Chapter 232: Denial

Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Denial

"You’re right. It’s a classic case of Zhou Yu and Huang Gai—one is willing to dish it out, and the other is willing to take it. If Lin Jia Bao wants to be a doting brother and go hungry for Gu Jiayi, there’s nothing anyone can do, is there?" Gu Nuan Nuan’s comment made Dong Xinran wrinkle her nose and shoot a disgusted look toward the siblings’ seats.

No one was there at the moment; the two of them had gone out together.

Ever since Lin Jia Bao had changed his surname back to Lin, no one in class provoked them without reason anymore. At the same time, however, everyone now kept them at arm’s length. Even when the siblings put on a "magnanimous" air, humbling themselves and telling their old lackeys that they wouldn’t hold the past against them, no one was willing to get close.

Seeing everyone avoid them like the plague, the two siblings could only endure it. As a result, they became increasingly inseparable at school.

Dong Xinran pursed her lips. At home, her parents and grandparents had tirelessly warned her never to get too involved with those two, especially Gu Jiayi. With such a shameless mother, who knew if she’d raise a shameless daughter too? What if their own precious treasure was led astray by hanging around her? As the saying goes, it takes years to learn good habits, but only days to pick up bad ones.

"Nuannuan, I can’t believe your grandmother and father are so evil and cruel. It’s a good thing your mom ran away with you. Sigh, but you’re still so pitiful, having to go to their house every month. Let me tell you, the next time you go, you have to be super careful. If you see that grandmother and father of yours, steer clear of them. I’m really scared—what if they get upset and try to harm you?"

Dong Xinran said this with a worried frown. She couldn’t understand how such a grandmother and father could exist in the world. Why weren’t all grandmothers and fathers like her own, who treated boys and girls equally and were also very, very good to her mom? She tilted her head, pondering for a long time, but couldn’t figure it out. In the end, she could only sigh.

Too oblivious to notice Gu Nuan Nuan’s distraction, she grabbed a pencil and started chewing on it. Suddenly, as if she’d figured it out, she said, "Your grandma never liked you before, but I never heard of her daring to treat your mom so horribly, right? Could it be because Gu Jiayi’s mother was just too shameless? Hmm, that must be it. A set of twins with two different fathers... Nuannuan, you have no idea how nasty the gossip is. I even secretly heard my grandma say that some people think she deserved to die... It’s a shame my family doesn’t want me listening to this stuff, so they always talk about it away from me. I can only catch a word or two.

"But there’s one piece of news they didn’t hide from me. Nuannuan, did you know? Lin Jia Bao’s grandfather has taken early retirement. Hehe, I heard the Lin family is going to move. Apparently, it’s because his grandparents think the schools in our county aren’t good enough and want to go to a big city. Hehe, if that’s true, won’t Gu Jiayi be all by herself? No one in our class wants to hang out with her. Right now she still has Lin Jia Bao, but in the future, she’ll be truly pitiful..."

Dong Xinran chuckled a few times, gloating over the news. Then she realized she was the only one laughing; Gu Nuan Nuan hadn’t reacted at all. She finally sensed something was wrong and looked at her suspiciously, only to find that Gu Nuan Nuan was completely spaced out, lost in thought.

’So no one was listening? Did I just say all that for nothing?’

Dong Xinran pouted and gave Gu Nuan Nuan an angry nudge. "Gu Nuan Nuan, what are you thinking about? Do you even know what I was just saying?"

What else could Gu Nuan Nuan be thinking about?

At that moment, she was, of course, thinking about that detestable, uninvited intruder—Luo Hongyi. The thought of her mother, just like in her past life, being so thoroughly coaxed by a few of his words that she couldn’t wait to praise him to the heavens, made her grind her teeth until they audibly clicked—

Nudged by Dong Xinran, she snapped back to her senses just in time to hear the last sentence and reflexively asked, "What did you say?" The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. ’I’m in for it now,’ she thought. And sure enough—

"Hmph."

Dong Xinran shot her a sulky look, then pettishly turned her head away, her expression screaming, ’I’m very angry. You’d better placate me right now.’

"I was wrong. Xinran, please be the bigger person and forgive me this time. Say it again, I promise I’ll pay attention." Seeing her friend’s reaction, Gu Nuan Nuan quickly began to coax her in a soft voice.

"Hmph—Fine. Seeing how sincere your apology is, I’ll forgive you just this once. We’re best friends, after all. But this is the last time!" Dong Xinran grumbled, expressing her dissatisfaction, but she didn’t keep up the act. A smile appeared on her face at Gu Nuan Nuan’s placating words, and she readily accepted the olive branch.

In truth, she was always like this—guileless, her anger always on the surface and never lasting long. She’d be over it in no time. Even her occasional tantrums were kept within a range that never became annoying before she’d rein them in. She was also incredibly considerate... It wasn’t tiring to be around her. Gradually, Gu Nuan Nuan had begun to genuinely treat her as a good friend, a true bestie.

Gu Nuan Nuan quickly smiled and nodded.

Dong Xinran was finally satisfied and generously repeated herself. "Lin Jia Bao’s grandfather has retired early; he’s not the director of our textile factory anymore. I also heard the Lin family is moving, so Lin Jia Bao will definitely have to transfer schools. Tsk, Gu Jiayi is so pitiful. Soon there’ll really be no one left in class to talk to her..."

"The Lin family is moving?"

Gu Nuan Nuan was startled, but then she understood. ’This didn’t happen in my past life,’ she thought. ’But I have to admit that with me as a variable this time around, many things have already veered off their original course.’

"The Lin family is moving?" Gu Jiayi, who had just walked into the classroom, froze as if struck by lightning when she heard this. Her eyes went wide as she subconsciously turned to look at Lin Jia Bao. He looked just as bewildered by the news and immediately shook his head in denial. "Sis, they’re just talking nonsense. I haven’t heard Grandma or Grandpa mention anything about this."

Seeing that Lin Jia Bao’s tone didn’t seem fake, Gu Jiayi finally relaxed. She pointed a finger at Gu Nuan Nuan and said hatefully, "How can you be so cruel? Your grandmother and your father have already driven my and Jia Bao’s mother to her death, and now you’re spouting this nonsense just to make us miserable? Is that what you want?"

"I’ve never met anyone like you! You eavesdrop on our conversation and then turn around and blame us. And ’just to make you miserable’—hmph, who do you think you are? Cinderella? Or maybe poor old Snow White?"