CHAPTER 572: CHAPTER 572: FIRST LOVE

"You... you think you are so great," He snapped. "Don’t be so arrogant. Before you came along, I was Su Jiyai’s first love!"

The words were like a rock dropped into still water. The noise in the base died instantly. People stopped moving. All eyes turned toward them.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, from the crowd, a man shouted, "You are crossing the line, Ou Lin! Watch your mouth!"

Another voice joined in. "If you keep talking like this, even if Boss Su lets you stay, we will throw you out ourselves!"

A woman folded her arms and glared at him. "Yeah, you should be ashamed!"

More and more people began to nod. Then voices started to chant together, their anger building. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Ou Lin’s fists clenched tight. His jaw trembled. "Stop! All of you, just stop!" he shouted, his voice cracking.

The chanting slowed, but the eyes of the crowd stayed sharp and full of dislike.

Ou Lin turned back to Qin Feng, ignoring the stares. "Before you," he said, pointing at him again,

"I was the one in her life. You may be here now, but I came first. I, Ou Lin, was the one who stayed by Su Jiyai’s side in the beginning. Even if I later chose Su Yun, I was with her first. I loved her first. So why should you be the one who ends up with her?"

Qin Feng’s eyes narrowed, but before he could speak, Ou Lin lifted his hand to stop him. His voice grew softer, almost sad.

"Do you even know?" Ou Lin asked.

"Back then, Su Jiyai used to look at me with such a proud, independent face, but she would still tell me she would wait for me. Wait for me to marry her. Now... now she is with you. She must have forgotten that promise. But I never forgot. Not once."

Gasps moved through the crowd. Many people glared openly now. A few men stepped forward like they wanted to shut him up themselves.

Before anyone else could speak, Su Jiyai chuckled. The sound was light but sharp.

"So, if I follow your logic, Ou Lin," she said, tilting her head, "then I should still be waiting for you to marry me, right?"

Ou Lin’s eyes softened. He stepped closer. "Yes. Because I... I truly loved you."

Su Jiyai shook her head slowly, her eyes calm. "No. You didn’t love me. You only had a crush on me."

Ou Lin’s face twitched. "That’s not true..."

"It is," she cut him off. "For sixteen years, I thought you might have had a crush on me. But the day you told me the truth... that it was all just a bet with Su Yun... I kept asking myself why. Why did you act like that?"

Her gaze didn’t waver.

"Now I understand. You could not commit to your feelings because you knew I never truly loved you. It was more like... dependence. You happened to be the only one beside me when I needed someone. That is all."

Ou Lin’s face turned pale. His lips trembled.

Su Jiyai let out another quiet chuckle.

"That little kindness you once gave me... that is the only reason I let you into this base. Otherwise, you would have been gone already."

She then turned toward Qin Feng. Her voice softened. "As for why Qin Feng is by my side and not someone else..."

She walked up to Qin Feng, her steps steady. She reached out and held his hand. Turning back to Ou Lin, she smiled.

"Even before we confirmed our relationship, Qin Feng treated me like I was already his sweetheart. Do you remember that time when no one could afford any dishes? I was jealous because your wedding to Su Yun had so many dishes. Qin Feng noticed. And just for me, he asked people to search for vegetables and cook a vegetable dish. Just because I wanted it. That is how precious I was to him."

Her voice grew warmer.

"When everyone despised me for not having a superpower, Qin Feng stayed by my side. He always protected me. And you?"

She paused, her eyes shining slightly.

"You were with me for years, Ou Lin. But you never even gave me a loaf of bread. You knew the Su family bullied me. You knew they humiliated me. But you never once tried to stand up for me. Qin Feng, on the other hand, saw me crying when the Su family spread lies about me being unfilial. He retaliated for me. He used his contacts in Willow Base to make life hard for Mr. Su and for the Su family. That is the difference between you and him."

Ou Lin’s breathing grew heavy. His pale face now looked almost gray.

"What did you ever do, Ou Lin?" she continued.

"Other than give me empty promises, you did nothing. And now, your words sound regretful only because your marriage to Su Yun failed. While Qin Feng... Qin Feng waited for me. Even after I died, he kept searching for the ones who killed me. He kept taking revenge for me. You, Ou Lin? You probably wished I had stayed dead so you could feel better about yourself. So, yes! I can say with certainty Qin Feng is my first love."

Her words were like sharp knives. The crowd stood frozen for a moment, then began to murmur again, some shaking their heads in disgust at Ou Lin.

Ou Lin’s mouth opened, but no words came out. His eyes darted between Su Jiyai and Qin Feng, but there was no strength left in his expression.

Qin Feng looked at Su Jiyai, and the coldness in his eyes melted into pure gentleness. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"You should not cry for something like this," he whispered near her ear. "Your tears are too precious."

Su Jiyai blinked, startled. She reached up and touched her cheek. Only then did she feel the wetness there. At some point, tears had slipped down without her noticing.

Qin Feng’s arms around her were warm and strong, blocking out the cold air and the angry stares. She breathed in slowly, letting her heart calm down.

Ou Lin stood there, silent, his fists shaking at his sides. But this time, there was no arrogance left in his face. Only loss.

The crowd slowly began to move again, but the air was still thick with judgment. Whispered words followed Ou Lin like shadows.

"She is better off without him."

"He only came back because she is powerful now."

"Qin Feng is the real man here."

Ou Lin gritted his teeth and glared at Qin Feng like he was staring at the worst thief in the world. His eyes were so sharp it was as if Qin Feng had stolen something far more precious than gold, like his own kidney.

He opened his mouth, ready to spit out more angry words.

But before he could say anything, a familiar voice called out from the crowd.

"What is going on here?"

It was Lian Hua.

The moment Ou Lin heard her voice, his face went pale. His eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost. He spun around quickly, almost tripping over his own feet.

Without another word, he turned and ran.

"Ou Lin! Wait!" Lian Hua called out. Her voice carried both surprise and worry. She rushed forward, her steps fast and determined. "What happened to you? Stop running!"

Ou Lin did not stop. His footsteps grew faster, pounding against the ground. Lian Hua chased after him, weaving through the crowd.

Before she disappeared completely, she glanced back at Su Jiyai. It was a short look, but it carried a lot of meaning.

Su Jiyai gave a small nod in return. She understood.

Lian Hua’s lips curved into a tiny smirk, but it vanished instantly. She put on a worried expression for everyone else to see, as if she were deeply concerned about Ou Lin. Then she hurried after him, her voice still calling his name.

The crowd was left confused. Murmurs spread.

"Why is she chasing him?" someone asked.

"Should we follow?" another person wondered.

A few people stepped forward, ready to go after them. But some smarter ones quickly held them back.

"Do not," one man said in a low voice. "Boss Su must have her own plan. Let her handle it."

The others hesitated, then slowly stepped back.

Qin Feng had watched everything in silence. His sharp eyes caught the exchange between Lian Hua and Su Jiyai. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Su Jiyai.

"You have something planned?" he asked.

Su Jiyai gave him a small smirk. She did not answer directly.

Qin Feng could only shake his head, a faint smile on his lips.

Soon after, the two of them left the crowd and returned to Qin Feng’s room. As soon as the door closed behind them, the warmth faded from their expressions. Both of them now looked serious.