Heart in a turmoil

“Huh? What did you say?”

The bespectacled girl instinctively asked again, adjusting the frames on her nose.

Truthfully, she had already heard every single word Gu Ximan said loud and clear—Danica Victoria and Gu Luo were actually friends.

But human nature seemed to default to being a repeater sometimes. Even when you’ve already understood every word someone said, you still reflexively ask them to say it again.

It was basically a way to buy time for your brain to process.

“I said, that Danica you were just talking about is my brother’s friend,” Gu Ximan straightened her slender waist, still speaking in a casual tone. “My brother introduced her to me too, but there’s a time difference with the UK. She just went to bed, so we’ll chat tomorrow.”

On the surface, she looked completely unfazed, as if this were just some trivial everyday matter. But inwardly, she was secretly thrilled.

A princess—an actual princess from another country!

For a well-behaved student still in school, how could she not be excited?

She’d only been at Guangya for two months. Getting pop diva Tang Qi’s contact info had already felt like the peak, but who would’ve thought? Today, she’d actually befriended a princess.

Gu Luo’s social circle was her social circle.

No question about it.

“No way! Seriously?”

“Is that really Danica’s WeChat?”

“How does Gu Luo even know a princess?”

“Manman, Manman, can you ask if she’s still adding friends?”

“Yeah, Manman! Gu Luo spoils you so much—there’s gotta be a way, right? We’re Danica’s biggest fans!”

“Gu Luo adores Manman the most—it’s definitely possible!”

“......”

The girls in front instantly erupted into chatter, firing off questions nonstop.

Most of them came from families with some influence in Caizhou—children of government officials, or from business-owning, tax-paying households.

But even so, the circle a princess moved in was still an unreachable height for them.

Gu Ximan had been basking in the attention at first, but as the questions piled up, she froze.

She’d just wanted to flaunt her brother’s connections a little, indulge in some harmless vanity.

If it were for Lu Xuexue, she wouldn’t mind asking. But for these classmates who acted close but were really just casual acquaintances? Not worth it.

Now, though, the girls had already placed her on a pedestal, showering her with praise until she didn’t know how to refuse without sounding rude.

“Alright, don’t put Manman on the spot,” Lu Xuexue smoothly cut in, seeing her best friend struggling. “I begged her for ages and she still wouldn’t agree. The princess is Gu Luo’s friend, and Manman is Gu Luo’s sister. We’re not even remotely connected.”

The subtext was clear: Even I, her best friend, couldn’t get a contact. Don’t embarrass yourselves.

Seizing the lifeline, Gu Ximan quickly played along. “Xuexue, it’s not my fault. She’s my brother’s friend and only talked to me out of respect for him. Can’t help you, sorry.”

Then, she retrieved her phone from the bespectacled girl and changed the subject. “Alright, you guys keep chatting. Xuexue and I need to finish folding lucky stars for my brother.”

With that, she immediately bent her head over the task, cutting off any further conversation.

If it were just casual talk, she’d happily ride her brother’s coattails.

But if they had ulterior motives? No chance.

Seeing this, the girls could only sigh in admiration before turning back to their earlier discussion.

At most, they were just momentarily excited. Once it was clear they wouldn’t get Danica’s contact, they moved on.

Lu Xuexue shot Gu Ximan an affectionate look. If they hadn’t been in class, she’d have pinched those soft cheeks.

Noticing the gaze, Gu Ximan stuck out her tongue discreetly, signaling she’d learned her lesson about showing off.

If the bespectacled girl hadn’t spotted her phone, she’d have only shared the news with Lu Xuexue.

But still—bragging about Gu Luo felt so good!

Besides, Gu Luo’s reputation at Guangya was already sky-high. Even if this got out, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

The long break slipped away amid the students’ lively chatter, and a new class began.

Meanwhile…

“Shu Ning, Shu Ning.”

The balding, elderly teacher at the podium set down his marker and lightly tapped the desk.

When Luo Shuning remained lost in thought, he raised his voice slightly.

“Shu Ning.”

“Ah… yes?”

Luo Shuning finally snapped back to reality, only to find the entire class—except Luo Shuhe—staring at her.

Ren Lei, sitting beside her, shrugged helplessly and muttered under her breath, “I poked you like ten times. Not my fault.”

“Shu Ning, are you feeling unwell?” The teacher’s voice softened instantly. “If you’re sick, don’t push yourself. Have Ren Lei take you to the infirmary.”

Such was the privilege of the top-ranked student.

