Chapter 105 - Are You Really a Couple?

Last night, Tang Yaoyao felt utterly embarrassed, so she didn’t say a word to him all morning. No matter how Tang Huaijin tried to coax her, it was no use; she would get upset at the mere mention of last night’s events.

With no other choice, Tang Huaijin could only put on a bitter face and rush to catch the bus again. Standing in front of the familiar Route 9 bus, he hesitated for quite a while before finally boarding under the driver’s urging.

The main issue was that he had told Lin Ruoxi yesterday that he wouldn’t be taking the bus anymore, and now running into her here today felt awkward to him.

However, after scanning the bus, he surprisingly didn’t find the ponytailed girl who liked to hide in the corner.

Tang Huaijin’s expression grew complicated as he realized that Lin Ruoxi, who had a car at home, chose to squeeze onto the bus every morning just to spend a little time with him.

He sighed silently, thinking that Lin Ruoxi would give up on him after knowing he was in a relationship, but judging by her attitude yesterday, that was clearly not the case.

…

Time flew by, and it was Friday.

After a day of classes, Tang Huaijin followed two girls out of the classroom. This time, without Bai Yuerou having to call her, Lin Ruoxi naturally walked up to them, greeting them with a bright smile.

Bai Yuerou’s face showed no unusual expression; she smiled slightly and nodded, walking over to hold Tang Huaijin’s hand as if declaring her territory. Ever since she and Tang Huaijin made their relationship public, she and Lin Ruoxi had become genuine fake friends.

Xia Xinya’s expression was somewhat sullen. She no longer harbored the same animosity towards Lin Ruoxi as before, and although she didn’t engage with her, she also didn’t pick fights with her.

Tang Huaijin’s gaze was complex. Lin Ruoxi had been behaving like a normal friend these past few days, maintaining a certain distance, but he could still detect a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

Lin Ruoxi’s gaze lingered on their clasped hands for a moment before she smiled nonchalantly and followed them to Shen Yiqiu’s office.

Since the home visit, Shen Yiqiu, being in the know, no longer concerned herself with his early romance, only advising him to practice calligraphy diligently in preparation for the national calligraphy exhibition.

Following Shen Yiqiu to the activity classroom, Bai Yuerou went to make tea as usual, while Tang Huaijin selected a book from the shelf and sat on the sofa, casting a wary glance at Lin Ruoxi seated on his left. Seeing no reaction from her, he relaxed slightly.

Xia Xinya sat in her usual small sofa playing with her phone, while Shen Yiqiu sat on the right sofa, reading a book.

Despite becoming rivals with Lin Ruoxi, Bai Yuerou didn’t make things difficult for her over such trivial matters. She prepared tea for everyone and sat on Tang Huaijin’s right.

“Thank you, Rou,” Lin Ruoxi said with a smile, taking a sip and praising, “Great tea, Rou.”

Bai Yuerou smiled slightly and replied, “It’s alright, Jin just likes it.”

Lin Ruoxi didn’t say anything more and obediently sat on the sofa, reading her book.

The room gradually quieted down, with only the occasional sound of pages turning.

Just as Tang Huaijin was relieved that the club activity would pass peacefully, a small hand suddenly slipped under his hoodie, gently resting on his lower back.

Tang Huaijin’s body stiffened instantly, instinctively turning his head to his left.

Lin Ruoxi had somehow quietly moved closer to him, her face slightly flushed but her expression natural, holding a book in one hand and reading intently as if nothing was amiss.

Because Lin Ruoxi’s actions were discreet, no one else noticed her mischievous behavior.

The soft hand gently caressed his back, occasionally teasing with a light scratch, making Tang Huaijin’s heart itch. Noticing the hand moving forward, Tang Huaijin cleared his throat, scaring the hand back instantly.

But it wasn’t long before the hand ventured in again, this time heading straight for the target. Tang Huaijin was startled, quickly pulling her hand out and standing up, saying, “Xinya, let’s switch seats.”

