Free Web NovelChapter 424: Chapter 454: To Kill and Condemn the Heart
Xu Zhengyang pressed his lips together. He glared at Shen Yi and said, "It’s not as serious as you’re making it out to be." ’I instinctively hate this guy—hate Qin Jiao’s boyfriend!’
Qin Jiao, however, shook her head beside him. "Senior, you say I’m young and don’t understand how the world works, but in my eyes, you’re the one who’s truly naive. At university, if a girl’s self-esteem is publicly trampled on, she’ll be ostracized and isolated next. In that kind of situation, there’s a good chance she’ll never recover. In serious cases, she might even drop out."
She looked toward Li Man, her tone cold. "This quiet way of destroying a person is the most vicious. That’s why I want to know why you, Senior, have targeted me again and again. For you to go this far, did I ruin you financially? Harm your family? Obstruct your career? Or... steal your man?"
Li Man’s face instantly turned pale, and she shot a panicked glance at Xu Zhengyang.
It was as if Xu Zhengyang understood everything in that instant!
As for the onlookers, those who knew Li Man were well aware that she’d always had a crush on Xu Zhengyang. The first three possibilities Qin Jiao mentioned were completely out of the question. The only one left was the last.
When it came to love rivals, Shen Yi was incredibly perceptive. He immediately caught the look that passed between Li Man and Xu Zhengyang, and a cold smirk played on his lips.
He reached out and took Qin Jiao’s hand, then scoffed at Li Man. "Don’t you worry. Even if Jiao Jiao didn’t have me, her taste in men wouldn’t be as bad as yours."
Li Man: ...
Xu Zhengyang: ...
Having successfully killed two birds with one stone, Shen Yi led Qin Jiao by the hand and swaggered away.
’Psychological warfare? Anyone can do that.’
Shen Yi and Qin Jiao walked hand in hand for a long time, until there were hardly any other students around. Qin Jiao tried to pull her hand away, but couldn’t break free.
She said, exasperated, "Alright, you can stop the act now. They can’t see us anymore."
Shen Yi sighed. "Jiao Jiao, you may be acting, but I’ve always been serious. Serious about being your husband, about being your boyfriend, and about treating you well."
After hearing that, Qin Jiao stopped trying to pull her hand away. Shen Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Jiao said, "Shen Yi, I can’t be like you. To be honest, in the beginning, I did want to build a good life with you, but my feelings never got to the point where I was madly in love. Then we had all those conflicts... I know you’ve been trying hard. Shen Yi, can you just give me some time?"
Shen Yi froze, a look of delighted surprise flashing across his face. "Jiao Jiao, does that mean..."
"Maybe we can try dating first. If it works out, then we can make it official and get our marriage certificate when the time is right. If it doesn’t, then once you and Aunt Du have the clothing factory stabilized, we can go our separate ways."
Their current relationship was ambiguous. It was a fake marriage, but with romantic undertones. They were like a couple, yet something was always missing.
Qin Jiao didn’t want things to remain so ill-defined. The wedding banquet had been an act of desperation. Now that the crisis was over, she needed to figure out where she and Shen Yi truly stood.
But Shen Yi was overjoyed to hear this, because he had never expected Qin Jiao to be willing to give them a try!
This was the first time Qin Jiao had relented since they were both reborn!
Shen Yi hugged Qin Jiao in excitement. "Jiao Jiao, you just watch," he said. "I’ll definitely do my best!"
"Okay, okay, let go! It’ll be awkward if someone sees us!"
"It’s fine! I’m hugging my girlfriend, who’s that bothering?"
Qin Jiao smiled helplessly. ’If this guy had a tail, it would be sticking straight up in the air by now. How did I never realize he could be so childish?’
