Chapter 49: A Slap and a Shattered Friendship

Watching his plump face steadily draw nearer, Lin Duo’s mind momentarily short-circuited. ‘What was happening?’ she thought.

Was Wang Linshu, always so honest and proper, actually trying to force a kiss on her?

As his face loomed larger before her, Lin Duo grew flustered. She struggled to break free, but her right wrist was held in an unyielding grip, making escape impossible.

She could only resort to a soft plea. “Linshu, don’t be like this. You’re drunk.”

Wang Linshu, whether genuinely drunk or merely feigning a drunken stupor, paid no heed to Lin Duo’s words. He simply continued to close the distance.

In her helplessness, Lin Duo began to lean back in her seat. Yet, Wang Linshu pressed forward relentlessly, his posture clearly conveying that he would not give up until their lips met.

Lin Duo endured the overwhelming scent of alcohol, a wave of profound discomfort washing over her.

She truly could not agree to Wang Linshu’s advances. Not even if there was genuine affection between them.

Wang Desheng, the fruit magnate, had only this one grandson. He undoubtedly expected Wang Linshu to carry on the family line and would therefore never tolerate a same-s*x relationship.

Although Lin Duo could initially date Wang Linshu while posing as a girl, certain truths were bound to be revealed as their relationship deepened. When that time came, what would be the reaction of Uncle Wang, or her adoptive parents?

A pang of sadness pierced Lin Duo’s heart. She had always considered Wang Linshu’s well-being, yet he remained utterly oblivious. He was focused solely on his own one-sided desires, ceaselessly attempting to woo and please the girl he fancied.

This behavior, at its core, was about satisfying his own cravings, with no regard for the other person’s thoughts or feelings.

When Lin Duo felt Wang Linshu’s heavy, alcohol-laced breath brush against her face, her heart was no longer filled with fear or shock. Instead, a profound sadness welled up from the deepest soil of her being.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lin Duo extended her other hand.

She slapped his face forcefully.

Wang Linshu stood dumbfounded, clutching one side of his cheek. The slap had sobered him halfway.

When he saw the tears swirling in Lin Duo’s eyes, the other half of his drunkenness instantly vanished.

The other boys, who had been egging them on, also fell silent in unison.

The private room became eerily quiet, so much so that a pin dropping could have been heard.

Lin Duo seized the opportunity to pull her wrist free.

She stood up and left the private room without uttering a single word.

****

Back in her dorm room, Lin Duo went through the familiar motions: washing up, changing, and getting into bed.

Shen Jing’an incessantly questioned her about the details of the birthday banquet, but Lin Duo was too distraught to utter a single word.

She had never imagined that her friendship with Wang Linshu would come to such an abrupt end, and in such a manner, on a day like this.

No matter how terrible her mood, she still had to rise at six in the morning to the sound of the broadcast.

The next day, Lin Duo groggily pushed back her covers and reached for the phone on her nightstand to check the exact time. To her surprise, she found dozens of missed calls and unread messages. They had gone unheard because her phone had been set to silent the previous night.

Lin Duo had no desire to look at these messages. She tossed the phone casually onto the bed, grabbed her toiletries, and headed to the washroom.

The public washroom featured a traditional long trough with a row of faucets. As usual, Shen Jing’an followed Lin Duo in and occupied the faucet next to hers.

Soon, she noticed something amiss. “Hey, hey, Lin Duo, you haven’t even put on your face cream yet. Why are you already leaving?”

Lin Duo paused, haphazardly applying some cream to her face in the mirror. She didn’t even bother to spread it evenly before preparing to leave.

Ever the more concerned roommate, Shen Jing’an grabbed Lin Duo’s wrist.

“What’s wrong with you today? You seem a bit out of it,” she asked. “Huh? Why are your eyes so red?”

Lin Duo didn’t answer her. She pulled her wrist free and walked back to the dorm room.

Shen Jing’an dropped her toiletries by the sink. She quickly chased after Lin Duo.

Back in the dorm room, Lin Duo had already wrapped herself tightly in her covers.

When the quilt was pulled back again, a girl in a school uniform emerged. She quickly put on her socks and shoes, slung on her backpack, and prepared to head out.

“Hey, hey, you haven’t even combed your hair! Are you really going to class like that!?” Shen Jing’an, agitated, directly blocked the doorway.

