Chapter 217: Han Ning: In the End, I Shouldered Everything Alone

Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Han Ning: In the End, I Shouldered Everything Alone

"Oh!"

"So it’s a fiancée!"

"That makes sense. Classmate Gu is just a freshman and not even of legal age to marry. There’s no way he could be married already!"

"But having a fiancée is still incredible! You have to remember, he’s only a freshman!"

"Totally!"

"But seriously, Junior Brother Gu has a fiancée as a freshman, while we’re seniors who haven’t even tasted the bitterness of love. There’s no comparison!"

"Guess I’m just destined to carry all the burdens by myself!"

"SOB SOB SOB..."

...

The onlookers in the audience couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.

"F-Fiancée..."

In the section for the Financial Management Class 1 students, Chu Xiaomeng and the others stared at Su Qinghe, muttering, "Qinghe, Handsome Gu is talking about you, right?"

"Holy crap!"

"You two are actually engaged?!"

"Damn... Qinghe, you’re something else! To think you hid it so well!"

Su Qinghe: "..."

She was completely bewildered at that moment, because she and Gu Yifan weren’t engaged at all!

Their parents had mentioned it before, but back then, she and Gu Yifan weren’t even officially together, so the matter just fizzled out.

’And now this "Big Bully," Gu Yifan, is actually telling everyone I’m his fiancée in front of so many people...’

Faced with her classmates’ questions, Su Qinghe’s face flushed red, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

At that moment, up on the stage, Han Ning completely panicked when she heard Gu Yifan’s words.

However, Gu Yifan’s next sentence dealt her another critical blow!

"Yes!"

"That’s right, I already have a fiancée, and she’s sitting in the audience right now!"

Gu Yifan announced.

An uproar swept through the audience.

The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd below the stage was stunned once more.

"Holy shit!"

"His fiancée is a student at our university too!"

"What kind of fairytale romance is this?!"

"Damn... I’m so jealous, so jealous!"

...

The crowd erupted in discussion again.

"Su Hanhan, stand up and say hello to everyone!"

Gu Yifan looked at Su Qinghe in the crowd, a faint smile on his face as he spoke in a soft, gentle voice.

"Huh?"

Hearing Gu Yifan call her name from the audience, Su Qinghe was completely dumbfounded.

Still, she obediently stood up, her face beet red, clearly overcome with shyness.

Following Gu Yifan’s gaze, everyone’s eyes went wide, their faces frozen in expressions of disbelief, as if they had just seen a ghost.

"HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!! HOLY SHIT!!!"

One guy, completely floored, let out a triple "holy shit."

"Damn... Are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"That guy’s fiancée is actually Su Qinghe, the number one campus belle???"

"Someone please tell me this isn’t real!!"

"The number one campus belle, Su Qinghe! My goddess!!!"

"Mom, is my youth over before it even began???"

"So what that guy on stage said was true!!"

"He has a fiancée!"

"And it’s Su Qinghe, the number one freshman campus belle!!!"

...

Everyone in the audience spoke out in utter disbelief.

This was especially true for the boys who admired Su Qinghe; their hearts all shattered in an instant.

Meanwhile, seeing this unfold from the stage, the last line of defense in Han Ning’s heart completely crumbled.

With a soft CRACK, Han Ning thought she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking.

She stared at Gu Yifan, his eyes filled with a tenderness reserved only for Su Qinghe. That tenderness should have been hers, but now, it belonged to her no more.

Han Ning broke.

The tears that had been welling in her eyes could no longer be held back and began to stream down her face.

"Gu Yifan!"

"I hate you!"

Leaving those words behind, she covered her face and ran backstage without a second glance...

This sudden turn of events left the audience completely baffled.

Although they couldn’t hear what Han Ning had said at the end, they had a feeling there was some untold secret between the two of them.

A bitter smile touched the corner of Gu Yifan’s lips.

’But this is for the best!’

"Ahem."

Gu Yifan gave a couple of fake coughs to cover his awkwardness, then raised the microphone and addressed the audience, "Sorry for taking up so much of your time!"

"Alright, let’s hand the stage back over to our lovely hostess!"

With that, Gu Yifan bowed to the entire audience, turned and walked backstage to return the microphone to the hostess, and then left without looking back...

Gu Yifan didn’t return to his own class’s section. Instead, he went over to where Su Qinghe’s class was and left with her.

At this moment, he couldn’t care less about any system rewards.

He needed to cool down.

...

On a stone-paved path on campus, under the dim yellow streetlights, Gu Yifan held Su Qinghe’s small hand as the two of them walked slowly forward.

Neither of them spoke. There was no sound other than the occasional chirp of crickets from the grass.

"M-Maybe... you should go find her?"

Su Qinghe suddenly whispered.

"Hm?"

Gu Yifan’s steps faltered. He stopped, turned to look at Su Qinghe with a slight frown, and said in a cold tone, "Su Hanhan, do you have any idea what you’re saying?"

"I..."

Unable to bear Gu Yifan’s intense gaze, Su Qinghe guiltily lowered her head and said softly, "She seems really upset right now. I’m worried something might happen to her."

Hearing this, Gu Yifan’s frown deepened. He didn’t say anything, just stared at Su Qinghe for a long time.

"Sigh..."

After a long moment, he shook his head, sighed lightly, and said, "You really are a silly Hanhan."

He reached out, ruffled Su Qinghe’s hair, and added, "Let’s go. We’re going home."

"Huh?"

Su Qinghe froze for a second, then looked up at Gu Yifan in surprise.

She said, conflicted, "But..."

"No buts!"

Gu Yifan cut her off mercilessly.

Scolded by Gu Yifan, Su Qinghe didn’t dare say another word, but her pouting lips made her feelings of grievance and indignation clear.

Seeing her like this, how could Gu Yifan not know what she was thinking?

He shook his head helplessly, his tone softening considerably. "Alright, it’s fine. Han Ning isn’t as fragile as you think."

"I..."

Su Qinghe’s mouth opened slightly as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

"Let’s go."

"Home."

Gu Yifan said flatly.

With that, he took her hand, and they turned and slowly walked in the direction of their detached courtyard house.

...

「At the same time.」

Jinling University, by the Little West Lake.

A lonely figure sat on the steps, gazing at the shimmering lake water as tears continued to stream endlessly from her eyes...