Chapter 23 "Regret?"
In dormitory 314, as soon as Song Wan left, Xiao Ling's gambling game immediately started in a great uproar.
Xiaoling shook her piggy bank and rushed to Lin Sang's side. "Place your bets now, are you betting on a child star or a childhood sweetheart?"
Lin Sang smiled reservedly, took out a ten-yuan bill and put it into Xiao Ling's tin box, "I value family upbringing and manners more, so I'll buy the 'Heavenly Victory'."
Xiaoling gave her a playful look and pinched her chubby cheeks. "Lin Xiao, you've really mastered the art of insulting people lately."
You really need a bit of malice to understand that.
Lin Sang chuckled twice.
Zhou Zhou was drying his wet hair as he passed by when Xiao Ling stopped him. "Place your bet now, are you betting on a child star or your childhood sweetheart?"
"Is there any controversy about this?" Zhou Zhou rolled her eyes at her. "With that face and that figure, even a ghost would know which one to choose."
"Why is everyone choosing Chen Jianjin?" Xiaoling immediately deflated upon hearing this. "How am I supposed to continue this betting game?"
“You can buy the opposite,” Zhou Zhou raised an eyebrow at her. “Take a gamble; maybe the villa will be by the sea.”
Lin Sang nodded in agreement.
"I'll have to decline," Xiaoling said as she handed Lin Sang the ten-yuan note back to her. "I'm just a materialistic person who loves money."
Zhou Zhou laughed: "Well, they even paid for your taxi fare."
Xiaoling was speechless: "Thanks for the invitation. I can still tell which is more expensive, five yuan or five thousand yuan."
"Then what do you think..." Lin Sang suddenly asked, "Would Xiao Wan choose the girl who came into her life or her childhood sweetheart?"
Xiaoling shrugged. "Hard to say."
Zhou Zhou shrugged as well.
——
Because she didn't want to see Chen Jianjin, Song Wan got up very early the next day to attend her early class.
After making a wasted trip carrying breakfast, Chen Jianjin confirmed the problem that had troubled him all night after sending a message that went unanswered.
Song Wan is angry.
“Wanwan”.
When get out of class ended at noon, Song Wan packed her bag and walked out of the classroom, only to unexpectedly run into Lian Huaiyang who was waiting outside.
She asked, somewhat surprised, "What are you doing here?"
Lian Huaiyang waved his phone. "I sent you a message, but you didn't reply."
Song Wan turned on Do Not Disturb.
"Is there something you need?" she asked.
"I was reckless yesterday and interrupted your dinner with your roommates."
As he spoke, Lian Huaiyang helped her lift the schoolbag off her shoulder. "I want to apologize. I wonder if Wanwan would be willing to help me with this?"
Song Wan readily agreed.
Lian Huaiyang suggested buying milk tea.
So, after having dinner together, the two went into a milk tea shop.
After Song Wan ordered according to her roommates' tastes, Lian Huaiyang suddenly said, "Let's have another cup, this milk green tea."
"70% sugar?"
This question was directed at Song Wan.
"I don't need it." Song Wan waved her hand in refusal, but Lian Huaiyang smiled and said to the shop assistant, "I'll have this milk green tea, 70% sugar, and an ice cream."
The order processing was a bit slow, so while waiting, Lian Huaiyang accompanied Song Wan to the small supermarket next door.
How was your winter break? Was it alright?
Song Wan was checking the production date of the yogurt when she heard this. She nodded and, in return, asked, "And you?"
Lian Huaiyang paused for a moment, then said, "I found a suitable part-time job during the Spring Festival and have been busy ever since."
This statement also indirectly explains why he didn't show up during the holiday.
Lian Huaiyang's expression was somewhat unnatural, but Song Wan didn't notice. She nodded as she picked out the yogurt she had chosen, and didn't seem to care much about his words.
"I saw on your WeChat Moments, your cousin gave birth?"
Mentioning this, Song Wan smiled a little more, "Yes, she's a very cute and pretty girl."
"Have you chosen a name yet?" Lian Huaiyang asked again.
