"Tsk!" Sure enough, that drew the scorn of everyone in the room.
What was supposed to be a nice club gathering had completely lost its flavor. Others were toasting and swapping cups, either passing out business cards or warmly embracing, swearing that even after graduation, their friendships would last forever.
But in reality, everyone had their own agenda. With graduation looming, this club gathering was clearly about networking, laying the foundation for their future job searches!
While a group was still egging on Yang Xue and Su Jiaxuan, Gu Xiaoer, feeling bored, found a corner of the sofa to sit on, trying hard to make her presence as small as possible.
Su Jiaxuan, having no way out of the commotion, raised his usually gentle voice by an octave, "I've got Xiao Er's portion covered, can we all be satisfied now?"
"Huh—"
A wave of titters swept the room. Gu Xiaoer, engrossed in her own world, had no idea what they were saying and just felt the whole private room go quiet.
Step by step Su Jiaxuan walked toward Gu Xiaoer, and finally half-knelt before her, utterly serious, "Xiao Er, I like you, will you be my girlfriend?"
Yang Xue, left in the dust, was now so angry her face could turn green, it was Gu Xiaoer again! She must have done it on purpose, clinging to Su Jiaxuan even though she already had a boyfriend. If it hadn't been for her, she would have surely made it with Su Jiaxuan tonight!
Thinking this, her hatred for Gu Xiaoer grew even stronger.
Gu Xiaoer broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a cold breeze all around her, as if malevolent eyes were everywhere.
"Senior Su, well, I have a boyfriend."
"Xiao Er, please don't brush me off with that kind of excuse," he said.
"I'm not..."
Yang Xue, striving to maintain her ladylike image, followed and came over to Gu Xiaoer with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "Senior Su, I've heard that Xiao Er is already living with her boyfriend, they might even be married for all we know." Living in the same neighborhood, she often heard her mother say that Gu Xiaoer had found a handsome boyfriend.
Living together?!
The statement hit like a muffled thunderclap. The private room, which had been buzzing with conversation, now became quieter than ever before.
Everyone sniffed the scent of gossip, all ears pricked up to catch more juicy revelations.
Gu Xiaoer felt a headache coming on, wondering how the conversation had turned back to her again.
The stares around her were like spotlights shining directly on her, as if they wanted to strip her bare.
She gave Yang Xue a light glance, smiled with dimples showing, and said not a word as she walked past her. People like her, once expelled from her world, could never again shake her heart.
The more she argued with them, the more eagerly they would press down on her.
"Xiao Er, don't take it to heart. If you stand upright, you don't fear a crooked shadow, and I'm here to support you," Su Jiaxuan caught up with Gu Xiaoer, apologizing somewhat.
He too had been shocked by Yang Xue's bombshell and hadn't reacted right away. Once he figured it out, he knew Yang Xue must have deliberately slandered Xiao Er.
"Senior Su, she's not wrong, I really do have a boyfriend, and we live together," she said.
She hadn't the slightest interest in Su Jiaxuan, let alone the strategy of casting a wide net to selectively cultivate prospects. Su Jiaxuan's confession today had taken her by surprise. Initially, it was frightening, but fortunately, she had now regained her composure.
"Xiao Er, you... I don't believe it, please don't use that as a reason to reject me," he pleaded.
"How about this, Senior Su, I'll ask him if he has time to come over." Gu Xiaoer obviously didn't appreciate the persistence, and this was the most straightforward way to handle it—they could just show up and then leave.
The people in the private room looked at each other in confusion, equally curious about what kind of boyfriend Gu Xiaoer had found to turn down such a catch as Su Jiaxuan.
After all, Su Jiaxuan himself was impressive, a prominent figure in their school, with a powerful family background. Describing Su Jiaxuan as tall, rich, and handsome was not an overstatement, and importantly, he had always had a clean reputation, with no bad gossip about him.
Such a man, you couldn't find even with a lantern.
Gu Xiaoer's boyfriend, could he be that good? They were skeptical...
Stepping out of the private room, Gu Xiaoer took out her phone and hesitated.