Ruan Xingchen turned toward the voice and saw Ruan Shuqing storming over angrily.
Today, Ruan Shuqing was dressed differently from the day at the club. She finally looked like a proper, pure college student.
But no matter what she wore, Ruan Xingchen still didn't like her.
Ruan Xingchen stopped walking."What is it?"
"You're asking a question you already know the answer to!"Ruan Shuqing glared at her, as if she wanted to burn a hole through her face."Did you go out to dinner with Brother Jiang last night?"
Ruan Xingchen rolled her eyes.
So that's what she's mad about.
Seeing her remain silent, Ruan Shuqing pressed on,"What did you talk about?"
"Miss Ruan,"Ruan Xingchen's delicate face curved into a faint, mocking smile."What I discuss with my fiancé has nothing to do with you."
The little girl wasn't without thorns—she just chose when to show them.
The anger Ruan Shuqing had barely suppressed exploded again. Without thinking, she raised her hand and swung it hard toward Ruan Xingchen's face.
It had to be her—she must have said something to Jiang Heng. Otherwise, why would he ignore her today? No calls answered, no messages replied.
It must be this bitch's doing!
As her hand came down, a twisted sense of satisfaction rose in Ruan Shuqing's heart.
If she could ruin that face, even better. Then Jiang Heng wouldn't keep thinking about her!
Ruan Xingchen hadn't expected her to actually hit her.
There was no time to dodge. She simply closed her eyes, silently praying that this pampered young lady wouldn't hit too hard.
At the last second—
A large hand suddenly grabbed Ruan Shuqing's wrist.
Her hand froze mid-air.
Both girls looked toward the owner of that hand.
A flash of surprise crossed Ruan Xingchen's eyes.
The boy adjusted his glasses and said expressionlessly,"Please don't cause trouble at the school entrance."
Ruan Shuqing yanked her hand back and glared at him. Her voice turned sharp and venomous.
"And who are you supposed to be? Her little lover?"
The boy froze for a moment—clearly not used to hearing such crude words from a girl. His expression changed, and his stance in defending Ruan Xingchen became even firmer.
"If you continue causing trouble, I'll call security."
Seeing more and more people gathering and watching, Ruan Shuqing shot them both a vicious glare.
"Just you wait!" she snapped at Ruan Xingchen before turning and running off.
Ruan Xingchen gave the boy an embarrassed smile."Thank you, class monitor."
He pushed his glasses up again, serious as ever."No need."
Ruan Shuqing returned home with red, swollen eyes.
Seeing Mrs. Ruan sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, she immediately rushed over and clung to her arm.
"Mom, help me, please!"
Mrs. Ruan put down the paper, frowning slightly."What happened?"
Ruan Shuqing wiped her tears."It's all because of that bitch Ruan Xingchen. She went out to dinner with Brother Jiang again yesterday!"
At the mention of Ruan Xingchen, a complicated look flashed briefly in Mrs. Ruan's eyes.
After a moment, she said calmly,"Jiang Heng is her fiancé. Why are you interfering?"
Ruan Shuqing lifted her head, glaring at her mother."Why? Why does it have to be her?"
Why not me? Why does it have to be that bitch?!
Mrs. Ruan turned her head away and said nothing.
Just then, Ruan Jiancai returned home from work. Hearing his daughter crying, he quickly asked,
"Shuqing, what's wrong?"
The moment she heard his voice, Ruan Shuqing let go of her mother and ran over, grabbing his arm and acting spoiled.
"Dad, you love me the most, right?"
Ruan Jiancai smiled indulgently, ruffling her hair."Go on, what is it this time?"
Mrs. Ruan, sitting on the sofa, glanced at her husband, her brows knitting slightly.
Ruan Shuqing lowered her head shyly and said,"Dad… I like Jiang Heng."
The smile on Ruan Jiancai's face slowly faded. His brows furrowed deeply.
Around five in the evening, Ruan Xingchen returned to Wutong Apartments with groceries.
It seemed Lu Jingyuan often cooked for himself—the kitchen was fully stocked with everything she needed.
After more than half an hour, she finally finished preparing two dishes and a soup.
She took off her apron, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and let out a small sigh of relief.
Lu Jingyuan should get off work at six. At the latest, he'd be home by around six-thirty.
With time to spare, she cleaned the entire apartment—except for his bedroom.
Time ticked by.
It was almost seven, yet he still hadn't returned.
After thinking for a moment, she went into the bathroom and took out the clothes from the laundry basket, checking the tags one by one.
Thankfully, they were all hand-washable.
But then—
Her face flushed red as she held up a pair of men's boxers, still carrying a strong masculine scent…