Chapter 11

Because of what happened at the library, Xie Shuyun no longer knew how to face Cheng Lingxue, not to mention there was also a certain gossip-loving person beside her.

“Hey, Yunzi, I heard from Liang Wenjie’s friend that you and the school beauty really…”

“We don’t. There’s nothing between us. Don’t talk nonsense.”

Xie Shuyun pushed away Shang Yan’s head, which kept leaning closer. When she thought of all those gossiping gazes focused on her, her head hurt. She had clearly already denied it, yet those people still did not believe her. The way they looked at her and Cheng Lingxue also became more and more ambiguous. Who knew what exactly they were imagining?

“But I heard your child is already one year old and can walk and call you Mom and Dad.”

Shang Yan refused to let it go, and her words nearly made Xie Shuyun spit blood.

They said rumors spread from one person to ten, then from ten to a hundred, and there would definitely be plenty of exaggeration added along the way, but this had clearly already gone beyond that range!

A one-year-old child…

They were only sixteen right now!

“Shang Yan, stop listening to these people’s nonsense. There really is nothing between us.”

Xie Shuyun sighed and spoke earnestly.

What she was more troubled about was that because of these rumors, it had become very ​read the original at bailiantales.com​difficult for her to approach Cheng Lingxue. She was afraid even more ridiculous rumors would appear. Yet she was also afraid that the stubborn people still left in her contact list would go and trouble Cheng Lingxue.

“Oh, right, Yunzi. I have this. Do you want it?”

As she spoke, Shang Yan took two movie tickets out of her pocket and waved them in front of Xie Shuyun.

“You want to go with me?”

Looking at the title and picture on the ticket stub, it was very obviously a movie about an A-O romance, so Xie Shuyun looked at Shang Yan with a somewhat strange expression.

“What are you thinking? How could I possibly go with you?”

Shang Yan rolled her eyes, then gestured with her gaze toward Cheng Lingxue, who was lowering her head and seriously working on problems, as if the whispers around her had no effect on her at all.

“You can invite the school beauty.”

“Huh? What are you thinking? Lingxue definitely won’t agree.”

Xie Shuyun’s eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head without hesitation.

Besides, with the current situation, inviting the other party to watch this kind of movie—wasn’t that just courting death?

Seeing Xie Shuyun being so cowardly, Shang Yan almost could not bear to watch.

Where had that love expert who used to take the initiative gone?

How had she become so timid?

But…

Shang Yan’s eyes spun with ill intentions.

Didn’t this mean it was true love?

She used to bully her with all her might, and only now realized she liked her. Now that she wanted to pursue her, she was even so innocent. What a primary-school love story.

Thinking this, Shang Yan could not help showing an auntie-like smile, making goosebumps rise all over Xie Shuyun.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Ahem, in short, just give it a try. If you won’t say it at school, then can’t you say it when you go home? Besides, if the two of you go out during the holiday, no one will see you. Don’t worry. I’ve investigated it for you. Omegas like watching this kind of romantic movie. Good luck.”

Smiling cheerfully, Shang Yan stuffed the tickets into Xie Shuyun’s hand and gave her a thumbs-up. Without waiting for her reaction, she turned her head away. No matter how Xie Shuyun patted her, she refused to respond.

Xie Shuyun looked at the tickets in her hand and sighed lightly.

Never mind that Cheng Lingxue was not an ordinary omega. At home, she basically stayed in her own room. They did eat together, but even then, she ate quietly and then left. Their interactions were pitifully few.

Forget going to watch a movie. Even inviting her to go unauthorized copy shopping was something Xie Shuyun did not really dare to say.

For the entire day, Xie Shuyun kept unconsciously touching the tickets in her pocket. She seemed absent-minded the whole time. Even when they went home and got into the car, she did not say a single word.

This made Cheng Lingxue, who had somewhat gotten used to the other party occasionally finding topics to talk about and always chattering away, glance at her in surprise several times.

When they arrived home, Xie Shuyun watched Cheng Lingxue go upstairs without hesitation. She scratched her head and, in the end, walked over to Qin Yu, who was inspecting the maids’ work.

“Qin Yu, this is for you.”

As Xie Shuyun spoke, she shoved the tickets from her pocket into Qin Yu’s hand.

“Eldest Miss, this is…”

“Someone gave them to me. I remember you got a girlfriend not long ago, right? You can go watch it with her.”

After saying this, Xie Shuyun did not wait for Qin Yu’s reaction and ran upstairs with thudding footsteps.

Standing at the stairway, Xie Shuyun patted her chest. After giving away the tickets, she felt as though the stone in her heart had finally been lifted. She could also explain to Shang Yan what ultimately happened to the tickets.

What Xie Shuyun did not know was that Qin Yu looked at the tickets that had been forcefully stuffed into her hand, her eyes flashing with thoughtful light.

At night, after finishing her homework and taking a shower, Xie Shuyun lazily lay on the bed.

If not for her identity as a scumbag A, this kind of life would be so comfortable.

Unfortunately, before she corrected her image in Cheng Lingxue’s heart, she absolutely could not relax.

As for time…

She remembered that Cheng Lingxue would meet the female lead A in university. From then on, with the female lead A’s help, she would begin the mode of punching enemies, stepping on scum, and soaring straight to the top.

And as the leader among the scum, Xie Shuyun would also start gradually tasting the bitter fruit she had planted from that time onward.

She touched her chin and stretched her hand into the air, clenching it into a fist.

There were less than three years left.

