Chapter 1906


    But Boyd didn''t release her. "Is there no other way?" he asked.


    "Right now, seeing you just annoys me. You''d better stay out of my sight for a while."


    Boyd''s frown deepened, his silence lingering. "How long is ''a while''?"


    "I''m not sure." It could be days, or months. As time passed, he might realize there was no need to


    cling so tightly.


    "Do you think that''s an answer?"


    Yasmine chuckled. "To be honest, I''d be happy never to see you again. Can you ept that


    answer?"d2


    He didn''t respond, his mouth a tight, sharp line.


    Yasmineughed softly at his expression. "Three months, then."


    Three more months until graduation. That answer seemed to weigh heavily on Boyd.


    Three months, whether it was the symbolic end to their college life or just a simple cycle of 90 days,


    he couldn''t ept either. How many college days did one get in life, or sets of 90 days? Unless


    absolutely necessary, he didn''t want to waste a single day.


    "You should know that as long as I know you exist in this world, as long as I can see you, touch you,


    I can''t keep my distancepletely."


    Yasmine felt a vein throb in her temple. Were sweet words a natural instinct for men? To any other


    woman, those words would have been a downfall. The whole ''to the ends of the earth'' or ''faithful


    until the mountains crumble'' spiel was touching, sure. But pretty words had their ce, and right


    now, she saw his persistence as nothing more than a nuisance.


    "Boyd, don''t you think you''re being a bit presumptuous? You''re dissatisfied with whatever answer I


    give. How about you tell me what you want?"


    After a long stare, Boyd finally said, "Yasmine, you know I can''t let you go. But you''re unhappy, you


    don''t want to see me, and I respect that. I hope it won''t be for too long. If you won''t make a


    statement, I won''t wait forever. I hope you can cool off over the next few days."


    Yasmine raised an eyebrow, seemingly in agreement, then nced at her captured hand.


    Boyd let go.


    Derek, trailing behind Yasmine, had no idea whether her acquiescence was genuine. "Hey, you''re


    not just stringing him along to get rid of him, are you?"


    "Why is breaking up so hard?"


    Derek smirked. "Because he likes you. And honestly, with your temper, I doubt anyone but Boyd


    could put up with you."


    Yasmine shot him a look. "What''s wrong with my temper? Did I throw a fit or cause a scene?"


    "That''s not what I''m saying. You should leave some room for negotiation. You''re so absolute. You


    don''t give others a choice."


    Yasmine scoffed. "By that logic, should a convicted murderer have the choice not to die?"


    "There! You see?" Derek pointed excitedly at her. "You go straight for the death penalty. But Boyd''s


    not a murderer, is he?"


    "Do people need tomit murder to get a death penalty?"


    Derek patted his forehead speechlessly. "Fine! Do as you please."


    --


    Boyd indeed stayed away from school.


    Their public breakup in the cafeteria had be thetest campus gossip. Seeing Yasmine


    walking to and from school alone only fueled the rumors.


    And the woman at the center of it all, Serana, drew plenty of attention too. At first, she also stayed


    away from school. When she reappeared, she went directly to Yasmine.


    Stopped by Serana at the entrance of the science building, Yasmine couldn''t help butugh. "Got


    something to say?"


    Serana nodded. "Yes. I heard about your cafeteria showdown with Boyd. Maybe we should sit down


    somewhere to talk."


    "We can talk here," Yasmine cut her off without a second thought.


    Serana paused, but her expression remained neutral. She was used to Yasmine''s demeanor.


    She continued, "I understand why my presence bothers you. You''re not wrong to think I have


    feelings for Boyd. He''s always looked out for me, and if he weren''t exceptional, you wouldn''t be with


    him. But Boyd likes you, not me. And there''s no need to use him of confusing old friendships


    with love. If he truly liked me, I''d be happy, but if that were the case, we would''ve been together a


    long time ago.


