Chapter 60 - Forever and Ever

After grinding the ink, Bai Yuerou glanced over at the two girls, seeing they weren’t paying attention. She bit her lip and softly asked, “Jin, could you… teach me how to write?”

Tang Huaijin was taken aback for a moment but then smiled, “Sure, have you ever learned calligraphy before?”

“No… I’ve just watched my dad write a few times,” Bai Yuerou replied, sounding a bit embarrassed.

“Well…” Tang Huaijin hesitated, “Beginners usually start with regular script, and honestly, my regular script isn’t that great.”

He glanced over at the spot where Shen Yiqiu usually sat and said regretfully, “If Teacher Shen were here today, it would be great. Her regular script skills are exceptional.” Tang Huaijin realized he had never missed the beautiful teacher as much as he did this afternoon.

“It’s okay, you’re definitely better than me,” Bai Yuerou said with a gentle smile, picking up the writing brush and looking at Tang Huaijin with a twinkle in her eye. “Am I holding it right?”

“Curve your ring finger and pinky a bit,” Tang Huaijin instructed. Seeing Bai Yuerou still somewhat confused, he gently adjusted her soft hand to demonstrate.

Since it was just teaching calligraphy and they had held hands before, Tang Huaijin didn’t think much of it.

Bai Yuerou let him guide her hand without any visible reaction, though her cheeks turned slightly pink.

Holding her hand, Tang Huaijin dipped the brush in ink and guided her to write a character, “Bai,” a relatively simple one to start with.

The girl’s delicate frame was fragrant and soft, exuding a subtle scent like orchids in a secluded valley-fresh and elegant.

Even Tang Huaijin felt a bit uneasy. After finishing, he quickly released her hand and stood by, watching her with a gentle voice, “Now try it on your own. Take your time, write stroke by stroke.”

“Okay…” Bai Yuerou nodded, focusing intently as she began writing on the Xuan paper, her hand trembling slightly.

It’s common for beginners to have unsteady strokes, resulting in crooked characters and uneven lines.

After finishing, Bai Yuerou compared her work to Tang Huaijin’s. Her “Bai” looked like it had broken legs compared to his, making her feel a bit embarrassed as a blush spread across her delicate face.

Seeing her reaction, Tang Huaijin knew she was feeling shy and chuckled, “It’s alright. You’re much better than my first attempt. My father said my first character made him want to throw up.”

Bai Yuerou giggled softly, covering her mouth, then wrote a few more characters. Dissatisfied, she shook her head and turned to Tang Huaijin with bright eyes, softly asking, “Jin… could you hold my hand again?”

“Of course,” Tang Huaijin smiled, leaning in to guide her hand once more, writing the character “Bai” again, then dipping the brush in ink to add “Yue” and “Rou.”

After finishing, Tang Huaijin noticed the girl in his arms was silent. He turned his head and met her gaze, those clear, watery eyes looking at him intently, with a hint of mistiness.

Tang Huaijin’s eyelid twitched; something about that look seemed off…

Tang Huaijin let out a dry laugh, retracting his hand. “Finished writing. Did you get a feel for it?”

Bai Yuerou trembled slightly, as if just realizing something, quickly lowered her gaze, her face flushed with a rosy hue, even her delicate earlobes tinged with a cherry pink. She murmured, “Uh-huh…”

“That’s good…” Tang Huaijin’s expression was a bit awkward; this wasn’t the kind of tension he was aiming for. He shifted away, putting some distance between them.

Noticing Tang Huaijin’s deliberate retreat, a fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Bai Yuerou’s eyes. She bit her lip and asked, “Jin, could you write your name for me? I’d like to see it.”

Tang Huaijin joked, “My name isn’t easy to write. It’s not very beginner-friendly.”

“Oh…” Bai Yuerou responded softly, not saying much, and continued practicing her writing.

Seeing her calm demeanor, Tang Huaijin wondered if he was overthinking things. After hesitating for a moment, he moved closer again, guiding her hand to dip the brush in ink and write his name. Then he released her hand and stood aside, smiling, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t teach you. It’s just that my name is indeed tricky, and I didn’t want to discourage you.”

As Tang Huaijin leaned in, Bai Yuerou’s face brightened with a gentle smile. She nodded and said, “Alright, Jin, go ahead and read. I’ll practice a bit more.”

Tang Huaijin nodded lightly and returned to the sofa to read.

Lin Ruoxi’s mood gradually calmed down as she reflected on her impulsiveness. The comment about the gum had stung, making her feel that Xia Xinya was mocking her for being cheated on by Tang Huaijin.

She glanced at Tang Huaijin, who was calmly reading, and pouted. Lin Ruoxi knew him well; his expression clearly showed he wasn’t interested in engaging with her.

Determined, Lin Ruoxi scooted closer to Tang Huaijin, gently nudging his leg with hers.

Tang Huaijin remained unfazed, not even glancing at her, which made Lin Ruoxi anxious. She bit her lip and shook his arm, saying with a hint of grievance, “I was wrong.”

“Let’s talk outside,” Tang Huaijin said, glancing at her, then put down his book and walked out of the room.

Lin Ruoxi quickly followed, and they stopped a short distance from the door.

Tang Huaijin turned to face Lin Ruoxi, his gaze steady. “What did you do wrong?”

