Zongyi was out of town, Zheng Yuntong as a girl who was passionately in love was completely demotivated, so she had been unproductive and lazy the entire day.

At this moment, she was leaning on the door frame weakly as she sniffed. “It smells so good! When can I eat it?”

“I have to let it sit in the fridge to let it cool for another bit,” Xu Moyan said as she placed the cake in the refrigerator, “But ——”

Xu Moyan had never really minded Zheng Yuntong eating the food she made. Even if the food was not completely ready, Xu Moyan was alright with her friend trying it first.

However, this was the first time she added a “but”. Perhaps it was because Zheng Yuntong suddenly became wiser after getting into a relationship, and her brain processed information quicker now that she replied, “Ah, you’re thinking of giving this to the boss, aren’t you?”

Xu Moyan kept her hand on the refrigerator door as her index finger rubbed against the door handle. “I haven’t actually decided yet. It’s such a special occasion and even though I’m not giving him chocolates, it’s a chocolate cake still so it’ll be obvious enough, right? I really want to give it to him, but I don’t think I’m brave enough,” she said indecisively.

Zheng Yuntong scratched her head with a troubled expression as well. She had no idea how to help her friend with the whole Wei Zilin situation. If Xu Moyan had a crush on some other guy, she would not be this troubled.

The thing was that Wei Zilin was an outstanding man who usually treated women coldly. They had to think through everything thoroughly before advancing because one slight small mistake might cross the line and potentially ruin their friendship.

Seeing that Zheng Yuntong shared the same thoughts as her, Xu Moyan let out a heavy sigh. “So, I’ve decided to leave it up to fate. You said that Shen Zongyi and Wei Zilin went on the business trip together, right? If he’s back, then Wei Zilin should be back too. Alright, I’ve decided that if both of them return by the end of the day, I’ll give him the cake. If not…”

Xu Moyan opened the refrigerator and looked at the cake once more. “We’ll just pretend that I never made it.”

Zheng Yuntong rubbed her cheeks in frustration. “Come on, you’ve never care about anyone who tried to chase you in the past. It’s great that you’ve finally set your eyes on someone, but unfortunately, by choosing someone so special, you’ve really made a rod for yourself here. How is this better?”

“I don’t know either.” Xu Moyan backed away slowly and sat down. “Maybe it’ll be easier if I liked someone else, and I probably won’t be this stressed out either. The first time something tugged my heartstrings was that night when I heard Yu Linling’s voice, but it turns out that the voice belongs to Wei Zilin. If only it was someone else, things could be a lot easier.”

“You’re finally admitting it,” Zheng Yuntong said with a sigh as she poured a glass of water for the two of them before handing a glass to Xu Moyan. “I was worried since the beginning that you would stop looking at the options around you because of that voice; You wouldn’t admit it back then, but that’s really the truth. Moyan, be honest with me. If… I’m saying if things don’t work out with the boss, that if you and him don’t… What are you going to do?”

Zheng Yuntong gulped uncomfortably as she muttered softly, and though she did not articulate the words clearly, Xu Moyan understood what she was trying to say.

She stiffened for a second, and though she held the glass of warm water in her hands. There was no trace of any warmth in her palms.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll wait it out. Back then when I only ever heard Yu Linling’s voice, it was already hard enough for me to accept everyone else, but now Wei Zilin…” Xu Moyan smiled as she continued holding the glass. The smile on her face as she recalled the precious memories was so warm it could melt away the thin layer of snow outside. “Ever since I’ve gotten to know him, I’ve really liked him, and it’s not just because he’s Yu Linling. I don’t just like his voice, I like his whole person. I don’t know how to describe the feeling, but there are people who are so memorable that you can’t ever shake them out of your mind after the first look. He’s like that.”

Zheng Yuntong’s heart ached slightly for Xu Moyan. “I’ve always seen you as a very rational person, very capable and strong. We’re the same age but somehow, you’re so much more mature than me. That’s why I never thought you would be someone who would fall in love at first sight.”

“I never expected it myself either, just like how I never thought I would fall in love with a mere voice.” Xu Moyan smiled wryly. “I think I might continue liking him. Now that Wei Zilin is still single, and before he marries someone, I will continue liking him, even if he gets a girlfriend someday. That’s all I can say for now: that my feelings for him will continue to grow, and I might never be brave enough to admit it to him. So, I’ll just keep these feelings in my heart and treasure them by myself.”

“And when he gets married? Are you still going to continue liking him?” Suddenly, Zheng Yuntong had the slight urge to cry.

Xu Moyan always called her stupid, but at this moment, she thought Xu Moyan was even stupider.

If she was the one in this situation, if Shen Zongyi were to marry someone else, she would be devastated, and she would do anything to convince herself to detach herself from him.

However, it seemed that Xu Moyan thought differently. She might stick it out until the very end.

“I think I might. I might just harbor feelings for him my entire life. I might never even be able to have feelings for someone else anymore because of him. I’ve done that before because of a voice, and now I’ve met Wei Zilin, a man who has completely disrupted my plan in life. How can I possibly have space in my heart for someone else after meeting a man like him?” Xu Moyan said weakly, her finger poking her chest where her heart was at. Although she did this gently, she still felt a dull ache in her chest.

“If… I’m saying if he really marries someone, he’ll never ever find out that you like him, so what are you going to do? You can’t just keep these feelings to yourself your whole life, can you?” Zheng Yuntong asked as her heart ached for her precious friend.

Xu Moyan nodded without hesitation. “I guess I can. You don’t just stop liking someone just like that. I’ll just keep these feelings in my heart and cherish them for the rest of my life alongside the memories we made together. As long as he’s in my mind, and in my memories, these feelings will be unstoppable and unforgettable. Do you know what it’s like? I understand that I can’t always expect someone to have my feelings reciprocated. It’s not like you will only get a positive reaction just because you willingly put your heart out. I don’t want to annoy him by asking him to have feelings for him, and I won’t force him to give me a response either, but I’ll always have these feelings in my heart. This way, perhaps our platonic friendship might last even longer.”

Zheng Yuntong placed her glass of water down. “I’ve never wished so badly for the boss to be back by the end of today,” she choked out.

She sincerely hoped that Xu Moyan would find the courage to confess her feelings one day. Even if that fails, at least she would have a clear answer in her heart. Then, Xu Moyan could continue to let her feelings grow in her heart if she wanted, but at least she would not be left dangling halfway wondering where they stood, and she would not always be filled with anxiety when she hung out with Wei Zilin.

The best-case scenario would be if Wei Zilin had feelings for her as well.

If not, Wei Zilin just needed to treat Xu Moyan indifferently as he did others, then at least she would be aware of it. In this situation, it did not matter if she still kept in touch with Wei Zilin in the future, at least she would not overthink it anymore and get stressed trying to figure out what he thought of her.

Even if she continued liking Wei Zilin, it was her business and hers alone. It had nothing to do with anyone else, especially Wei Zilin.