    “You''re also right that part of the reason I considered dating someone else was to give you peace of


    mind. But that''s just one reason. I also wanted to move on from my own feelings.


    “Everyone likes to kill two birds with one stone, and you, being smart, surely understand that better


    than I do. So, there''s no need to exaggerate my motives.


    “I won''t interfere with your rtionship with Boyd. And if you don''t trust me, at least trust him. Ask


    yourself why you chose to be with him in the first ce."


    Yasmine watched her the whole time. This was probably the most Serana had ever said to her.


    She waited until Serana finished, then gently touched the air with her book, motioning between


    them. Her eyes seemed to search for the right words, but finding a simple response to Serana''s


    lengthy speech proved difficult. "I don''t care if you have a thousand reasons for dating now. Do you


    think I have the time to understand them all? The fact that you have feelings for him is enough for


    me.


    “And as for Boyd, yes, I chose him. But who says that means I have to trust himpletely? Falling


    for him, I guess, isn''t his fault, but when he knows you''ve got a thing for him and still insists on


    taking care of you, letting you harbor fantasies—that, I''m sorry to say, is prime "jerk" behavior in my


    book.


    “The fact you''re telling me all this today really doesn''t mean a thing. Confessing your crush on Boyd


    and promising not to mess with our rtionship? using me of being unfair, heartless, and


    making a scene for no reason?”


    She let out a derisive snort, "And why, pray tell, do you think I broke up with Boyd?"


    Serana bit her lip, furrowing her brow as she looked at her, but in front of Yasmine, no matter what


    she did, she always seemed toe up short, even feeling foolish for showing anger.


    Yasmine flipped through the book in her hand, smiling at her, "Isn''t it all because of this?"


    Finally, anger tinted Serana''s face, "Don''t you get it? Bying clean to you, I wanted you to know


    you can disregard my existence. What do I have to do for you to stop this drama with Boyd?"


    Yasmine sighed, stepping closer to Serana and leaning in to look her in the eyes, then smiled. "Did


    Boyd stop caring about you?"


    Serana''s face stiffened.


    Seeing this, Yasmine''s smirk grew colder. "Looks like you came here to take your frustration out on


    me."


    Yasmine slowly stood up straight, her smile tinged with sarcasm. "But did you pick the wrong


    target? He ignores you, and youe to me, what''s the use? Do you really expect me to patch


    things up with him just to keep him on your radar? Isn''t that a bit naive?"


    Arguing with Yasmine was pointless. Whatever Serana said could easily be dismissed by Yasmine''s


    nonchnt words. Everything she said to Yasmine might as well have been gibberish. Her thoughts


    were stripped bare. Anything she said or did, in front of Yasmine, was practically a joke.


    Serana trembled, her lips quivering as she tried to speak but couldn''t utter a word. What was the


    point of speaking anyway? Yasmine always had a retort.


    There was nothing she could do, tears welling up in her eyes before finally spilling over.


    Yasmine raised an eyebrow. "Tears don''t get you far with another woman."


    With that, she propped the rolled book on her shoulder and walked away.


    "No!" Serana suddenly grabbed her, her voice breaking with emotion.


    Yasmine, caught off guard, nearly stumbled but regained herposure to find Serana looking at


    her with tearful eyes. "What will it take for you to stop doing this to Boyd? Tell me what will satisfy


    you?"


    Yasmine''s patience was wearing thin from Serana''s tearful voice and persistence. She took a deep


    breath and yanked her hand away. "You talk about not ruining our rtionship, yet here you are, all


    teary-eyed, begging me to let you stay by his side? Serana, are you out of your mind? If you want to


    be with him, talk to him. What''s the point in pestering me?"


    "But you don’t want that. He cares about your feelings, and you threaten him with a breakup."


    "A threat?" Yasmineughed, "Whether it''s a threat or not, he has made his choice. You need to


    face reality. Aren''t you in a rtionship? Or do you n on being with him even after marrying


    someone else?"


