My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 24 - Breakup

Tang Huaijin hurried down the staircase, feeling a surge of panic. He had actually been awake for a while.

In his dream, he had been caressing his sister’s hand. Shen Yiqiu’s hand felt just like his sister’s-soft and delicate-but there were slight differences in the joints that gradually brought him back to reality.

Upon waking, he found himself holding the icy beauty teacher’s soft hand. If he opened his eyes at that moment, no matter how he tried to explain, it would be awkward for both of them.

His survival instincts kicked in, and within a fraction of a second, Tang Huaijin’s brain offered him the best solution.

So he shamefully pretended to be asleep, even murmuring his sister’s name as if in a dream.

It was utterly embarrassing. As a mature young man with a strong sense of pride, Tang Huaijin felt he couldn’t face anyone anymore.

With a gloomy expression, Tang Huaijin entered the classroom just as the school bell rang, and was met with Bai Yuerou’s complex gaze. He asked, puzzled, “What’s going on?”

Before Bai Yuerou could answer, Xia Xinya leaned over curiously, “Tang Huaijin, I heard you were two-timing at your previous school, and it got so bad you had to transfer here?”

Tang Huaijin was taken aback, “Did you investigate me?”

“Why would I investigate you? Everyone in school knows,” Xia Xinya replied with a mischievous smile.

Tang Huaijin fell silent for a moment, then sat down and started packing his bag.

“Tang Huaijin.” Li Xiaowan approached from the front of the classroom, looking upset. She asked, “Is what they’re saying true?”

Tang Huaijin continued packing without responding, which Li Xiaowan took as confirmation. Disappointed, she said, “Can you give me back my love letter? I don’t want you to have it anymore.”

Tang Huaijin paused, took out Li Xiaowan’s letter from his desk, and placed it on the table. He hadn’t intended to keep it anyway; he planned to throw it away after school to avoid his sister’s wrath.

Receiving back the love letter she had given just that morning felt like a public slap to Tang Huaijin’s face.

Earlier in the day, the girl had been filled with the excitement of young love, but during the self-study class, a rumor about Tang Huaijin spread like wildfire, making her feel deceived by this player.

Li Xiaowan coldly demanded, “So you really were two-timing and got caught, which is why you transferred here?”

The girl’s questioning felt like putting Tang Huaijin on trial. After school, students from various classes gathered to watch the drama unfold, whispering among themselves and blocking the classroom door.

Despite being the center of attention, Tang Huaijin kept his head down, packing his things as if he couldn’t hear the surrounding chatter.

Bai Yuerou, seeing Tang Huaijin in a difficult spot, turned to the crowd and shouted, “Why are you all gathered here? School’s over, go home!”

But as a gentle girl, her voice was quickly drowned out by the noisy crowd.

Xia Xinya also watched the confrontation with a complicated expression. She couldn’t see Tang Huaijin’s face clearly, but she felt an inexplicable pain in her heart. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Li Xiaowan sneered, feeling more justified as the crowd grew, “You never really know someone. I’m glad I didn’t end up with you.”

If the rumors were true, Tang Huaijin was a player trying to reform in a new environment.

Li Xiaowan’s words further cemented Tang Huaijin’s reputation as someone who couldn’t make it at his old school and was continuing his ways here.

The onlookers’ gazes turned disdainful.

At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted, “The girl from the rumor is here, make way!”

Curious onlookers parted to create a path.

“Who says he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

A girl with a ponytail emerged, having overheard Li Xiaowan’s words. She responded with a confident smile.

“And even if he didn’t have a girlfriend, he wouldn’t be interested in you. If I’m not mistaken, you confessed to him, right?”

Tang Huaijin felt a sense of foreboding and finally reacted. He looked at Lin Ruoxi with irritation, “What are you doing here? Leave.”

Before Lin Ruoxi could respond, Li Xiaowan snapped, “Who are you? Stop talking nonsense.”

Ignoring Tang Huaijin, Lin Ruoxi turned to Li Xiaowan and said clearly, “I’m Lin Ruoxi, the girl from the rumor who was supposedly two-timed by him.”

Then she addressed the crowd, “As Tang Huaijin’s girlfriend, I can responsibly tell you all that the rumor…”

“Is false!”

The crowd erupted in surprise, not expecting such a twist in the tale.

