The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 258

Chapter 258: I completely believe you
Silence fell between them, only the autumn wind whistling softly through the air.

Sam looked at Isabella, and she returned his gaze, blinking innocently as if she hadn’t realized the shock value of her previous suggestion.

It wasn’t until Sam couldn’t hold back any longer. “Are you kidding me?”

“You knew I was joking? I thought you took me seriously for a moment there.”

Isabella’s eyes crinkled into crescents, her expression teasing, almost proud of catching Sam off guard.

Sam, now realizing she was definitely joking, was still momentarily taken aback. He responded, somewhat annoyed, “So why make that kind of joke?”

Walking side by side down the street, Isabella glanced at Sam, her smile tinged with a mix of resignation and mild irritation. “You’re not mad, are you?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because I let down your expectations.”

“Stop talking nonsense; I had no such expectations.”

Sam flatly denied it.

But Isabella quickened her pace, stepping in front of him, effectively blocking his path, and turned to face him.

“What’s up?” Sam asked, puzzled.

Isabella boldly showcased her figure, or perhaps it was her unique aura and delicate features under the night sky. “Take a good look at me. Really… no expectations at all?”

Sam, hands in his pockets, looked at the captivating girl in front of him, Isabella, who seemed to wear countless masks, her true self elusive.

“What expectations do you want me to have, senior?”

Isabella smiled slightly. “No expectations, just testing Sam a bit.”

“Is there a need to test?”

“Because only then can I feel at ease walking with you.”

“If you’re that wary, maybe I should just head home?”

Sam suggested.

Isabella quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. “Oh, come on~ I was just joking, just playing around, don’t be mad~”

“Seems like you can always say it was just a joke, making you ‘invincible’,” Sam retorted.

Isabella tilted her head to look at him. “Do you want to hear what I really think?”

Sam turned his head, letting the cold wind brush against his cheek. “Where are we walking to?”

It was a casual, yet somewhat forced change of subject.

Isabella, however, released his arm and resumed her smile as if the previous conversation had never happened. “Well, since we’re just strolling… let’s just wander aimlessly, go with the flow, what do you say?”

Sam checked the time; it wasn’t late at all. “I’m good with that, let’s just wander.”

He didn’t refuse; after all, it was her birthday. A little company was nothing, just like completing a minor, inconsequential side quest in a game.

They walked under the crisscrossing neon lights, unable to see the stars above. Passersby around them either laughed joyously or walked with heavy hearts, none of which mattered to them at the moment.

“Do you and Angel go way back?” Isabella suddenly asked, perhaps prompted by something she saw.

Sam looked at her curiously. “We met just before the summer break, why?”

Isabella shook her head. “Nothing, just curious. So, you haven’t been together long before becoming a couple, right?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, not long. But in this day and age, isn’t it normal for relationships to progress quickly?”

“And for them to end just as quickly?”

“Who knows.”

“And what about Sophie? How do you see her?” Isabella asked.

Sam feigned ignorance. “What do you mean, ‘how do I see her’?”

Isabella smiled and said, “You can’t possibly say that she and you have the same relationship as you and I, right?”

Indeed, there was no way he could respond like that.

Whether it was the level of ambiguity or his feelings towards both, Sam couldn’t give such an answer.

Sophie was such a special person.

She housed a lofty soul within her body, yet she also had an intriguing personality.

The traits she displayed often made her unlikeable, but beyond those, she had many more facets that were utterly captivating.

The world is full of peculiar people.

Some are strange in a way that is uniquely charming.

Sam stopped walking and glanced at Isabella. “Are you really that interested in these matters, senior?”

Isabella just smiled. “Not really, I’m just worried about your situation. After all, Sam, you always seem to be bumbling and clumsy, which feels quite familiar.”

Sam feigned surprise as he looked at Isabella.

“Shouldn’t I be perceived as supremely intelligent and brilliantly capable?”

Isabella stifled a laugh and shook her head.

“Of course not, because often, you complicate things that are simple, and in moments that could be straightforward and honest, you choose to beat around the bush… It’s somewhat heart-wrenching to watch.”

Sam didn’t deny having such moments, but he was curious if she really paid that much attention to his affairs.

Incredible.

Sam sighed, then turned his head; there was a coffee shop nearby.

“Fancy a cup of coffee?”

Isabella nodded vigorously.

“Yes! I’ll have a milk coffee.”

