Chapter 116: The Manipulative Medicine
Liang Xiaoluo reached out and knocked Ye Tianlin on the head. "Can't you think of a better place to go?"
He suddenly asked, "Have you ever been to my school?"
She shook her head. She didn't even know which school he went to.
In the past, she hadn't known Ye Tianlin at all. Her days were consumed by thoughts of Nan Shaojie, lost in her yearning for him.
Thinking of Nan Shaojie now, she felt a twinge of sadness. Why dwell on the past? She had someone by her side now—someone who could accompany her. There was no point in regret.
"Hey, I'm asking if you've been to my school," Ye Tianlin said, tapping her on the head again. This woman was always daydreaming.
"I already answered you," she said with exasperation.
"I want you to answer me with words, not just nodding your head." He liked hearing her voice, liked watching her small lips move.
"No, I haven't," she finally replied.
"Then I'll take you there," he said with a mischievous smile.
Ye Tianlin had attended a prestigious private school as a child. With no friends to speak of, he left the country after his freshman year of college. That's when he met Xiluo. Those memories from years ago still felt fresh in his mind.
"Fine, we'll go to your school," Liang Xiaoluo agreed, tossing her empty ice cup into a trash can. "Should we take a car?"
"No, we'll walk," he said casually.
"Walk?!" Her face lit up with disbelief.
Ye Tianlin, oblivious to her reaction, led the way.
The walk to the school wasn't short—it took at least half an hour. Holding her hand as they walked, Ye Tianlin would occasionally glance at her, his face brimming with happiness.
Halfway there, Liang Xiaoluo noticed a row of food stalls along the street. She tugged on his arm excitedly. "Ye Tianlin, let's grab something to eat!"
The bustling street was lined with snack vendors, their voices calling out deals and filling the air with enticing smells.
"How about some stinky tofu?" she asked, pointing to a stall frying the fragrant dish.
Ye Tianlin wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You're disgusting. How can you eat that?"
"It smells bad but tastes amazing!" she retorted, fishing out some cash. "Boss, one box, please!"
But before she could hand over the money, Ye Tianlin grabbed her and dragged her away. "Liang Xiaoluo, no stinky tofu for you."
Disheartened, she pouted until they passed another stall selling fermented tofu. "How about this? It doesn't smell."
"Nope."
"This isn't okay, that isn't okay—what do you want, then?" she huffed.
"That," he said, pointing at a cotton candy stall nearby. Puffs of fluffy, colorful candy lined the stand.
Liang Xiaoluo perked up and picked a pink one. Ye Tianlin paid for it.
"That's more like it," he muttered. At least it won't ruin her breath when I kiss her later.
Completely unaware of his thoughts, she grumbled as she picked out a second cotton candy, this time yellow. With one in each hand, she sulked.
Next time, I'm never letting him join me on a snack trip. All he'll let me eat is candy!
As they left the street of food vendors, the tall stone walls of Ye Tianlin's elite school came into view. It was mid-afternoon, and the campus was silent with students in class.
An older gatekeeper, upon seeing Ye Tianlin, greeted him with a smile. "Isn't this the second young master of the Ye family? Back to revisit old memories?"
Ye Tianlin puffed up his chest, exuding his usual arrogance.
But then the gatekeeper spotted Liang Xiaoluo and exclaimed, "Wait, isn't this Xiaoluo? Haven't seen you in a while! You must be graduating this year, right?"
Ye Tianlin froze, staring at Liang Xiaoluo like she'd grown a second head.
Flustered, Liang Xiaoluo nodded. "Y-yes, almost graduating." She didn't dare admit that she'd been on leave for months because of him.
"Liang Xiaoluo, you went to this school too?" Ye Tianlin gaped at her in shock. No wonder she seemed so familiar with the area earlier.
"You're just realizing that now?" she teased, equally surprised.
She couldn't believe they'd been classmates at the same prestigious school.
Years ago, her family's bankruptcy had stripped her of everything, forcing her to adjust to a simpler life. She had even worked part-time jobs on this very street, learning to appreciate its humble charms.
But she couldn't tell Ye Tianlin the real reason she'd chosen this school—it was because of Nan Shaojie.
Before she could lose herself in old memories, Ye Tianlin interrupted. "Don't tell me you applied here just to see me!"
"Don't flatter yourself. We didn't even know each other back then," she scoffed.
"Then why did you choose this school?" he pressed, his curiosity piqued.
Caught off guard, she quickly deflected. "So, Ye Tianlin, were you popular in school? Did anyone have a crush on you?"
His face stiffened, and he looked away. "Why are you asking?"
"Well, you're good-looking. Surely you had plenty of admirers," she said playfully.
"They wouldn't dare," he muttered, his expression darkening.
He thought back to a time when his life was consumed by shadows. The ugly truth of those years had isolated him, turning him into a closed-off, misunderstood loner.
If not for Liang Xiaoluo, he might have remained trapped in that darkness. Her presence had slowly drawn him out of the mire, giving him a reason to move forward.
"Ye Tianlin?" Her soft voice pulled him back to the present.
"Xiaoluo," he said suddenly, his tone serious.
"What?" she asked, puzzled.
"If… just if… I were someone dirty, would you leave me?" His voice was tinged with vulnerability.
"Dirty? Take a shower, then," she replied, confused.
"Not my body. My soul," he clarified.
She blinked in confusion. "I don't get it."
His frustration boiled over, and he let go of her hand abruptly. "Forget it," he snapped before storming off.
Staring after him, Liang Xiaoluo felt lost. What had just happened?