149: Chapter 149 When the Plums Ripen: Childhood Sweetheart Male Lead 27

Night fell, and the city's neon lights flickered.

Nan Li's apartment.

As soon as Nan Li and Lin Xi pushed open the apartment door, they both kicked off their high heels and collapsed onto the sofa like two puddles of soft mud, completely devoid of decorum.

"I'm exhausted..."

Lin Xi sprawled out in a star shape, letting out a long sigh.

They had just finished attending that friend's wedding, having been busy from morning until now.

Although it was lively and festive, the whole day was truly a huge test of physical stamina.

Lin Xi caught her breath for a moment, picked up the water glass on the coffee table, and gulped down half of it before turning her head to look at Nan Li, who was also sprawled out beside her.

"How about it, Li Li?"

Lin Xi nudged her with her elbow and asked tentatively.

"How do you feel after attending the wedding today? Watching them exchange rings and vows on stage, have your previous thoughts about love changed even a little bit?"

Nan Li slowly opened her eyes, staring at the chandelier emitting a warm yellow light overhead, her gaze somewhat vacant.

After a long while, she gently shook her head.

"No."

Her voice was very soft, as if she had suddenly fallen from a mountain peak to the bottom of a valley.

"Xi Xi, not only have I not changed my mind, but on the contrary... I'm even more afraid."

Lin Xi was stunned; she put down the water glass and frowned slightly.

"Afraid of what? That shouldn't be, right?"

Nan Li sat up straight, wrapped her arms around her knees, and rested her chin on them.

Her voice carried a faint tremor.

"Watching the bride get married today, I suddenly realized something."

"I realized that I could actually date anyone in the world, or even marry anyone."

Lin Xi was shocked by her unusual words and looked at her in confusion.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I'm not talking nonsense."

Nan Li turned her head and stared fixedly at Lin Xi, tears actually beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Because I don't love them, I can calmly accept that my husband doesn't love me. I can accept him flirting outside, or even cheating, accept him divorcing me, and accept us never seeing each other again for the rest of our lives."

At this point, Nan Li took a deep breath, and tears finally fell, dripping onto the back of her hand.

"But... if this person were replaced by Brother Courtesy Name, I really couldn't accept it."

She bit her lip hard, every word feeling as if it were carved from the bottom of her heart.

"I cannot accept Brother Courtesy Name not loving me, I cannot accept him cheating, I cannot accept us divorcing, and even less can I accept that one day, we will become strangers and never see each other again..."

Nan Li covered her face, and stifled sobs spilled out from between her fingers.

"If that day really comes, Xi Xi, I really won't be able to go on living..."

"So, you're just going to not date him and not marry him?"

Lin Xi was dumbfounded.

This wasn't that Nan Li didn't love him; it was clearly that she loved him too deeply, so deeply that she didn't dare put this love on the gambling table.

Especially since she had seen her own mother lose that gamble with her own eyes.

Now, even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance of losing, she didn't dare to gamble.

Wasn't this a dead end?

Lin Xi looked at Nan Li, who was crying in a breakdown before her, and her heart gave a sharp tug.

Meng Zhu, what the hell do I do? This servant can't handle this.

This was no longer a problem that could be solved by ordinary counseling.

Lin Xi sighed, and just as she was about to reach out to hug Nan Li, the phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.

She took out her phone and glanced at it; Meng Zhu's message was lighting up on the screen, causing her eyes to flicker slightly.

So she quickly put the phone back in her pocket, then moved over, pulled Nan Li into her arms, and gently patted her back.

"Alright, alright, don't cry."

Lin Xi's tone became relaxed, as if she were coaxing a child.

"Since that's the case, let's forget it; let's not think about it!"

Nan Li lifted her head from her arms, looking at her with teary eyes.

"Forget it?"

"Yeah!"

Lin Xi pulled out a tissue and gently wiped her tears.

"Just let nature take its course. Anyway, I'm not in a hurry about preparing for graduate school. For the next period of time, I'll just keep you company. We'll go eat, drink, and have fun, and throw all those troublesome things to the back of our minds!"

Nan Li felt that made sense after hearing this.

Why did she come back to school?

