?Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Love is too extravagant, I can’t afford it.   Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Love is too extravagant, I can’t afford it.                                   “It was custom-made.” He Xing had already untangled a strand of hair, and now the only one left caught in the ne was thest one. As he focused intently on unraveling the entangled strands, he said, “I designed this pattern myself. Your name is Fu Han, and Han is an unopened lotus, so I wanted to give you a lotus that never wilts.”


    Fu Han felt a warmth in her heart. Reason told her to let the matter rest here, but emotion gained the upper hand, and she still voiced the question in her heart, “Is this the only ne of its kind in the world?”


    “Of course.” He Xing looked up and smiled at her, his expression as beautiful as a night-blooming cereus, “I said, everything I give you is unique.”


    “Then…” Fu Han’s mouth opened again, and the name Xia Ning was on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she didn’t have the courage to ask. She cleared her throat and tried a different approach, “Does Xia Ning know about this ne?”


    He Xing paused in his task, then hurriedly embraced Fu Han and exined, “Xiaohan, I only got this ne the day I came back from H City. I had it in my pocket, and on the way, Xia Ning took it out to look at it. She asked me to give it to her, but I didn’t agree, and then she took a photo of it.”


    Fu Han’s heart felt as though it were hanging in icy water in the midst of winter, utterly cold.


    She believed what He Xing had said was true and also believed that Xia Ning had lied today, but… what she couldn’t ept was that He Xing, knowing full well she didn’t get along with Xia Ning, still let Xia Ning take a photo of the ne.


    No, that’s not right. The ne wasn’tid out in the car; it was in He Xing’s pocket. How could Xia Ning have found it if she didn’t go through his pocket? Would a normal person let someone they’re not intimate with reach into their pocket?


    So, what exactly happened between He Xing and Xia Ning in the car on the way back from H City that day?


    Or rather, what was it like every time Fu Han was not around, when they were alone?


    The images of them together in the bar and in the hotel reappeared in Fu Han’s mind, her heart devoid of any warmth, not even the bright sunshine could thaw it.


    Fu Han tugged at her hair with force, and a throbbing pain shot through her, as the hair caught in the ne broke off harshly.


    The ne she had treasured so much broke as well due to her actions, slipping from her chest, eventuallynding in He Xing’s palm, entwined with a few strands of Fu Han’s ck hair.


    He Xing tried to pull Fu Han back into his arms while anxiously saying, “Xiaohan, don’t be angry, there’s really nothing between me and Xia Ning, you saw today… ”


    “Yeah, when I’m around, you two maintain a safe social distance as ordinary friends, and when I’m not, you two are good friends who drink together and share a room,” Fu Han coldly interrupted He Xing, not knowing where she got the strength, but she pushed He Xing away.


    “You don’t believe me?” Shock and anger mixed on He Xing’s face. His fingers curled into a fist, veins bulging on the back of his hand, “We’ve known each other for so many years, I’ve already rified everything to the media, do you still not believe me?”


    In the hazy night, Fu Han’s face looked terrible, deathly pale without a trace of color, highlighting her blood-shot eyes, looking startling; even her body was shivering, as though she might copse any second.


    She picked up her clothes from the floor and put them on, turning her back to He Xing without looking at him again, “Mr. He, it’s gettingte, I need to sleep, please leave.”


    He Xing stared at her retreating back for a long time, until his eyes began to feel sore.


    If it were up to his temperament, he would have walked away a long time ago, but God knows how much he regretted not staying by Fu Han’s side consistently over the past three years.


    After collecting his emotions, he spoke again with the gentlest tone he could muster, “Xiaohan, I know I’ve truly done a lot of things in the past that hurt you, but from now on, I absolutely won’t do it again. Didn’t you say before that you wanted to put me to the test? You… You can test me for a longer time; it’s okay, I can wait.”


    Pearl-like tears slid down Fu Han’s cheeks, her long eyshes already drenched, yet her voice was steady as she said, “Mr. He, I’m just an ordinary girl, and all I want is a simple romance. Your love is too extravagant, I can’t afford it.”


    …


    Bai Wei was woken from her sleep by Fu Han, who by then had already put on a thick down jacket.


    Expressionless, she said to Bai Wei, “If you’reing back to the crew with me, then pack your things and let’s go immediately.”


    Bai Wei packed inplete confusion and without a clue, finally snapping back to reality only after getting into the passenger seat, “Isn’t He Xinging with us?”


    Fu Han’s face stiffened for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal and started the car, “He Xing has some business and can’te back with us. You need to get there early for makeup, so we have to go separately.”


    “That makes sense,” Bai Wei suddenly realized, while adjusting her seat, “I’ll take a nap then. If you get tired, just wake me up to talk.”


    The car slowly left the He Family vi, descending the winding Lanwan Mountain road; the vi soon out of sight in the rearview mirror, Fu Han’s heart ached unbearably.


    She had never imagined there woulde a day when leaving He Xing’s side, she would drive away in the car he gave her, thetest model of the Mini Cooper, pink and perfect for a girl; of course, the price tag was just as lovely, and right now, Fu Han might need to tighten her belt for a while if she wanted to buy such a car herself.


    But what was the alternative, to keep standing her ground against He Xing? Then, endlessly, on and off, keep torturing herself?


    In the end, their “argument” resulted in neither willing to budge, concluding with Fu Han forcibly evicting He Xing from her room.


    Afterward, Fu Han sat in silence in her room for nearly three hours, guessing that He Xing would have fallen asleep; only then did she leave with Bai Wei.


    Truthfully, she would have left more freely without Bai Wei, but she did have an agreement with her; besides, she feared that traveling to another city alone in the middle of the night would be too dangerous, it was better to have someone along.


    The pitch-ck night was apanied only by streetlights and Fu Han, while Bai Wei beside her had already sunk into deep sleep, her breathing loud, almost snoring, because it was ufortable to sleep in the seat.


    Normally, Fu Han would despise anyone who snored, but at this moment, she felt fortunate to have someone alive beside her, thinking it a happy thing.


    Scenes of her past with He Xing yed in Fu Han’s mind. By now, she no longer doubted He Xing’s feelings for her, but her heart felt even more tired.


    Three years had passed, so why had the pattern of interaction among the three of them—He Xing, her, and Xia Ning—not changed at all? Why was there always a Xia Ning between them?