Jiang Ruoyu remained silent.
Xu Xiuwen continued, "Alright, now that everything is clear, I'll take you home. Rest well, don't overthink things, and focus on your exam tomorrow."
"No!" Jiang Ruoyu suddenly blurted out.
"Don't want to go home? It's getting late."
Jiang Ruoyu shook her head and said, "I mean I don't want to like other boys."
"Huh?"
"Brother Xiuwen, I've liked you for so long, and now you're telling me not to like you. That's not fair to me."
"I'm doing this for your own good. I'm a jerk, and I don't want you to waste your time on me."
"Whether it's a waste of time should be decided by me, not by you."
"Why do you have to be like this?" Xu Xiuwen sighed.
"Brother Xiuwen, I've said everything I wanted to. I'm going home now."
"Alright then."
They both got up from the stone bench and headed back. Xu Xiuwen accompanied Jiang Ruoyu home.
When they reached her building, the girl suddenly stopped, turned to Xu Xiuwen, and said, "Brother Xiuwen."
"Hmm?"
"Can you come with me to the exam tomorrow?"
Xu Xiuwen almost refused but remembered how Jiang Ruoyu had accompanied him to his exam before.
After hesitating for a second, he said, "Alright, I'll go with you."
"Then don't be late. The exam is at 9 in the morning."
"I know, I'll be there. Now, go upstairs quickly."
"Goodbye, Brother Xiuwen."
"Goodnight. Rest well."
Xu Xiuwen waved goodbye and watched her go upstairs before heading to his car.
Once home, he sat down at his desk and looked at his phone.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally called Xiao Youran.
The phone rang for half a minute before it was answered. Xiao Youran's cheerful voice came through.
"Xiao Xu~ I'm already in the corridor outside, so they can't hear us."
"Hmm."
"You usually text, so when you called, I thought I was seeing things."
"Hmm."
Noticing that something was off, Xiao Youran asked, "Xiao Xu, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine." Xu Xiuwen brushed it off lightly and then said, "Youran… I want to ask you something."
"Sure, go ahead," Xiao Youran said obediently.
"Do you remember the incident in the first year when I got hurt by a senior in the third year during football practice?"
Xiao Youran furrowed her brows slightly at the sudden mention of an old event but recalled it carefully.
"I remember. What's up?"
"That senior later came to my house to apologize. Many people said there was a girl who went to find that senior. Do you know about this rumor?"
Xiao Youran, with a good memory, clearly recalled the event and answered without hesitation, "I know. It's not just a rumor. Someone really did go to find that senior and demanded he apologize in public."
Xu Xiuwen's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure the rumor is true?"
"I'm sure. And that person you know too—it was Xiao Yu," Xiao Youran said, feeling puzzled.
"What!" Xu Xiuwen suddenly stood up from his chair.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm fine. You said that person was Xiao Yu?"
"Yes. Xiao Yu knew you were hurt, and she was very upset when he refused to apologize, so she went to confront him. If I remember correctly, she was still in elementary school at that time. It took a lot of courage. If it were me, I wouldn't have dared to do that."
Xu Xiuwen fell silent upon hearing this.
It really was Xiao Yu.
"So why didn't you tell me?"
Xiao Youran was also surprised.
"I thought Xiao Yu would tell you. Didn't she?"
"No."
"So what was she thinking? … Hmm… Xiao Yu really is adorable."
Xu Xiuwen opened a drawer and rummaged through it.
He quickly found a photo from the first year of middle school.
One of them was a picture of him and Xiao Yu.
It was taken on the day Xiao Yu graduated from elementary school.
In the photo, Jiang Ruoyu looked like a miniature version of herself, with her features still developing.
The only difference was that she seemed extremely youthful back then, with her features not fully matured, whereas now she has grown into a graceful young woman.
Xu Xiuwen stared at the photo of Jiang Ruoyu, lost in thought.
It was hard for him to imagine how such a small Xiao Yu had the courage to confront a senior in the third year.
He had been somewhat skeptical about Jiang Ruoyu's confession of liking him tonight.
Now, his doubts were beginning to waver.
"Xiao Xu, why aren't you saying anything?"