Wasn't it because she was wasting away in Qinghe Garden and couldn't take it anymore?

Since she was here, she should temporarily forget about those things.

So, with red-rimmed eyes, she obediently nodded.

In the time that followed, Lin Xi truly kept her promise.

She dragged Nan Li to almost every street and alley in Jinling.

They went to see the latest movies, traveled to nearby ancient towns to relax, ate delicious food together, went shopping, bought things, and visited art exhibitions.

Sometimes they would go crazy and get dead drunk in the apartment.

Under Lin Xi's deliberate jesting and companionship, Nan Li's mood gradually improved, and smiles appeared on her face more often.

That night, before washing up, the two were wearing face masks in the bedroom, chatting casually about gossip.

"I'm going to take a shower first."

Nan Li peeled off her face mask and walked toward the bathroom in her slippers.

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Lin Xi waved her hand, and seeing the bathroom door close and hearing the sound of water running, she immediately seemed like a different person.

She quickly sat cross-legged on the bed, glancing at the bathroom door with a guilty conscience.

Then she took out her phone, her fingers tapping away on the screen with a rapid "pitter-patter," her speed so fast it felt like it would spark.

In fact, she did this every night.

But today.

Just as Lin Xi was chatting away enthusiastically, she didn't notice that the sound of water in the bathroom had stopped.

Immediately after, with a "click," the bathroom door was pushed open.

Nan Li was wearing fluffy pajamas, walking out while drying her wet hair with a towel.

Seeing Lin Xi holding her phone and typing, Nan Li was immediately a bit curious.

"Who are you chatting with? You're chatting so enthusiastically, your mouth is almost stretching to your ears."

Lin Xi was startled; in a flurry, she locked her phone screen and gave two guilty, dry laughs.

"Nothing, nothing! Just... chatting with my parents, giving them an update on how I'm doing."

Hmm, one's financial providers are also parents.

No problem there.

Nan Li didn't suspect anything and was just about to turn around to find the hairdryer.

Just at this moment, a crisp notification sound suddenly rang out in the quiet bedroom:

"WeChat received, 100,000 yuan."

This sound seemed deafening in the silent room.

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Last time 10,000 was heard, this time 100,000 was heard.

Lin Xi gasped, wishing she could run away immediately.

She was truly damned; she should have turned off this notification sound last time, how could she have forgotten?

But she didn't expect.

Nan Li stopped in her tracks, turned her head in surprise, looked at Lin Xi, then looked at her phone, and asked with concern.

"Xi Xi, did you ask your family for money? Did you run into some trouble?"

She walked to the bedside and said seriously.

"If you're short on money, tell me. Why are you being so polite with me?"

"No, no, no! I'm not short on money!"

Lin Xi waved her hands repeatedly, her eyes darting around with a guilty conscience, and cold sweat was almost breaking out on her forehead.

"I'm not short on money, it's just... my dad was suddenly generous for once and sent me a big red envelope, yes, a big red envelope!"

Seeing that she refused to take her money, Nan Li had no choice but to shake her head helplessly.

"Alright, if you need anything, be sure to tell me."

Saying this, Nan Li took the hairdryer to the vanity.

Only after Nan Li's back completely disappeared did Lin Xi let out a long sigh of relief.

She collapsed powerlessly onto the bed, looking at the "Sugar Daddy" chat box on her phone screen, wanting to cry but having no tears.

Li Li, oh Li Li, you are so innocent and easily deceived, I'm afraid that no matter what, you won't be able to escape the big bad wolf's pursuit.

[Hahahaha, this paid bestie is killing me with laughter]

[I often feel like my acting skills are god-tier because the person involved is too easy to fool]

[Eating, drinking, and having fun are all reimbursed, plus getting a salary; I want this job too]

[Feeling sorry for her bestie on one side, while earning extra money like crazy on the other]

[First of all, being able to become Nan Li's bestie isn't something just anyone can do, okay?]

[That's true, too]

The barrage comments were scrolling wildly in mid-air, filled with joy.

On the other side, Meng Zhu saw this and was also happy in his heart.

He didn't expect Lin Xi to counsel Nan Li; just taking her out to relax was enough.