Of the four people who came in, Ye Linchen was the most eye-catching.
Today, Ye Linchen changed back into her usual simple and plain outfit.
She wore a blue and white striped pullover sweater, blue jeans, and white sneakers, looking fresh and clean.
Her eyebrows curved into crescents, and a faint smile played on her lips. She looked confident, poised, radiant, and full of youthful energy.
The four of them seemed to revolve around her, turning to look at her, listening to her speak, and laughing with her.
Gu Yifei stared intently at her, when another figure suddenly popped into his mind.
They were listless, exhausted, and distressed, lacking any of the vigor and vitality of youth.
It was Meng Zihan.
He instinctively called out to Ye Linchen, "Ye Linchen!"
Ye Linchen was talking to Shen Yanlin when she heard someone call her. She looked up and saw Gu Yifei, and was slightly taken aback.
What bad luck, I ran into him again.
I don't know what's wrong with Gu Yifei, he always likes to put on an act of being fair and upright, and always stands up for the weak.
Unfortunately, he wasn't very bright and was completely fooled by Meng Zihan, even thinking he had discovered the truth.
In a way, he and Teacher Ma are somewhat similar; both are foolish without realizing it.
In both her past and present lives, she disliked Gu Yifei, that self-righteous guy.
However, because he is Gu Jingran's cousin, and he stood up for him when Meng Zihan caused trouble last time, Ye Linchen's attitude softened a bit.
She smiled politely and said, "Hello, Gu Yifei."
Ye Linchen's attitude greatly encouraged Gu Yifei. He stepped forward, glanced at Shen Yanlin, Feng Linlin, and Lin Xiaojuan, and greeted them with a smile.
"You're here to buy books too?"
Shen Yanlin particularly disliked Gu Yifei.
He didn't have Ye Linchen's good manners, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.
He narrowed his long, thin eyes and sized Gu Yifei up and down. He coldly retorted, "What are you doing at a bookstore if you're not buying books? You're just spouting nonsense."
Lin Xiaojuan also disliked Gu Yifei and immediately chimed in, "Exactly, we can't exactly buy groceries."
Feng Linlin covered her mouth and laughed, "Not necessarily. Some people might just be here to show off."
Gu Yifei was slightly taken aback by the three people's retorts, and the smile on his face faded.
They don't like him, and he doesn't have to try to win them over!
Seeing the four people turn to leave, Gu Yifei, for some reason, wanted to say a few more words to Ye Linchen.
Ignoring the three men, he called out to Ye Linchen, "Ye Linchen, I'd like to speak with you alone for a moment."
Ye Linchen turned to look at him, unwilling to give him face, and said directly, "Say what you have to say right now."
"This..." Gu Yifei hesitated.
He wanted to apologize to Ye Linchen for what had happened before, and hoped that if they met again in the future, they could greet each other warmly, like the four of them, chatting and browsing bookstores together.
But with so many people around, how could he possibly start the conversation?
Shen Yanlin immediately asked, "What shameful things are you saying that you're afraid others will hear?"
Ye Linchen was even more straightforward: "If it's inconvenient, then don't say it."
Gu Yifei gritted his teeth, took another step forward, but the words he said changed.
"Ye Linchen, I know you're feeling quite successful right now, and your life is much better than before. But can you be a little more open-minded and stop targeting Meng Zihan all the time?"
"Targeting Meng Zihan?" Ye Linchen raised an eyebrow and asked in return.
"Yes, I know Xiaohan made some mistakes in the past that hurt you, but she has been punished. She is very pitiful now. She can't go to university and can't find a good job. She can only do odd jobs in the cafeteria."
Ye Linchen raised her hand to stop him: "What you're saying has nothing to do with me?"
"Of course there is. You and she are cousins. I hope you can give her a chance to correct her mistakes and not drive her away from the Ye family."
Ye Linchen looked at Gu Yifei as if he were an idiot, thinking he was clueless.
She said disdainfully, "Gu Yifei, you know nothing, yet you have the nerve to act as a champion of justice here?"
Gu Yifei was taken aback by her words and hesitated for a moment.
But after thinking about it, she continued, "How could I not know? Of course I know. The Ye family didn't have enough money to buy the house, so Uncle Ye wanted to ask you for money to help them through the crisis. You did help in this regard, but you can't kick Meng Zihan out for that! She's all alone, and if she's kicked out, she'll have nowhere to go. What if something happens to her? Can't you be more generous and not kick Meng Zihan out?"
"Honest advice is hard to hear, and you may not like what I'm saying, but I still want to advise you to be forgiving and not push people too far."
Ye Linchen sneered, his tone icy.
"Gu Yifei, don't worry, I won't kick Meng Zihan out. The Ye family's house purchase has nothing to do with me. I won't contribute a single penny. Whether she lives in the Ye family's house or somewhere else, I don't care. You've come to the wrong person."
"You won't contribute a single penny? Why? Aren't you rich? Why are you unwilling to help with something so important?" Gu Yifei asked, puzzled.
Gu Jingran had told him before that Ye Linchen had made a lot of money by securing sponsorships.
Although he didn't specify the exact price, judging from his tone, it must have been at least tens of thousands.
It's only been a short time; it certainly hasn't been used up yet.
Since you have money, why can't you help your family?
Even if there are conflicts with family members, buying a house is a huge deal. Shouldn't we put past grievances aside and give our full support?
"Whether I help you or not is none of your business, and I don't need to explain it to you." She looked at Gu Yifei with a sneer. "It's stupid of you to make such a request of me so abruptly."
Shen Yanlin, standing nearby, said something even more venomous.
"I thought you'd become smarter after you stopped being Meng Zihan's lapdog, but I didn't expect you to still be so stupid."
Feng Linlin chimed in, "So what if Meng Zihan moves out of the Ye family? Does that mean she can't live? Back then, Xiao Chen was just a student. She moved out of the Ye family and supported herself. Didn't she live a good life?"
Lin Xiaojuan asked curiously, "Gu Yifei, in what capacity are you speaking up for Meng Zihan? Is it her boyfriend?"
Gu Yifei quickly waved his hand in denial: "That's not it! I... I just think that Ye Linchen shouldn't be so ruthless towards Meng Zihan. Taking a step back would have been a better option..."
Shen Yanlin immediately interrupted him, his tone icy: "Taking a step back will open up a vast sky? You're wrong! Getting entangled with someone like her will only lead to an abyss! You have to kick her down, then step on her again, so she can never recover!"
Gu Yifei was startled by his words, pointed at Shen Yanlin, and said angrily, "Shen Yanlin, you are too vicious! How could you say such a thing!"
"Do you know the story of the farmer and the snake? If you remain stubborn, you'll likely end up like the farmer," Feng Linlin added.
Gu Yifei stared at them with disappointment: "Meng Zihan is just a little girl who made a mistake and is now sincerely repenting. Why can't we give her a chance? Why are you saying this to her?"
Ye Linchen smiled and offered Gu Yifei some advice.
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