She could definitely do it…

===

On the other side, unlike Xie Shuyun’s laziness, the desk had already been tidied neatly. Everything needed for tomorrow had been properly prepared.

Cheng Lingxue stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in her room. The curtain was slightly pulled open, and the moonlight scattered by the moon gently fell over her body.

Cheng Lingxue lightly raised her hand and looked at the moonlight in her palm. She gently closed her hand, then opened it again. Naturally, she had caught nothing.

Her lowered eyes lifted slightly as she looked at the garden below.

Under the illumination of moonlight, even without the lights turned on, it was astonishingly bright. At a glance, one could see traces of careful tending.

Her usually calm black eyes carried a faint daze, as if she had thought of something. A little glimmer surfaced within them, appearing exceptionally bright beneath the moonlight.

Cheng Lingxue’s fingertips, which were gripping the curtain, turned slightly white. Her cold and aloof aura was now stained with a hint of sorrow and loneliness.

Buzz, buzz…

The phone placed on the bedside cabinet vibrated lightly, making the girl’s body tremble.

She gently closed her eyes and opened them again, returning to her usual state. She lightly drew the curtain shut, then slowly walked to the bedside and picked up her phone.

Looking at the message on it, Cheng Lingxue’s gaze shifted slightly.

She turned and returned to her desk, took her laptop from the drawer, and downloaded several documents from her email. After quickly scanning through them, her ten fingers began moving rapidly.

Page after page of documents was typed out and immediately sent out. Then messages came back in reply.

Just like that, things went back and forth. Who knew how much time passed? Cheng Lingxue’s eyes remained focused, almost forgetting the time.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Cheng Lingxue’s fingers stiffened, and her brows furrowed slightly. She closed the laptop and pushed it all the way inside. After confirming that it could ​Read on BaiLianTales​not be seen from the angle of the doorway, she stood up and walked toward the door.

Cheng Lingxue opened the door by a small crack and quickly glanced at the person outside. When she discovered it was the housekeeper, Qin Yu, she felt quite favorable toward her.

After all, this housekeeper treated her equally, did not kick her while she was down because of Xie Shuyun’s actions, and sometimes even helped her.

“Housekeeper Qin, is something the matter?”

“Ah, Miss Cheng, these strawberries were freshly imported today. I brought some over for you. Would you like to try them?”

Qin Yu, who usually had an efficient and capable air, now actually had a brilliant smile on her face. Her appearance made Cheng Lingxue pause just as she was about to speak.

Her gaze turned to the small fruit plate in Qin Yu’s hand. Sure enough, there were seven or eight bright red fruits with excellent appearance on it. Beside them were also two thumb-sized small dishes thoughtfully included. The contents should be condensed milk and honey. They looked normal.

“Thank you.”

Cheng Lingxue reached out and accepted the fruit plate. Just as she was about to close the door, Qin Yu quickly spoke.

“Miss Cheng, please wait. I also need to give you this.”

As she spoke, Qin Yu took a pink envelope out of her pocket. There was even a large bow tied with a rather fancy red ribbon on top.

Looking at this thing that clearly did not match Qin Yu’s image, Cheng Lingxue finally reached out and accepted it.

“This is what Eldest Miss wanted to give you. I hope Miss Cheng will like it. After you finish eating the strawberries, you can put the plate in the unauthorized copyhallway. Someone will come collect it. Then I won’t disturb you anymore. Good night, Miss Cheng.”

“…Mm. Good night.”

After gently closing the door, Cheng Lingxue looked at the pink envelope in her hand, then glanced at the wall on the left.

That was the direction of Xie Shuyun’s room.

This was from Xie Shuyun?

A faint mocking smile appeared on her face, but Cheng Lingxue still did not throw it into the trash can.

She sat back down at her desk, gently pulled open the bow with her fingertips, and let the ribbon fall onto the desk, ignored.

She opened the envelope and took out the things inside. Looking at the stack of items, Cheng Lingxue raised her brow slightly.

There were two movie tickets, one couples-only meal voucher for a Western restaurant, and one two-person discount coupon for a luxury drink shop.

Holding those four thin slips of paper, Cheng Lingxue’s expression showed neither joy nor anger.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the address printed on the tickets. Her fingertips lightly tapped the desk for a moment.

She took out her phone. No one knew what she was checking, but Cheng Lingxue’s somewhat tense face gradually relaxed.

Joy, excitement, nostalgia, guilt—

In the end, a bright smile that almost no one had ever seen bloomed on her face.

Her hand shifted slightly. She picked up a strawberry from the fruit plate. Without dipping it in condensed milk or honey, Cheng Lingxue directly took a small bite.

The sourness that entered her mouth did not ruin her good mood. The faint sweetness that followed made the light in her eyes even more obvious.

Forgetting her rule of not eating after dinner, Cheng Lingxue finished the entire plate of strawberries before finally letting out a long breath.

She carefully wiped her hands clean, then gently smoothed out the corner of the tickets that she had crumpled. She carefully placed them back into the envelope and tucked it inside a book.

After confirming there was no problem, Cheng Lingxue reopened her laptop and continued focusing on her own matters.

Outside, Qin Yu looked at the closed door. As she turned and passed by Xie Shuyun’s room, Qin Yu revealed an encouraging smile and clenched her fist toward the door.

Eldest Miss, I can only help you this far.

From here on, you’ll have to rely on yourself.

Xie Shuyun, who was just about to sleep, shivered.

She rubbed her arms and looked around in confusion.

For some reason…

She had a bad feeling.