Ghost Exorciser: Is Loved By All
Chapter 634: Give Up

Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Give Up

Yu Holea groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don’t know whether to laugh or kick you out right now."

"Please don’t," Qiao Jun said earnestly, grabbing her hands gently. "I’ll behave. Well, most of the time. And I’ll keep paying the ’rent,’ so you won’t regret having me around."

She studied him for a long moment, debating whether to humor him or lay down the law. Finally, she sighed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You’re impossible," she muttered.

"Does that mean I get to stay?" Qiao Jun asked, his face lighting up with hope.

"Yes," she admitted reluctantly. "But on one condition."

The smile on Qiao Jun’s face flattered and he asked in a pitiful voice, "What is it?"

"I can’t give you a status." Yu Holea smiled with a hint of cruelty in her eyes.

Qiao Jun froze, before lowering his head. His entire body trembled as if the world was falling apart.

Yu Holea started to feel bad for Qiao Jun and instantly asked,

"What happened?"

Qiao Jun slowly moved away from Yu Holea. Seeing his lonely back, Yu Holea’s heart ached.

Yu Holea watched Qiao Jun’s trembling figure, her heart clenching at the sight of his slumped shoulders and dejected stance. She took a hesitant step closer, her voice soft.

"Qiao Jun, what’s wrong? Talk to me," she urged.

He didn’t turn around immediately. Instead, he let out a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don’t know how to get close to you anymore," he admitted.

The vulnerability in his tone made Yu Holea’s breath catch. She stood frozen as he slowly turned around, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I’m afraid, Lea," he continued, his voice trembling.

"Afraid that you might not like me anymore. That you’ll never... give me a status."

Yu Holea’s lips parted, but no words came out.

She felt her chest tighten as Qiao Jun looked down, his hands clenching into fists.

"Yesterday," he began again, his voice cracking slightly,

"I talked with Rong Xue. He told me something I can’t stop thinking about. He said that when a woman gets angry with her boyfriend and breaks up, there’s a 99% chance she’ll never take him back."

Qiao Jun looked up, his tears threatening to spill over as he held her gaze.

"I love you, Yu Holea. Truly. But I need... I need some kind of security. Some promise that I won’t be left behind. That I won’t lose you for good."

Yu Holea felt her heart shatter at his words.

Without thinking, she closed the distance between them and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Her arms wrapped around him protectively, her cheek resting against his shoulder.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice laced with guilt. "I’m so sorry for punishing you so much. I didn’t realize how much it was hurting you."

Qiao Jun shook his head, his hands gently coming to rest on her back.

"No, I deserved it. I hurt you before, and I should face the consequences. But, Lea... I just need to know that I won’t be kicked out of your life completely."

Yu Holea pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him.

Her hesitation was evident in her eyes, but so was the warmth and sincerity behind her gaze. She reached up to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing away a stray tear.

"Qiao Jun," she said softly,

"I can’t promise I won’t get angry with you sometimes. But I don’t want to push you away anymore. I’m... ready to give you a chance. If you’re willing, I’m ready to let you be my boyfriend."

Qiao Jun’s eyes widened, disbelief flickering across his face before it was replaced by overwhelming joy.

He pulled her into a fierce hug, burying his face in her neck as his arms tightened around her.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Lea. You don’t know how much this means to me."

Yu Holea smiled softly, her hands resting on his back.

"Don’t make me regret it," she teased lightly, though her tone was warm.

"I won’t," Qiao Jun vowed, pulling back just enough to look at her.

His eyes sparkled with relief and adoration as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy."

Yu Holea nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly. "You’d better," she said her voice barely above a whisper.

Yu Holea sighed, still holding Qiao Jun close as she rubbed his back gently. She pulled back slightly and gave him a stern look.

"And another thing, Qiao Jun," she began, her tone firm.

"Stop listening to Rong Xue’s nonsense. The guy clearly doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and it’s messing with your head."

Qiao Jun chuckled softly, his eyes still shimmering with gratitude.

"You’re probably right. I shouldn’t let him get to me."

"Probably?" Yu Holea raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with mock exasperation.

"I am right. Rong Xue has no idea what’s going on between us, and frankly, he doesn’t need to. If I ever hear you quoting his ridiculous statistics or advice again, you’ll regret it."

Qiao Jun couldn’t help but smile, his heart swelling at the sight of her fiery determination. "Yes, ma’am," he said with a playful salute.

"Don’t ’ma’am’ me," Yu Holea muttered, her cheeks warming despite herself. She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward her room.

"Come on. You’ve caused enough drama for one night."

Qiao Jun followed her obediently, his grin widening.

Once inside, she gestured toward the bed, and he hesitated only briefly before lying down.

She joined him, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"Better?" she asked, resting her head against his chest.

"Much better," he replied softly.

His fingers traced gentle circles on her back, and he felt the tension leave her body as she relaxed in his embrace.

Within moments, her breathing evened out, and he realized she had fallen asleep.

Qiao Jun stayed still, savoring the warmth of her presence.

He carefully reached for his phone on the nightstand and angled it to snap a quick photo of them together.

The image of Yu Holea sleeping peacefully against him filled him with quiet joy. He opened his chat with Rong Xue and sent the photo.

Qiao Jun:[Attached Photo]

Qiao Jun: "Looks like you were wrong, Rong Xue."

He scrolled up to the earlier messages, his jaw tightening as he reread the conversation:

Rong Xue: "Why are you deliberately keeping me away from Yu Holea? You were supposed to help me get closer to her."

Qiao Jun: "Because I’ve recovered my memory."

Rong Xue: "And? Even if you remember, do you think you can win her back? You hurt her too much."

Qiao Jun: "That’s because of you."

Rong Xue:[Smirk emoji] "Yu Holea will never be yours, Qiao Jun."

Qiao Jun stared at the smirk emoji for a moment before typing his next message:

Qiao Jun: "You underestimated me, Rong Xue. And you underestimated her. I’m not letting her go again."

Rong Xue leaned back in his chair, the soft glow of his desk lamp casting long shadows on the walls of his study.

His eyes were fixed on his phone screen, where the image Qiao Jun had sent stared back at him—a photo of Yu Holea nestled peacefully in Qiao Jun’s arms, her face serene as she slept.

For a long while, Rong Xue said nothing, his expression unreadable.

He tapped the edge of his phone absently, his mind swirling with emotions he couldn’t quite name.

Jealousy. Regret. Acceptance.

The image captured a moment of intimacy that he realized, deep down, he had no claim to.

Yu Holea’s expression wasn’t just one of contentment; it was trust and safety—things she had chosen to give Qiao Jun.

And despite his earlier bravado, Rong Xue couldn’t deny that he had never been the one to bring her that kind of peace.

He sighed heavily, setting the phone down on the table in front of him and staring out the window.

"Sunset is beautiful," he muttered under his breath, the words tinged with a bittersweet melancholy.

"But it’s not meant to last."

He picked up the phone again, his thumb hovering over the keyboard.

A part of him wanted to lash out, to send something sharp and cutting in response to Qiao Jun’s message.

But another, quieter part of him—the part that truly cared for Yu Holea—knew that doing so would be meaningless.

She had made her choice, and that choice was clear as day in the photo before him.

With a faint, resigned smile, Rong Xue typed a simple response.

Rong Xue:[Thumbs-up emoji]

"Goodbye, Yu Holea," he murmured softly, his gaze fixed on the fading sunlight. "I hope he makes you happy."

For the first time in years, Rong Xue allowed himself to let go of the lingering what-ifs and unspoken feelings he had carried.