CM - 18

Zhao Guqing and Zhu Jiayi secretly saw Shen Tingwen and Zhou Shuirong embracing. They were too far away to hear what they were saying, but Shen Tingwen’s consistently tender eyes pierced Zhao Guqing’s heart.

Zhu Jiayi, fearing Zhao Guqing was upset, gripped her shoulder: “There are plenty of fish in the sea.”

Zhao Guqing understood, but still felt miserable: “Maybe I have a masochistic streak. I know liking him hurts, but I still like him. I should write a book called ‘The Self-Cultivation of a Simp’.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that,” Zhu Jiayi disliked her self-description.

Zhao Guqing didn’t want to watch the game anymore: “Let’s go shopping.”

“Okay.”

The two took a taxi to a nearby mall. As soon as they got on the escalator, they ran into Zhou Shuirong. Zhao Guqing, remembering Zhou Shuirong buying her yogurt last time, proactively greeted her: “You’re shopping too?”

Zhou Shuirong knew about her; she was a girl who had previously suffered verbal abuse, liked Shen Tingwen, came from a good family, and was a childhood friend of Zhu Jiayi and Liang Jifan. She replied: “Mm.”

Zhao Guqing extended an invitation: “So, want to join us?”

Although Zhu Jiayi didn’t quite understand Zhao Guqing’s intention, she didn’t show any reluctance, exhibiting the utmost sisterly默契 (tacit understanding).

Zhou Shuirong had only trusted Vanessa in the past, but Vanessa deceived her. She came here and trusted Shen Tingwen, and he also deceived her. She didn’t want to spend more time trusting others, so she refused her.

“Then let me treat you to an ice cream? You bought me yogurt before, and I’d feel bad if I didn’t pay you back.”

Zhou Shuirong saw her insistence and no longer refused.

________________________________________

Baskin-Robbins.

Zhao Guqing saw Zhou Shuirong take two perfunctory bites and thought she didn’t like it, so she ran to the shop next door to buy her bubble tea.

Zhu Jiayi watched Zhao Guqing dash off excitedly, feeling a bit awkward. She explained to Zhou Shuirong: “Don’t be alarmed, she doesn’t mean anything by it. She’s just a bit overly enthusiastic, but she has a good heart.”

Zhou Shuirong said casually: “Logically speaking, she should dislike me because I’m rumored to be involved with the boy she likes.”

Zhu Jiayi was stunned, unsure how to respond. She was also a little intimidated by Zhou Shuirong’s composure. She knew everything and could still sit there so steadily with them. Such a person was somewhat frightening.

Zhao Guqing returned with the bubble tea and told Zhou Shuirong to pick one. Zhou Shuirong said: “If I drink this, I’ll owe you again. If I follow your principle of not owing others, I’d have to pay you back. With all this back and forth, would we ever be clear?”

Zhao Guqing shook her head: “You don’t need to pay me back. You didn’t spend much buying me yogurt, but you saved me from embarrassment. That’s something money can’t measure.”

Zhou Shuirong smiled, her thoughts unreadable. After a moment, she said: “I’ll give you a chance to speak your mind.”

It was a random, unprompted statement. Zhu Jiayi didn’t understand, but Zhao Guqing did.

Zhou Shuirong didn’t believe that someone she had just met could be so enthusiastic towards her without an ulterior motive. Although Zhao Guqing truly had no motive, since Zhou Shuirong wanted to hear it, she boldly spoke her mind: “I want to be friends with you.”

Zhou Shuirong asked her: “Because of Shen Tingwen?”

Zhao Guqing was a little surprised. How did this new transfer student know she liked Shen Tingwen? She avoided talking about Shen Tingwen: “I just want to be friends with you, no other intentions.”

Zhou Shuirong still refused.

After Zhou Shuirong left, Zhao Guqing’s posture slumped. She leaned back in her chair, feeling a bit lost.

Zhu Jiayi could finally speak; she had been bursting: “Why do you want to be friends with her?”

Zhao Guqing didn’t know either; she just wanted to be friends with her, even if Shen Tingwen liked her. She had read a book once that mentioned how some girls couldn’t help but try to please the girl their crush liked.

Perhaps that was her mindset?

Of course, the greater possibility was that Zhou Shuirong was genuinely likable. No one who interacted with her could dislike her. She was aloof, but polite, and she was kind.

She didn’t know about women older than them, but for their age group, to be worldly yet not worldly, to maintain one’s independence and clarity, was simply too damn cool.