They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

Ling Qingxue looked incredulous, while the boy named Zhang Yinghao looked as if he had been struck by lightning and shook his head frantically.

"No, I didn't. I... how could I... do something to the horse captain's girlfriend..."

"That's why you were so angry, even to the point of losing your temper." I sighed, as if expressing regret.

"Because in your opinion, if Ling Qingxue is with Ma Hang, you can at least give up and suppress your resentment. But if Ling Qingxue breaks up with Ma Hang, you may not only lose sight of her, but you may also lose the opportunity to spend time with her."

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the real reason you're anxious. Right?"

Human nature is inherently base. In my opinion, at least, this boy's feelings for the horse team he mentioned are far from enough to make him lose his mind, as he just showed.

"Because your behavior just now didn't seem like you were standing up for a friend—it seemed more like you were trying to win back the girl you like."

"........."

The raindrops shattered on the ground, just like the hidden thoughts in a young man's heart.

"...Is that really true?"

Ling Qingxue's voice trembled slightly.

"Just for this reason?"

I frowned.

"That's not the reason at all."

The light in Zhang Yinghao's eyes disappeared, and his tone became crazed.

"I've been waiting all along. I've been waiting and waiting. I was waiting even before that Ning Ruoyu started clinging to you. I listened to your complaints and chatted with you. I kept every drink you gave me on the cabinet, and I still can't bear to drink them."

That must have expired by now...

“I look down on Ning Ruoyu. What is he? A toad trying to eat swan meat. I’m not afraid at all. I know you definitely won’t like him. He’s just cannon fodder, but he’s very useful. You rely on me because of him, and you confide in me because of him. So I won’t stop him.”

When you're giving your inner monologues, if you don't criticize me, will it affect your output and performance?

Who am I? Uncle Ben from Spider-Man?

"But in the end you chose Ma Hang. Why him of all people?" Zhang Yinghao looked at Ling Qingxue and asked painfully.

"Why did it have to be Team Ma? I was the one who chatted with you every night, I was the one who sent you messages at midnight on every holiday, and I even kept track of your menstrual cycle! Why, why did Team Ma have to be the one chosen in the end?"

Why? It's so strange. It seems like every simp has this same question. What's the difference between your actions and those of Ning Ruoyu, whom you look down on? Why don't girls like you? It's so hard to guess!

...Sorry, I'm allergic to simps, and I can't help but make sarcastic remarks when I see them.

"I've already given up, I've already kept everything hidden in my heart. Why, why do you give me this vague possibility..."

Zhang Yinghao covered his face. The dignified 1.8-meter-tall man of the basketball team finally broke down and shed tears.

When he said those words, he probably realized that he had ruined the love in his heart.

How pathetic. Unable to offer genuine blessings, yet unwilling to accept the darkness within themselves. Pretending to be considerate of a brother to mask their true feelings, ultimately collapsing first.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know any of this," Ling Qingxue finally spoke.

"But, Xiao Hao. No, I'll still call you Zhang Yinghao."

"Whether Ma Hang and I break up or not, I cannot accept your feelings for me. That's the only thing I hope you can understand."

"If my past actions and my bad habit of relying on others caused you misunderstandings and trouble, I apologize. From now on, I will be more careful about the distance between us."

Wow. I can hear the sound of that boy's heart breaking even from this far away.

"We might have all been a bit impulsive today, classmate Lü Ning."

"Ok?"

I turned around when I was called on.

"I know this request is shameless, but can you please not take it to heart?" Ling Qingxue gently squeezed my sleeve.

"I will definitely repay this favor in the future."

"No need. I'm just an outsider in this matter, it's good that you're alright."

I shook my head indifferently.

"Thank you. Then, let's just pretend this never happened," Ling Qingxue said to Zhang Yinghao.

"I will forget everything that just happened and everything I heard. Zhang Yinghao, you too, please forget everything."

……

"I'm sorry, I've really caused you trouble."

Zhang Yinghao left dejectedly, and Ling Qingxue gave me a gentle smile, her expression a mixture of sadness and relief.

"It's okay, you've been working hard too."

"Sometimes, I often fail to express my feelings well."

Following my lead, Ling Qingxue gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"I know that's not what I meant, but others still misunderstand me. I feel like I've experienced this quite a few times."

"I see. Perhaps it's because you, Ling Qingxue, are too kind and gentle."

That's what I said.

"Because you treat everyone kindly and take everything seriously, you get misunderstood—aren't there three great illusions in life? Look, it's because of your gentleness that you're wrong. As a guy, I can say with certainty that guys are both insecure and narcissistic, you know?"

