“Very good.” Su Mo interrupted her without listening to her explanation, his face cold, speaking almost word by word.
"Don't come looking for me again."
He turned and left. Jiang Jianhuan watched his retreating figure, her tears flowing even more profusely. She was extremely sad at that moment, but she still bit her lip to wipe away her tears and rushed to the hospital to take care of Yi Qingxue, who was still unconscious.
Shen Zaixi stayed with her the whole time, and he handled almost everything, big and small, afterward. Yi Qingxue woke up in the evening and was out of danger. Jiang Jianhuan took some time to go back to school, asked the counselor for leave, and went to the dormitory to pack her things.
It was then that she discovered that her best friend had been hiding a secret.
When Jiang Jianhuan returned to her dormitory, it was empty; it was just after class and time for dinner. She hurriedly packed her things, but while organizing her books, she accidentally pulled out the headphone cable that was plugged into Chi Lan's laptop on her desk.
The music started playing, and Jiang Jianhuan was about to turn it off when he suddenly heard a familiar male voice, a voice etched in his mind that he could never forget.
She clicked on Chi Lan's computer screen as if possessed, and the password was easily cracked; it was Chi Lan's birthday.
The music software's playlist was completely full of Su Mo's songs.
There were even some unknown audio recordings.
After Jiang Jianhuan opened it, he heard Su Mo's doting and affectionate tone.
"Silly boy, remember to watch where you're going."
If she remembered correctly, it was during a rainy day when the road was slippery and she was walking on the school garden steps. She was so focused on talking to Su Mo that she didn't pay attention to her step and almost fell.
And Chi Lan happened to be there at that time.
"Jianhuan—" A hesitant question suddenly came from behind. Jiang Jianhuan turned around with red eyes and saw Chi Lan standing at the door. At the same time, she saw the computer screen in front of Jiang Jianhuan.
"How dare you touch my computer!" As if someone had touched a raw nerve, Chi Lan suddenly snapped at her, her tone full of questioning and anger. Jiang Jianhuan's eyes were wide open, but they were empty.
"When I was packing my things, I accidentally pulled out your earphone cord and heard Su Mo's voice, so I couldn't help but click to watch."
"sorry."
Chi Lan suddenly fell silent, tightly closing her laptop as if guarding her last shred of dignity.
Jiang Jianhuan glanced at her hand resting on the computer, her voice still light and airy.
"You like Su Mo."
The atmosphere was heavy as the two faced off in the quiet dormitory. After an unknown amount of time, Chi Lan suddenly laughed and looked straight at her with a resolute air of "what's the use of trying?"
"Yes, I've had a crush on him for a long time."
"Sorry, I've fallen for your boyfriend."
Chapter 12
That day ended with Jiang Jianhuan hurriedly grabbing her belongings and fleeing the dormitory.
Every day that followed was spent in chaos and turmoil, leaving her no time to think about these things.
Jiang Xin was bailed out through the Shen family's financial arrangements, Yi Qingxue was discharged from the hospital, and people kept coming to her door to collect debts. She hid at home and dared not leave the house. Then she went abroad.
Half a month has passed since that series of events. During this time, Jiang Jianhuan has not contacted any of them, and Chi Lan and Su Mo have not contacted her either.
The moment Jiang Jianhuan entered the boarding gate, he threw his SIM card into the trash can.
Shen Zaixi, pulling the luggage ahead, urged her on, and she quickened her pace to catch up with him.
-
At first, it was indeed hard to accept, but later Jiang Jianhuan came to understand. Fundamentally, Chi Lan hadn't done anything wrong. Liking someone was her right; it just so happened that the person was her boyfriend.
After hearing Jiang Jianhuan's answer, Chi Lan was silent for a moment before speaking softly.
"That's really great that you understand."
Jiang Jianhuan nodded.
“I can understand you, but I can’t accept it, so, Chi Lan, I think there’s no need for us to see each other again.”
Jiang Jianhuan went back to her hometown to spend the three-day New Year's Day holiday with her parents.
Jiang Jianhuan took out the clothes she had bought for them, and unsurprisingly, she was met with another round of complaints. Jiang Jianhuan hugged Yi Qingxue and rubbed against her shoulder.
"I bought these for you guys because I recently received a bonus."
"Mom, don't worry about me, I'm fine."
Yi Qingxue sighed, a dazed smile on her face, and reached out to stroke Jiang Jianhuan's hair.
"It's all my fault, Mom and Dad. They've made Huanhuan suffer all these years."
"As long as you're by my side, it's not hard work," Jiang Jianhuan said coquettishly. Having not seen her daughter like this for a long time, Yi Qingxue's heart softened even more. She stroked her head, her eyes full of love.
"Yes, our Huanhuan is the most obedient."
After having an early meal, the family of three sat on the sofa in the living room watching TV.
Major TV stations began broadcasting their New Year's Eve galas, creating a lively atmosphere both inside and outside the station, with the faint sound of fireworks exploding in the distance.
The channel was switched to Jiangcheng TV, and the program was just starting. The two hosts were standing on the stage reading their lines, and Jiang Xin and Yi Qingxue watched with great interest.
Jiang Jianhuan sat down and peeled an apple, then turned his attention to the television.
It started with a chorus, followed by appearances from several famous celebrities, and then a very grand dance performance with lavish set design.