Chapter 35: A Backup? I Stopped Being One a Long Time Ago
Xia Changyu felt really guilty, like he had let too many people down.
He never expected his girlfriend to do something sneaky like that.
After the busy event at the expo ended, Xia Changyu returned to school, tired both physically and mentally. From far away, he already saw his girlfriend waiting for him sweetly, like a gentle little bird sticking close to its partner.
If this had happened in the past, Xia Changyu would have felt warm inside, thinking how lucky he was to have the best girlfriend in the world.
Gu Xiaoxue acted very gentle and cute, calling out sweetly, “Changyu, you’re back!”
Xia Changyu nodded. “Mm.”
Gu Xiaoxue hesitated a bit, then said, “About what happened this morning… I didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t think we should argue because of it. What do you think?”
At first, she had been extremely angry. She was mad that her boyfriend didn’t take her side. Even if she was wrong, shouldn’t a boyfriend stand by his girlfriend no matter what?
But then she thought about it more. The thing she did was actually quite ugly.
And she got exposed right on the spot, there was no way to cover it up.
Plus, after her roommates told her to calm down, Gu Xiaoxue reluctantly decided to forgive him.
If they could make up, that would definitely be the best outcome.
But Xia Changyu shook his head, took a deep breath, and said, “It’s not just about arguing. I want to ask you something… you and your roommates, did you guys report that girl?”
“What?” Gu Xiaoxue’s eyes flickered.
“If it was really you, then I hope—”
Before he could finish, Gu Xiaoxue quickly interrupted. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t report her! Changyu, why don’t you believe me? I’m your girlfriend!”
“But the truth is—”
“What truth? The truth is you just don’t trust me! You don’t love me anymore! Sob sob sob!”
Her sudden crying immediately made other people stop and watch.
They started whispering and pointing, like Xia Changyu was the one at fault, which made him feel even more tired and frustrated.
“Please don’t cry, I don't want to be angry at you about this anymore.”
Hearing that, Gu Xiaoxue cried even louder.
The people around them kept staring, which gave her more courage deep inside. After all, a crying girl is like a secret weapon.
“Waaaah~”
Xia Changyu felt his head spinning. The crying, the crowd, and all the noise…
It pushed his already bad mood to the edge. He finally exploded and shouted.
“ENOUGH!! I’ve had enough of this! Now it looks like I’m the bad guy?!”
He had so much more he wanted to say, but the exhaustion in his heart made him feel like talking any more wouldn’t help.
He took a deep breath. After a long pause, he tried to control his tone and said slowly.
“I don’t want to argue with you right now. But maybe… we both need to think things through.”
Gu Xiaoxue froze. “Think? Think about what?”
“Our relationship. Whether we’re really right for each other. Whether we have the same values.”
“......”
“I don't know how you hid this side of you from me before, but let's just leave it in the past. I want my girlfriend to be someone kind and respectful. Someone gentle and thoughtful. Not someone who acts like a crazy dog, biting everyone around her.”
Gu Xiaoxue’s face turned pale. “Changyu, you—!”
“Let me finish,” Xia Changyu said, taking another deep breath, trying to stay calm. “If it really was you who reported that girl, then for my sake, just apologize to her, okay? That’s all I’m asking. That’s the lowest request I can make.”
After he finished speaking, he pushed through the crowd and left. He left Gu Xiaoxue standing there, confused and scared.
Was this… a breakup coming?
Gu Xiaoxue had a bad feeling. If she didn’t go and apologize, she might really get dumped.
Xia Changyu wasn’t the type to beg or chase people. He had always been surrounded by other great girls.
If Gu Xiaoxue kept acting like this...
Then breaking up was only a matter of time.
Gu Xiaoxue felt afraid. She ran back to her dorm and started crying to her roommates.
Unfortunately, she seemed to forget what kind of people her roommates were.
If it hadn’t been for their over-the-top behavior, Xia Changyu wouldn’t have gotten such a bad impression in the first place.
“Waaahhh… Xia Changyu, he yelled at me! He even scolded me and shouted at me… I’ve never been treated like this before in my whole life! Sob sob sob!”
