Just as He Zhen and the others were about to leave, they came face-to-face with Liang Zhizhi and Fu Xin.
[Oh my God, only eating now? Tsk, tsk, tsk.]
[Good thing my baby doesn't eat with you anymore, or he'd be eating even later.]
"He Zhen!" Liang Zhizhi's very first words practically dripped with accusation. "How could you eat with other people without inviting Xin Xin?"
That accusation stumped Wei Fang, whose mind was completely blank. As an honest guy, sincerity was his specialty. "Wasn't she eating with you?"
"He Zhen should still have asked Fu Xin first!" Liang Zhizhi grew angry. "Found a new love and dumped his childhood sweetheart! Ha! Men!"
[I'm the new love!]
[Girl, I love hearing you say that!]
[He Bao gave up Fu Xin for me!]
[I'm his true love!]
[I love this plot!]
[Keep talking! This is music to my ears!]
If He Zhen hadn't been holding a tray, he would have rubbed his temples.
Yao Tao really had a talent for hearing what she wanted. Not only that, she could rewrite it herself.
"What is that supposed to mean? Since when does He Zhen need Fu Xin's permission to date?" Li Yajun was far less polite. "Does she want to be his mother?"
He Zhen's obviously different treatment of Yao Tao gave Li Yajun plenty of confidence.
"You!" Liang Zhizhi's brows knitted tightly as she glared at He Zhen. "What is this supposed to mean? Fine, you didn't help Xin Xin up last time, but now you're standing by again? I thought you were better than Qin Zhen! Or are all you men the same?"
"Fu Xin fell last time because she was running too fast."
"Yao Tao reached out because she wanted to help her."
"It's also a fact that she grabbed Yao Tao and pulled her down."
"Don't make other people bear the consequences of your own mistakes."
He Zhen's analysis was utterly rational, and precisely because it was so rational, the people around him found it hard to accept.
Everyone had seen how much He Zhen liked Fu Xin. Now, he seemed like a complete stranger.
He was too cold.
[Sob, sob, sob. Stay strong, baby!]
"Zhizhi, let's find somewhere to sit." Fu Xin looked at He Zhen. "He has no obligation to report to me. There's nothing between us."
Although Fu Xin said that, the hurt and sadness in her voice were genuine.
[That expression, that tone... did I skip ahead in the plot again?!]
[Oh, did Fu Xin get the wrong idea when we ran into each other in the elevator last time?]
[Hahahaha, what a wonderful misunderstanding!]
[Don't clear it up! I'm mute, I'm mute, I'm mute!]
"What do you mean, there's nothing between you? You grew up together! He's heartless!" Liang Zhizhi protested on Fu Xin's behalf. "Good thing you never said yes to him. When he likes you, he treats you like a treasure, and when he stops, he can turn right around and find another girl!"
"His love isn't worth any more than Qin Zhen's!"
"Stop." Fu Xin finally let some emotion show. "There's nothing to say. Let's eat."
[It's not your fault, either.]
[Who told them to write you as indecisive?]
[Well, not exactly indecisive. You just want this one and that one, too.]
[Who in the real world would revolve around you alone?]
[Count yourself lucky you're the female lead!]
[Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous men?]
[I want that too! Sob, sob, sob!]
[I want to nuzzle an eight-pack!]
[Drool, drool!]
"Let's go," came He Zhen's voice.
"Why is everyone blocking the way?" It was an unfamiliar male voice. They looked up and saw Guan Xingchen.
Two other boys followed behind him.
"Fu Xin, why didn't you wait for me?" That was Qin Zhen's voice.
"Zhen! Wait for me!" That was Tan Nianzhi.
[Holy crap!]
[Who could watch this and not call it spectacular?]
The people around them instantly understood He Zhen's change in attitude.
The girl he liked had a crowd of admirers around her every day, yet she never chose anyone.
Those who had thought He Zhen was cold felt crushed as soon as they put themselves in his shoes.
There was no other reason. Imagining themselves as He Zhen made them realize what a hopeless simp he had been. The mere thought was unbearable, and he had been fawning over Fu Xin for so long.
"Let's go. What rotten luck." Li Yajun's voice was neither particularly loud nor particularly quiet, but everyone nearby could hear her perfectly.
"What is wrong with you?" Liang Zhizhi snapped.
Tang Zhao stepped in front of Li Yajun. "Let's go."
"He Zhen, this is how you and your friends treat Xin Xin! That's why she doesn't like spending time with them!" Liang Zhizhi was practically Fu Xin's maid.
And the sort who attacked indiscriminately without even needing Fu Xin to point out a target.
[What a thing to say.]
[Tsk, tsk, tsk. If one person hates you, maybe they're the problem.]
[If everyone hates you, then obviously everyone is the problem!]
[But if they're all the problem and you still insist on hanging out with them, then you're the problem!]
[Tsk, tsk, tsk.]
[With brains like that, no wonder she's only good for being a mouthpiece.]
He Zhen: ...He had certainly learned something new.
"You can't really say that." Wei Fang, the big guy, was unhappy now.
[Oh no, I forgot there was an honest guy here.]
"What? What did I say wrong?" Liang Zhizhi kept accusing them.
"Oh, so somehow we're the ones at fault?" A displeased voice bore straight down on Liang Zhizhi.
[My heroine!!!]
Yao Tao already had her little stool ready.
"I was wondering why someone with nowhere else to turn had come all the way to the Student Council. What are you doing in the cafeteria? Planning a group brawl?" With a red armband pinned to her sleeve, Zeng Rou strode toward them, two boys following behind her.
"No," Fu Xin explained. She wanted to join the Student Council. How could she possibly cause trouble?
"No?" Zeng Rou sneered at Tan Nianzhi, who was tugging at Qin Zhen. "We may be college students, but mind where you are."
"What's it to you?" Tan Nianzhi refused to back down. "You should tell off that Fu Xin from your school! Instead of studying, all she thinks about every day is seducing men!"
"Excuse me, senior." Guan Xingchen stepped in front of Fu Xin, who had begun secretly shedding tears of hurt. "First of all, Fu Xin never arranged to eat with Qin Zhen. You came uninvited and started slandering her."
"What did I slander her about?" Tan Nianzhi looked up, pointed at He Zhen, then at Guan Xingchen, and glared at Qin Zhen. "Zhen, look at her! She's involved with all these men!"
"Shut up!" Qin Zhen seemed to have reached the limits of his patience. "Stop calling yourself my fiancée! I never agreed to it!"
The argument over there was spiraling out of control, and Yao Tao wanted some sunflower seeds to munch on as she watched.
[Amazing! Start fighting!]
[What's the fun in a war of words?]
[Throw some punches!]
[The men can fight, and the women can pull each other's hair!]
[I love this! I love this!]
He Zhen put his tray away and pulled over Yao Tao, whose eyes sparkled as she watched the commotion, eager for it to escalate. "Let's go. Stop watching this sort of thing."
[But...]
[Fine, fine. Since my baby said so, I suppose I can settle for a recap.]
"He Zhen, what kind of man are you?" Liang Zhizhi couldn't understand why He Zhen would still leave under these circumstances. "Come help Xin Xin now, and we'll forgive you."
"Oh?" Zeng Rou looked at He Zhen with a smile. Although she had only said one word, she seemed to have delivered an entire speech: So this is the sort of person you distanced yourself from us for?
He Zhen took out his phone and messaged Zeng Rou: My treat this weekend.
Only then did Zeng Rou turn back to deal with the dispute between the students.
Before you continue