"We haven't chosen a formal name yet, but her nickname is Tao Tao." Song Wan explained, "Tao is the 'Tao' in grape. My cousin said she loved eating grapes when she was pregnant, and Tao Tao's eyes are as bright and lively as grapes. Plus, she's very mischievous."
It's clear that Song Wan really likes this niece; she talks much more about her when she talks about her, and her little expressions are especially lively.
When I came out of the supermarket, the milk tea was ready.
Lian Huaiyang carried over four cups and then handed the ice cream to Song Wan.
"Let me get you two cups, they're too heavy."
Lian Huaiyang smiled and said, "It's okay, you can have your ice cream."
Song Wan then realized that the ice cream was bought for her.
"Thank you, Lian Huaiyang."
He seemed abrupt and unfamiliar yesterday afternoon, but thankfully, he has returned to the familiar person she knew today.
On the way back to Song Wan's dormitory, Lian Huaiyang's phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at it and hung up.
But not long after, the annoying ringtone rang again.
He must be busy with something.
Song Wan had just finished her ice cream, and she considerately took the four cups of milk tea, saying, "It's not far from here, I can go back by myself."
Lian Huaiyang hesitated for a moment, then handed over what he was holding, saying, "Alright, see you later."
"Uh-huh."
Song Wan nodded with a smile.
Several calls came in succession, and without exception, the other party's phone was switched off.
Chen Jianjin was a little annoyed.
Song Wan's phone was turned off, and her location tracking was unusable.
He was just wondering how to find her when, without looking up, the slender figure of the girl he had been longing for came into view.
"Wanwan!"
Song Wan raised her head at the sound, but the next second, she was enveloped in a tight, enveloping embrace.
In broad daylight, right downstairs in the dormitory building, people were passing by from time to time.
Song Wan disliked overly intimate behavior in public and frowned as she tried to pull away from his arm that was holding her.
"Chen Jianjin, let me go!"
Chen Jianjin knew she was always shy, so he slowly loosened his grip.
"What happened last night was my fault." Chen Jianjin bowed, looked directly into her eyes, and apologized earnestly: "I'm sorry."
The boy's dejected and defeated expression inexplicably tugged at Song Wan's heart. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Chen Jianjin spoke first.
"But I still want to know." His deep brown eyes held only simple confusion. He composed himself and asked seriously, "Wanwan, is there something I did wrong that made you uncomfortable?"
Otherwise, why would she cry?
It was visibly that Song Wan's expression changed.
She was furious, but her skin wasn't nearly as thick as his. A strange red crimson crept onto her earlobes as the girl gritted her teeth and rebuked, "Chen Jianjin, is this all you think about?"
Sex-love-sex-love, sex and love are always inseparable, and her comfort is very important to him.
Chen Jianjin didn't want them to have conflicts over this kind of thing in the future; he wanted them to be completely compatible in every way.
However, it was clear that Song Wan did not want to discuss this topic.
She pushed him away and left.
Under the thick banyan tree in the distance, Lian Huaiyang watched the entire tug-of-war between the boy and girl with a gloomy face.
Song Wan only realized after returning to her dormitory that she had left the yogurt she bought at the supermarket with Lian Huaiyang. He had helped her carry things while she was eating ice cream and had simply forgotten about it.
——
Zhou Xiangyuan: [Qi Yan asked me to tell you that he's flying to England next week, and you'll have to keep an eye on the new project yourself.]
Zhou Xiangyuan: [No, what kind of romantic game are you two playing? I told him to tell you himself, and he completely ripped me out.]
Three hours later...
Zhou Xiangyuan: [A person?]
Zhou Xiangyuan: [Did you two have a fight?]
Half an hour later, Chen Jianjin finally saw the message and replied: 【Annoying. 】
Chen Jianjin: [Let's go out for drinks tonight.]
Zhou Xiangyuan replied instantly: [The sun must have risen in the west! Aren't you going to spend time with Little Song?]
Fifteen minutes passed, and Chen Jianjin hadn't replied. Zhou Xiangyuan silently rolled his eyes. [Eight o'clock, Danse?]
Chen Jianjin: [Hmm.]
Zhou Xiangyuan was very shrewd and dragged Qi Yan out as well.
He said that without him, their company would have collapsed long ago.