Gu Xiaoxue didn’t mention any of her own mistakes. Everything she said made it sound like it was all Xia Changyu’s fault.
Her roommates were angry too.
Or maybe… they were just on the same side?
“Scumbag!!”
“I always knew he couldn’t be trusted.”
“He made you cry, Xuexue! We have to get back at him sooner or later.”
One after another, the girls spoke up against him.
It almost seemed like their friendship was growing stronger the more they complained together!
But after all the name-calling, Yang Yueping gave a meaningful look and said,
“Still, Xiaoxue, you should really think carefully. A guy like Xia Changyu, tall, rich, and handsome, doesn’t come around often. Once he’s gone, it won’t be easy to find someone like him again.”
“What’s there to be scared of?” another roommate said with confidence. “With Xiaoxue’s looks, there’ll be plenty of guys we can cheat... ah, I mean, chase after her! Tons of them!”
“Yeah, totally.”
“Why are you two making such a fuss?”
“Come on, Sister Ping, we’re not joking, we’re serious!”
“Exactly, exactly,” said a slightly chubby girl while licking her ice cream. She swore seriously, “Even if things get really bad, isn’t there still that guy… what’s his name… Lin Yibai?”
Gasp! Yang Yueping took in a sharp breath.
She slapped her forehead, how could she forget about Lin Yibai!
They even believed that even if the Earth exploded, Lin Yibai would still love Gu Xiaoxue.
This thought gave Gu Xiaoxue even more confidence. She felt like she had a backup plan now.
She said fiercely,
“You’re all right. A high-quality guy like Xia Changyu is hard to find, so for now I’ll lower my pride a little. I’ll go apologize to him and say some nice things… but if he keeps pushing me, hmph!! Don’t blame me for being heartless!”
Meanwhile, Lin Yibai was still in the hotel…
She had no idea that her "status" had changed from ex-boyfriend to backup boyfriend?
She got a message from Gu Xiaoxue. Her ex-girlfriend was saying hello?
“Yibai, what are you doing?”
If this had happened in the past, she probably would’ve been really happy.
But now, Lin Yibai felt kind of bored and replied, “Not much. What’s up?”
“Can’t I just chat with you? Even though we broke up, can’t we still be friends?”
“I’m a bit busy.”
“Busy with what?”
“Just finished a part-time job.”
“You must be tired. Don’t overwork yourself! You need to take care of your body, okay?”
Standing in front of the full-length hotel mirror, Lin Yibai looked at herself and felt really pleased, she looked great. But after seeing Gu Xiaoxue’s messages, she suddenly broke into a cold sweat.
This sudden care and the flirty tone hidden between the lines…
Lin Yibai thought to herself, was this really okay?
They had already broken up. Why was she still sending these half-flirty messages?
She suddenly started to feel sorry for Gu Xiaoxue’s current boyfriend.
“Is this really the same Gu Xiaoxue I used to be crazy about? The one I liked so much? What happened to her? Why has she changed so much?”
Lin Yibai frowned a little, then let out a long sigh. This time, she didn’t blame her love rival anymore.
She looked at herself again in the mirror. Wow, she looked amazing!
Then she picked up her phone and typed, “I’m busy right now. Let’s talk later.”
“Oh okay, go do your thing then!”
“......”
“By the way, since you’re a girl, can I ask you something? The sun’s been really strong lately, what’s a good sunscreen to use? Don’t worry about the price, I just made a bit of money.”
Right after she sent that message…
There was a loud cheer from the girls' dorm. They thought they had won.
“Lin Yibai is still the same as before!”
“He’s trying to win Gu Xiaoxue back!”
Meanwhile, Lin Yibai looked at the parts of her skin in the mirror. One side had sunscreen and one side didn’t. The difference in skin tone was obvious.
She thought to herself, “Xiaoxue was right. I really should take better care of myself. It’s for my own good after all. I’m not short on money anyway!”
She just asked a girl for skincare advice, that’s all.
There’s no way they’d actually think she’s buying it for them… right?
Right? Right??