For the next few days, Wu Xi stopped borrowing money from me, and didn't cause any more trouble or mischief.
Several times I gently tapped on the table to signal him to eat with me, but he only frowned slightly, his eyes showing a lack of friendliness. Once, my hand accidentally touched his table, and Wu Xi immediately wiped it with a tissue, then coldly said in front of the class:
"Don't touch my table with your hand."
He paused for a moment, then added in a flat tone:
"…It's dirty."
I paused slightly, frowning, my lips twitching as I looked at him, thinking to myself, "Damn it, I'm helping you and you're still acting like this?" But Wu Xi didn't pay any attention, just turned around and pulled Lin Ze Yun away to eat, leaving me standing there.
Beside me, Kha Nian spoke up, his voice slightly annoyed:
"What a difficult person. Ning Chuan, you shouldn't hang out with that girl anymore."
I just mumbled something in response and turned to leave.
We didn't know that the scene we just witnessed… had been seen by someone.
During lunch, I kept feeling like someone was staring at me.
I looked up and saw Kha Nhiem staring at me without blinking.
I frowned.
"Is there something on my face that you're staring at me like that?"
Kha Nhiem scratched his face and said,
"You… have a girlfriend lately?"
I was a little stunned.
Seeing my reaction, he thought I was embarrassed, so he laughed heartily and patted my shoulder.
"So, I guessed it was true, huh? Did some girl kiss you these past few days? Your lips are all swollen."
I froze immediately.
Seeing my reaction, Kha Nhiem thought I was pretending, and laughed happily, saying,
"Come on, don't hide it, I know everything."
Only then did I speak up:
"What are you talking about? I don't have a girlfriend."
Kha Nhiêm looked a little bewildered, frowning at me, clearly still not quite believing me.
"Then why are your lips..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a low voice suddenly rang out from behind me:
"What are you two talking about?"
I turned around and saw it was Dạ Uyên. He was holding a bottle of water in his hand, probably just getting some.
I quickly smiled and said:
"Oh, nothing, just talking about schoolwork."
Then I quickly sat down on the chair next to me and said cheerfully, "Come on, A Uyên, sit down quickly, or the food will get cold and won't taste good anymore." Dạ Uyên didn't say anything more, just obediently replied, "Yes, sir!" Seeing this, Kha Nhiêm didn't ask any more questions, although he was quite curious, because he didn't want to pry too deeply into my affairs.
That afternoon, Lâm Trạch Vân asked me to meet him. I had nothing to do, so I agreed.
When I arrived, Zhai Yun was already sitting there.
As soon as I sat down, he immediately asked,
"Did something happen between you and Wu Xi?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
Zhai Yun frowned slightly.
"Then why has Wu Xi's attitude been a little different these past few days?"
Hearing that, I remembered and said,
"Oh, that… I'm not really sure. I only know that she sent me a message saying that from now on we should just pretend we don't know each other."
Zhai Yun was silent for a moment after hearing that.
I focused on drinking my water, when he suddenly continued to ask,
"Wu Xi… used to have a boyfriend, right?"
I frowned slightly.
"Why are you asking that?"
Zhai Yun looked at me, his voice calm but his eyes sharp:
"Because I feel like Wu Xi seems to hate love… and things like that."
I hesitated a little, but under Zhai Yun's expectant gaze, I finally nodded in confirmation.
"Hmm… she used to have someone she liked. She liked him a lot. But maybe not anymore."
Zhai Yun pondered for a moment, then asked,
"Can you tell me about Wu Xi and that person?"
This time I hesitated. Telling him would be like betraying a friend; if he found out, he'd probably tear me to pieces.
But under Zhai Yun's gaze, plus the hope that he could comfort Wu Xi… I finally nodded.
"There was someone… who helped her when she was in trouble."
I gave a weak smile.
"To put it bluntly, it was just a loaf of bread and an umbrella on a rainy day."
"That person offered her a helping hand, said a few caring words… and Wu Xi fell for them."
"Then they fell in love."
I paused to think for a moment, then continued,
"Probably about three or four years."
"Their feelings were quite deep… but in the end, that person betrayed her."
Zhai Yun frowned.
"Why?"
I replied indifferently,
"Because Wu Xi is too rigid… not as gentle as her adopted sister."
I looked at him and continued,
"Actually, that person never loved Wu Xi that much. Sometimes, people are only attracted by money and glamour… and can throw everything away."
"He even… did something that Wu Xi would hate to the core if anyone ever mentioned it."
Hearing this, Zhai Yun frowned.
"Why did he do that?"
I replied indifferently,
"Because if she died… the heir to the family fortune would be her adopted sister."
"That adopted sister conspired with Wu Xi's boyfriend to harm her."
After saying this, I looked at Zhai Yun.
Actually, only about seventy percent of the story I just told was true; I deliberately concealed the remaining thirty percent.
Then I said sincerely:
"If you want to pursue Wu Xi… you must first overcome the psychological shadow in her heart."
"That person used to be very important to her. But now… he might also be the person she hates the most."
"I am her friend, so I only wish for her happiness, instead of constantly wallowing in suffering."
"Therefore, I don't...""She opposes your pursuit of her… even hoping you two can be together."
I sighed softly and continued,
"Very few people can enter her heart. But once they do… she can use her life to protect the one she loves."
After hearing me, Zhai Yun pondered for a moment. His eyes darkened slightly.
After a while, he asked,
"What's the name of Wu Xi's ex-boyfriend?"
Hearing that, I almost guessed his intention.
I shook my head.
"You won't find out… and I can't tell you."
Zhai Yun didn't ask any further questions.
I added,
"If you intend to investigate anything about Wu Xi, don't let her know. She hates being stabbed in the back the most."
"If she knows… you won't have a chance."
Zhai Yun nodded as if he understood.
Then I asked,
"By the way, where did Wu Xi go? Why did you ask me to meet her here?"
Zhai Yun replied,
"I don't know. She just said she had something to do and left first."
I said "oh."
We talked for a while longer, then got up and left.
Before leaving, Zhai Yun suddenly said something cryptic:
"You sleep well every night, don't you?"
I was a little confused, and was about to ask again when he turned and left.
I stood there for a while, still not understanding what he meant.
But at that moment, I didn't know that…
While I was acting as Zhai Yun's "love advisor," elsewhere, Wu Xi was also talking to Ye Yuan.
In other words…
my closest friend, whom I trusted the most, was now "betraying" me.