87: Chapter 87 Chu Yuqing's Past

Lin Ruoxi curiously sized up Jiang Jing: "You... are you really just looking to make friends?"

"Of course." Jiang Jing flashed a sincere smile. "Although you might not believe it, I really appreciate your... uniqueness."

He deliberately emphasized the word "uniqueness," his gaze drifting between the two of them, hinting that he had already discerned their relationship.

Chu Yuqing's face flushed slightly, while Lin Ruoxi straightened her back as if to defend something: "We are a couple. If you have any other ideas, it's best to drop them now."

"I respect your relationship." Jiang Jing's reply was airtight.

This statement seemed to touch something in Chu Yuqing; her eyes flickered for a moment, but she quickly resumed her guarded expression. "That's easy to say. Men are all like that—saying one thing to your face and doing another behind your back."

Jiang Jing didn't rush to refute her, instead glancing at his watch. "I have another appointment later, so let's leave it here for today. It was a pleasure meeting you both."

He knew the importance of knowing when to stop. He had already made progress today; there was no need to be too hasty.

"Then we'll be going." Lin Ruoxi took Chu Yuqing's hand and nodded at Jiang Jing. "Thank you for your... generosity."

Jiang Jing watched their departing figures and smiled lightly.

After leaving the shop, Lin Ruoxi leaned into Chu Yuqing's ear and teased: "How about that? He really put his money where his mouth is. Do you still think he's a scumbag?"

Chu Yuqing pursed her lips and muttered softly: "Who knows if he's just acting rich..." But her gaze drifted involuntarily toward Jiang Jing's direction.

Seeing this, Lin Ruoxi let out an inexplicable laugh: "Yo, could someone be falling for him?"

"What nonsense!" Chu Yuqing glared at her, but the tips of her ears turned quietly red.

On the other side, Jiang Jing walked out of the mall, checking the newly added contact on his phone with a pleasant mood.

[Lin Ruoxi favorability - 1] (Currently - 1)

[Chu Yuqing favorability + 5] (Currently 20)

"As expected, money power is the best way to break down prejudice." Jiang Jing chuckled. He had plenty of time to slowly "correct" the sexual orientation of this lesbian couple.

But this lesbian, Lin Ruoxi, is a bit troublesome...

Walking with her arm linked with Lin Ruoxi's, Chu Yuqing's thoughts drifted into memories. Jiang Jing's handsomeness couldn't help but remind her of that scumbag she had blocked.

A few months ago, at the college orientation party, Chu Yuqing, as the Minister of Arts for the Student Union, was singing on stage.

As the song ended, amidst the applause, she looked up and saw the focused gaze of a boy in the front row. He was wearing a simple white shirt, and his well-defined face carried a heart-fluttering smile. That was Chen Yang.

"You sang really well." After the party, Chen Yang took the initiative to stop her. "I'm Chen Yang from the Architecture Department. May I get to know you?"

His voice was clear and bright, his eyes sincere. He handed over a folded piece of paper—on it was a sketch, the very silhouette of her singing.

"It's not drawn well, but your charm is too hard to capture." He scratched his head sheepishly, which only made Chu Yuqing's heart skip a beat.

Back then, Chen Yang was also like this: seemingly humble on the surface, but actually confident.

He said his family background was ordinary, but he was talented and had won the gold medal in the National Architectural Design Competition.

He said he liked Chu Yuqing's cool and aloof temperament, saying she was the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen on campus.

"Yuqing? Yuqing!" Lin Ruoxi's voice pulled her back to reality. "What's wrong? You look terrible."

Only then did Chu Yuqing realize her nails were digging deeply into her palms. She released her grip and forced a smile: "It's nothing, just remembered some... unpleasant things."

They walked to a bench in the mall's rest area and sat down. Not far away, a young girl was excitedly showing her boyfriend a newly bought necklace, and the boy was dotingly ruffling her hair.

This ordinary scene was as piercing as a needle.

