15: Rivals meet

"Chen Li, you loser, it takes you forever just to buy milk tea. Are you a turtle?"

Liu Manman's shrill voice exploded on the Campus Shady Path, drawing side-eyes from a few passing students.

"Manman, we're outside..." Meng Yu's voice was very low. She watched Chen Li carrying a cup of milk tea,

the bag cutting into his fingers and making them turn white, with beads of sweat from his earlier run still hanging on his forehead.

"Meng Yu, what business is it of yours if I scold my boyfriend?" Liu Manman's tone was aggressive.

"You..." Meng Yu's face turned red with anger, but seeing Chen Li's submissive look, she swallowed her words.

She knew that interjecting now would only make Chen Li more embarrassed... "Chen Li, it's my birthday in a few days. Have you saved enough money for that bag yet?"

"Manman, can we buy it next time? I've had a high fever lately and really couldn't move. My part-time job stopped too..."

"No! If you can't buy it for me, I'll find someone else to buy it for me. When that happens, we're done."

"Don't... I... I'll buy it for you, okay?"

"Liu Manman, aren't you being a bit too much of a bully?"

"Meng Yu, why are you always sticking your nose in everything?"

"I just want to tell you, don't be too heartless."

"How is this heartless? Isn't it what a boyfriend should do, buying gifts for his girlfriend?"

...Recalling these things as if they were right before her eyes, Meng Yu felt both angry and heartbroken.

She quickly stopped her thoughts, trying to push those unpleasant memories out of her head.

But Liu Manman's caustic voice and Chen Li's humble appearance were carved into her mind, refusing to fade.

Thinking about this, the last bit of guilt she felt toward Liu Manman because of her status as an ex-girlfriend completely vanished.

She steadied herself and drove slowly into the school. The brand-new Audi attracted the attention of many passersby.

Her roommates, Li Yuan and the others, were a bit vain and deliberately lowered the car windows.

"Eh, whose teacher's new car is this?"

"Doesn't look like a teacher. The driver seems to be a student."

"An Audi! They're so damn rich!"

...Hearing these discussions, Li Yuan and the other girl exchanged looks, their faces filled with a bit of pride.

Meng Yu didn't pay much attention while driving. She steadily parked the car downstairs at the Dormitory.

It happened to be right after class. As they got out of the car, they immediately became the focus of attention, and someone soon recognized Meng Yu.

"Isn't that Meng Yu from the School of Economics?"

"Is her family that well-off? She's even driving an Audi."

This car instantly gave Meng Yu a lot of popularity in the surrounding area.

Not far ahead of them, a girl with bright eyes, white teeth, and a slender Figure was staring blankly in this direction with a complex expression. She was none other than Liu Yu.

"What's wrong? Liu Yu, do you know that girl?"

A girl beside her, equally striking, bumped her arm and asked curiously.

"I guess so." Liu Yu snapped out of it, her tone somewhat dry.

How could she not know her? That day at the car show, she had watched with her own eyes as Chen Li accompanied this girl and bought this car for her on the spot.

Her heart was bubbling with bitterness: Being the official girlfriend is such good luck. How could someone as rich as Chen Li take an interest in such an ordinary girl?

In what way was she inferior to her? In terms of face and Figure, she was more than a cut above. Why was Chen Li so set on her?

Sigh, it's all fate. If I had met Chen Li earlier than her, this car should be mine now.

Recalling the taste of that night indeed left her wanting more, but she didn't dare to initiate dates too frequently, fearing he would look down on her and think she was too thirsty or only after his money.

Actually, she was overthinking it. To Chen Li, since things had been laid out clearly, he didn't care about the money at all.

As long as his time was convenient and his body allowed it, money was never an issue.

While she was lost in thought, the girl beside her lightly bumped her arm again.

"Yu, why are you dazing off? Since you know her, introduce me."

Liu Yu snapped out of it and twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a forced smile. "You already drive a BMW 5 Series yourself, and you're still interested in her audi a4?"

"You can't put it that way. Knowing one more wealthy friend is a connection after all. Maybe it'll be useful in the future?"

Liu Yu couldn't help but feel a hint of doubt. Li Tingting came from a wealthy family.

She was a recognized Fair, Rich, and Beautiful in the school. Logically, she wouldn't be so interested in Meng Yu just for a car.

She had only met her once, after all. It was hard to say if the other person even remembered her.

Moreover, strictly speaking, their awkward relationship... calling them 'love rivals' wouldn't be an exaggeration. How could she bring herself to make an introduction?

"Ac... Actually, I've only met her once. I don't know if she still remembers me."

"It's fine, just go up and say hello."

Liu Yu felt a bit of a struggle in her heart. She really didn't want to face Meng Yu. That awkwardness and faint jealousy made her want to turn around and leave.

But looking at Li Tingting's expectant eyes, she still bit the bullet and agreed: "O... Okay."

...On the other side, Meng Yu and her roommates were walking toward the Dormitory building, chatting and laughing, when she looked up and saw two Figures approaching.

It's her? Meng Yu's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm.

Liu Yu took a deep breath, forced a natural smile, and stepped forward.

"Hello, I'm Liu Yu. Do you remember me? That day at the car show, I saw you with Chen Li..."

"Of course I remember. I'm Meng Yu." Meng Yu replied with a smile.

How could she not remember? This girl was so beautiful she was unforgettable. At that time, she remembered clearly the tiny bit of worry in her heart that Chen Li might be lured away.

Seeing the two of them start talking, Li Tingting immediately seized the opportunity, stepped forward gracefully, and joined the conversation with a bright smile.

"Hello, Meng Yu. I'm Li Tingting. Can we be friends?"

"Tingting, hello. Of course." Meng Yu was infected by Li Tingting's bright smile and responded with a smile as well.

Li Tingting had a free-spirited and elegant aura that made people instinctively want to get close to her.

Standing to the side, Liu Manman watched the three girls enthusiastically add each other on wechat and chat happily.

Especially hearing that the beautiful girl named Liu Yu also knew Chen Li, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by something.

Why? She stared intently at Meng Yu, who was surrounded in the middle, her nails almost digging into her palms.

All this attention and these halos should clearly have been hers.

If Meng Yu hadn't intervened, the person standing here being actively befriended by Li Tingting and carefully treated by Liu Yu should have been her, Liu Manman.

Chen Li was originally her boyfriend. His wealth and his circle should have been her resources.

But now? She was like a complete outsider, an insignificant passerby, watching with her own eyes as the glory that should have belonged to her was entirely snatched away by another woman.

This world-of-difference treatment was like a thorn in her heart, making her long-standing sense of superiority vanish... No, I must take it back...