C8 The Classic Saying of Scumbags

He held her tightly, whispering over and over, "I miss you." Hsu Chiyang's emotional voice echoed in her ears. She couldn't help but clench the breakfast in her hand. Some of the porridge spilled, but luckily it only spilled inside the bag. Standing at the door of her apartment, Xia Shirann took a few deep breaths, commanding herself not to think about Hsu Chiyang anymore. She adjusted her emotions, opened the door, and walked in.

"Ruoye, I'm back," Xia Shirann called out, only to hear a flurry of movement from Ruoye's room. Xia Shirann frowned and quickly rushed in, immediately spotting Ruoye sitting nervously on the bed, the blanket beside her piled up like a small mountain.

"You're back!" Ruoye's smile was stiff. Her eyes showed a mix of panic facing Xia Shirann and an inexplicable hint of joy... Something felt off. Xia Shirann thought this as she looked away, pretending casually to place the breakfast on the table. "I got you some porridge and side dishes. The porridge spilled a bit, so have a few more buns."

Ruoye's gaze followed to the breakfast on the table. At that moment, Xia Shirann seized the opportunity to flip the blanket beside Ruoye, revealing a laptop underneath! With quick reflexes, Xia Shirann grabbed the laptop and opened it, seeing Ruoye's chat window with Liu Shaoyu open on the screen...

Seeing Ruoye's conflicted expression, which screamed "please forgive me" for being caught in the act, Shirann sighed and handed back her notebook.

"I'm not trying to control your social life, but you're not thinking clearly right now. You know exactly what kind of person Shaoyu is. Deep down, you know you shouldn't reach out to him again. I took your phone just to give you a chance to rest and avoid getting in deeper."

Shirann spoke sincerely, reaching into her pocket, only to touch something cold and unfamiliar. The memory of Chiyang hugging her flashed through her mind, stirring her emotions. She composed herself and handed Ruoye's phone back to her.

"Shaoyu can say those things and then turn around and..."

"No, that's not it," Ruoye interrupted, her eyes flickering with discomfort. "He just explained it to me. He said he couldn't accept it at first because he saw me as perfect. But now he's realized he likes me, he loves me, and I'm the one he wants to marry and spend his life with. He doesn't care about my past..."

As Ruoye spoke, her face flushed with excitement, her eyes filled with hope, as if she could already see herself walking down the aisle in a white wedding dress.

Shirann rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Are you stuck in the past? Do you really believe those cliché lines from a player’s handbook?"

Ruoye frowned, clearly displeased. "And how many relationships have you been in? How many jerks have you met? How can you judge someone as a jerk just from a few words?"

Ruoye's voice carried a hint of anger, and the room's atmosphere grew tense.

Shirann knew she hadn't been in many relationships, but she believed you could tell a lot about a person's character from the details.

She lowered her gaze but continued earnestly, "If he truly cared about you, would he really be okay with you taking a cab home alone in the middle of the night from so far away? And knowing you're sick, how could he...?"