The time she spent with Chen Yang was the best time of her life.

He never gave her expensive gifts. Every time they passed a jewelry store, he would always say: "When I have money, I will definitely buy you the best." Chu Yuqing never minded; she thought it was his self-esteem and thriftiness.

Until that afternoon.

While Chen Yang was sleeping, she accidentally saw a message pop up on his phone: [Yangyang, is your allowance enough? Tomorrow I want to buy you that IWC watch you were looking at~]

The profile picture was a selfie of a girl, not particularly pretty but with exquisite makeup, and the background was clearly a high-end restaurant.

Trembling, Chu Yuqing opened the chat history, and three months of ambiguous conversations stabbed into her heart like knives.

She followed the location tracking app to find that French restaurant.

Through the floor-to-ceiling window, she saw Chen Yang wearing the shirt she had given him, kissing that girl affectionately. On the girl's wrist was a sparkling Cartier diamond bracelet.

"Yuqing..." Lin Ruoxi worriedly held her cold hand. "Are you thinking about that jerk Chen Yang again?"

Chu Yuqing closed her eyes and nodded.

"He later tried to argue that it was just for money." Chu Yuqing's voice was as light as a feather. "He said that rich girl could give him the opportunity to enter a top design institute after graduation... said he had real feelings for me..."

"And then you stood in the rain for an hour until you ran a high fever and were sent to the hospital." Lin Ruoxi took over, her fingers gently combing through her long hair.

Chu Yuqing remembered those dark days. Curling up in the corner of the rental apartment all day, flipping through photos with Chen Yang over and over again, then crying bitterly in the middle of the night.

Until Lin Ruoxi appeared.

As the landlord's daughter, Lin Ruoxi was originally just coming to collect rent as a routine. But after seeing the mess in the room and the haggard Chu Yuqing, she would "stop by" every day with homemade bento boxes.

"I made sweet and sour pork ribs today, want to try some?"

"Look, the cherry blossoms outside are blooming. Want to go downstairs for a walk?"

"I bought new watercolors. Do you want to try them?"

Lin Ruoxi never mentioned Chen Yang, just quietly kept her company. Slowly, the two became very close, and sometimes Lin Ruoxi would spend the night at her rental apartment.

The turning point happened on a stormy night. Chu Yuqing woke up screaming from a nightmare, dreaming that Chen Yang and that girl were mocking her naivety.

Lin Ruoxi rushed into the room and, ignoring her struggles, held her tightly.

"It's all in the past... it's all in the past..." Lin Ruoxi's voice was exceptionally clear amidst the thunder. "I won't let anyone hurt you again."

At that moment, Chu Yuqing felt her slender yet firm embrace. Something solid in her heart shattered.

"Men are all trash." Later, Chu Yuqing would often say this, and Lin Ruoxi would always smile and kiss her forehead: "Then don't have men; having me is enough."

But now, Jiang Jing's appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

"That Jiang Jing... he's not the same as Chen Yang." Lin Ruoxi said suddenly, interrupting Chu Yuqing's memories. "At least he really bought that bag."

Chu Yuqing looked up abruptly: "You're speaking up for him?"

"You know me; I'm just stating facts." Lin Ruoxi shrugged. "380,000—a scumbag like Chen Yang would definitely never be willing to spend that."

Chu Yuqing bit her lower lip; this was exactly the reason for her agitation.

Jiang Jing's behavior had shattered her perception that "all handsome, wealthy men are liars."

He could have completely brushed it off with sweet words like Chen Yang, but he didn't.

"Money can't prove anything." She said stubbornly, more like she was convincing herself. "Maybe he's just a wealthier liar."

Lin Ruoxi gave her a meaningful look: "True, but anyway, we've added him on WeChat, let's see what he does next."

Chu Yuqing didn't answer; her phone vibrated in her bag—it might have been a message from Jiang Jing.

She should have felt disgust and vigilance, but deep down, an indescribable sense of anticipation welled up.

This feeling was dangerous.