After getting off work, Chen Jianjin went straight there from the company. When he arrived, he found that Qi Yan was already there.
Neither he nor Qi Yan were people who liked crowds.
Zhou Xiangyuan was very considerate and didn't invite any random people.
Just the three of them.
Zhou Xiangyuan opened the wine.
Drinking alone is no fun, so Qi Yan tossed the sieve and sieve cup together into Zhou Xiangyuan's arms, raised an eyebrow at Chen Jianjin, and asked, "Playing?"
Chen Jianjin naturally agreed.
Zhou Xiangyuan was bewildered. "What game?"
Qi Yan took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, lit it, and exhaled a puff of smoke. Amidst the swirling smoke, he said, "The simplest thing is guessing size; the loser drinks."
Chen Jianjin crossed his arms, held the glass with four fingers, and gently twirled the ice cubes in the wine with his index finger. He also crossed his legs with ease, not at a disadvantage.
Only Zhou Xiangyuan wanted to roll his eyes at the two people loading the cargo, saying, "What's the point of playing this game if you two can both listen to the dice?"
Chen Jianjin's breathing became slightly heavy as he added, "Those who place their bets before the dice cup falls will automatically place their bets in the opposite direction."
Qi Yan had no objection, "Okay."
Zhou Xiangyuan began shaking the sieve.
"big."
Chen Jianjin said this before the matter was finalized.
Qi Yan remained silent.
Zhou Xiangyuan opened the pot, and as expected, it was a big one.
Qi Yan, true to his word, downed a glass of whiskey on the rocks.
In the second round, Qi Yan seized the initiative and guessed "big," prompting Chen Jianjin to drink.
The third round, the fourth round...
After shaking for who knows how long, Zhou Xiangyuan's hands were almost worn out. The two of them drank bottle after bottle, their eyes beginning to glaze over.
But neither of them was willing to admit defeat.
"Continue." Qi Yan stubbed out his third cigarette, his dark eyes darkening even more.
"Continue my ass!" Zhou Xiangyuan objected. His original intention was to get the two of them together for a good chat. If they kept drinking, forget about resolving their differences; they'd be lucky if they didn't start fighting.
What's more, his arm is going to be ruined.
Zhou Xiangyuan decided to ignore it and let the two young masters do whatever they wanted.
He picked up his coat from the sofa and was about to leave.
Where to?
Chen Jianjin reacted a beat slower, half-raising his eyelids to look over.
"Go home and get some sleep." Zhou Xiangyuan raised his wrist to show the two drunkards, tapping the clock face as he said, "It's three in the morning, brothers. I still have to report to the old man's company at eight tomorrow morning."
Zhou Xiangyuan is gone.
Qi Yan leaned back on the sofa for a while, then helped himself to his feet.
Are you leaving too?
Qi Yan ignored the sarcasm in his words and staggered towards the restroom in the private room. "Going to the toilet."
Chen Jianjin couldn't help but smile twice.
After drinking too much, his stomach started to burn again. He pinched the bridge of his nose and couldn't help but think of Song Wan.
I long for the feeling of her soft fingertips pressing on my stomach, and for her moist, timid almond-shaped eyes.
When Qi Yan came out, he saw Chen Jianjin slumped in a single sofa like he had no bones, exuding a chilling aura of loneliness.
Qi Yan walked over and threw the cigarettes and lighter from his pocket at him.
"Tell me, what happened?"
Chen Jianjin lowered his hand, lit a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.
"Qi Yan, to be honest, am I really that bad?"
The fourth one tonight. Upon hearing this, Qi Yan smiled helplessly, "Can anyone be worse than me?"
Exhaling a puff of smoke, Chen Jianjin asked, "How are things going between you and Chen Qinghe?"
"That's good, she has a new boyfriend."
A puff of smoke got stuck in his throat, neither going down nor coming down, and Chen Jianjin couldn't help but cough lightly.
Qi Yan exhaled a puff of smoke and rolled her eyes at him, "Laugh if you want to."
Chen Jianjin didn't laugh. They were both equally bad, so what right did he have to laugh at others?
"Do you regret it?" The boy's eyelids drooped slightly as he flicked the ash from his cigarette and said emotionlessly, "I didn't keep her by my side."
