Chapter 1 / Section 2: The Fool
When she was completely devoted to him, but he already had someone who loved him deeply by his side, her heart felt as if it had been ripped apart by a sharp blade, riddled with holes and bleeding profusely.
Jing Moran had just returned from the student council. His handsome and dashing appearance remained unchanged in Mu Xinghe's eyes, making him stand out from the crowd. In the corridor, Mu Xinghe quietly awaited his return.
Jing Moran stepped forward and greeted her softly. Mu Xinghe turned her head, still as beautiful as ever, as if time had left no trace.
"Mu Xinghe, is that you?"
"Jing Moran, it's me. I'm back, and I will love you as always, just like before. Aren't we lovers?"
"Wait, what does your return have to do with me?"
"Have you fallen for that woman named Xiong Yingguang? What's so great about her? Don't forget what her mother used to do. You dare to associate with such a filthy person?"
"What did you do to Xiong Yingguang...?"
"What good can a child born to a prostitute be? That slut doesn't deserve you. If you don't change your mind about me, I'll torture her until she's no longer human one day."
"You're overthinking it. She's just a substitute for my sister. Why bother with a substitute? Now that you're back, we should relive our old romance. What is she? She's nothing to me."
Mu Xinghe and Jing Moran were childhood sweethearts. Their families became close through business dealings, which made their relationship even more special. They were both friends and lovers.
His world was so pure, yet she was seen as filthy in his eyes. Was she unworthy simply because she was a "bastard" born of a mother?
Mu Xinghe took Jing Moran's hand and said softly, "Mo Ran, since she is a substitute for your sister, why do you still keep Xiong Yingguang around and pollute your world? Wouldn't it be better to get rid of her as well?"
"Mu Xinghe, you know she's a girl. I won't just ruin her like that. I want her to know why she's not good enough for me."
Suddenly, a chalk eraser flew over and hit Jing Moran, covering his clothes and face with chalk dust. Enraged, Jing Moran shouted, "Who? Who threw that?!"
"It was me who smashed it. You're the kind of person with a black heart."
"Cang Ruoxi, mind your own business!"
"So what if I'm meddling? I've seen plenty of scumbags like you. You fall in love with every girl you meet, your heart is truly black. To love the next person, you use all sorts of excuses to frame others and make them break up with you. Jing Moran, listen to me carefully, as long as I'm here, you won't be able to hurt Xiong Yingguang even a little bit."
Mu Xinghe couldn't stand Cang Ruoxi's irritating expression, but he didn't want to argue with her. The Cang and Mu families were longtime friends, and arguing would only lead to worse consequences.
Mu Xinghe heard the bell ring and prepared to leave. Just as he brushed past Cang Ruoxi, Cang Ruoxi coldly said, "Aren't you afraid that you'll be the next one Jing Moran abandons?"
A sense of fear rose in Mu Xinghe's heart. If what Cang Ruoxi said was true, that Jing Moran fell in love with every woman he met, then she, Mu Xinghe, was nothing more than his plaything.
After Jing Moran and Mu Xinghe left, Cang Ruoxi sighed deeply. She sympathized with Xiong Yingguang, but felt helpless to help her friend.
When her heart beats ten thousand times, sorrow will spread with each beat. She will embrace her loneliness, letting it burn with her, at least she won't receive a shred of his sympathy.
“你出来吧，躲着也不是办法。我知道你很想痛揍慕星河这个和荆墨染一样见一个爱一个的渣人。可她抛弃你的这些年，你还没有觉悟吗？还为了她来到南宁第二十中学，你说你值得吗？卢汐谣。”
How did you know I was here?
"Do you even need to know? I just arrived at the student council entrance and saw you hiding here. You don't still have hope for her, do you? If it were me, I'd advise you to give up. You know how she treated you and Xiong Yingguang."
She's not what you think.
"Lu Xiyao, are you really stupid or just pretending? The facts are right in front of you. You are just Mu Xinghe's plaything. And Xiong Yingguang is just someone Jing Mozhan used to hurt her under the guise of his sister."
Lu Xiyao didn't utter a single complaint. If he could go back to the past, he would never have let Mu Xinghe leave him. But he had no reason to try and win back someone whose heart was no longer with him.
He still foolishly believed that Mu Xinghe would one day change her mind and love him as she did when they first met. Even if the truth was that Mu Xinghe didn't love him, he believed that Mu Xinghe wasn't hurting him intentionally, but rather for some kind of benefit.
"Cang Ruoxi, whether Mu Xinghe loves me or not, I don't care anymore. I already know the answer. And you, as Xiong Yingguang's best friend, must protect her well. Because Jing Moran is not a good person."
"Fool, why are you always thinking about others? What about yourself? Why do you never think about yourself? Don't you deserve it?"
Cang Ruoxi watched Lu Xiyao's departing figure, a figure radiating sorrow. What kind of person was he? He always shouldered everything alone, as if others were more important to him. Did he not care about protecting his own heart, letting pain erode him?
"Cang Ruoxi, I already know the answer. I no longer need to be as dejected as before. Although the answer was cruel, I have accepted it. I will always protect Mu Xinghe as a friend. I will be content as long as she is happy."
"Fool...fool...what does Mu Xinghe have that's worth sacrificing everything to protect? She doesn't even have you in her heart. Why do you still hold onto hope and sacrifice yourself to protect her?"
"Because I like her, because we're friends..."
That fool's back and body were so fearless. He once warmed everyone's hearts in the name of the gods, and now he still uses the name of the gods to protect the people he loves, even if he gets nothing in return, he will not have any complaints.
The moment he sadly made the decision to protect her, he had already become a complete fool. His foolishness was reserved solely for her, existing only for her. But was his sacrifice worthwhile? She wouldn't even notice him; what could he, as the third party, possibly gain?
Cang Ruoxi could never understand why, in the end…
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