Chapter 39: She Has a Boyfriend
This wave of emotion came out of nowhere, and Kong Yiyue couldn't even figure out why—was it because Xiang Yi's words were too devastating? Or because he'd cruelly forced her to face this unbearable reality?
Her thoughts tossed and turned, leaving her with an indescribable feeling in her heart. Impulsively, she opened her phone over and over again, wanting to ask Fu Jinting: “Is this really your decision?” But every time, she couldn't bring herself to press the call button.
She made an excuse for her hesitation—perhaps matters between two people were better discussed face to face.
She could wait for him, wait until he'd finished handling things in Qinglin City and returned to school.
Kong Yiyue knew Fu Jinting wouldn't have time to stay on campus recently, but she was well aware that even if he wasn't there, it didn't mean Nie Lingwei wouldn't appear at Lian University.
She knew that Nie Lingwei had gone abroad with him and returned with him, and they were even exchange students at the same university. That was why, in her previous life, so many entertainment news outlets had praised the deep bond between this pair of childhood sweethearts.
But knowing about it was one thing—seeing it with her own eyes was something else entirely.
That weekend, Kong Yiyue accompanied Jiang Manxin shopping for clothes. As they were browsing the clothing section, they heard the sound of girls laughing.
The voices weren't loud—they were even deliberately kept low—but since they were close by, Kong Yiyue and Jiang Manxin could hear everything clearly.
One girl said, “Lingwei, this outfit suits you best! The soft white jasmine color really matches your temperament.” A gentle voice replied, “Not at all!” The modest response was tinged with slight shyness.
Even though she'd only heard this voice once before, Kong Yiyue had an uncanny ability to remember it—the owner was Nie Lingwei.
Kong Yiyue slowly pulled her hand away from the fabric of a new garment and glanced toward the other side of the clothing racks. She could vaguely make out the figures of several young women.
As she watched them from across the racks, another girl said, “But I think bright red suits you too—gorgeous and elegant.”
Nie Lingwei seemed to just smile and say, “I'll try both then.”
Jiang Manxin had taken a liking to a white long dress. The more she looked at it, the more she loved it. She turned to ask Kong Yiyue what she thought, only to find her staring intently at the group of girls not far away, her expression serious and heavy.
Jiang Manxin looked carefully at the girls—she didn't recognize any of them, and they didn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary. She walked over to Kong Yiyue, touched her shoulder lightly, and lowered her voice to ask, “Is there something wrong with them?”
Only then did Kong Yiyue pull herself back to the present. “No, nothing.”
Jiang Manxin sensed she was unwilling to talk about it, or that it wasn't the right place to explain, so she didn't press further. She naturally changed the subject, saying, “I like this dress—what do you think?”
Kong Yiyue glanced at the dress and said, “It looks nice.”
“Mm, then I'll try it on. Wait for me?”
“Okay.”
While Jiang Manxin was trying on clothes, Kong Yiyue walked a little further away to look at other garments, returning to their original spot when she thought the time was right. Just then, Jiang Manxin walked out of the fitting room wearing the long dress.
Kong Yiyue had just said, “It looks great,” when the door to the adjacent fitting room opened. The person who emerged was wearing a striking red coat, tailored to accentuate her waist—she looked graceful and refined, with soft, delicate features.
Kong Yiyue's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before she reluctantly curved her lips into a smile. So they'd finally met face to face.
It seemed Nie Lingwei was just as surprised. But she recovered quickly, smiling and nodding at Kong Yiyue as she said, “Long time no see.”
Kong Yiyue didn't really want to greet her, but since the other woman had spoken first, she should respond politely: “Long time no see.”
Instead of hurrying to check how the outfit looked, Nie Lingwei took a few steps closer to where Kong Yiyue was standing and spoke warmly, “I didn't expect to see you here! Shopping for clothes? Oh right, do you study at Lian University too? I just started here a few days ago—I hope you'll take care of me.”
Kong Yiyue only replied with two words: “You're welcome.”
One of the girls behind Nie Lingwei curiously asked, “Lingwei, how do you know Kong Yiyue?”
Kong Yiyue actually wanted to ask, “How do you know me?” But she thought that asking would only lead to more conversation, so she turned to look at Jiang Manxin instead, discussing the dress with her.
Nie Lingwei answered the question: “Oh, she was my boyfriend's classmate—though that was quite a while ago.”
“Boyfriend? Oh my god, Lingwei, you have a boyfriend?” The group was astonished.
Kong Yiyue's expression stiffened.
She didn't turn to look at them, but she could hear Nie Lingwei's shy tone as she said, “Huh? Didn't I mention it? I guess I just never found the right time to tell everyone.” After saying that, she pulled out her phone to take a selfie. “I'll take a photo to show him and ask what he thinks—he has such discerning taste…” Before she could finish, the others teased her.
Kong Yiyue felt uncomfortable all over. She pressed her lips together tightly—they changed from pale to dark red, and soon her face paled considerably as well.
Standing across from her, Jiang Manxin noticed every subtle change. She adjusted her dress and said, “I don't think this dress suits me that well. I'll change back and come again another time.”
Kong Yiyue steadied herself and said, “Okay.”
On the way back, Jiang Manxin noticed that Kong Yiyue's face was deathly pale. She took her hand and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Kong Yiyue nodded. “Mm, my stomach hurts, and I feel a bit cold.”
Jiang Manxin reached out to feel her forehead—it was a bit warm. She suggested, “Let's go straight to the hospital.”
Kong Yiyue felt alternately hot and cold, and she was miserable, so she nodded in agreement.
After arriving at the hospital and registering, they waited in the lobby. Jiang Manxin saw Kong Yiyue leaning against the chair with her eyes closed, looking exhausted. After a moment's thought, she asked, “Do you know those girls?”
Kong Yiyue's dark eyelashes trembled slightly. After a long pause, she said, “Yes.”
Although the hospital waiting area was spacious, it was crowded with people—elderly, children, and middle-aged adults everywhere. A child was crying loudly. Kong Yiyue tried to close her eyes and calm her mind, but the noise around her was overwhelming, and she began to feel dizzy.
Seeing her pained expression, Jiang Manxin asked, “Do you have bad memories associated with her?”
Bad memories? It seemed not. Kong Yiyue thought—she'd only met Nie Lingwei once. If she cared so much about her, the only reason was Fu Jinting.
“It's not because of bad memories. It's just that what she said about having a boyfriend caught me off guard. I didn't think she was with him.”
But she didn't know whether to believe what Nie Lingwei had said.
Jiang Manxin was a bit confused, but seeing how tired she was, she didn't ask any more questions. If there really was something going on, she'd find out eventually—so why rush?
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