Chapter 37

When they heard that Xia Yue and Wang Shining were engaged, the students at school all looked shocked.

The Wang family was wealthy and powerful. Although Wang Shining was not the Wang family's next heir, as the youngest son, he was greatly favored by his father.

Although Xia Yue was beautiful and seemed outstanding in every way, to them, her status as an illegitimate daughter alone was enough to deter most people.

It seemed Wang Shining truly loved Xia Yue. Ever since Xia Yue transferred into their class, Wang Shining had not only broken up with his ex-girlfriend, but now had even agreed to get engaged to Xia Yue.

In Lu Yao's original dream, although Father Lu had also rejected Chu Wang's proposal for a marriage alliance, after Lu Qi learned that Chu Wang would announce Xia Yue and Wang Shining's engagement at the birthday banquet, he caused a huge scene at Xia Yue's birthday party. Father Lu had ultimately agreed, helplessly, to his engagement with Xia Yue.

In this life, Lu Qi had not been controlled by those mental tools, and Xia Yue had ultimately still become engaged to Wang Shining.

Hearing the classmates discussing this, Lu Yao suddenly remembered the scene he had witnessed at noon that day, when Lu Qi had held Xia Yue in his arms.

Hearing Lu Yao suddenly bring it up, Lu Qi's eyes widened in surprise. "So after seeing that, you didn't misunderstand and think there was something going on between her and me, did you?"

Seeing Lu Yao remain silent, Lu Qi frantically scratched his hair.

"Even if I liked Ye Muqing, I still wouldn't like her!"

Ye Muqing, who was sitting nearby, shot Lu Qi a sidelong glance. That was going too far!

Ignoring Ye Muqing's murderous glare, Lu Qi continued explaining, "She suddenly tripped on flat ground and happened to fall onto me. Didn't you see that I pushed her away afterward?!"

Lu Yao: "..."

After seeing that scene, he had immediately swished the curtains shut.

Knowing that he had misunderstood Lu Qi, the discomfort in Lu Yao's heart vanished completely.

****

Ever since Xia Yue and Wang Shining became engaged, the two went everywhere together at school, flaunting their affection in front of everyone.

At noon that day, just as Chu Jiaojiao was about to leave the cafeteria, she ran into Xia Yue and Wang Shining at the entrance.

The moment she saw them, Chu Jiaojiao inwardly cursed her bad luck.

Chu Jiaojiao knew that ever since her mother divorced that scumbag father of hers, the Chu Family Company's cash flow had gradually begun running into problems.

And Wang Shining had actually managed to persuade the Wang family to agree to his marriage alliance with Xia Yue. It left her utterly dumbfounded. Had water gotten into Wang Shining's brain?

Xia Yue affectionately looped her arm through Wang Shining's and walked up to Chu Jiaojiao, blocking her path.

Day after day of school life was dull and ordinary, so with such a rare spectacle to liven things up, the students in the cafeteria either pricked up their ears or deliberately slowed their steps, watching the dispute between the three of them.

Chu Jiaojiao crossed her arms, her voice full of impatience. "A good dog doesn't block the way!"

Wang Shining looked displeased and berated her on Xia Yue's behalf. "Chu Jiaojiao, did you have to speak so unpleasantly?"

Chu Jiaojiao rolled her eyes without any concern for her image. "Did I say I was talking about you? Are you so eager to claim the title because you're afraid someone else will take your place? No need to rush. I doubt anyone besides you two would be so eager to claim it."

A passing student nearby could not stop his shoulders from shaking as he laughed quietly. Since when had this young lady's tongue become so sharp?

Xia Yue's eyes reddened as she lowered her head, putting on the appearance of a pitiful little thing.

"Big sister, you can hate me and insult me however you want, but could you please show Shining some respect? He's innocent. He shouldn't be dragged into this because of your anger."

Wang Shining movedly clasped Xia Yue's hand tightly. "Xia Yue, don't wrong yourself like this. The reason I'm with you is because I want to protect you."

[Honestly, I've recently been using a reading app to follow updates. It supports switching sources and has many narration voices, available on both Android and Apple.]

Ever since Xia Yue transferred over, Wang Shining had noticed her. He saw his own shadow in Xia Yue and found a sense of belonging.

All this time, he had guarded a secret in constant fear. The students of Huiying High School absolutely could not find out about it, or everything he had would be destroyed.

Seeing the two in front of her seemingly already immersed in their own world, Chu Jiaojiao suddenly raised her hand and began applauding.

Feigning regret, she said, "I have to say, our school's drama club president should consider stepping down. The current president must have poor taste, or how could he have overlooked two such great talents? You two have so much drama. It would be such a waste if you didn't become the stars of the drama club."

A boy sitting nearby, drinking soup and intently listening in on the gossip, suddenly choked on his soup and coughed a few times. He had been sitting quietly at his table when disaster fell from the sky. Wasn't he just enjoying some gossip? How had he ended up nearly getting removed from his position?

Xia Yue was also choked speechless by Chu Jiaojiao's words.

Her eyes shifted, and she lowered her gaze, her voice carrying a weak sob. "Big sister, I really had no choice but to come to you. Dad is sick and hospitalized now. I really don't know what to do alone. Big sister, I'm begging you, please go see Dad. Dad really misses you."

Chu Wang's illness was actually minor. He had merely exhausted himself recently over the Chu Family Company's cash flow issues, and after a few days in the hospital recuperating, he would be fine. But that did not stop Xia Yue from trying to label Chu Jiaojiao as "unfilial."

Wang Shining said, "Chu Jiaojiao, do you even have a conscience? Your father raised you for so many years. He's sick, and you won't even go see him once?"

