Chapter 265 - 253: Wise Up (Part 2)

When Chen Tingting heard the word "girlfriend," her eyes instantly glazed over, and the tears she had just managed to stop started streaming down her face again.

’Did Gu Muxue come here today to declare her claim?’

’Was she... going to force me to never contact Xue Rui again?’

She knew she didn’t matter much to Xue Rui—certainly not as much as Gu Muxue or Lin Ruoxi—but as long as he hadn’t made a choice, she’d always felt like she had a chance.

But now, Xue Rui had chosen. He had chosen Gu Muxue.

She remembered how she’d once boasted that she "could accept him being with two people at once," but now that it was actually happening, her heart ached.

’When you love someone, how can you just accept sharing them? Even though I never even had him in the first place...’

Xue Rui’s repeated rejections and Gu Muxue’s visit were tearing Chen Tingting’s emotions apart. She was now sobbing uncontrollably.

Chen Tingting buried her head in her arms, her small shoulders wracked with sobs, but she didn’t make a single sound.

Gu Muxue sighed, opened a pack of tissues, and pressed them into Chen Tingting’s hand.

’She’s just started her senior year. For kids from ordinary families, the college entrance exam is one of the most important turning points in life...’

Afraid of impacting Chen Tingting’s future, Gu Muxue offered an olive branch. "You can still hang out with Xiaorui in the future."

"R-Really?" Chen Tingting looked up in disbelief.

"Really. But on one condition: I have to be there," Gu Muxue said with a faint, confident smile.

She and Chen Tingting had their fair share of interactions. Every time Chen Tingting hounded Xue Rui, he would come to her for help, and she would drag Chen Tingting away, occasionally having to be stern with her.

In reality, though, she had never truly disliked Chen Tingting. Xue Rui gave her a complete sense of security, which was the source of her confidence in making such a generous offer.

Of course, she also knew a thing or two about the nature of men. If she just let Chen Tingting run wild, who knew if Xue Rui might one day make a mistake. That was why her condition was that she had to be there to supervise.

’As she gets older,’ Gu Muxue thought, ’Chen Tingting will mature. She’ll eventually realize this is immoral and undignified, and she’ll walk away on her own.’

Xue Rui found it hard to hurt Chen Tingting because of their complicated ties, but Gu Muxue could mediate. If necessary, she could even talk to Chen Tingting’s father.

Chen Tingting tried to steady her breathing. ’Gu Muxue isn’t trying to cut me off from Xue Rui completely.’

A sharp pain pierced Chen Tingting’s heart. The more Gu Muxue acted like this, the more immense the pressure felt.

’Why is she so confident?’

Chen Tingting timidly snuck a glance at Gu Muxue, shoving the review materials with the scribbled-out name further underneath her.

Gu Muxue smiled faintly. "I already saw it. The name you scribbled out was mine."

"Hmph!" Chen Tingting pouted and scooted farther away.

"I have to get back to class." Chen Tingting stood up. She didn’t want to stay here a second longer.

But before she could take more than a few steps, a cool voice sounded from behind her. "Stop."

Chen Tingting’s body went stiff, and she obediently stood her ground. But then she thought, ’Wait, why should I listen to her?’

Summoning her courage, Chen Tingting said, "I won’t."

"Wash your face before you go back. Otherwise, people will think someone bullied you," Gu Muxue said calmly. With her face streaked with tears, how could Chen Tingting possibly return to the classroom looking like that?

Chen Tingting thought what Gu Muxue said made sense, so she went to the restroom to wash her face.

She felt an indescribable misery in her heart. Looking in the mirror at her own tear-streaked face, she thought, ’I’m such a coward. Why couldn’t I just be fierce with her for once?’

Chen Tingting lingered in the restroom for a long, long time. ’I’ll wait until Gu Muxue leaves the school before I go out,’ she thought.

However, the black sedan remained parked between the two academic buildings, as if it was waiting for her.

She felt so, so wronged, but she had no one to talk to. Her friends didn’t support her pursuit of Xue Rui, and Xue Rui definitely wouldn’t answer her calls. After thinking it over, she called Chen Shen.

"What’s wrong, honey?" Chen Shen’s gentle voice came from the phone.

He felt his daughter was becoming more mature. When Xue Rui wasn’t at school, she would obediently stay in the dorms every day. Sometimes, he even felt like his daughter was growing more and more distant from him.

The real reason, however, was that Lin Ruoxi’s poster was still hanging by the entrance. If she commuted, she would have to see it every day on her way to and from school, which was why Chen Tingting had chosen to board...

Hearing her father’s voice, Chen Tingting couldn’t control her tears any longer. She burst out crying pitifully. "Dad..."

"What is it? Tingting, don’t cry. I’m coming to the school right now." Chen Shen’s voice grew stern.

"Xue Rui... Xue Rui has a girlfriend," Chen Tingting choked out.

Chen Shen, who had been about to get dressed and leave, froze when he heard this. He felt like his brain couldn’t quite process it...

’Wait, wasn’t that Lin Ruoxi girl his girlfriend? I thought my daughter knew that all along.’

’So she’s crying now because Xue Rui has a girlfriend?’

’What a mess...’

Chen Shen began to comfort her. "Honey, what’s so great about Xue Rui? If he has a girlfriend, he has a girlfriend. We’ll find someone much better for you in the future. It’s his loss for not choosing you. He was never worthy of you..."

Chen Tingting’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter. She wanted to vent, but she didn’t want to listen to her dad bad-mouthing Xue Rui. She cut him off. "Dad, where’s Mom? Let me talk to Mom."

"Hello? Tingting."

"Mom, I need you to help me strategize. Xue Rui has a girlfriend... how do I steal him away from her?"