chapter 11
Chapter 11
Shang Wanling’s gaze dimmed, but she paid no attention to his coldness.
“Wu Ai, long time no see.”
“Well, isn’t this Wanling? What, here to bring water and wipe sweat for our Brother Wu?”
Chang Qu scrambled up from the ground, sidling over with a sly grin.
The aggression in his words was obvious, but this time Wu Ai actually supported him.
Shang Wanling ignored Chang Qu’s provocation, still looking straight at Wu Ai: “How have you been lately?”
“How I’ve been has nothing to do with you.”
The surrounding classmates were quickly drawn in by the drama-after all, the story between these two had spread like wildfire back in the day.
Especially the girls. When they heard Wu Ai say that, there was a chorus of sighs, lamenting how quickly men’s hearts can change.
And to think he claimed to have liked her for three years?
Wu Ai stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, and pulled Chang Qu up with him.
“Chang Qu, time to get on the field.”
Shang Wanling grabbed Wu Ai’s hand: “If you want to pretend you don’t care, there’s nothing I can do. But why do you keep avoiding me?”
Wu Ai was already annoyed, and her grabbing his hand made his temper flare instantly. He jerked his hand away.
“You were the one who rejected me yourself. Now you want to act like the good guy?”
Shang Wanling was startled by Wu Ai’s icy expression and took a step back.
“You weren’t like this before…”
Her voice was soft, just like when they first met.
“That was before. So much time has passed-I stopped caring a long time ago.”
“Wu Ai, I’m really sorry for hurting you before, but why won’t you even give me a chance to explain?”
Shang Wanling didn’t back down, her expression still stubborn.
“Some things… aren’t the same as they used to be.”
Faced with the pointing and whispering of those around them, Wu Ai felt cornered and agitated, wanting only to make her give up in the most decisive way.
“I really don’t care anymore. Besides, I have a girlfriend now, so please have some self-respect.”
As soon as he said it, he realized he’d misspoken.
Shang Wanling trembled all over, her eyes wide like a startled fawn.
She froze for a few seconds, blinked hard, and forced out a smile uglier than crying.
“Okay… I get it.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
Her ponytail swayed, her thin back looking like a leaf that could drift away at any moment.
Watching her leave, Wu Ai clenched his fists, feeling unsettled inside, but not regretful.
It was said that Shang Wanling was the most beautiful girl to attend Renda High School in the past ten years, known as the Renda High School goddess and the White Moonlight of countless boys.
She received at least five love letters every day, and on any holiday related to romance, her drawer would be stuffed full.
Not only was she beautiful, but her family was well-off.
Her family ran a high-end Western restaurant, with wealthy patrons coming in droves every day.
Yet she had never accepted anyone’s confession, so to the whole school, Wu Ai’s rejection was only natural.
Wu Ai had always been a conflicted person, never sure if he couldn’t forgive her or was just avoiding himself.
After being rejected, his attitude was always to say little and do less.
The bell for the last class rang, and the classmates packed their bags and left as if fleeing a disaster.
As usual, Wu Ai, Tian Mengyi (nicknamed Lao Ba), and Chang Qu left together.
Just as they stepped out the school gate, Wu Ai saw Shang Wanling standing by the entrance, clutching a canvas bag.
“I don’t believe you have a girlfriend. You’re just brushing me off.”
Shang Wanling took two steps forward, looking him straight in the eye, her previous timidity gone.
“Show me proof, or I’ll never speak to you again.”
Wu Ai instantly realized someone had tipped her off-the traitor was right beside him. He spun around and glared fiercely at Lao Ba and Chang Qu.
But the two of them-one bowed their head, scrolling on their phone, the other pretended to look at the scenery-didn’t respond at all.
Lao Ba looked up and said lazily, “Wu Ai, just tell Shang Wanling the truth. What’s the point of saving face in front of us?”
Lao Ba was a smart person. She quickly realized from Shang Wanling’s attitude that there was a misunderstanding between the two.
Back then, Shang Wanling’s reason for refusing was that she didn’t like him, but anyone with eyes could see that she still had feelings for Wu Ai.
Other classmates might not know, but she was more than clear.
The two had known each other since before high school, and had flirted for a long time, until Wu Ai confessed and everything came to an abrupt end.
That’s why Wu Ai often joked self-deprecatingly, “We never dated, we just chatted for a long time.”
“Tian Mengyi, tell me the truth,” Shang Wanling turned to Lao Ba, her tone a little flustered.
“Does Wu Ai have a girlfriend or not?”
“I swear, he absolutely doesn’t,” Lao Ba patted her chest.
Wu Ai couldn’t hold back anymore, pointed at Lao Ba’s nose and started cursing.
At that moment, Lao Ba shot a look at Chang Qu, who suddenly stepped forward and pinned Wu Ai against a nearby poplar tree.
“What the hell are you doing!” Wu Ai struggled.
“Brother Ai, Lao Ba is helping you,” Chang Qu lowered his voice.
“Women understand women. How could I not get what Wanling means?” Tian Mengyi chimed in from the side.
Tian Mengyi was actually a girl, but her orientation was also toward women.
She kept her hair short, and if you didn’t look closely, you’d never tell-just marvel at how this boy had a girl’s delicate features.
“Chang Qu, let him go,” Shang Wanling ran over and tugged at Chang Qu’s arm.
Chang Qu’s face tightened, and he sensibly let go.
Shang Wanling reached out to brush the poplar fluff off Wu Ai’s back, her voice softening.
“Wu Ai, can you tell me the truth?”
Lao Ba kept winking from the side, signaling nonstop.
Wu Ai looked at Shang Wanling’s reddened eyes, feeling a tug in his heart, but still forced himself to speak.
“I don’t have a girlfriend, but that doesn’t mean I’ll go back. We’ll both meet new people in the future.”
He paused, seeming to hesitate for a long time, and finally chose to say the words he hadn’t managed to before.
“I want to see what the standard answer really is.”
After speaking, Wu Ai picked up his backpack from the ground, turned, and left, leaving the three behind with complicated feelings.
Shang Wanling didn’t say anything, just stared blankly at Wu Ai’s back, her expression finally turning to utter disappointment.
But her pride, always present, made her turn away with a huff, her face regaining its usual arrogance.
“Let’s go, let’s go. I’m never talking to him again!”
Back at his place, Wu Ai tossed his backpack aside, rushed into the bathroom, and splashed his face with cold water.
“Pushing away the person you like with your own hands-nice going.”
Wu Ai had liked Shang Wanling for a full three years.
If you truly like someone, you have to be brave and express your feelings. If you keep hiding it in your heart, you might miss your chance forever.
Wu Ai believed in these words, so he bravely confessed in public, but things didn’t go as he’d hoped.
Now it seemed he couldn’t go back to school for a while. If he ran into Shang Wanling again, who knows what other awkward things might happen.
Might as well take a few days off, go out and relax.
Of course, Wu Ai wasn’t just some loser who only knew how to run away.
Most friends from high school could only offer emotional support, but that didn’t appeal much to Wu Ai.
What he needed was material value-real, tangible benefits.
People who could offer that clearly weren’t in high school, but out in society. That was one of his reasons for this trip.
Thinking of this, Wu Ai ran back to his bedroom, took off his school uniform, changed into new clothes, and dashed out the door.