Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

"This isn't the outcome you wanted. From the very beginning, you were unwilling and forced to compromise. But you're also well aware of your awkward position, so even now, you still call Li Zhuangsheng 'brother-in-law.' This is your safest comfort zone. But can you really be happy with this kind of mentality?"

Qin Luanyu delivered the final blow expressionlessly, yet it seemed to convey a sense of superiority. However, her expression and tone remained completely unchanged; she was simply stating a fact.

"me……"

Hu Mengke's mouth was open, her face flushed, as if someone was choking her, causing her pain and leaving her speechless.

"Hey, if you say that..."

Li Zhuangsheng finally realized what was happening and instinctively wanted to say something to ease the tension, but before he could finish, Xie Jiangqing gritted her teeth and angrily rebuked him:

"You're so arrogant! Do you think you know everything? What right do you have to make assumptions about others?"

Qin Luanyu listened quietly without getting angry, but then looked at Xie Jiangqing and said, "You said you liked Li Zhuangsheng back in elementary school, right?"

Xie Jiangqing paused, leaned back slightly, adopted a defensive posture, and said warily, "What's it to you?"

"If that's the case, why didn't you say so before?" Qin Luanyu asked curiously. "It's understandable when it's elementary school, but as far as I know, you went to the same high school, and Li Zhuangsheng never dated any girls in high school, or even accepted any confessions."

"What does it have to do with you?"

Xie Jiangqing remained cold. She felt that Qin Luanyu was dangerous, and since she couldn't figure out what the other person was thinking, it was best not to engage with her.

"What I mean is, Hu Mengdie probably didn't like Li Zhuangsheng in high school, and you probably don't have any other best friends who want to pursue him... So, since you like Li Zhuangsheng so much, why didn't you pursue him in high school?"

"Does liking someone mean I have to pursue them?"

“When I like someone, I can’t help but want to see them, even if we’re far apart. Although Hangzhou isn’t that far from northern Jiangsu, haha. But you and Li Zhuangsheng went to the same school, yet you remained indifferent for three years of high school. Was it just because you didn’t want to interfere with your studies? Okay, even so, you didn’t contact each other for four years of university, and you didn’t try to find him. Even after you both returned to your hometown, and Li Zhuangsheng had a two-year gap between his relationships before meeting Hu Mengdie, you still had no contact with him…”

"What does this have to do with you!"

Xie Jiangqing blushed and impatiently interrupted Qin Luanyu. She felt a little uneasy, as if she vaguely guessed what Qin Luanyu was going to say.

"Actually, you don't really like Li Zhuangsheng that much, do you? That's why you haven't contacted him all these years." Qin Luanyu chuckled softly, raising her chin and glancing sideways. "If you liked him as much as you seem to now, why didn't you try to reach out to him? After Li Zhuangsheng started dating and married Hu Mengdie, he wouldn't have actively sought out or flirted with you. So, where do your feelings for him really come from... Let me think. Hehe, could it be from jealousy?"

Xie Jiangqing was stunned for a moment. "At first, you didn't have much of a special feeling for Li Zhuangsheng. In your heart, he was just a boy you had a crush on when you were little. If you two had met by chance and your paths had crossed, you might have been with him, but that would have been it. It didn't matter if it was him or not. But after he started dating Hu Mengdie, you became jealous, especially seeing how happy Hu Mengdie was. Even though it had nothing to do with you before, you felt that Li Zhuangsheng should have been yours just because you knew him first. Seeing Hu Mengdie with Li Zhuangsheng, you started to deceive yourself, thinking that you actually liked Li Zhuangsheng so much..."

"No, no...I..."

"Stop deceiving yourself. You've never truly loved Li Zhuangsheng. Your feelings for him are more about possessiveness. Whether it's Hu Mengdie or my liking for Li Zhuangsheng, it's given you the feeling that 'Li Zhuangsheng is outstanding and sought after.' Even if you didn't like him that much before, you would constantly tell yourself how much you love him and that you must get him as soon as possible. The childish feelings you had in elementary school suddenly became unwavering. But this is just psychological loss aversion and scarcity effect, just like how many people will mindlessly rush to buy limited edition items, even if they don't really need them... Oh, and you should also have a competitive mentality."

Qin Luanyu's smile deepened as she spoke, leaning forward slightly and blinking, "Hey, you haven't been jealous of Hu Mengdie being prettier and more outstanding than you all this time, have you? Now that you've finally snatched the man she loves most, don't you feel great?"

"You, you...I..."

Xie Jiangqing's lips trembled, her face flushed red, and her heart pounded as if she had been stripped naked in the street.

"Sister Qing, you're the kind of person who goes with the flow and has never been firm in your own heart. Even now, you're still being forced into things. You haven't figured out what your true feelings are or what you really want."

Qin Luanyu spoke softly, and the living room fell into a deathly silence.

"Don't be silent, I was just joking." Qin Luanyu's laughter broke the temporary silence. "Actually, I'm not trying to stop you two from being together. I just think it's better to be honest about some things. If you're not willing to face your own hearts, it'll be very torturous for both of you, right? You can continue dating. As I just said, it's normal for men to be a little playful. It's not a bad thing to have some fun with other women before me."

Silence remained. Xie Jiangqing and Hu Mengke both lowered their heads, looking ashamed and indignant. Li Zhuangsheng looked around, somewhat at a loss. Li Xiuyu, on the other hand, was relatively calm. She felt that Qin Luanyu was not within Li Zhuangsheng's considerations, but that didn't mean she had any good feelings towards Hu Mengke and Xie Jiangqing.

Seeing the two of them in such a sorry state, she felt a little smug, though she didn't show it. However, Qin Luanyu's behavior was indeed beyond her expectations.

She felt a vague unease, but couldn't quite pinpoint its source.

"Ahem, that's a bit much," Li Zhuangsheng coughed lightly. "Don't make such malicious assumptions about others!"

"And what about you? Are you doing so well?" Hu Mengke glared at Qin Luanyu with hatred and hissed.

“Me?” Qin Luanyu pointed to herself and laughed, “I feel great. Your liking for Li Zhuangsheng is based on material desires; you’re after something from him. But I don’t care about those things.”

Qin Luanyu then looked at Li Zhuangsheng with a tilted head and a smile: "Besides, to be honest, we get along very well, don't we? Actually, I know you don't want to spend the winter in Hainan; you'd rather stay in your little house with the stove burning for warmth on a cold, snowy day." (End of Chapter)