When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

A gentle breeze blew by, cool and pleasant.

Marian counted on her fingers—only one month left until summer break. Time passed so quickly. She pretended to brush the strands of hair blown to her lips and tucked them behind her ear. Then, in a tone that sounded casual, she asked Aaron, "What are your plans for the summer?"

Aaron lowered his head, his expression unclear but surprisingly blank. "I don't know."

Silence followed.

He couldn't even be bothered to ask her, "What about you?" A simple two-word question, yet he didn't ask.

They walked together quietly. When they reached the crossroads, Aaron stopped, his hands shoved in his pockets, clearly signaling that he intended to part ways. Marian had already raised her hand to wave goodbye, but suddenly, an unexpected courage surged in her chest.

"I'll walk with you a little longer," she said.

The two of them walked in silence again, all the way to the entrance of the boys' dormitory. Marian looked up and caught sight of couples under the trees, holding each other close. A few bold ones were even kissing passionately. Her face heated up.

The wind blew again, but this time it felt unbearably hot.

Marian lightly clenched her fingers and tilted her flushed face upward. Perhaps it was because of the drinks she'd had during hotpot earlier that evening, but suddenly, she felt dizzy and spoke what was on her mind.

"Are you… planning to go to the U.S. as well?"

Aaron frowned. He really did have a good-looking face; even when he frowned, it was pleasing to the eye. Marian's head buzzed, and she asked again, "Yao Ning is going to the U.S. Aren't you planning to go with her?"

The feelings she had kept hidden were now laid bare, and not only were they exposed, but she had also said them out loud to his face.

Aaron's expression turned cold instantly, his gaze like sharp ice as he looked at her—almost as though he were staring at a stranger. The pressure in the air dropped in an instant.

"Marian," he said, his voice clear and precise, each word like a dagger. "Whether I go to the U.S. or not has nothing to do with you. There's no need for me to tell you."

His tone wasn't loud, but it was cutting, piercing straight through Marian's heart.

She hurried to explain, "No, no, that's not what I meant. I just thought…" She lowered her head, her voice softening. "If you like Yao Ning, you should be brave about it."

Aaron let out a cold chuckle. "That's even less of your business."

Marian felt her heart freeze over completely, her steps unsteady. Things had come to this point—she might as well tear everything apart. It didn't matter anymore. She no longer wanted to attend those meaningless invitations.

Still, there was one thing she had to know.

Something she had kept buried deep in her heart for so long, a hope she had never dared to ask for yet had never fully extinguished.

"Aaron," she said softly, "tell me, have you ever liked me? Even if it was just… a little, a tiny bit?"

Some of the students nearby noticed the strange tension in the air and began looking their way.

Aaron turned his back to her, the streetlight casting a shadow over his face. Marian couldn't see his expression, but she heard his voice—cruel and unrelenting.

"You're overthinking. There's nothing about you that I would ever like."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but Marian tilted her head back stubbornly, refusing to let them fall.

Seeing the tears in her eyes, Aaron's expression froze slightly.

Marian's stubbornness flared, and she asked again, "So you've just been using me all along? From start to finish, I was just a tool for you?"

Aaron closed his eyes briefly, his eyelashes quivering. Finally, he admitted, "Yes. From that photo at the school gate onward, I've been using you."

"Sorry."

Marian dug her nails into her palms, but she didn't feel the pain. She desperately wanted to be like the heroine in a TV drama and slap Aaron across the face. But she wasn't the heroine.

And… she couldn't bear to hit him.

All she could do was walk away silently.

That night, when she returned to her dorm, Marian deleted both Aaron and Yao Ning from her contacts.

A new beginning, she told herself quietly.

What she didn't expect was that the next day, someone had uploaded a photo of her confrontation with Aaron outside the boys' dormitory to the campus forums.

Marian was famous once again.

"Damn it!" Zoe slammed her laptop shut, cursing angrily. "These idiots online only know how to suck up to the powerful and step on the weak. Do they even realize Marian is the victim here?"

She rolled up her sleeves, ready to storm out of the dormitory to fight for Marian.

Marian quickly stopped her. "Forget it. Based on my experience, this will disappear without a trace as soon as summer vacation ends."

She patted the stack of study notes on the table and advised Zoe, "Focus on your revision. The exams are coming up."

Nothing was more important than preparing for exams, even in senior year. Marian still needed to push herself to win the scholarship.

Zoe opened her mouth to argue but quickly realized Marian was right. There would be time to deal with Aaron later—after the exams.

Unexpectedly, from that day onward, Aaron never returned to school.

Some said he was sick, others said he had gone abroad, and there were even rumors that he had gone home to inherit the family business.

In any case, from that day on, Marian only caught a glimpse of him in passing during exams, just like every other classmate, and never saw him again.

Soon, senior year arrived.

Many classmates were preparing for postgraduate exams or civil service positions. Only Marian had a clear goal—to secure a high-paying job after graduation.

Her grandmother's health had been deteriorating day by day. Marian couldn't bear to leave her alone at home. She had already made plans: once she started earning a salary, she would move her grandmother into a nursing home in the county.

During the summer vacation, Marian had already inquired about the cost of the nursing home. With a little effort to get into a big company and dedicating half her salary, she could afford it.

Because of this, as soon as senior year started, Marian quit her tutoring job and focused all her energy on finding an internship. She already had all the certificates and school honors she needed; the only thing missing was practical experience.

Fortunately, her hard work paid off. Near graduation, she received an offer from a top domestic software company.

The class president organized a farewell dinner. Marian sat at a table with Zoe and Li Lin.

For the past few months, the three of them had been interning at different companies. They left early and returned late, rarely getting a chance to sit down and catch up.

Zoe downed a glass of beer and asked, "Marian, have you found a place to rent? If not, come live with me."

Marian shook her head. "I already rented a small flat on the east side of the city. It's very affordable."

She had nothing to hide in front of Zoe and didn't care about saving face. She spoke honestly about everything.

Hearing the word "flat," Zoe frowned. "Is it comfortable though?"

Seeing the doubt on Zoe's face, Marian smiled and said, "It's pretty nice. I decorated it myself, and it feels cozy. If you don't believe me, you can come over sometime."

"Fine," Zoe agreed with a grin.

While they were chatting, they overheard a few girls at the table sighing nostalgically.

"Ugh, college is ending, and I never even got to hold Aaron's hand. It's so sad!"

"Forget holding his hand—since senior year started, I haven't even seen his face. I miss that handsome face so much. Damn it, he used to be the reason I got up early for class!"

At the mention of Aaron, the girls—except for Marian's roommates—perked up, completely awake now. They began a lively discussion about Aaron's past and what his future might hold.

Halfway through the conversation, the class president approached, holding a glass of beer. He knocked on the table with his fingers and said with disdain, "Come on, ladies, you're students of our school—act like you have some ambition!"

He took a sip of beer and added, "Aaron's been abroad for a while now. Stop wasting your time thinking about him."

The room instantly filled with groans of disappointment.

Someone with a good memory suddenly turned to Marian and asked, "Do you know if Aaron's coming back for graduation photos?"

Marian, who had been quietly eating, froze for a moment. Why ask her? How would she know?

She replied honestly, her expression calm and unaffected. "We haven't been in touch for a long time."