Siheyuan: Sending Shazhu into the call center, Yi Gu is useless

As soon as she walked into the store, Chen Rufeng felt his heartbeat quicken. He took a deep breath and tried to appear calm, but the bouquet in his hand trembled unconsciously.

Ran Qiuye was stunned for a moment when she saw the flowers in Chen Rufeng's hand, and then she showed a puzzled expression: "Boss Chen, who are these flowers for? They are so beautiful."

Chen Rufeng forced a smile, but he was so nervous that he could hardly speak. He cleared his throat and tried to make his voice sound calmer: "Qiu Ye, this flower... Actually, I bought it specially for you. I have always wanted to tell you that I have a good impression of you... and hope to have a chance to be with you..."

After saying this, Chen Rufeng felt as if he had thrown away the stone that had been weighing on his heart for a long time, and felt much more relaxed. But then, an uncontrollable uneasiness and anxiety surged into his heart, and he stared into Ran Qiuye's eyes, trying to find the answer from her expression.

Ran Qiuye obviously didn't expect this to happen. She opened her mouth slightly, and her eyes revealed a complex emotion. After a moment of silence, she sighed softly, with a hint of apology in her expression: "Boss Chen, you are such a good person. I am also very grateful for your care and concern for me during this period. But I have always regarded you as a good friend and neighbor, and I really didn't think there would be any other feelings."

When Chen Rufeng heard this, his heart suddenly sank, as if something had broken. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Ran Qiuye's eyes, and the bouquet in his hand also drooped weakly. He knew that the worst result he had been worried about had finally come.

"I'm sorry, Boss Chen." Ran Qiuye's voice was still gentle, but with an undisguised firmness, "I don't want this to make our relationship awkward. You have always been someone I respect and trust very much. I really hope that we can continue to be friends like before."

Chen Rufeng's throat seemed to be blocked by something, and the words were stuck in his mouth, but he couldn't say them. He knew that no matter what he said at this moment, he couldn't change Ran Qiuye's decision, but he also understood that he couldn't lose her important existence as a friend because of this.

"It's okay, Qiuye. I... understand." He forced a smile, trying to appear more generous. "I just hope you can understand my feelings. As for the rest... just let it go."

Ran Qiuye looked at Chen Rufeng, her eyes full of tenderness and understanding. She nodded gently: "Thank you, Boss Chen. In fact, I have always cherished our friendship, and I hope you will not be unhappy because of this matter."

Chen Rufeng felt even more complicated after hearing this. He suppressed his disappointment and forced himself to put on a smile: "Don't worry, Qiuye. We are still friends, and this will not change."

Ran Qiuye was obviously relieved. She took the bouquet and said with a smile: "Thank you, the flowers are very beautiful. I will take good care of them."

Watching Ran Qiuye leave with the bouquet, Chen Rufeng felt empty inside, as if he had lost something important. He stood at the door of the store, watching her figure gradually disappear around the corner, the pain in his heart was beyond words. He knew that his feelings for Ran Qiuye were so sincere, but fate forced him to face such a result.

At night, the courtyard was quiet and silent. Chen Rufeng sat alone in the store, and Ran Qiuye's gentle eyes and the words "We are still friends" seemed to still appear in front of him. He felt a deep sense of powerlessness, but at the same time a sense of relief. He understood that he could not force feelings, nor could he lose an important friend because of this.

As time went on, Chen Rufeng still got up early every day to take care of his store. Although he still felt a little disappointed, he told himself that life must go on and he should not let this setback affect his relationship with the people around him. Although he still felt a little sad every time he saw Ran Qiuye, he tried to behave as usual, greeted her with a smile, and maintained that pure friendship.

Sometimes, Chen Rufeng would think that perhaps his feelings for Ran Qiuye were destined to be a beautiful but short episode. Despite this, he still cherished this time and the warmth and beauty she left in his life. He was glad that he did not lose her because of this, and was also glad that he could be rational and respectful when facing rejection.

That night, Chen Rufeng lay in bed, tossing and turning, and kept thinking back to the scene when Ran Qiuye rejected him. Although he acted calm in front of Ran Qiuye, the loss and pain in his heart came like a tide. He had never longed for a relationship so much, and he had never felt the pain of a broken relationship so clearly. It made him feel like a leaf that was blown by the wind and was about to fall, with nowhere to rely on.

Chen Rufeng knew that such emotions could not continue. He needed an outlet, someone to talk to about these suppressed emotions in his heart. The first person he thought of was Jia Dongxu, his most trusted friend in the courtyard. Jia Dongxu was a few years older than Chen Rufeng. The two grew up in the same courtyard since childhood. They could be said to be brothers who had watched each other grow up.

The next morning, Chen Rufeng decided to go find Jia Dongxu. Jia Dongxu runs a repair shop and usually repairs the courtyard and the surrounding neighbors. He is considered a "jack of all trades" in the courtyard. He has a cheerful personality and always likes to joke. When encountering any difficulties, everyone will go to him first.

Chen Rufeng pushed open the door of the repair shop and saw Jia Dongxu, who was repairing an old radio with his head down. He was wearing thick glasses and looked serious and focused. Seeing Chen Rufeng coming in, Jia Dongxu smiled and looked up: "Oh, the sun is rising from the west today. Is Boss Chen free to patronize my small shop? But his heart was still heavy. Jia Dongxu's eyes turned and he immediately noticed his abnormality: "What's wrong, Old Chen? You look so bad, is there something wrong with your business?"

Chen Rufeng shook his head, slowly sat down on the chair next to Jia Dongxu, and sighed: "Dongxu, I'm really upset, I have to find someone to talk to."

Jia Dongxu put down the tools in his hands, looked at Chen Rufeng carefully, and his tone became softer: "You have seen all kinds of storms and waves in your life. Why are you like this today? What happened?"

Chen Rufeng was silent for a moment, as if he was organizing his words. He hesitated for a long time before whispering, "I confessed to Ran Qiuye yesterday."