Chapter 874: Peak End

Aries stared at me and Jiang Ruoxue for a long time.

His gaze gradually shifted from being completely unguarded back to icy cold.

After about a minute, he seemed to remember who I was. Then he turned to look at Jiang Ruoxue, nodded slightly, and muttered under his breath, “Thank goodness.”

The sound came faintly from behind his mask, and I wasn’t even sure if I had heard him correctly.

Before Jiang Ruoxue could speak, Aries fixed his eyes on her and asked, “What did you just say?”

“Me…?” Jiang Ruoxue blinked. “I said I thought you weren’t working.”

“Working…” Aries let out a bitter chuckle. “Saying ‘working’ makes it sound so miserable. I come and go freely here every day. This place is no different from my home.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ruoxue nodded. “Then let me rephrase it—so Aries *was* at home. I called out for ages with no answer, so I thought you weren’t here.”

I really admired Jiang Ruoxue.

Even though it was her first time meeting Aries, she could effortlessly banter with him. Meanwhile, it had taken me months just to exchange a few words with someone like him.

“Interesting,” Aries said with a nod. “People who go out of their way to make small talk like you are rare.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Ruoxue shrugged. “People who just stand around spacing out like you are pretty rare too.”

Aries didn’t seem inclined to continue the conversation. Instead, he turned back to me and asked, “Do you need something? Why did you come to see me in the afternoon?”

“I…” I didn’t know how to answer. Was I supposed to say, *I brought Jiang Ruoxue here to help redefine love for you*?

“Hey, Aries!” Jiang Ruoxue reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m here to teach you something!”

“Teach me?” Aries blinked in surprise.

“What?” Jiang Ruoxue grinned. “Do I not look like I can teach you?”

“Not necessarily,” Aries replied. “It’s just that very few people have ever spoken to me like this. It’s… novel.”

“I’m nothing like Zhichun,” Jiang Ruoxue said, crossing her arms. “If there’s even *one* thing I’m better at than you, I’d gladly teach you.”

“That depends on whether I’m willing to learn,” Aries countered. “What exactly are you good at?”

Jiang Ruoxue smirked and asked, “Have you ever been in love?”

“I…” Aries hesitated. “What does that have to do with you?”

“Zhichun tried explaining ‘love’ to you before, but I was worried she might’ve made it sound too one-sided. So I wanted to add a few words of my own.”

Aries fell silent for a few seconds before his expression turned frigid. “I don’t need that anymore.”

“You *don’t*…?” Jiang Ruoxue’s expression darkened. “Did I come too late…?”

“Too late?” Aries’ coldness faded as he looked her up and down, as if suddenly realizing something. “I didn’t expect you to be sharp too.”

“Not sharp, just someone who goes with the flow,” Jiang Ruoxue said with a laugh. “Are you sure you don’t need help? The love Zhichun described to you was probably too perfect… That kind of thing doesn’t exist in reality…”

“Oh?”

Jiang Ruoxue paused, then continued, “When two people are really together, life doesn’t magically become smooth sailing. Over time, you’ll clash over all sorts of little things—like who does the dishes after dinner, what time you should go to bed, or even which side of the bed each of you sleeps on. You might even have a huge fight over something trivial and break up over it…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Aries interrupted.

“What?”

“I said it doesn’t matter,” he repeated. “The fact that you remember these unpleasant things is just the **Peak-End Effect** at work.”

“Peak-End Effect…?” Jiang Ruoxue glanced back at me.

I quickly explained, “It means people usually only remember the emotional peak and the ending of an experience. If both moments are positive, they’ll assume the *entire* experience was positive.”

“I don’t get theories,” Jiang Ruoxue said. “Give me an example.”

“Many businesses use this principle,” I said. “For instance, when you’re shopping for clothes, the salesperson might casually compliment your figure or complexion while you browse. Then, when you check out, they’ll offer a discount or a promotion. Since the start and end are pleasant, you’ll subconsciously think the whole shopping trip was great—even if the store was crowded, the trip was long, or the clothes had loose threads. You’d even recommend it to others as ‘a nice place.’ That’s the Peak-End Effect in action.”

“Good thing I had a translator,” Jiang Ruoxue muttered before turning back to Aries. “I get the Peak-End Effect now, but what does it have to do with me remembering those arguments?”

“If I had to guess…” Aries said slowly, “you remember those fights because you *broke up*.”

“What…?” Jiang Ruoxue froze.

“Because the ‘peak’ and the ‘end’ were both unhappy,” Aries continued. “That’s why you think love is imperfect.”

“Ugh…” Jiang Ruoxue shook her head in exasperation. “All I know is that if you like someone, you stay together, and if you’re tired, you leave. Talking to smart people like you is exhausting…”

“It’s not exhausting. I can reconstruct ‘love’ using theory and knowledge. Even if I don’t understand love, I can simulate it using the Peak-End Effect. As long as the relationship doesn’t end, I’ll keep remembering the positive moments and believing the other person is perfect.”

Jiang Ruoxue fell completely silent after hearing that.

Listening to their conversation, I could roughly guess what Aries was planning to do.

But the conclusion was so absurd that I could hardly believe it.

Was Aries really going to create a ridiculous, flawless, *perfect* relationship in his own mind?

“Aries…” Jiang Ruoxue took a deep breath and said, “You might not know this, but I came from very far away to see you. It wasn’t easy getting here. Are you *sure* there’s nothing you need my help with?”

“Why are you so insistent on helping me?” Aries asked.

“Because of my **Karma**,” she answered. “I care about Zhichun, and she cares about you. So her Karma has become mine.”

“Fascinating.” Aries nodded. “In that case, there *is* something I need your help with.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ruoxue raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

Aries took a slow step closer, as if intending to whisper in her ear.

Jiang Ruoxue immediately held up a hand to stop him, her expression turning displeased. “What’s so secretive that Zhichun can’t hear it?”

Aries glanced at me, then shook his head. “It’s not that I’m afraid of Yan Zhichun hearing. I’m worried about *others*.”