After the new year, Pei You resigned. When she told Jin-jie, Jin-jie tried to persuade her to stay, asking if it was about the salary.

Pei You shook her head. “No, Jin-jie, the pay is great.”

Jin-jie sighed. “Xiao Pei, you’re a very capable young woman; you deserve a job that’s more… suitable for your age.”

Pei You thanked her for her understanding.

Leaving the company, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Huo Yichi’s car was parked by the roadside. She was standing beside it and waved when she saw Pei You emerge.

Pei You smiled, walking towards her. “So…,” she began, “how does it feel?” Huo Yichi asked, playfully tugging at a strand of Pei You’s hair.

Pei You thought for a moment. “Honestly? A little bittersweet. Everyone at the company was so nice to me, so caring. I barely did any work, and they were always so helpful.”

“Including trying to set you up,” Huo Yichi said, opening the car door, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Pei You chuckled. “Well, your girlfriend is pretty great; it’s understandable they wanted to introduce me to eligible men, don’t you think?”

Huo Yichi chuckled, a playful glint in her eyes.

The words “your girlfriend” were undeniably pleasing to her ears.

Because it wasn’t fake anymore; it was real.

Pei You didn’t have much to pack; she’d put her few belongings in her bag.

Once she was in the car, Huo Yichi drove her to her apartment.

The Spring Festival holiday was over; it was back to their usual routine.

Huo Yichi had taken the day off specifically to be there for Pei You’s resignation.

It was an important moment, and she didn’t want to miss it.

She had many plans for their future together, and she wanted to be present for every milestone.

Xiao Xing was lounging on the cat tree, looking rather lazy.

Winter wasn’t quite over, but there were hints of spring in the air; new buds were appearing on the trees outside.

Pei You, sitting on the sofa, sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Huo Yichi asked, handing her a glass of water. “Still feeling lost about the future?”

“Yeah,” Pei You said, looking at the blank TV screen, which reflected their images. “I don’t know what to do next. Jin-jie asked about my plans, and I told her I was thinking about taking the civil service exam.”

Huo Yichi took her hand. “But you’re not, are you?”

“Of course not, it was just an excuse. I’ve never considered a career in civil service, but…,” Pei You took a sip of water, then turned to Huo Yichi, “I’m thinking about… applying to graduate school.”

Huo Yichi looked slightly surprised. “When did you decide that?”

“I’ve thought about it before,” Pei You smiled, “but none of my friends were planning to continue studying, so I didn’t bother. Back then, I didn’t have any goals; I just wanted to… coast through life. But I’ve been thinking about it lately.”

“Okay,” Huo Yichi said.

Pei You blinked. “Do you… support me?”

“I support you, no matter what you decide,” Huo Yichi said, tilting her chin slightly, “and when you get into graduate school, my girlfriend will be a pure and innocent college student, right?”

Pei You chuckled at her playful tone.

Then, her gaze lingered on Huo Yichi’s lips.

No matter how many times she saw them, she still felt the urge to kiss them.

Huo Yichi leaned closer, her chin resting on Pei You’s shoulder, her eyes filled with playful expectation. “Are you going to kiss me?”

Pei You swallowed.

Wasn’t that a rhetorical question?

…

Everyone supported Pei You’s decision to apply to graduate school. Even if they hadn’t, she would have done it anyway.

She bought study materials and enrolled in online courses, determined to succeed.

In March, Pei Junsheng took Grandma Pei to Beijing for a visit. Pei You didn’t go; she stayed home.

Actually, she wasn’t alone.

She moved into Huo Yichi’s apartment, spending all her time with her.

Huo Yichi had edited the footage of their Liucheng trip into a video and posted it online. It had already garnered over six million views.

Pei You had watched it, her eyes welling up with emotion.

Huo Yichi had included many small, intimate moments Pei You hadn’t even noticed, each one filled with love and tenderness.

The comments section was filled with well wishes and cries of “May you be together forever!” Even the occasional negative comment was quickly countered by supportive fans, creating a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere.

Even though the main characters hadn’t shown their faces, for someone like Tian Jia, a frequent visitor of Bilibili, recognizing them wasn’t difficult.

So, Tian Jia was shocked—you two were faking it?!

Pei You hadn’t denied it. “It’s real now.”

Tian Jia had come to her own conclusion: “So, you’re saying… fake love turned into real love?”

Huo Yichi, after a moment of thought, shook her head. “No,” she said, “it was years of unrequited love, finally reciprocated.”

“I’m getting goosebumps,” Tian Jia said, “but you two are amazing actors; you fooled everyone!”

“We tried,” Pei You said.

Ironically, the most genuine moments of their fake relationship had been during their “breakup” argument.

Thinking back, she couldn’t even remember what they’d argued about.

But the tension, the anger, was still vivid in her mind.

Pei You pursed her lips, then another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

The argument had started because she’d thought Huo Yichi was putting too much effort into their charade and that it was tiring for both of them. Since they were graduating soon and wouldn’t see each other anymore, she’d suggested they end the pretense.

Her suggestion had enraged Huo Yichi, who had angrily retorted, “You think I find this tiring?”

The argument had escalated, ending badly.

To everyone else, it had looked like a real breakup.

But now, Huo Yichi told her that her words had felt like… a rejection, a dismissal.

Huo Yichi had been hurt and upset.

She could have continued the charade indefinitely, but Pei You hadn’t wanted to.

The thought of not seeing Pei You again had been… painful.

Recalling the past, neither of them felt the same anger as before.

Pei You hugged Huo Yichi, promising, “I won’t do that again.”

She’d been the one who’d closed herself off, not giving anyone the key to her heart.

Looking back, she realized Huo Yichi had done so much for her, but she’d misinterpreted it all, using their “fake relationship” as an excuse, a shield.

Thankfully, after all these years, she had finally moved on from her grief.

The sun was shining, life was good; she should embrace it all.

Other friends had also recognized them in the video.

And they were all equally shocked.

Shocked that the popular uploader was Huo Yichi, shocked that they had maintained their charade for so long, so convincingly.

Messages poured in, both questioning and congratulatory.

To apologize for their deception, Pei You created a group chat and organized a dinner, inviting everyone.

They’d fooled their friends; it was their fault.

Over twenty people came, and they booked a large private room.

Pei You, unable to drink, stuck to soft drinks.

But Huo Yichi, who had a high tolerance for alcohol, was toasted repeatedly.

The restaurant was close to Pei You’s apartment, so Pei You drove them back, supporting Huo Yichi, who was clearly drunk.

Huo Yichi wasn’t completely incapacitated, but she was definitely tipsy, muttering incoherently.

And most of her ramblings were about Pei You.

“Pei… Pei You…,” she mumbled, “why do I like you so much? I finally… we’re finally… together…”

Pei You helped her onto the sofa, wiping her face with a warm towel, her heart melting as she listened to Huo Yichi’s drunken confessions, echoing them softly, whispering, “I like you, too.”

The kettle was boiling in the kitchen. Once the water was ready, Pei You went to make Huo Yichi a cup of honey water to help her sober up.

But Huo Yichi grabbed her hand, not letting her go. “Don’t leave me,” she mumbled, her grip tightening until Pei You was leaning over her.

The strong scent of alcohol filled Pei You’s senses, not unpleasant, even a little sweet, because it was Huo Yichi.

“Xiao You…,” Huo Yichi murmured.

Held in Huo Yichi’s embrace, Pei You’s heart melted. “I won’t leave you,” she whispered. “I’ll always be with you, always love you.”