"And you?" Qi Yan asked back, "Do you regret it? Forcing someone to stay by your side?"
Do you regret it?
Chen Jianjin had asked himself this question many times.
But every time, it's the same – "No regrets."
The curve of his lips was slightly bitter. He said, "Qi Yan, if I had been a step later, she might have accepted another boy's confession."
Knowing that Lian Huaiyang intended to confess his feelings that night, Chen Jianjin decided to act ahead of time.
If he waits until they are together before breaking them up, Song Wan will only hate him more.
Qi Yan disagreed, saying, "You yourself said it's possible."
"What's more... a competitor who can be dismissed with money has driven you to this desperate situation." He lifted his eyelids slightly to look at the person opposite him, his expression somewhat disdainful. "Chen Jianjin, you seem to have lost your mind when it comes to love."
Chen Jianjin smiled without saying a word; he simply didn't want to use those disgusting methods on Song Wan.
Unfortunately, he later discovered that Lian Huaiyang was even more annoying than he had imagined.
On the very night that Chen Jianjin was away, Lian Huaiyang took the initiative to contact Song Wan again.
"You can just drink the yogurt, why bother making this trip?" The girl rushed down from the dormitory building, still wearing cute fluffy pajamas. Her long hair was held back with a hair clip, and a few strands fell behind her ears, probably because she had too much hair to manage. Her almond-shaped eyes were round and bright, making people feel soft-hearted.
"There are some things I'd like to talk to you about." The moonlight was cool and clear, casting faint shadows on Lian Huaiyang's eyelashes. He cut to the chase, asking, "Want to take a walk together?"
Song Wan glanced at the fluffy slippers on her feet, tilted her head, and asked, "Can we talk about it tomorrow?"
She planned to read for a while and then go to sleep.
"It won't take up too much of your time." The boy's eyes were cold and indifferent, easily reminiscent of a calm surface with turbulent undercurrents. He seemed to be brewing something, yet also seemed to have nothing at all.
Song Wan felt that he was acting strangely today. The Lian Huaiyang of the past would never bother her this late. Perhaps he really had something important to say. So Song Wan nodded in agreement and said, "Then... okay then."
As night fell, twinkling starlight adorned the night sky.
Song Wan followed closely beside the boy, her gaze falling on the long shadow at her feet. "What do you want to talk about?"
"You've fallen for Chen Jianjin?"
As he asked this question, Lian Huaiyang's half-lowered eyes were fixed on the girl's beautiful profile for a moment.
Song Wan has very good skin, as white and tender as a peeled egg, with a full forehead, a delicate nose, and always rosy lips. She has small dimples that appear slightly when she purses her lips or smiles.
Just like now, she bit her lip and squeezed out those little dimples.
Song Wan is very naive, so naive that she is not very good at hiding her true emotions.
So, the moment her breath hitched slightly, Lian Huaiyang knew the answer.
The girl remained silent for a long time before muttering softly, "I don't like him."
Song Wan's pajamas were rabbit-shaped, with the pockets on both sides shaped like little rabbits. Right now, she was looking down and pulling at the rabbit ears on the pockets.
She didn't even dare to look him in the eye when she said those words.
A chill surged from the soles of his feet, rushing straight to his heart. Lian Huaiyang suddenly felt an inexplicable fire burning within him, making him dizzy and disoriented, while his limbs remained cold and weak.
"It's best if you don't like him." When he spoke again, the boy's tone became more sarcastic. "Wanwan, don't forget how Chen Jianjin forced and threatened you against your will. Or... have you already forgiven his previous sexual harassment and are enjoying this feeling of being forced into intimacy?!"
"Lian Huaiyang!"
Song Wan stared in disbelief, unable to believe that such words had come from his mouth.
His chest heaved with anger, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his heart.
After so many years of friendship, this was the first time Song Wan looked at the person in front of her and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation, as if she had never known him before.
Does he even know what he's saying?
And why... should we use such malicious thoughts to speculate about her?
Because she trusted him, Song Wan once mustered up the courage to reveal her most vulnerable side to him. He had comforted her so considerately before, so why is he now changing his attitude and deliberately rubbing salt into her wounds?