Feeling a bit uneasy, Lin Ruoxi brightened when he responded. Her biggest fear was Tang Huaijin ignoring her. After days of persistence, their relationship had warmed up slightly, and she didn’t want Xia Xinya to ruin her efforts.

Softly, she said, “I know you don’t like girls with bad tempers. I was too impulsive.”

“What does my preference for girls have to do with it?” Tang Huaijin raised an eyebrow, annoyed. “Do you have some deep-seated grudge against Xia Xinya? Your constant drama is unsettling the whole club.”

Lin Ruoxi felt a bit wronged by his words and said, “What do you mean, a grudge? Can’t you see she’s the one picking fights with me?”

Tang Huaijin sighed, “That’s just how she is. If you ignore her, she’ll eventually stop. The more you react, the more persistent she’ll be.”

“And if she’s persistent, how am I supposed to handle it? Why are you so good to her?” Lin Ruoxi’s emotions flared up, “She knows I like you, yet she keeps interfering. What’s her deal? Some friend she is.”

“Her understanding of friendship is different. Xia Xinya lacks a sense of security and fears losing friends.” Tang Huaijin felt a headache coming on from her agitation. “Don’t worry about it. She doesn’t have feelings for me; we’re just friends.”

Hearing this, Lin Ruoxi hummed skeptically, then complained, “You’re friends, but what about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“What about me? What am I to you?” Lin Ruoxi pouted as she asked.

“An ex-girlfriend,” Tang Huaijin replied with a headache. “We broke up, Lin Ruoxi.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxi moved closer, tugging at Tang Huaijin’s sleeve, and said coquettishly, “We can get back together even after breaking up.”

“No,” Tang Huaijin’s tone was firm.

“Why not? I can overlook that woman’s matter, as long as you have no contact with her,” Lin Ruoxi said, her eyes like autumn water fixed on Tang Huaijin, biting her lip.

A woman who can overlook your cheating and still wants to be with you is either a foolish woman deeply in love or a bad woman after your body.

Lin Ruoxi couldn’t be the latter. Seeing the stubborn and determined look on her face, Tang Huaijin felt a stir in his heart.

After a moment of silence, Tang Huaijin softly said, “I have someone I like, someone I like very much.”

“Someone you like?” Lin Ruoxi repeated, frowning, her suspicious gaze fixed on Tang Huaijin. “Who is it? Someone from school? Is it that woman from before?”

Seeing Tang Huaijin not responding, Lin Ruoxi knew he didn’t want to talk about it. After a brief silence, she asked, “Since you say it’s someone you like, does that mean you’re not together yet?”

Thinking that he and his sister weren’t exactly together, Tang Huaijin nodded slightly, “Yeah…”

“Why?” Lin Ruoxi squinted her eyes, “You’re not a passive person. Why aren’t you together? Doesn’t she like you?”

As Lin Ruoxi began to brainstorm, Tang Huaijin felt a bit guilty and didn’t want to continue this topic. He shook his head, “It’s none of your business, and stop pestering me.”

Lin Ruoxi didn’t speak for a moment, then said, “Whether you’re lying to me or not, the fact is you’re not together. Why can’t I keep pursuing you?”

“Why are you so stubborn? I’ve told you I like her, I really like her,” Tang Huaijin said, his brows furrowed. “I’m saying this for your own good. Don’t waste your time on me.”

“And what about me? Do you still like me?” Lin Ruoxi looked into Tang Huaijin’s eyes and softly said, “If you really care about me, don’t lie to me.”

“…I still like you a little,” Tang Huaijin finally admitted after a long pause. Seeing Lin Ruoxi’s eyes light up, he quickly added, “But it’s nothing compared to how much I like her.”

Lin Ruoxi laughed self-deprecatingly, “Of course, I know I can’t compare to the person you like. After all, if you liked me enough, you wouldn’t have cheated.”

Tang Huaijin remained silent, with nothing to say. In truth, he had indeed treated Lin Ruoxi poorly, and when stripped of the noble excuse of his sister’s illness, the real reason was simply that Lin Ruoxi was not as important to him as Tang Yaoyao.

But it wasn’t entirely fair to say that, because Lin Ruoxi could live well without Tang Huaijin, whereas Tang Yaoyao…

Tang Huaijin sighed and said, “Yes, I’m exactly the kind of player you think I am, so really, don’t waste your time on someone like me.”

Lin Ruoxi looked at Tang Huaijin, and as she did, a smile suddenly broke across her face, revealing a row of neat, clean teeth. She giggled and said, “I won’t.”

Tang Huaijin frowned and asked, “Why?”

Lin Ruoxi’s eyes crinkled with her smile as she replied, “Why should I?”

Before Tang Huaijin could respond, Lin Ruoxi, with a gentle smile, leaned closer to him and whispered softly in his ear:

“You don’t want me clinging to you, but I insist on doing just that.”

“You say you have someone you like, well, I’ll make you like me more than her.”

“I want to be entangled with you for this lifetime.”

“I want to chase you, win you back, hold you tight, and keep you by my side forever.”

“No, not just this lifetime. I want you in the next, and the one after that, for all eternity.”

With that, she looked at the stunned Tang Huaijin, chuckled softly, and took advantage of his daze to plant a kiss on his cheek, before cheerfully walking back into the club room.