But she didn’t notice that a few other girls had followed her all the way from outside the cafeteria and were still staring at her with conflicted looks.
Liu Tingyue was very confused at first, but now, she had a sneaking suspicion. Her intuition told her she was probably right. She had been in the large lecture hall too, blending in with a crowd of girls, and only saw what happened after the professor arrived. After leaving the cafeteria, she and her best friend followed them, so she naturally saw Jiangg Yao wave goodbye to Chen Yuan.
She was overco with incredibly complex feelings.
It was no exaggeration to say that over the entire break, Liu Tingyue had thought of Chen Yuan every few days. She had been tempted to open his Green Bubble and send him a ssage many tis, but such a forward move would likely go unanswered.
From their ti together, she had co to understand a bit about Chen Yuan’s personality.
This guy was different from all the other guys she’d ever t. If she wanted to pursue him, she’d have to play the long ga. Rushing things would get her nowhere.
If, at first, she had only wanted to use Chen Yuan to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, after reflecting over the break, she was now certain she was genuinely attracted to him.
That was why she hadn’t found a new boyfriend.
School had finally started, and Liu Tingyue was ready to put her plan into action and make her move. But as it turned out, the "girlfriend" who had already beaten her to the punch was so formidable that she felt utterly powerless to compete.
’The girl who was acting all cutesy on the phone... that must be Jiangg’s sister,’ she thought.
"Yueyue, I really don’t think you have a chance. Just give up," her best friend said, shaking her head.
"...Not even a sliver of a chance?"
"The odds are too slim. It’s not worth it. And it’s no wonder Chen Yuan never responded to any of your advances."
"He didn’t respond because I can’t asure up to that girl... right?"
Liu Tingyue gave a self-deprecating smile, her gaze locked on Jiangg Yao as she walked down the path.
Jiangg Yao walked with a light, quick step, her eyes glued to her phone.
It was midday, and with no clouds for cover, the sun was especially fierce. The heat brought a thin sheen of sweat to her nose.
Yaoyao pulled off her mask, feeling an imdiate sense of relief.
The mont Yaoyao’s face was revealed, Liu Tingyue caught a stunning glimpse... and an even deeper sense of inferiority welled up from the bottom of her heart. She knew she couldn’t compete.
She watched Jiangg Yao walk into the distance.
Her feelings grew even more tangled.
"Maybe you’re right."
...
By the ti Jiangg Yao left campus and found her sister’s car parked on the side of the street, it was already 12:38 PM. The sun was scorching.
She pulled open the car door and stepped inside. A blast of cool air washed over her, and she felt like she was coming back to life.
"Ah, the air conditioning feels so good," Jiangg Yao sighed, pressing her face toward the vent in blissful enjoynt.
"Today was a success. Looks like Chen Yuan isn’t as resistant to us as I thought. He talks tough, but thankfully, he has a soft heart. I can finally breathe a little easier," Jiangg Ning said, slowly starting the car’s engine.
"I thought he was a little cold. It’s weird, I’m not used to it. It’s probably a side effect of pretending to be you before. All his affection points went to your account."
"Not necessarily. Maybe he just doesn’t like you. I didn’t feel any coldness, did I?"
"Heh, enjoy your mont. Don’t celebrate too soon." Jiangg Yao wrinkled her nose and shot her sister a playful glare. "Turn at the next intersection and drop off at Wan’s place. I’m not going ho just yet. Don’t you have things to do this afternoon? Go get busy. I’ll be here to keep our ’little master’ company the entire ti. He definitely won’t be lonely."
"Going to Wan’s place? Oh? So you’re not going ho to wash the dishes?" Jiangg Ning teased.
"What dishes are there to wash? Don’t we have a dishwasher at ho?"
"Then what was all that crap you were spouting!"
Imdiately after, Jiangg Ning freed one hand and rapped her sister on the head. Jiangg Yao yelped, "You animal!" and glared at her, clutching the sore spot.
"Are you crazy?! Why’d you hit again? You’re such a brute! Chen Yuan should really see what you’re like. You’re going to be one of those bossy wives who never lets their husband go out with his friends!"
"Then go and tell him. See if he believes you. Am I stopping you?"
"You!"
Seeing her sister rendered speechless by her coback, Jiangg Ning’s mood instantly brightened, as evidenced by the clear smile playing on her lips.
The two sisters bickered nonstop; there was never a quiet mont between them.
When they reached her destination, Jiangg Yao got out, grabbed a few things from her bag, and left, but not before turning to stick her tongue out at her sister.
"Pfft. So much for ’gentle and kind’... It’s all an act!"
She grumbled to herself as she walked into the apartnt complex and took the elevator up. Even now, the spot where her sister had hit her still throbbed faintly.
Jiangg Ning really hadn’t held back.
It was a classic case of "knocking the mountain to awe the tiger." No, wait—it was "knocking the head to awe the tiger." Then again, both sisters were tigers, so the saying fit perfectly, no matter which one was doing the knocking.
"Wan! BOO HOO HOO... I’m being bullied!"
The mont she was inside her best friend’s apartnt, she practically threw herself into her arms. Wan’s slender fra was no match for the impact, and she staggered back several steps. Snapping out of her daze, Wan’s first instinct was to comfort Jiangg Yao, stroking her hair and cooing, "There, there," while asking what on earth was wrong.
The two of them sat on the sofa, Jiangg Yao’s arms wrapped around her friend’s neck, her aggrieved expression a mixture of pitiful and adorable.
Aside from the two sisters, Wan probably knew the most about the situation. She often listened to Yaoyao ramble on about her love life and her worries, occasionally offering her own advice. She had previously tried to persuade Jiangg Yao not to be so bullheaded, but unfortunately, to no avail.
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