As long as you weren’t literally causing chaos, you could do no wrong.

Luo Shuning’s face was pale as she shook her head. “Sorry, teacher. I just zoned out.”

“You must’ve stayed up too late studying, right?” The teacher’s expression turned sympathetic. “Shu Ning, grades are important, but so is your health. Don’t overwork yourself.”

Then, addressing the class, he added, “Look at Shu Ning—ranked first since freshman year, never slacking. Talent helps, but she’s always studying during breaks. Meanwhile, you all treat even Chinese class like free time, as if learning is the enemy.”

The rant triggered nostalgic frustration. “Back in my day, slackers like you would’ve been dragged out and shot!”

“You have it so easy now…”

“No idea how cold it was…”

“Walking to school past ten…”

“……”

The class tuned out immediately. They’d heard this spiel a million times—could probably recite it backward.

“Welp, the old man’s off again about his ‘back in my day’ stories from the four provinces. Probably won’t stop till the bell,” Ren Lei muttered, then turned to Luo Shuning. “Seriously, what’s up? You’ve been off since you got here, and you won’t tell me why.”

“Did… Gu Luo do something to you?”

“No. My brother treats me very well.” Luo Shuning lowered her eyes, voice barely audible. “I… just didn’t sleep well last night…”

Seeing this, Ren Lei glanced around, leaned in closer, and lowered her voice to a whisper only the two of them could hear: "Babe, isn’t Gu Luo supposed to confess to you on Sunday? Did something go wrong? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be like this."

"I..."

Luo Shuning pressed her lips together, resting her forehead in one hand, unsure how to explain the situation.

She had originally planned to come clean after Sunday, when only she and Gu Luo would know about it, avoiding any major fallout.

But luck just wasn’t on her side. The past Shu He had kept hidden for so long was suddenly brought up by Xiao Man.

Before she knew it, she had admitted everything in front of her three younger sisters.

What surprised Luo Shuning even more was that Shu He didn’t expose her on the spot—instead, she helped cover up the truth.

At the same time, Luo Shuling, who also knew the inside story, stayed silent.

Shame.

Luo Shuning was drowning in shame, unable to lift her head in front of Shu He and Shuling.

She couldn’t even imagine how Gu Luo and his sister would see her once they found out the truth.

But it was too late for regrets now.

She was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Keeping this up would only hurt Shu He and deceive Gu Luo.

Coming clean would make Gu Luo and his sister see her as a liar, let alone the confession planned for Sunday.

What should she do...

What on earth should she do...

The more Luo Shuning thought about it, the more regret and shame consumed her.

The torment in her heart left her restless, her conscience relentlessly gnawing at her.

"Teacher!"

Ren Lei suddenly raised her hand and announced loudly, "Shu Ning really isn’t feeling well. I’ll take her to the infirmary."

Hearing this, the balding teacher paused his storytelling and immediately agreed with concern, "Alright, take it slow on the way. Let me know if there’s any problem."

"Come on, babe."

Ren Lei spoke softly, helping Luo Shuning up.

"Mm..."

Luo Shuning responded faintly, her steps unsteady as she followed Ren Lei out of the classroom.

Faintly, she could still hear the balding teacher’s voice continuing his tale from the past.

But as they walked, Luo Shuning suddenly realized something was off and couldn’t help asking, "Aren’t we going to the infirmary?"

"This is a heart problem, not something the infirmary can fix. Let big sis take you to the little garden for some healing."

"Isn’t that... inappropriate?"

"Pfft, as long as I’m not dragging you to take a dump on the teacher’s head, even the principal would pretend not to see us."

"...Alright."

Crude as the words were, they weren’t wrong.

Soon, the two arrived at the small garden and settled onto a wooden bench.

Luo Shuning had assumed Ren Lei just wanted a quiet place to question her, but instead, her friend leaned back, closed her eyes, and said leisurely:

"Babe, just listen to the birds with me, feel the breeze, and relax. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re carrying way too much right now."

"Everyone has secrets they can’t put into words. There are things I can’t tell you too, so I won’t push for answers."

"You’re Luo. Shu. Ning. I believe in you."

"Come on, close your eyes and unwind for a bit."

Hearing this, Luo Shuning was deeply moved.

She mimicked Ren Lei’s posture and slowly closed her eyes.

She had meant to empty her mind, but memories of her time with Gu Luo and Shu He flooded in uncontrollably.

Her heart.

Grew even more tangled.

............

............