    "I won''t get married."


    Something seemed to twitch on Yasmine''s forehead. "Lunatic." At her wits'' end, she turned and


    strode away.


    Serana shouted from behind, "Boyd and I are like family. It''s impossible for us to be together. Why


    do you insist on driving me away from him?"


    If Yasmine didn''t mind the pain of hitting someone, she would have turned back and pped that


    madwoman hard. Pulling out her phone, she called Boyd for the first time in a week. The call


    connected quickly, "If you didn''t reach out soon, I was about toe looking for you."


    "Well, thanks to your darling Serana."


    There was a pause on the line, "What happened?"


    "She came over to give me a piece of her mind. I told you that dating you is just one disaster after


    another. I forced you to drive her away? Ha,e and take her away yourself."


    Sheid down the gauntlet and hung up.


    Boyd''s expression darkened. As he left his office, his assistant looked puzzled, "Mr. Boyd, the


    meeting is about to start."


    "Cancel it!"


    When Boyd arrived at the school, he saw Serana sitting pale-faced on a bench beneath theb


    building. As he approached, tears spilled down her wan face. "Boyd..."


    "What did you say to her?"


    Serana choked up, "I asked her to make up with you. I promised her there was nothing between us.


    I wanted her not to mind my presence, but she wouldn''t listen to anything I said."


    Boyd began to understand why Yasmine was so furious with him. With her temperament, how could


    she possibly tolerate interference in her affairs, especially by Serana in such a manner.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Serana."


    As if anticipating his words, Serana suddenly covered her ears, "No, I don''t want to hear it. I know


    we won''t be together, and I''m not asking for anything. But Boyd, since I was seven and entered the


    orphanage, you''ve been with me, looking after me. All these years, it''s always been this way. You


    can''t drive me away. We''re family, aren''t we? Being family is enough. Can you tell Yasmine, can she


    please not target me?"


    "Calm down." Boyd''s gaze was stern with warning.


    Serana clutched her chest, bit her lip hard, took a few deep breaths, and slowly stood up, wiping the


    tears from her face before forcing a smile, "I know you won''t abandon me. I understand it''s hard for


    you, but I won''t make it difficult. I think I upset her just now. You better go find her."


    Boyd watched her for a long moment before finally saying, "I''ll take you home."


    Serana shook her head, "You should be with her right now, or she''ll be upset again. I''m really


    okay..." As she spoke, she managed another pale smile.


    Boyd grabbed her, his voice tense but still trying to be gentle, "I''m taking you home. Be good."


    Serana''s tears fell again. "Boyd, can''t you just stop doing this to me."


    Boyd pursed his lips, "We are leaving now."


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Serana wiped away her tears, but still followed Boyd as he walked away. They crossed the entire


    campus together; with many onlookers, it was inevitable that a wave of gossip would ripple through


    the crowds.


    Themotion that Serana and Yasmine had stirred up under the science building, and now Boyd


    taking Serana away, seemed only to confirm the rumors that had been swirling about Boyd breaking


    up with Yasmine over Serana.


    The whispers eventually reached Yasmine, morphing into a story that Boyd, in the end, had chosen


    his childhood sweetheart over her. She just snorted at the news. If anything, it suited her just fine.


    But that very night, Boyd was back, pestering her.


    They couldn’t quite break up, but staying together was equally impossible. Because of the spectacle


    Serana had caused, confronting her halfway, Yasmine had given Boyd fewer chances to speak up.


    It was a messy tug of war thatsted over a month.


    Graduation was looming. The school was bustling with corporate recruitersing to campus to


    hire fresh graduates.


    While most seniors were busyworking and interviewing, they witnessed a rare spectacle. The


    news spread like wildfire, and when it reached Yasmine’s ears, even she was momentarily stunned.


    “Hey, did you hear? Boyd just pped Serana across the face.”