Xia Xinya put down her phone, glaring at him fiercely, but surprisingly didn’t refuse, obediently standing up to swap seats with him.

Lin Ruoxi’s face was noticeably flushed, biting her lip as she glanced at Tang Huaijin, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance. She had made a great effort to muster the courage for her earlier actions.

Tang Huaijin was at his wit’s end, so he simply turned his head away from her.

Seeing him like this, Lin Ruoxi calmed her shy heart a bit, turned to Xia Xinya in the middle, and said with a smile, “Xinya, you and Jin have such a good relationship.”

Hearing this, Xia Xinya felt a little pleased, her tone becoming friendlier as she replied, “Of course, the rascal and I are friends.”

Lin Ruoxi smiled and asked, “Aren’t you afraid Rou will get jealous? She’s Tang Huaijin’s girlfriend.”

Xia Xinya’s expression froze, momentarily at a loss for words, “I…”

Bai Yuerou stepped in to help her out, smiling gently, “We’re good friends, of course, I won’t get jealous.”

“Ah,” Lin Ruoxi sighed theatrically, “Maybe that’s the difference between you and me. If I were Tang Huaijin’s girlfriend, I couldn’t not be jealous.”

Bai Yuerou maintained a faint smile, saying, “Haha, I am indeed more generous.”

Lin Ruoxi’s expression turned a bit smug as she said, “But there’s one thing where you’re not as good as me.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“You’re not affectionate enough,” Lin Ruoxi said playfully, “Back when Jin and I were together, we couldn’t bear to be apart for even a moment. You two are so bland, more like friends than a loving couple.”

With that, she no longer concealed the suspicion in her eyes, looking at them with narrowed eyes, “Are you really together?”

Tang Huaijin’s heart skipped a beat. This was what he feared. Lin Ruoxi, having been with him before, knew what he was like when he truly loved someone. It was easy to fool Xia Xinya, but deceiving Lin Ruoxi was much harder.

Moreover, if Lin Ruoxi discovered they were pretending to be a couple, she would undoubtedly be curious about their reasons, and following that thread could lead to unimaginable consequences.

Xia Xinya was confused, instinctively looking at Bai Yuerou.

Shen Yiqiu remained seated, reading her book, her gaze unmoving, though a slight smile played on her lips.

Bai Yuerou’s expression showed no sign of guilt, her smile gentle as she said, “Being calm is good too; love should be a steady stream.”

Then she turned to Tang Huaijin, asking softly, “Jin, don’t forget to come to my house tomorrow to meet my parents. Are you ready?”

Tang Huaijin, of course, wouldn’t undermine Bai Yuerou at this moment, quickly nodding, “Yes, don’t worry.”

“…” After a moment of silence, Lin Ruoxi forced a strained smile, asking, “You’ve… met the parents?”

Bai Yuerou’s face showed a hint of happiness as she nodded, “Yes, my parents really like Jin.”

Lin Ruoxi stared blankly at her smiling face, the kind of happiness that couldn’t be faked. She laughed self-deprecatingly, saying nothing more, but turned her gaze to Tang Huaijin, biting her lip tightly, her eyes gradually reddening.

It seemed Rou had won this round again, and Xia Xinya felt a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite describe, but overall, she supported Rou.

Though she didn’t want Rou and Tang Huaijin together, it was better than him being with Lin Ruoxi. If he were with Lin Ruoxi, she might never see Tang Huaijin again.

Unbeknownst to herself, Xia Xinya had also begun to fear Tang Huaijin leaving her.

Shen Yiqiu finally lifted her gaze from the book, looking at Tang Huaijin with a playful expression.

She had long seen that Lin Ruoxi liked Tang Huaijin.

But this so-called girlfriend Bai Yuerou seemed to have more than ordinary feelings for Tang Huaijin.

Shen Yiqiu’s eyes narrowed slightly, glancing at the clock on the wall, and said softly, “Alright, the club activity is over.”