Sam quickly ordered two milk coffees. While waiting to pick up the coffees, Sam thought about his response.

“Isn’t that just normal? The most interesting aspect of people is the lack of complete transparency in communication. No one can be entirely honest with each other, not even the most loving couples. There are always moments of concealment or even deception. As long as the intention is good, that’s what matters.”

Isabella nodded thoughtfully. “Indeed. It seems you understand more deeply than I thought.”

“Have you ever been in love, senior?” Sam suddenly asked.

Isabella blinked. “Why do you ask that?”

Sam spoke casually. “No reason, just that you seem quite focused on relationships. Is it because you’ve never been in one, or perhaps you’ve been hurt before?”

Isabella playfully slapped Sam’s arm.

After a moment of contemplation, Isabella sighed, “I’ve never been in a serious relationship, but there was a guy who was quite persistent in pursuing me. He was a good catch, but I never accepted his advances. We just stayed friends.”

“And now?”

She was talking about the past, so the situation must have changed significantly by now.

Isabella shrugged. “Later on, he was in a car accident and passed away unexpectedly.”

Ah? Such a soap opera plot!

“Would you be sad about that, senior?”

“As a friend, definitely sad, and there’s a bit of regret.”

“Regret that if you had tried to accept his feelings, things might have been different?”

Sam looked at her.

Isabella shook her head.

She looked at Sam, just at Sam, and he didn’t see in her eyes the same look she gave others. It was a peculiar feeling.

“What I regret is not figuring out why he liked me. Maybe I also wanted to know what it feels like to persistently, simply love someone.”

“Customers, your coffee is ready~”

Sam’s gaze crossed with Isabella’s, not lingering long.

Sam took the coffees and handed one to her.

Isabella sweetly said, “Thank you~”

“No need to thank me, consider it a birthday gift.”

“Eh? How can that be? Who does that, Sam? Using this as a birthday gift?”

Sam laughed. “Well, it’s your fault for not telling me in advance. I didn’t have time to prepare a proper birthday gift.”

As they walked down the bustling street, the deep autumn wind continued to blow around them. Despite the myriad lights both near and distant, it seemed as though there was no end in sight.

Isabella looked at Sam with a pout. “You owe me a birthday gift.”

Sam’s eyes widened in surprise. “Senior, you’re even cheekier than I am. After all the help I’ve given you today, was it all for nothing?”

Isabella took a sip of her coffee. “Well, Calliope promised you a share of the profits, so consider this just a side job.”

“That’s sophistry,” Sam retorted, neither agreeing nor outright refusing.

Some things lie between promises and rejections, in a murky, ambiguous gray area. If one day it comes to fruition, it’s seen as a heartfelt promise. If not, it’s just a shell lost in the river of time.

The street didn’t come to an end, but Isabella stopped walking. In Sam’s gaze, she pointed to a taxi parked by the roadside. “I’m going home now.”

“Oh, okay then.”

Sam wasn’t too disappointed. The day had been fulfilling enough, and saying more or staying longer seemed pointless.

The hardest yet most crucial lesson to learn is to quit while you’re ahead.

Before getting into the car, Isabella looked at Sam. “By the way, Sam.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you ever been smitten?”

Sam paused, looking at the girl whose hair fluttered in the wind. “I… well, isn’t everyone at some point? It’s hard to pin down, isn’t it?”

Isabella chuckled. “That’s not what I meant…” Her gaze shifted away, missing Sam’s handsome, charming face.

Then she sighed. “Actually, Sam… being honest can be very endearing, and it makes you more likable.”

Sam composed himself and then shook his head with a smile. “I’m already likable enough, no need to be more charming. Besides, if I say I’m sincere, would you believe every word I say?”

Isabella nodded without hesitation. “I believe you.”

“Hmm?”

“I completely believe you.”

“Ah… that.”

Caught off guard, Sam didn’t quite know how to respond to her statement.

It was as if, suddenly and inexplicably, a bomb named ‘ambiguity’ had exploded between them, plunging them both deep into its midst. The atmosphere turned hazy.

Yet Isabella simply smiled brightly. “Alright, I’m off. Thank you for today, Sam.”

“…Happy birthday, senior.”

She closed the car door and got in.

Disappearing into the strangely bleak autumn night.

Sam took a deep breath. “I don’t even believe myself… how could you believe me?”