“What on earth happened last night? Look at your eyes, they’re all swollen,” she pressed. “Did that Wang Linshu… assault you?”

“You were assaulted!” Lin Duo finally showed a flicker of emotion.

Shen Jing’an actually managed to laugh. “Just kidding, Wang Linshu doesn’t seem like that kind of person.

But he definitely did something to you during dinner yesterday, didn’t he? Like groping or kissing, and then your little boat of friendship capsized, which is why you’re so sad, right?”

Truly worthy of being the legendary ‘Master of Men’s Studies,’ Shen Jing’an had almost perfectly reconstructed the scene.

She saw Lin Duo’s expression and knew she had guessed correctly, a hint of smugness appearing on her small face. “Oh, I’ve long seen that Wang Linshu is deeply obsessed with you. Frankly, it’s partly your fault. You’re always so hot and cold, playing hard to get—it’s practically an invitation!”

“I seduced him? How did I seduce him!” Lin Duo glared angrily at Shen Jing’an. “Every single time, I properly rejected him!”

“Then why do you often take the bus with him? And why do you agree when he asks you out?” Shen Jing’an’s questions grew sharp.

“If you truly wanted him to give up, you shouldn’t have seen him again! Anyway, now that things have come to this, you also bear some responsibility!”

“Why me… I clearly didn’t want to hurt anyone…”

Lin Duo collapsed back onto the bed, tears beginning to well up in her eyes once more.

Seeing her roommate so haggard, Shen Jing’an’s conscience pricked her. She sat beside Lin Duo, offering soft comfort.

“Alright, alright, it was just a chest touch. It’s not like you’re some ancient chaste maiden, so there’s no need to dwell on it!” she whispered. “Besides, you don’t even have a chest to speak of…”

“Waaah…” Lin Duo began to sob softly.

Shen Jing’an, still possessing some conscience, pulled out a tissue and helped wipe away Lin Duo’s tears.

“Alright, I’ll help you comb your hair,” she said. “We can’t let you go to class looking like this…”

****

During math class after morning exercises, Lin Duo, uncharacteristically, didn’t pay attention.

Although her eyes were fixed on the blackboard, her pupils were devoid of any light. Her mind was constantly pondering one question: Had she truly done something wrong?

“Lin Duo… Lin Duo!!”

Teacher Lu, the class head, called her name several times.

Lin Duo finally stood up with a blank expression. “Huh?”

Lu Yusheng had initially intended to scold her. However, seeing the girl’s red, swollen eyes and haggard expression, his heart softened.

“Make sure you rest these next few days, go to bed early, and don’t zone out in class anymore,” he instructed gently. “You may sit down now.”

Soon after class, a tall figure cast a shadow over Lin Duo, blocking the light from above.

“Classmate Lin, has something happened?”

Lin Duo slowly lifted her head, her eyes devoid of expression as she looked at Cai Jingyao.

She spoke softly. “Nothing, I probably didn’t rest well.”

“Really nothing?” Cai Jingyao leaned down, shortening the distance between them.

“We’re classmates. If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak up; perhaps I can be of some help.”

Lin Duo stared at him for a moment, then slowly spoke.

“You’re a boy, right? Then I want to ask you a question: Is pure friendship between boys and girls truly impossible?”

This wasn’t an easy question to answer. Even the usually quick-witted Cai Jingyao could only resort to deflection.

“That depends on the specific situation, it’s hard to draw conclusions easily,” he said. “How about you give me a concrete example?”

Lin Duo didn’t want to tell an outsider about what had happened last night, so she merely shook her head gently. “Nothing, I just asked casually.”

However, Cai Jingyao still showed no intention of leaving. “Speaking of which, the school sports meet is about to begin. As the cultural and recreational committee member, shouldn’t you organize a cheerleading squad or something?”

“Cheerleading squad?” Keywords like ‘thigh high skirts’ and ‘mini-skirts’ flashed through Lin Duo’s mind. She shook her head vigorously.

Cai Jingyao seemed to have seen through her thoughts and chuckled. “Not like the ones you see on TV. You just need to wear your school uniform, gather a few girl friends, and cheer for our class’s athletes from the sidelines. Afterwards, you can hand them towels and water. It’s that simple.”

The task certainly didn’t sound difficult, and Lin Duo had no reason to refuse. She nodded in agreement.