Chapter 69.2

Chapter 69.2

Risha propped her chin up and made a diagnosis. The veins on the back of Richard’s hand bulged. His sister’s nonchalant actions often infuriated him. The most annoying part was that all her actions were simply thoughtless behaviors.

With his structured mind, Richard found it hard to understand Risha Aion, who lived on whims and curiosity.

How can a person be like that? Are overly intelligent people weird? More than not understanding Jasmine, Richard found himself questioning how she could be his only sister.

Lost in thought, Richard hesitated, then suddenly turned towards Risha. She furrowed her brows, wondering what was going on. Richard, after much hesitation, cautiously spoke.

“Risha.”

“Why?”

“Have you ever gotten back together with someone after breaking up?”

From Richard’s perspective, Risha was a strange breed. Maybe it was because of her looks or their family background, but she dated frequently. Richard couldn’t fathom her appeal.

But objectively, Risha had more experience in relationships than Richard did. It dawned on him that his brief teenage romances, driven by youthful impulses and a clumsy sense of responsibility, weren’t real relationships. They were more like role-playing games.

So, in matters of relationships, Richard was no better than an ignorant child.

He decided to acknowledge his ignorance and helplessness first.

One must accept reality as it is to devise a response and solution.

And if he still couldn’t figure it out, borrowing someone else’s perspective was also a method.

Risha raised her eyebrows at the unexpected question. Instead of answering, she first satisfied her curiosity. It was more like an instinctive exclamation.

“Wow, are you finally out of your dating slump?”

“…”

“Amazing. There was a woman who could tolerate your personality? At least our family line won’t end. If father and mother knew, they’d probably jump out of their graves in joy.”

“Hey.”

Richard’s brows furrowed threateningly, but Risha was too excited and intrigued by the situation. Her blue eyes sparkled behind her glasses. Richard seriously considered poking them with his index and middle fingers.

Risha, grinning innocently, either didn’t know or didn’t care and kept teasing him (unconsciously).

“Who is she? As long as you’re not having a mid-life affair with some married woman, I approve as your sister-in-law.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Yeah, probably not, given your uptight personality.”

“Do you want to run laps around the training ground?”

Richard suggested slowly, making Risha immediately shut her mouth and glance at him cautiously. Richard pressed his temples, swallowing his irritation. Calm down. She always does this, and honestly, he didn’t have the energy to get angry now.

“Just answer my question. Have you ever gotten back together with someone after breaking up?”

“Well, obviously. Of course.”

“You have?”

Richard’s closed eyes snapped open, and he turned toward Risha, who had her arms crossed.

“When? Why did you get back together?”

“Why ask the obvious? Because of lingering feelings, thinking it might be different this time. It’s very stupid and irrational, but romantic relationships are intensely personal and emotional, so even I acted illogically. It was quite interesting.”

…Who asked for your thesis on romance? Richard found Risha’s serious nodding face annoying, as always. Her self-centered and self-satisfied attitude was grating, but he decided to ignore it. He was desperate.

“You got back together because of lingering feelings?”

“When you break up, you say it’s over, you’re sick of it, but then you miss them. That’s lingering feelings.”

Richard suddenly recalled Jasmine’s weary face and the fleeting expression she had when they reunited. He remembered her hands around his neck. His neck burned as if scorched. He rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly.

“You keep revisiting your choices, the situations, the words and actions, wondering if the outcome would have been different if you’d done things differently.”

That perfectly described what Richard had been doing for the past six months. He could now almost replay their conversations, the situations, the weather, the places, the objects, her expressions, and her voice.

Was it lingering feelings? The definition of lingering feelings is a heart that can’t let go of the past. Richard had never considered his emotions as such. To him, it was always the present.

Then what about Jasmine? Did she also feel regret and longing like Richard did?

“Of course, she must have lingering feelings. It’d be a lie if she didn’t.”

“Did I say that out loud?”

Richard was startled. Had he spoken to himself? But Risha looked at her usually sharp brother with a pitying gaze as if he was a dimwit.