“False?”

“Wow, what’s really going on?”

“If she’s the girl involved, and she’s saying it’s false, it must be.”

Seeing the tide of opinion shifting in Tang Huaijin’s favor, Lin Ruoxi smiled with satisfaction.

“Enough!”

Tang Huaijin’s shout brought her back to reality.

He glared at Lin Ruoxi, “Lin Ruoxi, this has nothing to do with you!”

Lin Ruoxi flinched at his anger but stood her ground, “Nothing to do with me? As your girlfriend, can’t I clear things up?”

Tang Huaijin’s face was grim. He had endured this to minimize the impact on Lin Ruoxi, but she had stepped in, undoing all his efforts.

With so many people watching, he couldn’t continue arguing with Lin Ruoxi here. He packed his bag and walked out without a word.

Lin Ruoxi followed, her eyes red with tears, and Bai Yuerou trailed behind, worried.

Xia Xinya, after hesitating, also followed, using her gaze to deter others from joining.

Tang Huaijin stopped near the deserted club building, turned to Lin Ruoxi, and asked coldly, “Lin Ruoxi, do you know what you’re doing?”

“I’m doing what I should,” Lin Ruoxi replied, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“What I did is true, what’s there to clear up?” Tang Huaijin asked, struggling to contain his anger.

“As your girlfriend, I don’t accept that! You never gave me an explanation,” Lin Ruoxi insisted, searching his eyes for the truth.

“As my girlfriend? When did we get back together?” Tang Huaijin’s brow furrowed deeply.

“I don’t recall you ever breaking up with me!” Lin Ruoxi retorted, biting her lip.

Since Tang Huaijin’s infidelity, they had been in a cold war, long enough for him to assume they had broken up. But technically, he had never formally ended things.

After a moment of silence, Tang Huaijin asked with a bitter smile, “So you still want to be with me?”

“As long as you give me an explanation,” Lin Ruoxi said, her eyes hopeful.

Tang Huaijin shook his head, lowering his gaze, “What you see is the truth.”

Lin Ruoxi began to cry, “I don’t believe it.”

“I don’t care if you do or not,” Tang Huaijin said, his hand clenched into a fist at his side, his voice steady despite his inner turmoil. “You shouldn’t hold onto a player like me, and I don’t like you anymore.”

“Let’s break up.”

The words hit Lin Ruoxi like a bolt of lightning. She stood frozen, tears streaming from her vacant eyes, murmuring, “Break up…?”

Unable to bear her expression, Tang Huaijin gritted his teeth and walked away.

Xia Xinya watched, her eyes darting around, then hurried after him.

Tang Huaijin was deeply troubled. Lin Ruoxi’s bewildered expression pained him. He knew he liked Lin Ruoxi, but for Tang Yaoyao’s sake, he had to make Lin Ruoxi hate him, forget him, and move on.

Yet, by all accounts, he had failed miserably.

“Hey, wait up.” Xia Xinya caught up to him, curious, “Hey, player, is what they said true?”

Tang Huaijin turned, his gaze icy, “You don’t know?”

“Why would I know?” Xia Xinya asked, confused, then seemed to realize something, “You don’t think it was me, do you?”

Who else could it be? He barely knew anyone at this school, hadn’t even memorized his classmates’ names. Tang Huaijin sneered, “Oh? Wasn’t it you?”

“Of course not!” Xia Xinya protested. She had thought about investigating Tang Huaijin but hadn’t had the chance.

Tang Huaijin stopped, his voice filled with disdain, “I used to think you liked to mess with people but at least owned up to it.”

He paused, his gaze on Xia Xinya filled with undisguised dislike, “I can overlook your pranks, but you shouldn’t involve others.”

Lin Ruoxi being dragged into this was something Tang Huaijin couldn’t accept. His emotions were getting the better of him, and his logic was slipping.

Seeing Xia Xinya stunned, Tang Huaijin added coldly, “Isn’t it because I’m too close to Bai Yuerou that you keep bothering me?”

“I’m not one for trouble, so don’t worry. I’ll be Bai Yuerou’s seatmate for just one day, then I’ll give the seat back to you, and we’ll have nothing to do with each other.”

Without another glance at the dumbfounded Xia Xinya, Tang Huaijin turned and quickly left the school.