My chest hurt so much that I felt numb, and my brain couldn't think straight.
Song Wan felt that she needed to calm down and have some peace and quiet.
From disbelief to disappointment and despair, Lian Huaiyang witnessed the girl's emotional shift. At the same time, he realized that he had acted irrationally and said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, Wanwan, I was a little too emotional just now. I didn't mean it that way. You have to believe me."
Lian Huaiyang hurriedly apologized, holding the girl's thin shoulders with both hands. However, Song Wan's resistance did not diminish, and she raised her hand to push his arm, wanting to leave.
"I'm sorry, Wanwan. I was so worried that you would be deceived by a playboy like Chen Jianjin, and I was so worried that you would get hurt, that I spoke without thinking. I said some hurtful things in the heat of the moment. Believe me, my intentions were good. Think about it, in all these years, have I ever done anything that would be detrimental to you?"
Recalling the past, Song Wan felt a slight softening.
Lian Huaiyang seemed to have seen through this as well, and continued in a seductive voice, "We've known each other for so many years, Wanwan. More than anyone else, I want you to be well. Do you remember when you first entered high school, you couldn't learn math, and I spent an hour every day tutoring you? Before you went to university, your aunt asked me to take good care of you. You didn't trust me, but don't you trust your aunt? If your aunt knew what Chen Jianjin had done to you, what would she do?"
Song Qinru was Song Wan's destiny, and Song Wan was Song Qinru's destiny as well.
"Wanwan, people can't fight against power. You don't want anything to happen to your aunt, right?"
As she spoke, she took the girl's hand and said in a gradually softening tone, "You are too soft-hearted and too easily believe a man's sweet words that seem well-disguised. Do you know that Chen Jianjin is a rapist? Before you, he deceived a minor high school girl."
The information in his words was so shocking that Song Wan momentarily forgot to pull her hand away.
The girl's almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright, revealing all her emotions at a glance.
Lian Huaiyang stared into her eyes, his earnest tone emphasizing the credibility of his words, "You should remember that I mentioned to you before that I was a tutor. Unfortunately, one of my tutors was from their circle. Chen Jianjin is a notorious playboy who, relying on his family's wealth and power, slept with a minor high school girl during his freshman year of college."
“Wanwan, it’s the exact same routine he used to woo you. He sweet-talked her about love and lavishly spent money on her. The girl couldn’t resist, fell in love, and gave herself to him. But Chen Jianjin was just playing around from the beginning. He kicked her aside after he got her.”
Unconsciously, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and Song Wan looked confused.
The Chen Jianjin she knew was not that kind of person.
Although he is bad, he will also kindly help take a stranger injured in a car accident to the hospital. He will strictly observe social distancing and be considerate of other people's feelings.
Song Wan wanted to refute, but when she took a deep breath, she realized that she had no grounds to stand on.
Lian Huaiyang took in the girl's reaction, gritted his teeth, and added another strong dose of truth: "Not only that, he also has a fiancée."
Song Wan stared at him with wide, beautiful eyes.
"So Wanwan... the premise of Cinderella is that she also comes from a ducal family. Fairy tales are fairy tales because they can never happen in real life." Lian Huaiyang reminded her almost cruelly, "Chen Jianjin's feelings for you are just something to play with when he's bored."
The last time Song Wan heard this was from Jiao Qian, but this time it was from Lian Huaiyang.
Should she be angry? Why is she a little angry right now? Is this a normal emotion?
Unbeknownst to Song Wan, a tear rolled down her cheek.
Lian Huaiyang stared at the tear that was about to fall from the tip of her chin, his brows furrowed deeply, and his irritation surged.
"There's something else you probably don't know," the boy said defiantly. "The reason Chen Jianjin suddenly blocked you downstairs in the administration building that day was because he knew I was planning to confess to you in the library. My boss is getting promoted, and that empty seat is very likely to be his. At this juncture, he can't afford to make headlines for forcibly taking someone else's girlfriend."
Lian Huaiyang learned about this from Jiao Qian.
Therefore, Song Wan should have been his girlfriend.
It was so close, so very close.
“So, Wanwan…” Lian Huaiyang tried to pull her into his arms, “If you don’t like Chen Jianjin and want to get rid of him completely, I can help you.”
