Since you can't avoid the dilemma, why not just join in

Li Qingxue woke up to find herself alone in the room.

Hu Yuying must have gone home to see Long Aotian, but where was Lin Wanning?

After eating the breakfast left on the table, Li Qingxue called Lin Wanning.

When the call connected, Lin Wanning simply said she had some business at school, which was already taken care of, and she’d be back soon.

After packing up, Li Qingxue checked out of the room.

About ten minutes later, she spotted Lin Wanning walking toward her.

Tall, fair-skinned, and standing out effortlessly in the crowd—she was unmistakable.

"Wanning, I couldn’t find you guys when I woke up. I almost thought you’d been kidnapped," Li Qingxue joked, handing her a drink.

But the moment the words left her mouth, she froze.

Lin Wanning’s eyes were red, as if she’d been crying. The playful mood vanished instantly, and Li Qingxue grabbed her hand. "What’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?"

Lin Wanning shook her head. "No one hurt me."

"Liar. If no one hurt you, why are you crying? Your eyes are all red."

"Really, no one hurt me," she insisted, her voice trembling with emotion. "I’m happy—genuinely happy. I’m just... overwhelmed."

She never expected Hu Yuying to forgive her, let alone accept her.

In her own eyes, what she’d done didn’t deserve sympathy.

But Hu Yuying had told her to call her "sister."

Her biological family might as well be dead to her, yet someone she’d known for only a few months treated her like family.

The thought made her heart swell.

Li Qingxue didn’t understand what had happened, but she softened her voice, comforting her.

Lin Wanning was one of the strongest girls she knew—second only to Hu Yuying—yet here she was, crying like a child.

Sniffling, Lin Wanning took the drink from Li Qingxue and gulped down a few mouthfuls before sniffling again.

The whole display left Li Qingxue torn between laughter and concern.

At the very least, it didn’t seem like she’d been bullied.

"Alright, stop crying. You’ll ruin your pretty face," Li Qingxue teased gently.

"I know, but I can’t help it." Lin Wanning wiped her tears, forcing herself to calm down, though an occasional sob still escaped.

Li Qingxue stayed by her side, waiting patiently until the storm of emotions passed, then pulled her into a light hug.

"I’m fine now. Thank you," Lin Wanning said, taking a deep breath. Her mood had visibly brightened.

"You really scared me just now."

Breaking down like that out of nowhere had left Li Qingxue at a loss.

"Can I ask what happened?"

Seeing the curiosity on Li Qingxue’s face, Lin Wanning giggled and sniffled again. "Nope. Not telling."

"Lin Wanning! I was worried sick, and now you’re keeping secrets? Some best friend you are!" Li Qingxue huffed, though she was relieved to see her in better spirits.

Still, the matter of Lin Wanning and Long Aotian weighed on her.

What was she supposed to do about that?

Ugh.

Knowing too much was such a headache.

Maybe she should just confront Long Aotian directly.

She could stomp on his face, make him grovel—teach him a lesson for Hu Yuying’s sake.

If she was stuck in this mess anyway, why not dive in headfirst?

The thought of experiencing the same pleasure Hu Yuying and Lin Wanning had described sent a thrill through her.

Lin Wanning, now composed, noticed Li Qingxue spacing out and poked her forehead. "What’s on your mind?"

"Nothing!" Li Qingxue grinned mischievously. Silly Wanning still had no idea her secret had been discovered. How clueless.

Lin Wanning narrowed her eyes at that smile. Whenever Li Qingxue looked this scheming, trouble was brewing.

"You’re grinning like a villain. Spill it—what evil plan are you cooking up?"

Li Qingxue played coy. "You’ll find out soon enough."

Once she’d subdued Long Aotian and sampled his... charms, she’d make sure he behaved. No more reckless antics!

Ding!

A notification chimed on her phone.

Li Qingxue glanced at the screen, and her smile vanished.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Wanning asked, noticing the sudden shift in her mood.

Li Qingxue showed her the phone. "It’s Ye Liangchen."

The message was a friend request:

"Qingxue, you know I’m a knight sworn to protect his princess. No one else in this world cares for you like I do. Don’t grieve over someone unworthy!"

"One thing I’ve never understood," Lin Wanning mused, "is why Ye Liangchen keeps bothering us."

"He acts like we’re already Long Aotian’s, yet he still tries to get close. Does he have some kind of fetish?"

They’d rejected him outright multiple times, yet his delusional self-importance persisted. What kind of twisted logic was that?

"Don’t ask me. He wasn’t like this before, but now... I don’t even know what to say."

Especially after learning he’d orchestrated those fake photos with Shen Mengjie—her disdain for him had only deepened.

She wanted to ignore him, but Ye Liangchen kept spamming her.

He reminisced about their past, their nine years of friendship.

As if he had any right.

He was the one who insisted on staying friends, the one who eroded those nine years bit by bit.

He claimed he wanted to "save" her—not just her, but Hu Yuying and Lin Wanning too.

When they refused his "salvation," he turned to insults.

Now he’d stooped to fabricating evidence just to get close. Did he really think she couldn’t see through his act?

All he wanted was to get into her pants.

Back then, she’d focused solely on studies, believing each stage of life demanded responsibility. Romance was a distant concept.

But once she truly fell for someone, that vague notion became real—a happiness that wasn’t forced.

It wasn’t about empty words. It was about actions.

Everything Long Aotian did came naturally, driven by a sincere desire for their well-being.

That was why she could feel it so deeply, why she’d fallen so hard.

Ye Liangchen, on the other hand, did nothing but talk.

How could he possibly think she’d ever choose him?