Xiao Youran, who hadn't heard Xu Xiuwen's voice for a while, thought he had hung up.
But when she saw the call was still active, she couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, I was just lost in thought."
Xiao Youran, slightly dissatisfied, said, "Hmph, you get distracted even when talking to me."
"Sorry, Youran," Xu Xiuwen apologized sincerely.
Xiao Youran, who initially meant to tease but wasn't really upset, felt surprised and a bit shy upon hearing his apology.
"It's okay. I wasn't really angry."
"Hmm. Youran, there's something else I want to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"In the second year, I accidentally kicked a ball into a girl's face. At that time, she was unwilling to forgive me. Did you go and speak up for me?"
Xiao Youran thought for a moment and then shook her head.
"No, it wasn't me."
Hearing Xiao Youran's response, Xu Xiuwen felt he had found an answer.
Although it seemed trivial, he had always remembered it.
He had been touched, thinking it was Xiao Youran who helped him, and a significant part of his feelings for her stemmed from these small gestures.
Now realizing that it wasn't her, Xu Xiuwen felt unsettled.
He wondered if there were other small things he thought Xiao Youran had done, but actually weren't her at all.
This made him uneasy.
If those small acts that moved him weren't done by Xiao Youran, but by someone else or were misunderstandings, could his feelings for her be based on a mistake?
Xu Xiuwen was too unsettled to think further.
But one thing was clear now: Jiang Ruoyu had liked him for a long time.
This revelation caught him off guard and left him at a loss.
He had always regarded Xiao Yu as a younger sister and thought she saw him as an older brother.
Now discovering that Xiao Yu had been liking him in a romantic way all along, he didn't know how to face her.
At the same time, he felt a surge of anger, directed at the scumbag from his previous life who had deceived Xiao Yu.
Fortunately, it seemed that this scumbag would not appear in this life.
After all, Aunt Gu had agreed for her to study law, so if she applied to the Jinling University of Political Science and Law, she would not encounter that scumbag again.
Xiao Youran couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Xu, why are you suddenly asking about the past? Did something happen?"
Xu Xiuwen didn't know how to answer.
Should he tell Xiao Youran about Jiang Ruoyu's confession tonight or keep it to himself?
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Xiuwen ultimately chose the latter.
He thought it was best not to let Xiao Youran know for now.
After all, the relationship between him, Cheng Lu, and Xiao Youran was already complicated enough.
There was no need to involve another girl and cause Xiao Youran any more distress.
Having made up his mind, Xu Xiuwen said, "Youran, there's nothing wrong. Don't overthink it. It's getting late, so you should rest early. I have a few things to take care of. Goodnight, and sleep well."
"Hmm, goodnight, Xiao Xu."
Xiao Youran didn't suspect anything.
"Bye-bye."
After hanging up, Xu Xiuwen found more photos of Jiang Ruoyu.
He stared at these photos for a while and soon noticed details he hadn't before.
In photos with more than two people, where there was a third person present, Jiang Ruoyu rarely smiled.
She appeared demure, calm, and gentle.
However, in the solo photos of just the two of them, Jiang Ruoyu's smile was exceptionally joyful.
He hadn't realized Jiang Ruoyu had feelings for him before, so he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Now that he knew, looking at these photos felt very different.
He sighed.
It seemed Jiang Ruoyu hadn't been lying; she had indeed been in love with him for a long time.
He was aware that he couldn't let her feelings go to waste.
Xu Xiuwen even wondered if one reason Jiang Ruoyu hadn't married in his past life might be because of him.
He recalled how Aunt Gu and Uncle Jiang were always worried about Jiang Ruoyu not getting married.
He truly felt like a great sinner.
Thinking about their conversation from tonight, Jiang Ruoyu must have realized he was not a committed person and saw through his unfaithfulness.
He hoped this might change her mind about him.
Xu Xiuwen lay down to sleep.
Although he felt a bit burdened by Jiang Ruoyu's unspoken love, he couldn't help but feel a bit proud deep down.
In the darkness, he muttered to himself, "It seems my charm is still quite significant. Two childhood friends like me; how did I miss it in my past life? What a pity!"
The night passed without incident.
Ning Wanqiu had not returned all night.