“If we stay together, he won’t dare to act recklessly, considering our reputation.” Fearing that Song Wan would use the excuse of worrying about his retaliation to refuse again, Lian Huaiyang spoke first: “As long as you stand on my side, with public opinion to suppress him, he won’t dare to touch us.”
“I…” Song Wan raised her wrist to block his chest as he leaned in, took a small step back, and shook her head, saying, “But I don’t like you, Lian Huaiyang.”
Even without Chen Jianjin, even if he had successfully confessed his feelings that day, her answer would have been the same as it is now, without any change.
"I'm sorry." Song Wan felt guilty for betraying someone's sincerity. She lowered her eyes and carefully chose her words: "I only consider you a friend, just like Xia Xia, you are my best friend."
“You know, my family…” Song Wan paused, then continued, “So I’ve always been insecure and not good at making friends. I’m grateful and cherish the fact that you and Xiaxia are willing to play with me, but that’s all.”
Song Wan spoke the last half of her sentence with particular reluctance.
Perhaps from today onwards, her relationship with Lian Huaiyang will come to an end.
Perhaps it's because he just mentioned things from the past.
Deep down, Song Wan still found it hard to let go.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you a response. If you feel that we can no longer be friends, just quietly delete me." With that, Song Wan raised her head and said with utmost sincerity, "Lian Huaiyang, I wish you all the best in the future and a bright future."
The friendship they once shared was genuine, so Song Wan sincerely wishes him all the best.
"Song Wan".
Song Wan had only turned around and taken a few steps when Lian Huaiyang called her back, "What if I said we could pretend to be together?"
Song Wan didn't dare turn around to look at him, she just shook her head.
If Lian Huaiyang had no other feelings for her, Song Wan might have agreed, but knowing that he liked her, she could no longer take advantage of him.
Song Wan had never experienced a relationship, but she knew what it meant.
A short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one; don't give people ambiguous hope.
Watching the girl's receding figure, Lian Huaiyang unconsciously clenched his fists at his sides, his hatred seething through his teeth.
Chen Jianjin! Chen Jianjin! Chen Jianjin!!!
One day, he will ruin his reputation!
-----------------------
Author's Note: *The Villainess's Love* – Chen Qinghe x Qi Yan
This is a sister novel to this one. The synopsis is below. If you're interested, please add it to your favorites. Thank you! ~heart~
Little Fox x Big Bad Wolf | Broken Mirror Reunited + Atypical Substitute Literature
At first glance, Chen Qinghe was wearing a short skirt and white shirt, with her hair tied in a high ponytail. The ordinary school uniform of the private high school made her look charming.
The girl had bright, beautiful eyes, and her curved eyebrows made her look just like a cunning little fox. She stood in the rainbow after the rain and tilted her head: "Can I hug you?"
The amazement in his eyes shattered in an instant. Qi Yan's lips twitched slightly, and he muttered, "Crazy."
Later, during their study tour, a massive earthquake struck. The moment the girl rushed towards him without regard for her own safety, Qi Yan was completely captivated.
He never expected that his affection was fake, and that his act of risking his life to save her was also just a performance.
——
After a long separation, we met again, but everything had changed.
At that time, Chen Qinghe already had a fiancé with whom she was about to get married, and a strange woman was standing next to Qi Yan.
Chen Qinghe thought that it was good enough that they had met as strangers and that this was their final ending.
Unfortunately, the other party blocked her way.
A glass of champagne rested on long, slender fingers, the clear liquid reflecting the dazzling lights of the banquet. A smile played on the man's lips, his cool gaze falling on her delicate hand that she had reached out to hold. He raised an eyebrow slightly, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
Even more shocked than Chen Qinghe was her fiancé beside her, "You know President Qi?"
Chen Qinghe could only bite the bullet and answer, "Old classmate, it's been a long time since we've been in touch."
"How many..." Qi Yan swirled his wine glass, leisurely lifting his eyelids, the smile on his lips turning extremely wicked. He asked unhurriedly, "Old classmates you slept with and then abandoned?"
#The one who says "I love you" first walks away, while the one who falls in love later is unwilling to give up.
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