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Chu Jiaojiao said, "If he's sick, then he should see a doctor. Why come looking for me? Can I bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded or something?"

Xia Yue looked indignant. "But Dad was made sick by you and your mother! You're the knot in his heart that made him ill! Every day he lies in that hospital bed, the person he most wants to see is you!"

"Chu Jiaojiao actually made her father collapse from anger?"

"No way, isn't that a little too much? After all, her father got sick because she angered him. It wouldn't hurt to go take one look, would it?"

"Chu Jiaojiao's heart is really cold and hard. If he had raised a rock, he could have warmed it by now. Her father raised her all these years for nothing."

Listening to the accusations around her, Chu Jiaojiao clenched her teeth and tightly balled her hands into fists. What did these people know? What right did they have to say such things about her?

From childhood to adulthood, the only person who had truly stayed by her side was her mother.

Although her mother had a tough personality and was not good at tenderness, the only person who had always stood firmly by her side without hesitation and supported her was her mother. Chu Jiaojiao had now completely given up on Chu Wang as a father.

"Isn't your appearance what set off the chain of events that brought their family to this point?"

Hearing that familiar voice from her memories, Chu Jiaojiao lifted her eyes in shock and looked toward the source.

The cold-faced boy stood outside the crowd, looking at Chu Jiaojiao with a faint, almost imperceptible warmth in his eyes.

Chu Jiaojiao murmured softly, "Lu Yao?"

Lu Yao calmly nodded at Chu Jiaojiao before striding out of the cafeteria on his long legs.

Watching Lu Yao's retreating figure, Chu Jiaojiao gradually regained her composure.

"Actually, isn't Chu Jiaojiao's reaction understandable?"

"Heh. Never advise others to be kind when you haven't suffered their pain. Weren't certain people having a great time playing moral guardians just now? I think those people should be the ones to get a few illegitimate younger sisters or brothers at home and let their own families become lively too."

"I wanted to say it earlier. Aren't certain people standing on their moral high ground cold? When you point fingers at other people's lives, remember to wear a few more down jackets. It's cold on the mountaintop, so don't let your brains freeze into problems."

"Since Chu Jiaojiao's father dared to cheat and even brought Xia Yue, his illegitimate daughter, home, he should have been mentally prepared for the situation today."

"Xia Yue is really good at pretending, that white lotus bitch. Acting like a filial daughter in front of Chu Jiaojiao, the legitimate daughter—doesn't that disgust people? If I were Chu Jiaojiao, I'd probably want to tear her apart right now."

Seeing that Lu Yao had shifted the crowd back to Chu Jiaojiao's side with just one sentence, Xia Yue was so angry that she nearly ground her teeth to pieces.

After Lu Yao left, Chu Jiaojiao had intended to leave as well. But as she passed Wang Shining, she suddenly stopped and looked him over from head to toe.

Wang Shining was completely baffled by her gaze.

Chu Jiaojiao suddenly chuckled, looking at Xia Yue with contempt as she mocked, "Come to think of it, you change spare tires pretty frequently. Your skill at changing spare tires is so impressive that you could film a traffic safety PSA. How long has it even been? I remember that the person standing beside you and speaking up for you last time didn't seem to be this one."

"Chu Jiaojiao means Xia Yue's former deskmate, Liu Hao, right?"

"That's right. Didn't Xia Yue used to be pretty close with Liu Hao? She transferred classes, and it hasn't been long at all. How did she hook up with Wang Shining again?"

"Wait, I think I heard something a couple of days ago. Apparently, the Chu family wanted a marriage alliance with Lu Qi, but the Lu family rejected them, so Xia Yue's father went to the Wang family instead. I have no idea what the Wang family was thinking, but they actually agreed."

"Then didn't Wang Shining become Xia Yue's second choice?"

"You can just say he's Lu Qi's spare tire. No need to put it so subtly."

"Haha, isn't that out of consideration for the fact that we're classmates? Even if everyone knows it, how can we say it so bluntly?"

Listening to the discussions around him, Wang Shining's expression grew darker and darker. But he understood that if he flew into a rage now, he would truly be throwing his own dignity onto the ground to be trampled.

To forcibly salvage some face, he put on a magnanimous, understanding expression and revealed a fake smile.

"I don't care about Xia Yue's past. I only care about our future. Chu Jiaojiao, you can't make baseless rumors to insult her just because you're jealous that Xia Yue is happy now."

Chu Jiaojiao gave a merciless snort. Waving her hand, she walked out of the cafeteria and said, "Forget it. Who can wake someone pretending to sleep? If comforting yourself like this makes you happy, then I wish you two a long and lasting life."

Because of Chu Jiaojiao's words, Wang Shining had begun to feel uncomfortable about Xia Yue as well. But when he saw Xia Yue lower her head slightly, tears dripping down one by one as she cried softly, his heart instantly softened toward her again.

He truly liked Xia Yue. At this school, only Xia Yue could understand him.

Seeing Wang Shining's attitude soften, Xia Yue's eyes reddened. She reached out and lightly grasped his arm, speaking through tears. "Shining, believe me. I had no say in anything at the Chu family. I could only obey my father's arrangements completely. If you hadn't rescued me in time, I don't even know who he would have married me off to for profit. But thankfully, I met you. That was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me."

Wang Shining used his hand to wipe the tears from Xia Yue's face. "Don't cry. I believe you."

Although the matter seemed to have passed just like that, Wang Shining had excessively strong self-esteem and was already sensitive because of his secret, always worried that others looked down on him. Now, however, he had taken this matter to heart. He resented Lu Qi, and even came to hate Lu Yao, who had spoken up just now.

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