Lin Ranran suddenly realized that even if Gu Chenshi had shifted his affections to someone else, she didn’t even have the right to angrily accuse him.
She silently gazed out the window. The thought of Gu Chenshi’s tenderness now being given to another girl made her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe.
Gu Chenshi, you shouldn’t be like this.
But what exactly should Gu Chenshi be like? She wasn’t sure either.
It seemed she didn’t understand Gu Chenshi at all?
Back when he was constantly orbiting around her, why hadn’t she ever thought to truly get to know him?
With the college entrance exams approaching, Lin Ranran’s distracted state was clearly not acceptable.
But Lin’s mother wasn’t overly worried.
Lin Ranran wouldn’t be taking the college entrance exams—she would go abroad to study immediately after graduation.
Lin’s father had already made arrangements with the school.
Lin’s mother firmly believed that time was the best diluent. Given some time, her silly daughter would move on. Perhaps someday, looking back on this period, she might even think herself foolish and naive.
Whose youth isn’t tinged with a faint, childish melancholy?
However, what Lin’s mother couldn’t foresee at this moment was that the naive one was actually herself.
The impact Gu Chenshi had on Lin Ranran was something even time couldn’t diminish…
Of course, this was Lin Ranran’s own affair and had absolutely nothing to do with Gu Chenshi.
Lin Ranran’s distracted state was so obvious that even Lin’s father, who was overwhelmed dealing with matters related to Kong Xiao’s parents, noticed it.
Sitting on the sofa, he rubbed his temples and asked wearily, “What’s wrong with our precious? Who upset her?”
Before Lin’s mother could answer, he remembered something: “Right, didn’t you go to apologize at that Gu… classmate’s house today? Did they not accept it and give you a hard time?”
Lin’s mother told the truth: “They didn’t give us a hard time. On the contrary, they were very polite, saying it was all in the past. Their magnanimity was greater than we imagined.”
Lin’s father said, “That’s good. But then what’s wrong with our precious? Did you accidentally upset her?”
Lin’s mother shook her head, thought for a moment, and tentatively asked, “What do you think of that male classmate of hers? The one named Gu Chenshi.”
Lin’s father said, baffled, “I’ve never met this Gu Chenshi, how would I know? But didn’t you say he was unperturbed by honor or disgrace and would likely become someone remarkable—why are you suddenly bringing him up?”
Lin’s mother glanced upstairs and whispered, “I think your precious daughter and that Gu Chenshi…”
Lin’s father slapped the arm of the sofa, exclaiming, “What?! A pig wants to dig up our prized cabbage? No way! Tell me where he lives right now—I’m going to see him!”
With a serious expression, Lin’s father actually started to get up to fetch his coat.
Lin’s mother quickly pulled him back: “It’s not what you think. I believe… it’s our daughter who’s pining unrequitedly…”
“Nonsense! Impossible!” Lin’s father flatly denied. “Our daughter is so beautiful. It’s only other brats who would pine after her—it couldn’t be her pining after someone else!”
Lin’s mother said quietly, “I understand how you feel, but I can tell you responsibly, based on my observations, that this Gu classmate has absolutely no interest in our daughter!”
Unaware of her parents’ conversation, Lin Ranran lay dejectedly on her bed and, as if guided by some inexplicable impulse, pulled up her chat history with Gu Chenshi.
The chat history still stopped at the “Happy Birthday” message Gu Chenshi had sent.
Those four simple, ordinary words were read over and over again by Lin Ranran.
She deeply regretted why she hadn’t replied to his message at the time.
After Gu Chenshi sent her the birthday wishes, did he wait by his phone for her reply?
He must have been so disappointed when he didn’t get a response from her…
Lin Ranran herself didn’t even realize that she, who had never cared about others’ feelings before, had unknowingly learned to put herself in someone else’s shoes.
…But she only did so for Gu Chenshi.
Her thoughts drifted back to her birthday.
Analyzing it carefully.
Everything had been perfectly normal until they went to the hotel to celebrate her birthday.
Gu Chenshi sang the birthday song with the other classmates and then gave her a birthday gift.
She still remembered the nervousness and anticipation in his eyes at the time: “I spent a long time carefully preparing this gift for you. I hope you like it.”
She had wondered what it could be, but when she took it and glanced at it, it turned out to be just a scarf.
A scarf… she didn’t need one.
Her wardrobe was already filled with scarves of every color and material. Before the north wind started blowing, Mother had taken her to a specialty store and bought her another one for over two thousand yuan.
So she had looked down on it a little. After leaving the hotel, even though someone helped carry her things, her hands were still full. So when no one was looking, she casually tossed it into the trash.
After all, even if she took it home, she would never wear it. Better to save the space.
Now she vaguely regretted it.
How could she have just thrown it away?
Apart from knowing it was her favorite color, pink, she hadn’t even taken a good look at what the scarf Gu Chenshi gave her actually looked like.
After wallowing in regret for a while, she suddenly remembered that Gu Chenshi, who had been perfectly fine all along, seemed to have changed after buying the milk tea…
Lin Ranran abruptly sat up in bed.
Her heart suddenly filled with fear.
It was precisely during the time when Gu Chenshi was away that she…
Did Gu Chenshi see her throw away the birthday gift he gave her?!
But when she threw it away, she had looked around. No one should have seen her.
Probably… right…
Lin Ranran’s heart pounded like thunder, and her face burned hotly. It felt as if she had been caught red-handed while stealing.
No, no, Gu Chenshi couldn’t have seen it!
Restless and anxious, Lin Ranran paced back and forth in her room, her heart filled with dread.
But it was exactly at that moment that Gu Chenshi started acting strange…
Lin Ranran felt a sense of despair.
He wasn’t angry because she agreed to let Kong Xiao take her home, nor was it because he had fallen for someone else. It was because he had personally seen her throw away his birthday gift!
Lin Ranran suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Though she didn’t want to believe it, Lin Ranran felt she had uncovered the truth behind Gu Chenshi’s sudden coldness toward her…
Tears welled up in her eyes without warning.
This wasn’t about whether Gu Chenshi was petty or not. To put it more seriously, it was a matter of dignity.
She had trampled on his dignity…
Actually, throwing away gifts from others wasn’t something Lin Ranran had never done before.
But those boys, even if they found out, would still try to please her as usual.
She wasn’t afraid of them getting angry.
Even without any one of them, she, Lin Ranran, would still be Lin Ranran.
But Gu Chenshi was different.
After the torment of these past few days, Lin Ranran finally realized that her world couldn’t be without Gu Chenshi…
Lin Ranran crouched on the floor, covering her face as she wept silently.
Had she, through her willfulness and pride, personally lost the boy whose eyes were always filled with her?
Lin’s mother went upstairs to call her for dinner and, seeing this scene, fell silent.
Troublesome.
The situation seemed more complicated than she had imagined!
“Mom, I accidentally hurt a classmate, and he’s so angry he won’t even talk to me. What can I do to make him forgive me?” Lin Ranran asked with tear-filled eyes.
Even without asking, Lin’s mother knew who the hurt classmate was.
It must be Gu Chenshi…
Provided by the great author, Impatient Little Pumpkin: “School Belle, Don’t Cry, My Devotion Isn’t Meant for You.”