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CHAPTER 165
Andromeda blinked severally at him. She had heard his words loud and clear but needed to make sure her mind was not playing tricks on her.
"Andromeda you heard me," Xie Tian noted, watching how the crease on her brows eased away and she nodded.
"I love you," he repeated more calmly this time. "And I am sorry for not requiting your love back then. I know I messed up big time."
A subtle smile remained on her face as her lips pulled back further. Just by having him make mention of that, she was instantly taken back to five years ago.
The day when Gu Jun made her go confess her feelings for Xie Tian rather than have them buried in her heart forever.
Ever since they met, he had always caught her fancy but she kept it all bottled up, hoping he would notice.
Instead, Gu Jun who had always been her bestfriend, noticed her feelingsa and did the best he could to encourage her.
It took all the courage she could muster to go see Xie Tian that day but in the end, what did she get after confessing?
He had just hooked up with the reigning girl on campus as his girlfriend, leaving her with an unrequited love.
She had been so hurt that day when she saw the young lady walk out from his room and came to give him a kiss, indirectly laying a claim over him.
And now, after five years, did he suddenly recall he was in love with her.
Andromeda did not know whether or not to laugh or cry.
All she knew was the fact that if he had said these words to her back then, she would have been one of the happiest ladies on the planet.
But that was the past and this was the present. Times had changed.
They both dated someone else and that past time made them completely different individuals.
"Andromeda," he called out to her, hoping to pull her off whatever trance she had gotten herself in as he snapped his fingers in front of her face.
Andromeda blinked in confusion, wondering if he had said anything she missed due to her spacing out. "Huh?"
"I said I love you."
"I…" She was tempted to be sarcastic with her reply but frowned upon her decision.
It was not a doubt she was hurt and may try to want to get payback a little bit but she knew better.
Releasing a deep sigh, she placed a hand on the table, bringing her gaze to lock on his. "I heard."
"And?" he asked impatiently. His fingers began to grow sweaty as he waited for her answer.
"And," however, Andromeda planned to take her time in her answers. "I am truly thankful that you love me. However, for this, I am sorry. This is not five years ago."
"Andromeda."
"Shhh…" she hushed him, smiling casually before swaying her head from side to side again.
Only when she did it thrice did her eye hers seem to settle down on something. Her golden blonde hair fell forward over her face and black body fitted knee length gown.
"Andromeda, I know this is not like five years ago but at least can you take into consideration, the fact that I actually love you?"
"Umm, I am taking it into consideration," she politely responded. "However, how I feel back then and now are completely different."
Xie Tian's brows knitted into a deep frown. Inhaling slowly, t he brought his hand up on the table and slightly touched the back of her palm.
Andromeda neither moved away nor spoke about what he did. She was least affected by it anymore.
Although she could feel the irregular palpitation of her heart against her chest but that was not what mattered.
She needed to tell him plain and straight so that he could move on.
"Say something," Xie Tian pressed further.
"There I snothing more to say than I have already said."
"Why?"
"Because, in as much as I once did love you, I long killed those feelings. I even dated someone else."
'I know. I had since regretted not choosing you that day and allowed you to go, buit months later, I regretted my actions and sought you out, onoly to find you gone. You blocked us off."
"Yeah. I had my reasons."
'That wasn;'t fair, Andromeda. We were close friends."
"Yeah and I needed to move on from so many things. I t was fair. Besides, life wasn't fair to me either ways."
"Then give me a chance," Xie Tian pushed.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because back then I dated Wu Bai, so you wouldn't have had any chance to fight for me."
"But now you two are broken up. There is is definitely an opportunity for me."
"I am sorry Xie Tian. There isn't."
All the while Andromeda spoke, she could not bring herself to understand why she was not as shocked as she used to be when he was close by.
Usually whenever he was with her, her heart would drum loud against her chest and ear drums. Most times she got the chocking effect all because of how she felt.
Surprisingly, now was different.
She could not tell if it was because of the alcohol or because her heart no longer cared about him in such a way that she behaved like that and was free from him completely.
Nevertheless, she was glad for whatever the reason was and thanked the stars in their favour.
"Why do you reject me, Andy? Is it because of him?"
"Huh?" That last question brought her mind back and she blinked at him in confusion. 'Because of who now?' Andromeda questioned in her mind.
Sensing her confusion, Xie Tian decided to hit the nail on the head and state it as it was.
"Do you reject my love because of Liu Xueyi? Do you like him?"
Several thoughts spiraled in Andromeda's mind when the question hit home. Of coursem she was puzzled but hwne her brain processed the question, she felt her heart clench tight but bit out of pain or fear.
Instead it began to beat more rapidly after some seconds and her mind took her down memory lane to all of the times he had been with her.
Although they had just met, through thick and thin, he was there for her, helping her with what she needed while showeering her with his kisses and endearment.
She did not want to admit it, but she recalled that she liked every time she had been with Liu Xueyi. From his bossy cold demanour, his aura that seemed to stop time and make her heart clench, to how endearing he was with his words and kisses.
Every thought she had since then led her to that point of her genuine understanding that of a truth, it wasn't just because she did not want to hurt him but for the fact that her mind and body wanted him.
Everything up till now boiled down to one answer.
Smiling at him, Andromeda gave a slight nod as she pried her lips open to answer. "I do not like him."
Xie Tian lifted his brows in surprise. Ever since his return, he had gotten the exact opposite feeling from what she had just said now.
He knew better than to believe those words.
However, while he peered at her, narrowing his gaze suspiciously at her face, he was shocked to see her still wearing her charming smile.
He was not a Jew to that smile. It was how she looked at him back then.
When she did, her eyes sparkeled with jou and satisfaction like no other. It made one want to be lost in those beautiful blue eyes forever.
"Andromeda?"
She pulled back a smile before releasing her lips slowly as the words he wished he would not hear, finally fell out of her lips.
She had carefully thought about t now and realized that ever since Liu Xueyi came into her life, only his thoughts had disturbed her so much and hos behaviour made her a beautiful blushing mess.
Perhaps she had not realized it before and only needed such a confession to realize every other man's confession felt empty.
Right then she wished deep down in her heart, that Liu Xueyi was the one who had confessed to her.
Just the sheer thought made her heart bubble with joy and she felt alive again.
Deep in her heart she felt sorry for Xie Tian and apologized. 'I am sorry, Xie Tian. This time it is I who would hurt you.'
"And..." She cut him up with a wave of her hand.
"I do not like him because what I feel for him is way more."
Andromeda's smile brightened as she shifted her gaze from the empty space she stared at, bringing it to Xie Tian.
All of a sudden she felt her eyes spin and her vision become blurry for some unknown reason.
She blinked thrice, hoping to clear her eyes and brain to see well. And after the third attempt, his face began to show.
However, rather than Xie Tian sitting before her, the one who stayed close to her was Liu Xueyi, wearing his bewitching smile as he stared deeply into her eyes.
She mirrored his smile, pulling the corners of her lips up, letting the smile reach her eyes as her heart was instantly filled with deep content at the fact that he was finally here to hear her confession.
"I love you, Liu Xueyi. I know I should have said something but I really do love you."
"Andy..." his voice trailed off, both from shock and bewilderment.
"I want to kiss you."
Before he could respond or do anything, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his.
Not so far from where she sat, Liu Xueyi stood dumstruck at the sight before him.
His Andromeda, pressing her.... No... His lips to someone else's.
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