Chapter 191 - 189: All Good Things Must Come to an End, but We Will Meet Again

Chapter 191: Chapter 189: All Good Things Must Come to an End, but We Will Meet Again

"In relationships, guys are almost always the ones to make the first move. But the final decision is usually up to the girl—whether she accepts or rejects him."

"As the saying goes, the one who is loved can act without fear, while the one who loves is always humbled. Shen Ying rejected you, yes, but people are selfish. Subconsciously, she’ll start to think of you as her private property."

"If you start hanging out with other girls at a time like this, she won’t think it’s no big deal. On the contrary, she’ll start to wonder what’s wrong with *her*. ’Have I lost my appeal?’"

"Believe it or not, if Chen Yao sits next to you in a little while, Shen Ying will definitely feel a pang of jealousy. She might even start secretly keeping an eye on you."

As Jiang Xia spoke, he glanced over toward the neighboring class’s table, his gaze landing on his girlfriend. They weren’t far apart, maybe seven or eight meters. Perfect.

"For real?" Wang Ming was highly skeptical.

"Who am I? I’m the guy who won over the goddess of our entire grade. Would I lie to you?" Jiang Xia was smug just talking about it. ’In his past life, tons of guys were after Lin Yanwan, but in the end, didn’t she become his wife?’

’Although his looks and talent were a big part of it, you still needed brains to stand out from so many rivals.’

It did make some sense to Wang Ming. He couldn’t argue, really. His buddy’s track record was just too ridiculous. In just a few months, he’d gotten the goddess of so many people’s dreams to start calling his mother "Mom."

’It just goes to show how different people are,’ he thought. ’Even ten of me probably couldn’t pull that off.’

He pressed his lips together, asking hesitantly, "But if I go after another girl right after she rejected me, won’t I just look like a total scumbag? Wouldn’t that just make her hate me more?"

"Uh..."

Jiang Xia’s breath hitched. He adopted a serious tone. "That can definitely happen, but I’m not telling you to actually *pursue* Chen Yao, so it won’t be an issue. You need to understand that girls are very sensitive and get insecure easily. You don’t even need to do anything on purpose. Just by sitting with Chen Yao today, Shen Ying’s imagination will start running wild."

"Why do I get the feeling you’re just trying to convince me to save a seat for your friend?" Wang Ming muttered under his breath.

Jiang Xia calmly took a sip of water, pretending not to hear. End of conversation.

’After all, it would be one thing if it were any other girl, but Chen Yao is a bit of a sensitive subject. Plus, his own girlfriend gets so jealous. If she flew into a jealous rage later, he could forget about kissing her—he probably wouldn’t even be allowed to hold her hand.’

He took out his phone and quietly sent a message to Chen Yao: "Grand Journey Hall. Turn right at the entrance, the table at the far end."

The remaining empty seats gradually filled with classmates. A few minutes later, Chen Yao made her fashionably late entrance. She was dressed in her usual style: shoulder-length hair, light-blue jeans, and a white T-shirt. She looked sharp and capable.

She sat down next to Jiang Xia out of habit, but he said, "This seat’s taken."

Chen Yao froze. "Then where am I supposed to sit?"

"Over with Old Wang." He pointed.

"Oh, okay."

Chen Yao had been sitting for less than a minute when another guy walked over. "Jiang Xia, anyone sitting here?"

"Are you planning on drinking? If so, find another table."

"You’re not drinking today? Come on, man."

"I’m allergic to alcohol. One glass sends me to the hospital. The doctor says I can only drink soda for the rest of my life. Sigh. To be honest, I’m really jealous of you guys who can hold your liquor. Especially chugging a whole bottle in one go—girls find that so cool."

Hearing Jiang Xia’s completely straight-faced bullshit, Wang Ming’s eye twitched. That punk could drink him under the table.

"Uh... In that case, I’ll go find someone else at another table to chug bottles with. Jiang Xia, you stick to the soda, then."

Jiang Xia’s words actually made the guy a little self-conscious. ’I’ve definitely got to chug a few bottles later,’ he thought, ’and show the girls how cool I am.’

"You got it! Have a few for me!"

"No problem!"

As the classmate walked away, Jiang Xia chuckled to himself. ’Ruin the vibe at my table? Not a chance.’

A minute later, another girl came over. Blushing slightly, she asked, "Jiang Xia, excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Nope. Go ahead and have a seat."

Seeing this, Chen Yao’s expression soured. ’That’s not what the jerk told me a minute ago.’

She glanced toward the other class’s table nearby and saw Lin Yanwan instinctively look over. Chen Yao couldn’t help but purse her lips.

’Tch. So henpecked. Completely whipped.’

’Looks like he’ll be under that woman’s thumb for the rest of his life.’

If Jiang Xia knew what Chen Yao was thinking right now, he would surely have snorted in disdain.

’What’s so bad about being underneath his girlfriend, anyway?’

Seeing that all his students had arrived and were busy chatting, Teacher Wang signaled for the waiters to start bringing out the food.

Although it was a teacher appreciation banquet, the real stars of the show were these young rascals who had just survived the college entrance exams. Thinking back on all the little moments over the past three years, he was filled with a sense of wistful nostalgia.

He looked around the room. The fresh-faced, awkward first-years he remembered had transformed into the slightly more mature faces before him. Many had gotten taller, more handsome, or more beautiful.

As their homeroom teacher, he had guided them, taught them, and answered their endless questions. He’d had his share of headaches because of these little brats, but he’d also felt immense pride in them. All those moments—the funny ones, the unforgettable ones, the times he lost his temper, the times they were all happy—all of it felt resolved today, leaving only a sense of peace.

No matter how much he wished they could stay, it was time to say goodbye.

Teacher Wang poured himself a glass of Old Mountain City beer. The cold liquid slid down the inside of the glass, slowly releasing bubbles, as if the past three years had transformed into long, contented sighs, all dissolving into the alcohol.

Seeing this, the others followed his lead. The boys drank beer while the girls had juice or soda. All eyes turned to Teacher Wang, waiting for him to give a speech as he had done so many times before.

"I’m not going to say much today," he began, raising his glass with a smile. "Everything that needed to be said was said countless times during the hundred-day countdown. I’m sure you’re sick to death of my speeches by now."

"No, Teacher Wang, say it again! We love hearing you talk," a more emotional girl called out suddenly.

"Yeah, Teacher Wang, go on," another added. "There’s no rush today. We’ll listen for as long as you want to talk."

"I can’t do that. Aren’t you hungry? Because I’m starving."

Teacher Wang smiled as he looked at them, and the whole class burst into laughter.

"The college entrance exams are over. I’m so proud to have seen all of you through to this point."

He sighed suddenly.

"There’s a saying: ’All good things must come to an end.’"

"But the books also say: ’It’s a small world, and we’re bound to meet again.’"

"So, today, I wish you all a happy graduation."