The next morning, when Xu Xiuwen got up, she was still missing.
After freshening up and preparing a simple breakfast, he received a call from Aunt Gu.
Aunt Gu asked if he was up and invited him over for breakfast.
Xu Xiuwen didn't refuse. He got dressed and headed out.
Upon arriving at Aunt Gu's house, breakfast was already prepared.
The mother and daughter had been waiting for some time.
Seeing Jiang Ruoyu again after a night, Xu Xiuwen was unsure how to face her.
However, when Jiang Ruoyu saw him, she greeted him with a smile, her calm demeanor suggesting that nothing from last night had happened.
Xu Xiuwen also breathed a sigh of relief.
The breakfast Aunt Gu prepared was nutritious and delicious.
After Xu Xiuwen praised the meal, they finished breakfast.
"Xiao Xu, please take care of Xiao Yu."
"It's no trouble, Aunt Gu. You don't need to be so polite."
"Alright, then take your time on the road. Don't rush."
"Hmm, okay."
Before leaving, Xu Xiuwen reminded her, "Check to make sure you have everything for the exam, like your admission ticket."
Jiang Ruoyu checked everything once more to confirm she had everything she needed.
Then, under Gu Pandi's watchful eye, they headed out together.
From going downstairs to getting in the car, Xu Xiuwen remained silent.
Once they were seated in the car, Jiang Ruoyu spoke up.
"Brother Xiuwen."
Xu Xiuwen couldn't ignore her, so he turned to look at her and asked, "What's up?"
"Why are you ignoring me?"
"No, I'm not." Xu Xiuwen shook his head.
He was determined not to admit it.
"Really?" Jiang Ruoyu asked, half in doubt.
Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen had to come up with an explanation.
"How could I be ignoring you? I was just worried that talking too much might affect your exam."
"Alright." Jiang Ruoyu let it go without pressing further.
There were many exam locations in Langya City, and Jiang Ruoyu's exam venue was the same as Xu Xiuwen's back in the day—Number Two Middle School.
When Xu Xiuwen drove to the street where Number Two Middle School was located, it was already packed.
He had to park the car further away and walk with Jiang Ruoyu to the entrance of the school.
Many parents were there to see their children off, including some who were accompanied by their grandparents.
The parents' faces showed both concern and anticipation.
Xu Xiuwen also felt a bit of nervousness.
In fact, he hadn't been nervous when he took the college entrance exam himself.
But now, accompanying Jiang Ruoyu, he felt a bit anxious.
Jiang Ruoyu noticed his nervousness and giggled.
"Brother Xiuwen, it's my exam today. Why are you so nervous?"
"I don't know. As soon as I got here, I couldn't help but feel nervous."
"You're really cute, Brother Xiuwen."
"Stop teasing me. Are you nervous about the exam?"
"Nervous!"
Xu Xiuwen asked out of courtesy.
He thought, after his previous advice, Jiang Ruoyu should be less nervous.
But to his surprise, Jiang Ruoyu was still anxious.
"So what should we do?"
Jiang Ruoyu looked at him for a few seconds and then giggled again. "Brother Xiuwen, you're really cute. I'm just teasing you. I'm actually not nervous at all."
"That's good, that's good. Don't scare me like that."
"Brother Xiuwen."
"Hmm?"
"You're so concerned about me. Is it because you like me?"
"My dear sister, it's already this late and you're still thinking about these things?"
"No." Jiang Ruoyu immediately rebutted.
"Sigh…" Xu Xiuwen sighed deeply.
Jiang Ruoyu continued, "Brother Xiuwen, I thought about it last night."
"Thought about what?"
"You said Sister Youran knows that you're two-timing but still accepted it, right?"
"Hmm."
"So I've decided, I want to be Brother Xiuwen's girlfriend too."
Xu Xiuwen: ???
"Don't look at me like that. I'll get embarrassed."
Xu Xiuwen frowned and said, "Do you even know what you're talking about?"
Jiang Ruoyu replied, "Of course I know."
"You know shit." Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but curse.
Jiang Ruoyu didn't get angry after hearing this, "If that Cheng Lu can be your girlfriend, why can't I? I've known you longer than she has."