Chapter 227

Looking at Hua Xin behind her, Lin Qingyu thought, "What kind of meeting is this? It wouldn't matter if he were missing, right? After all, he's just an ordinary member, not an important figure. Besides, he's with Hua Xin right now." Lin Qingyu glanced at Hua Xin, understanding Xia Yan's worries perfectly. However, based on her conversation with Hua Xin in the coffee shop, she was quite confident the girl would make the right choice. Because she held Hua Xin's secret, there was no reason for her to contradict her at this time. "I'll just wander around by myself. You can do whatever you want," Hua Xin replied instinctively, seemingly oblivious to their glances and feelings. A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lin Qingyu's eyes, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. "Then wait for me here, I'll be back in a bit." "Okay." Seeing that Hua Xin had already expressed her opinion, Xia Yan had to try his best to attend the meeting, even if he didn't want to. Although he really wanted to stay away from Lin Qingyu, he had also promised Lin Qingyu that he would leave the Student Council after this event. So... why didn't Hua Xin try to persuade him to stay? Even just to find some excuse to send Lin Qingyu away. This made Xia Yan's thoughts feel conflicted, and his previously clear thoughts became confused again. "Let's go." Lin Qingyu, like a proud white swan, gracefully walked to Xia Yan's side, as if she had already replaced Hua Xin, and followed him towards the elevator in the lobby. Xia Yan frowned and stopped halfway, letting Lin Qingyu go first. But his mind wasn't on this. He kept thinking. Why didn't Hua Xin refuse him, didn't try to persuade him to stay? If everything was really as he thought, things shouldn't be like this right now. Xia Yan and Lin Qingyu, who entered the elevator one after the other, shared the same atmosphere as Xia Yan and Hua Xin earlier. Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became very silent. After a long while, Lin Qingyu looked up at the "5" on the elevator sign and began talking about the meeting that was about to start. She had to find something to break the silence. Silence was not what she wanted. "The proposal you wrote with the other Student Council last time was very good. The secretary and advisor both liked you very much." "Why don't you reconsider? By the time you finish this semester and become a sophomore, you'll definitely be able to become the Student Council minister." "You'll be the president in your junior year, which will be very helpful for you." "..." "I'm sorry, Senior Lin, I still stand by my original idea." "The other party did most of the work on the proposal; I didn't actually help much." Xia Yan's face was calm as still water, without even the formulaic gentleness and politeness. His tone was cold and brooked no refusal. He was very unhappy now. This was the first time he had felt so irritable and indifferent since he started planning to change himself and create a gentle and sunny persona. "Okay..." "I respect your choice." Lin Qingyu turned ashen, losing her previous elegance and smugness. Had that girl said something to Xia Yan again? The elevator doors opened, and the two entered the conference room through the back door. The conference room wasn't crowded; just a few so-called leaders and Student Council members were exchanging pleasantries and summaries of the day's activities. Their arrival didn't attract much attention. Xia Yan didn't choose to sit with Lin Qingyu; instead, he went to the opposite side and sat with a guy from a foreign language university with whom he had previously worked on the project proposal. Lin Qingyu silently watched Xia Yan, who had moved away from her before she could say anything. A long-suppressed sense of defeat welled up inside her, and her hands clenched into fists. "Hey...brother, aren't you sitting with Lin?" "She's still looking at you." The guy, seeing Xia Yan sit next to him and then glance at Lin Qingyu, hurriedly whispered to Xia Yan, feeling extremely uncomfortable. "Ah, since everyone's here, let's chat for a bit." "Today's event was clearly a success. Although we were the organizers this time, the Foreign Languages University will be the organizers next time." "We can also use this experience to expand the scope of our next event a bit, not just limited to..." Xia Yan didn't care who was speaking. "We're not familiar with each other," he said calmly to the boy, his gaze fixed on the wallpaper that lit up on his phone screen. ————————————————Hua Xin stood silently in place, the two figures gradually disappearing. It was as if these two seemingly well-matched people had nothing to do with her, who felt as insignificant as an ugly duckling, whether in terms of temperament or clothing. Dressed in all black, she exuded a cheap aura. There seemed to be no comparison between them. Until the two disappeared from her sight, the girl didn't wander around as she had agreed with Xia Yan and wait for him to return, but instead slowly walked down the stairs. Now, Hua Xin really wanted to go home. After leaving the hair salon, Hua Xin had been lost in thought, constantly reflecting on what had happened. Things she had been subconsciously avoiding confronting now surfaced. Sometimes, without experiencing certain things, one wouldn't awaken from their reverie. Had she been too immersed in this comfortable life, perhaps even becoming complacent? The gradual improvement in her life had made her forget so many things—her transformation, the colossal lie she had told Xia Yan, and her true identity as a woman. The girl thought to herself, her heart sinking deeper and deeper into despair. From beginning to end, "Hua Xin" had become less and less a part of this wonderful life, while "Gu Xin Hua" had been the one enjoying it all. Suddenly, the girl felt a sudden weakness wash over her, and she reached out a cold hand from her sleeve to grip the wall. She seemed to be crying. Hua Xin felt a dampness spreading through her mask, and only then did she belatedly realize that she was shedding tears. She turned her head slightly to look at her hand that was supporting the wall. Through her blurry vision, she could see the jade pendant on her wrist, reflecting light faintly, as if it were looking at her. Only when she was alone did the emotions that had been suppressed in her heart surge up like a tide. Was it true that... whether Hua Xin disappeared or existed, no one would remember or mourn her? Everyone would only remember a girl named Gu Xin Hua, and what everyone liked was this identity she was forced to play, not herself. Memories of the past assaulted her one by one. Yes. She had planned it all along, to leave this world that made her feel indifferent after fulfilling her promise. 171.?: What's wrong with people? "Bang." The sound from outside the door made Chun Qiu's ears twitch slightly, but her eyes remained tightly closed. She curled up on the large television with her four little paws, the white plush blanket beneath her not very clean. The gray dust that had settled on it was something the girl rarely cleaned, only tidying it up around the New Year.