Liang Sheng fell silent for a long time. After a while, she asked, “Is it genuine affection from the heart, or merely a dependency forced into bloom amid loneliness?”
Lu Ziqing froze, woodenly lowering her head.
“Young Miss, from childhood until now, Su Ze has been your only friend, hasn’t he?”
Whoosh! Favorability dropped sharply.
“Lu Ziqing’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 76”
“You…” Lu Ziqing’s face grew grim. “Liang Sheng, what do you mean by that?” She felt as though the other girl was mocking her.
“Young Miss Ziqing!” Liang Sheng suddenly seized Lu Ziqing’s arm in a tight grip. “If your childhood had included me as a friend, would you still have fallen for Su Ze? Would you still have let a flirt like him break your heart?”
Lu Ziqing was left utterly dumbfounded by Liang Sheng’s fierce-as-a-tiger assault.
“You…”
“Young Miss!” Liang Sheng cut her off once more.
Pfft! Kazuko finally couldn’t hold back her laughter. The scene before her resembled a brainless moment straight out of an Overbearing CEO novel.
“You already know the truth, don’t you? You’ve looked into it yourself. Su Ze has been involved with several women.” Liang Sheng rushed out the words in one breath, and the air in the room thickened with tension.
Lu Ziqing’s expression darkened. Liang Sheng couldn’t fathom what was racing through the other girl’s mind, but anxiety stirred in her own heart. Had this approach caused the Young Miss’s favorability toward her to plummet straight to zero? After all, in the original story, the Young Miss had loved Su Ze so deeply…
The outcome far exceeded Liang Sheng’s expectations. Lu Ziqing remained utterly calm—no contemplation, no fury, no sorrow—as if the words had not been meant for her at all.
“I trust Su Ze. I know the kind of man he is.” Her voice emerged only after a prolonged silence.
Liang Sheng bristled on the spot, her mouth falling open wide as she blurted out, “You, you, you! Aaaah! Young Miss, how can you be so foolish? You’re playing dumb when you know better! He’s not worth it!”
The Young Miss could no longer stay seated. She shot to her feet with a whoosh, her gaze sharp and fearsome. “I don’t need you meddling, got it?”
Whoosh~ Favorability dropped.
“Lu Ziqing’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 73”
“Young Miss!” Liang Sheng was on the verge of exploding with frustration.
“Just leave it alone!” Lu Ziqing shrieked. “He’s the only one who understands me, who sticks by me no matter what, who puts up with my awful temper. Do you want me to lose the one person I have left?”
This marked the first time in her life that Young Miss Lu Ziqing had ever lost her composure.
Liang Sheng stood stunned. So that was it…
She sprang from the bed and lunged toward the tearful Young Miss across from her.
Drawing a beauty into one’s embrace was an essential skill. Though shorter than Lu Ziqing, Liang Sheng’s hugging prowess was impeccable.
She wrapped her arms around the Young Miss’s waist from behind, resting her head gently on the other’s shoulder. Her voice softened. “Young Miss Ziqing, things are different now. Beyond Su Ze, you have me. I’m your best friend too.”
Those words broke Lu Ziqing’s restraint. She wailed like a child, her aloof Young Miss facade shattering entirely.
Ding~ Favorability rose.
“Lu Ziqing’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 80”
The outburst threw Liang Sheng into a panic. She’d already tried to soothe her—why were the tears flowing even harder now?
“Don’t… don’t think a little sweet-talk and cuddling will trick me into forgiving you.” Lu Ziqing sobbed while wiping her eyes, stubbornly holding her ground.
Liang Sheng nearly laughed. This girl was just too adorable, still acting tsundere at a time like this.
“I was wrong~” Liang Sheng pouted, wheedling at her as she wriggled and rubbed against the Young Miss’s back like a kitten. “I only wanted what was best for you. I can’t stand seeing you hurt like that, boo-hoo~”
Bam! The strike hit siscon central. Lu Ziqing flushed crimson, squirming uncomfortably.
Ding~ Favorability rose.
“Lu Ziqing’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 85”
“Hey! Quit… quit rubbing all over me.” Lu Ziqing wrenched herself free from Liang Sheng’s arms. Huffing, she plopped back onto the bed, turning her head away in a sulk and refusing to meet Liang Sheng’s eyes.
Undeterred, Liang Sheng clung like a persistent plaster, worming her way back into the Young Miss’s lap. She peered up with wide, aggrieved eyes, her voice a plaintive murmur. “If you’re still mad at me… I’ll cry right here for you to see!”
Kazuko, watching from the sidelines, nearly gagged. “Urgh, how do you pull off something that greasy? I’m out!” she cursed.
Liang Sheng’s lips twitched. The moment wasn’t right for a comeback, so she held her tongue—but mentally, she jotted it down in her little black book. Revenge would come later.
Ding~ Favorability rose.
“Lu Ziqing’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 87”
“Fine, fine, I forgive you.” The Young Miss pursed her lips, stifling a sneaky smile.
Elated at the pardon, Liang Sheng clambered upright and scooted closer to Lu Ziqing, her eyes gleaming with sincerity. “But please, Young Miss, think about what I said. I truly want what’s best for you—because you’re my very best, best, best friend!”
The Young Miss blinked in surprise, then her eyes abruptly rimmed with red.
The sight sent Liang Sheng into fresh alarm. What now? She’d just calmed things down—why the tears again? What had she messed up this time? A woman’s heart was a needle at the bottom of the sea…
Ding~ Favorability rose.
“Lu Ziqing’s Favorability Toward Liang Sheng: 95”
Only then did realization dawn on Liang Sheng. The Young Miss was crying from a mix of emotion and joy.
Liang Sheng inched nearer, patting the Young Miss’s back gently with her small hand in a soothing rhythm.
“You’re not alone anymore, Young Miss. There’s a certain Liang Sheng right here by your side.” She murmured it softly, almost to herself.
Lu Ziqing’s dam finally burst. She clutched Liang Sheng’s shoulders and buried her face in the girl’s chest, sobbing unrestrainedly.
Liang Sheng was at a loss, not knowing what to do—especially since her words had initially provoked angry tears, which had now turned into tears of emotion.
“I… I don’t want to be alone either. But everyone hates me.” At last, Lu Ziqing voiced the pain long buried in her heart. “Su Ze’s the only one who explained why they all ignore me. He said they despise me, envy me… wuwuwu. But I just want to be friends with them!”
Liang Sheng reeled from the revelation. Wow, Su Ze wasn’t merely a Big Pig Hoof—he was a full-blown Green Tea Male, spinning lies to deceive a pure-hearted girl.
“No, that’s not true!” Liang Sheng denied it fervently. “No one thinks that way!”
Lu Ziqing lifted her head, gazing at Liang Sheng in confusion. Liang Sheng’s hand rose slowly to cup her cheek, brushing away a stray teardrop with exquisite tenderness.
“You’re a gentle, kindhearted girl, Young Miss. So why close off your heart? Your tsundere flare-ups are cute, sure… but please, no more sharp-tongued barbs that wound others.”
Liang Sheng paused, steeling herself to continue.
