We threw two bags of garbage into the trash can, and Zhiye and I headed back on the same route. Zhiye was holding my hand the whole way, not because I initiated it, but because Zhiye... Can I escape from this? The gazes of passersby make me restless, and the guilt in my heart makes me feel like my body is being stirred with a knife. Can I refuse? I do have a girlfriend, can I really justify such actions to my conscience? I keep asking myself repeatedly, sweat beads forming on my forehead. At this moment, I really want to find a place to hide.

“Love is justice, love saves all!” Suddenly, my phone shamefully rang with this kind of ringtone. I hurriedly took out my phone, wondering who would call me in such an embarrassing state. I checked and saw it was an unknown number. I was considering whether to answer or not. It said unknown region, could it be a harassing call? I resisted, after all, harassing calls are usually either selling loans or insurance. Just as I was about to hang up, "Jie, why don't you answer?" Zhiye asked with a smile. "It could be a telemarketer, look, it's an unknown number." I showed Zhiye the phone screen to confirm. "Indeed... but I think Jie should answer it," Zhiye said, still smiling. "It's probably a telemarketer, no need to answer," I emphasized. "Jie, answer it... if it's a telemarketer, just hang up..." "No need," that guy always refuses to hang up, really annoying. "Is it... is this call from another girl? Is that why Jie won't answer?" Zhiye's tone gradually turned cold. I felt enveloped in frost, trembling in fear. "No... how could that be? Most likely it's just a harassing call." "Don't evade, answer it for me." Zhiye commanded, then snatched my phone away, pressed the answer and speakerphone buttons. "Hello! How long do you want me to wait, stupid? Where are you when I call?" As soon as the call connected, the volume in the phone suddenly became very high, causing me to involuntarily close my eyes. "Hello, idiot, can you speak?" "Uh..." In a moment of confusion, I made a strange sound. "What's wrong? This miss finally calls you from abroad and this is how you react?" The other person was clearly unhappy, but I was still trying to adjust. "So it's Yuqian, why are you calling?" I took a breath and asked. "Can't I call you?" "That's not what I meant." Why is it that every time she calls me, it's to argue? There's absolutely no surprise whatsoever. "Idiot, what are you doing? Why do I hear some weird gasping sounds?" I saw that Zhiye seemed unable to control her desires and made embarrassed gasping sounds. "It's nothing, really." "Nothing? Are you sure?" I quickly turned off the speaker and put the phone against my ear. "Really, what are you doing? And why didn't you immediately answer my call?" Su Yuqian said displeasedly. "I was throwing trash, my hands were dirty, so I washed them before answering the phone." "Is that so?" Su Yuqian said with some disbelief in her tone.

"Do you want me to take a picture and send it to you?"

"You idiot! What kind of weird interest do you have? Why would you want to take a picture of a garbage can? Do you want to make me lose my appetite?"

Su Yuqian said loudly, leaving me speechless. Wasn't she the one who asked me to confirm, and wasn't I trying to show her? Why was she blaming me instead?

"That's not what I meant."

"Alright, since you don't mean it, I'll forgive you."

"Oh, okay."

"Don't reply with 'okay'."

"But I don't know what to say." I felt helpless.

"Jie, haven't you finished your call?" Zhiye whispered in my ear.

"Who is beside you?" Su Yuqian's ears were sharp.

"No one." I turned my body to the side.

"I just heard it earlier, don't try to hide it, tell me the truth."

Su Yuqian commanded.

"There really isn't anyone, you must have misheard."

"Then I'll hang up, this will be the last call."

Su Yuqian's tone didn't sound like a joke.

"Zhiye is beside me..." I couldn't help but say it.

"Zhiye...the strange gasping sound just now?" Su Yuqian sounded surprised.

"There was no such sound, you probably misheard."

"Are you doing something that shouldn't be seen, or making love?!"

"How is that possible... I didn't do anything like that."

"Then how do you explain the strange gasping sound?"

I couldn't explain that it was Zhiye relieving herself, right? Zhiye wasn't that kind of girl, but she had completely changed now.

"Ahaha...that was the sound I made from being too tired. I was carrying a twenty-kilogram garbage bag, it exhausted me."

"That's a really lame excuse. Forget it, if you don't want to say it, I don't care what you guys are doing," she quickly saw through my lie. How embarrassing.

Su Yuqian got upset, I had to find a way to appease her.

"Jie...haven't you finished your call?" Zhiye urged, sounding impatient.

"Just a moment," I whispered to Zhiye, covering the phone with my hand.

"Of course, you're probably chatting with another girl, leaving me aside and whispering sweet nothings with other girls. Jie needs to suffer a bit," Zhiye said, making my body tremble.

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything? You're so boring when chatting with me," Su Yuqian said angrily.

"It's not...it's not..."

Just as I was about to explain further, Zhiye snatched the phone away.