"Pfft." Ling Qingxue covered her mouth with her hand.

"Lu Ning, you're so good at comforting people! I'm clearly reflecting on myself, but it feels like you're just praising me the whole time?"

"If telling the truth is a compliment, then I can only say that Ling Qingxue, you are much more outstanding than you imagine yourself to be." I turned my face away shyly.

"I'm embarrassed by what you're saying."

"So, please be more confident."

“…Hmm. If that’s what you’re saying.” Ling Qingxue looked at me and said softly.

"Then I'll trust myself a little more."

After saying that, I quieted down to match the atmosphere, letting the subtle ambiguity spread quietly in the air.

"...I think I will eventually break up with Ma Hang."

Ling Qingxue suddenly spoke up.

"Hey, why?"

“Ma Hang is a good person, and I’m quite happy with him. But perhaps, it’s not the feeling of being moved that I imagined.” As if she had already prepared her words, Ling Qingxue’s answer was frighteningly formulaic and standardized.

"And perhaps I'm not the person he envisions. Actually, I'd rather be with someone who truly understands me."

After saying that, she looked up at me, her eyes filled with unspoken thoughts and tender emotions.

"...If only we could find it."

I gently avoided her gaze.

"……yes."

She said so.

"Three great illusions in life—sometimes they might not be illusions at all."

As before, the words were spoken softly, yet they cleverly reached my ears.

But I still ignored it.

Ever since Zhang Yinghao appeared, I've been thinking about a question.

If I, as Ning Ruoyu, had agreed to that request and appeared on time...

If I were still that Ning Ruoyu.

Who could it be that just left looking so distraught?

Looking at this beautiful young woman whose eyes were full of gentleness, I couldn't help but smile.

I feel like I'm starting to see her true nature.

[Next chapter preview: Chen Di continued flipping through the book indifferently, ignoring me.]

Xu Xingxin smiled, a smile that said he had no regrets in his life.

"...It's okay, we're all fucking buddies!"

"I feel like if a girl were standing naked in front of you, you wouldn't even bother to glance at her twice."

"...We're the champions! Can't we show some champion spirit?!"

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Staying Overnight with a Beautiful Girl – A Must-Experience During Summer Vacation (True)

"fart!"

I angrily gave Xu Xingxin, who was sitting across from me, the middle finger.

"What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

Chen Di, who was standing to the side, glanced at me curiously.

Xu Xingxin had just approached with a lewd grin and said a few words, but Chen Di neither heard him nor came closer.

"This bastard actually has the audacity to say that staying with beautiful girls is an essential part of summer vacation."

"..." Chen Di continued flipping through the book indifferently, ignoring me.

A little hurt.

If you were in my shoes, you'd understand. Summer vacation is still vacation, right? Since it's vacation, there shouldn't be any worries about work—why should I spend time with these pampered young ladies?

This isn't a training camp, this is overtime work!

From the perspective of a member of society, I feel an unprecedented sense of loneliness.

"It's so lively over here! What are you talking about?"

An Yu, holding a handful of melon seeds, walked up to me and asked curiously.

"We're chatting about how cute everyone over there is—wait, didn't we just finish our bento boxes? Why are you eating snacks again?"

"These are sunflower seeds, not snacks," An Yu corrected me very seriously.

"...What's the difference? Isn't it in the snack section of the supermarket?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Hmm... I bought this in the bulk section. It's cheaper there."

puff.

Even Chen Di, who was reading, couldn't help but laugh out loud, while Xu Xingxin, who was standing next to him, had already shown a wry smile.

"Alright, alright, let's stop this topic." I sighed.

"Um, seniors, thank you for inviting me here."

Ning Ruoxin came to greet An Yu.

"It's okay, it's a private trip after all, there aren't that many formal rules."

Chen Di smiled.

"If I remember correctly, this was actually considered my club trip, right?"

I looked helplessly at this group of irrelevant people.

"It's okay...everyone is welcome to do so..."

Accompanying me were my kind senior and Wu Yuehua, the president, who was nominally in charge of this trip.

"The others are one thing, but why are those two also included...?"

I sighed and looked at the seats next to me.

Hu Dan was sitting in her seat looking unhappy. Across from her, Ge Lanlan was saying something helplessly. After making eye contact with me, she waved and greeted me with a wry smile.

"This is indeed a lineup that would have been hard to imagine in the past."

Chen Di nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, the first tier of people has gathered. It's so wonderful to be alive!"