We Should Have Drawn the Line Long Ago

With a twist and turn of the mountain path, Wang Ge turned around with a look of pleasant surprise.

"Really, Panyan? I knew you wouldn't be so heartless!"

"Heh."

Gu Panyan let out a cold laugh, approached him, and then grabbed his collar.

She was clearly a little shorter than Wang Ge, but now she put on an air of condescension.

"Listen up, Wang Ge."

Under the moonlight, the aggressive girl stared into Wang Ge's eyes.

"No matter how much of a playboy you are now, juggling two girls or keeping a harem, I don't care. Because we haven't officially started dating yet."

"If you just want to play around with me, then I don't mind playing along. I'll just consider myself blind for misjudging you. After the college entrance exams, I'll spend a night with you and pay you a sum of money, and then we'll go our separate ways."

"But if you genuinely want to date me,"

She paused, and Gu Panyan's eyes began to turn dangerous: "Then you'd better hide all your messy relationships with other women, or cut them off completely. If I find out about something like today after we're together... heh."

She didn't say what the consequences would be, just let out a cold laugh and released the hand gripping Wang Ge's collar.

"Think carefully, Wang Ge. I have a bad temper, no patience, and a serious tendency towards violence. There's no magic potion for regret in this world. Since you chose to provoke me, you'd better be prepared to bear the consequences."

"Understood?"

With that last sentence, the girl turned decisively and walked into the apartment.

Wang Ge stood there stunned for a while. Long after Gu Panyan had disappeared, he chuckled softly.

"Ah, what a charming and captivating girl..."

Then, he scratched his head and sighed with considerable distress.

Stupid System, bringing two such wonderful girls into my life. I can't bear to let either of them go.

Isn't this forcing me to be a scumbag?

After thinking quietly for a while longer, Wang Ge got back on his bicycle and started his journey home.

At a second-floor apartment window, a slender woman with beautiful makeup and a glamorous outfit stood watching the boy ride his bicycle away. She turned and called out, "Xiao Yan, that kid's gone."

"Isn't it normal for him to leave?"

Gu Panyan took off her coat and casually tossed it onto the sofa. She looked at the woman standing by the window, frowning slightly. "What about you? Why are you here every day? Doesn't your husband mind?"

"I'm here to see my daughter. It's only natural. Why should he mind?" the woman, Gu Panyan's mother, said.

"Tch."

Gu Panyan let out a disdainful scoff.

She knew this woman all too well.

Vain and superficial, with no real standing in her new family, yet she insisted on putting on a brave face.

Gu's Mother didn't seem to care about Gu Panyan's attitude and asked curiously, "Is that person Wang Ge? The one tutoring you?"

Gu Panyan sat on the sofa playing with her phone and gave a noncommittal "Mm."

"Your relationship seems unusual. Are you already together?"

"No."

"Then it shouldn't be long before you are... Hmm, that boy looks pretty good. Quite handsome."

"I think he's pretty good too, apart from being a bit of a flirt."

Gu Panyan said casually.

"A flirt? That's not a small thing. What if he cheats in the future..."

"That's not something you need to worry about."

Gu's Mother was momentarily choked off, then smiled and asked:

"For you to take a liking to that boy, he must be quite outstanding, right? This is the first time I've seen you so close to another boy."

A mocking curve touched Gu Panyan's lips. "How many times have you seen me in total?"

Facing her mother, she was covered in thorns, and not like a timid hedgehog that only curls up defensively.

If she had to be described by an animal, she would be like a porcupine – a wild and aggressive beast.

--Although describing a teenage girl as a porcupine is somewhat incongruous and impolite.

Gu's Mother was choked off again, but she was a very patient woman, persistent and unyielding.

So she asked again, "Do you know what Wang Ge's family background is like?"

"Why would I bother asking about his family background?" Gu Panyan asked, a little impatiently.

She was the complete opposite of her mother; she had no patience whatsoever.

Seeing her daughter getting agitated, Gu's Mother quickly said, "Don't worry, don't worry. I won't interfere in your affairs. Although I'm materialistic, I won't demand that you be materialistic too. It's best if you can find a boyfriend you like."

Seeing Gu Panyan didn't speak, she added, "Even if that Wang Ge's family has no money, it's fine. I have money now..."

Gu Panyan couldn't be bothered to deal with this woman and interrupted her directly:

"I'm tired. If you want to sleep here, find any room and sleep. If you want to leave, hurry up and go. I'm locking up and going to bed."

"I'll sleep here for one night. You go sleep. Don't worry about me,"

Gu's Mother said.

"If you're not sleeping, what are you going to do?" Gu Panyan frowned.

"I saw there are still a few dirty clothes in your bathroom that haven't been washed. I'll wash them for you." Gu Panyan's mother flashed a fawning smile.

Gu Panyan looked at the woman with a half-smile.

You didn't wash them before, and you won't wash them later. You just have to wait until I'm back to wash them, and you have to tell me specifically before you do it.

You just want me to see you contributing to me, right?

If you washed the clothes in advance and let me discover on my own that you were silently sacrificing for me, wouldn't that earn me more favor than doing it this way?

"Ahem, uh, I'm going to go wash your clothes."

Under Gu Panyan's gaze, Gu's Mother felt like all her thoughts had been seen through. She flusteredly fled into the bathroom.

Looking at her mother's flustered back, Gu Panyan was somewhat speechless.

How did I not realize before that my mother was so stupid?

She doesn't even know how to gain favor.

If she were half as smart as Wang Ge, our relationship wouldn't be this stiff.

"Alright, don't bother washing them anymore," Gu Panyan interrupted her. "It's getting late. You should go to bed. Staying up late is bad for old people's health."

Gu's Mother wanted to retort that she wasn't old, but Gu Panyan didn't give her a chance to speak and continued, "You already have your own new family. Don't come over anymore. My life has also gotten back on track. The ideal state for us is to live without disturbing each other."

Upon hearing this, Gu's Mother's face instantly turned pale. "You, you want to cut ties with me, Xiao Yan?"

"We should have cut ties long ago, madam."

Gu Panyan pulled a cigarette from a drawer and lit it.

After taking a deep drag, she slowly exhaled the mist. "Your family members have been very unhappy with me for a long time. If you keep coming to my place, they'll find trouble for you sooner or later—my dad is much smarter than you in this regard."

She paused and added expressionlessly, "If you get divorced again, you won't be able to get married."

"Even if I can't get married, I can't abandon my daughter!" This vain and superficial woman's face turned red as she yelled.

"Heh."

After a few seconds of silence, Gu Panyan let out a scoff, extinguished the cigarette she had only taken a few puffs from, and threw it into the trash can.

Then, she stopped paying attention to the woman and turned back into her own bedroom.

PS: Today is Panyan's birthday! Remember to go to her homepage and give her a like.

The trial push has also been submitted. Thank you all for your continued support. I'll create a group later and post the group number in the next chapter.

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