Chapter 3

Chapter 3

What was he up to? I opened his messages, and they all said he knew I was back and wanted to see me.

No way, no way. My sister said I shouldn't go looking for him, so I directly deleted his contact information and blocked him.

What was the point of acting so affectionate now? Affection that comes too late is worse than weeds. The time when I loved him the most, when I needed him the most— that's already gone.

But I couldn't fall back asleep no matter how hard I tried. Thinking about my past self and Benjamin Lin, it all felt like a lifetime ago.

The Shaw family and the Lin family still had some connections. Benjamin Lin and I were the same age, so we could be considered childhood sweethearts.

I remember the first time I saw him—I was only five years old. Benjamin Lin looked like a delicate porcelain doll carefully crafted by heaven. His features were exquisite, and he still had a hint of baby fat, making him look soft and pink. He was so adorable that I loved sticking to him.

Back then, my family even joked that when I grew up, I would marry Benjamin Lin. I was overjoyed when I heard that, but Benjamin Lin looked a little unhappy—his eyes even held a hint of dislike for me.

But why? I couldn't figure it out back then, thinking he just didn't like being teased.

Later, I found out that because Shaw Group was more powerful than their Lin Construction Group, some people said the Lin family wanted to use their son to curry favor with the Shaw family, form an in-law relationship, and help their own group in the future.

Benjamin Lin and I were in the same class from elementary school. All the kids in that noble school basically knew each other. I don't know who started it, but people began calling Benjamin Lin my "child bridegroom" and "kept son-in-law"—which made him hate me even more.

So every time I heard someone call Benjamin Lin by those nicknames, I would immediately get into a fight with them. Most of the time, I couldn't win, though, and ended up being called to the teacher's office to meet with my parents quite a few times.

Mia Moore loved calling Benjamin Lin a "kept son-in-law" the most. Once, I cornered her in the bathroom and beat her up. When I walked out, I ran into Benjamin Lin. I quickly covered the hand that Mia Moore had scratched and lowered my head, not daring to look at him—just like a kid who had done something wrong and gotten caught by their parents.

To be honest, I wasn't afraid of anything or anyone back then—except Benjamin Lin. Every time I was in front of him, I would feel guilty for no reason, even if I hadn't done anything wrong.

He just glanced at me, said nothing, and walked away. I had thought he would at least show a little concern for me.

After entering junior high, Benjamin Lin had excellent grades and was assigned to the top class. I had spent elementary school just fighting and playing around—every time class started, I wanted to sleep, and as soon as class ended, I was full of energy. Naturally, my grades were terrible. My dad spent money to get me into the same junior high as Benjamin Lin, and even managed to put me in his class.

At twelve years old, Benjamin Lin's features were gradually becoming more defined, making him even more handsome and elegant. I would stare at him whenever I had nothing to do—buying him breakfast every day, bringing him snacks after class, and thinking of all kinds of ways to give him gifts. I knew he liked playing basketball, so sometimes I even skipped class to buy him limited-edition basketball shoes and sportswear.

But he still didn't seem to like me—all the things I gave him ended up in the trash.

I had read too many romance novels back then, and even imagined myself as the female lead in a tragic love story. I thought that as long as I was nice to him, he would definitely be deeply moved and gradually accept me.

In high school, Benjamin Lin became even more handsome. Every time he played basketball, there would be a crowd of girls standing outside the court watching him. Many girls even wrote him love letters. I was so angry I could grind my teeth, but there was nothing I could do—I couldn't kick all the girls who liked him out of school. If I could like Benjamin Lin, then other people could too.

I still did the same things as before—rain or shine, I bought him breakfast, brought him water, snacks, and gifts. I followed him around, asking about his well-being. Everyone called me Benjamin Lin's "Little Follower" and "Clingy Girl".

Mia Moore and I had a bit of a rocky start—we didn't exactly hit it off at first. She knew I had liked Benjamin Lin for many years and told me not to take those nicknames to heart. But I didn't think it was a big deal—I didn't care at all. Back then, I even thought, "Great, people are making up nicknames for me, so Benjamin Lin doesn't have to be affected."

Mia Moore said I was out of my mind and didn't talk to me for a long time.

Senior year was a crucial time for the college entrance exam. I sat in the classroom, staring anxiously at the math problems that I couldn't understand at all. Suddenly, Benjamin Lin walked up to me and said he wanted me to be his girlfriend.