"You've been talking for too long, it's not good. Hang up the phone quickly," Zhiye demanded.

"Zhiye?! Why... why should I hang up? And why did you answer Youjie's call? It's rude, you know," Su Yuqian said.

"You piece of **..."

"What? What did you say, Zhiye?"

"You confused my Jie and made me suffer from lovesickness. You owe me a debt that can't be repaid even if you die ten thousand times. Don't call Jie anymore, since you're overseas, don't ever come back."

"What are you saying, Zhiye?! I don't want to come back?!" Su Yuqian got angry and shouted at Zhiye over the phone.

Zhiye hung up the phone calmly,

"It's better to die overseas, that's all."

Zhiye stared at the now black screen of her phone, her tone filled with resentment,

After hearing this, my heart almost stopped beating. This suffocating feeling...

"So Jie really answered the call from that girl. This behavior is not appropriate, you know?"

"I didn't intend to answer, and I thought it was... a harassing call."

"Don't let it happen again."

Zhiye smiled slightly,

"Here, take the phone." Zhiye handed me the phone, but as I reached out to take it, she pulled it back.

Zhiye kept her eyes fixed on the phone screen, her fingers sliding across it.

I didn't dare to get closer to see what operation she was performing. After a minute,

"Now it's just me and Jie. The numbers of all the other opposite sex have to be deleted."

Zhiye said contentedly, and handed me the phone.

I swiped the screen with my finger, and all the contacts, online chat friends, and email addresses became blank.

The only person left was Xia Zhiye, and even her name had been changed to "lover."

"I deleted my mother's phone number, An Lisi's email... Yuan Muxi's phone number... Su Yuqian's too..."

I felt like crying but no tears came out.

"Alright, let's go home now." Zhiye held my hand tightly.

I let myself be led passively back to the apartment by Zhiye. Along the way, I wanted to say, "Is this too much?" but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

I lowered my head in frustration.

What on earth happened... Why is Zhiye's obsession so severe?

I couldn't understand, and I blamed my own weakness as well.

"You... you're so slow." Xia approached us and complained.

"Youjie and Zhiye sister..." Xia widened her eyes, looking at us.

Our hands were still entwined, of course, not by choice. Embarrassed, I broke free from Zhiye's grasp.

"It's nothing," I said as I sat down on the sofa to calm myself.

"Youjie, right?" Yuan Muxi, who was sitting next to me, looked puzzled.

"Ah... Muxi, sorry. I took a long time to throw out the garbage, keeping you waiting."

"No worries. While Youjie was out, I had a pleasant chat with Miss Xia."

"Yes, Muxi told me a lot about you, Youjie."

"Xia, let's not talk about that." Yuan Muxi blushed and stopped her.

"Although we've only known each other for a short time, I didn't expect Youjie to be so fickle. It's really surprising for Xia," Yuan Muxi said.

"I'm not," I retorted, "Xia is also sad. After all, I even forgot about Xia, my elementary school classmate."

Xia had a sad expression on her face.

"But Xia won't give up. Xia wants to be Youjie's wife."

How many times has she said this?

"Are Xia and Youjie elementary school classmates?" Yuan Muxi asked.

"I'm not sure about that."

"Xia said so..."

"I don't remember." If it's true, I feel really ashamed to have forgotten.

"Mingming clearly remembered everything, Youtai is so disappointing."

"I'm sorry,"

"It's okay, as long as you remember, it's fine," Ye suddenly became enlightened,

"Um... Youjie, do you have any plans for the summer vacation?"

Yuan Muxi asked courageously,

"No... why are you asking all of a sudden?"

"Well... for the summer vacation... should we go to a cool place and have some fun?"

"A cool place?" It was a lifelong regret not going to Hawaii,

"Like the seaside... water amusement park..." Yuan Muxi lowered her head, her cheeks turning red,

"That sounds nice. It's not good to stay at home. I also want to go to the seaside or a water amusement park... after all, I've never been there before."

"Then..." Yuan Muxi suddenly raised her head,

"Jie... will you accompany me to the seaside?" Zhiye shyly handed over a brochure for a certain beach,

With a blue sky as the background, white seagulls, and coconut trees, it all revealed the feeling of being at the seaside,

Was this what Zhiye had hidden in her desk before? It seems she had this idea a long time ago,

"There are discounts if we go in a big group,"

I looked at the discount conditions on the brochure,

"Can we bring Ye along? Ye wants to go."

Ye's eyes gleamed with excitement,

"It shouldn't be a problem. What about Muxi?"

"Well... let's all go together. It'll be more fun."

"Then it's decided like that..." I unknowingly got immersed in it. Going to the seaside really makes one feel relaxed, as if all worries have disappeared. And most importantly... it compensates for the regret of not going to Hawaii. I don't know why, but I feel a bit excited.

Then we all agreed on a time, but I didn't pay much attention to Zhiye's unhappiness.