Chapter 45: Engaged

Tang Shu’s pupils widened in shock. She instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth, suppressing the gasp that almost escaped her lips.

“Wow, Manman, you’re seriously impressive! How did things progress so quickly?”

“Don’t tease me. I’m not happy at all right now. I’m actually freaking out.”

Shi Manman’s face fell, anxiety filling her eyes. “I really don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

Tang Shu looked at her seriously and offered some reasonable advice.

“But isn’t this a good thing? You’ve liked him for so many years. Just make him take responsibility, and then the two of you can naturally get together. Your wish would finally come true. The whole ‘enemies who secretly love each other and finally get together’ trope is practically made for romance!”

“There’s no way I can make him take responsibility.” Shi Manman lowered her eyes, her voice filled with disappointment.

“When he woke up the next morning, he was completely calm, as if nothing had happened the night before. He was cold and distant. It was obvious that he didn’t like me at all.”

“I was both hurt and angry at the time. My pride was completely crushed. In a fit of anger, I threw a thousand yuan in cash in his face, turned around, and ran home by myself.”

After hearing about what she had done, Tang Shu silently gave Shi Manman a thumbs-up, her eyes filled with admiration.

“That was bold. So domineering. Well done.”

Shi Manman unhappily poked her in the arm. “Shushu, stop gloating and teasing me. I’m genuinely lost right now.”

Tang Shu suppressed her smile and seriously analyzed the situation for her.

“Then I’ll give you two options. You choose.”

“First, ignore him. Don’t message him first, don’t meet him, and don’t argue or fool around with him.”

“Guys are always slow to realize their feelings. Once he gets used to having you around and suddenly can’t stand the days without you, he’ll realize that he cares about you. Then he’ll naturally come looking for you himself.”

Shi Manman’s eyes flickered, and she hurriedly asked, “What’s the other option?”

“Second, you take the initiative and go to him yourself. Be straightforward. Tell him that you’ll take responsibility for what happened that night and that you’re not the kind of person who plays around with multiple people.”

“Besides, your two families have been close for generations. Both sets of parents have long been happy to see the two of you together. There’s a very good chance they’ll agree to the two of you being together.”

Shi Manman lowered her head and thought for a moment before quickly making her decision.

“I choose the first option.”

Tang Shu couldn’t help teasing her. She leaned closer to her ear and whispered,

“But if you won’t be seeing him for a long time, won’t you end up missing him?”

Shi Manman’s cheeks instantly turned bright red. She reached out and gently covered Tang Shu’s mouth, embarrassed and annoyed.

“Shushu! Stop saying things like that!”

The cramped space beneath the covers was filled with the soft sounds of the two best friends playfully bickering.

The two of them continued whispering for a long time.

As the night grew deeper, sleepiness gradually overtook them. Snuggled together, they chatted until, without realizing it, they closed their eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Today had been both a happy and thrilling day.

…

One week later, Jiang University. Classroom.

Tang Shu turned her head toward the listless Shi Manman sitting beside her and gently poked her arm.

“Manman, what’s wrong with you? You only went home for the weekend. How did you come back looking like you’ve completely lost your soul?”

Shi Manman remained silent, simply burying her entire face against the cool surface of the desk. Her muffled voice drifted out.

“I’m getting engaged.”

Tang Shu’s eyes instantly lit up. She leaned forward.

“Isn’t that the best news ever? Who’s the groom?”

Shi Manman lifted her eyelids and glanced at Tang Shu’s sparkling, intensely curious expression. She answered weakly,

“The person you’re thinking of.”

“Isn’t that exactly what you’ve always wanted? You’ve liked him for so many years.”

Shi Manman’s shoulders slumped, disappointment filling her eyes.

“Shushu, you don’t understand.”

“He doesn’t like me at all. It’s only because of what happened that night. He’s agreeing to get engaged to me out of a sense of responsibility. A marriage with no feelings behind it, held together only by guilt… I’d rather not have it.”

Tang Shu shifted closer to her, resting her elbow on the desk.

“How do you know there’s no place for you in his heart? Think carefully. Ever since you were little, hasn’t he always loved going head-to-head with you? He argues with you about everything and can’t stand seeing you have even the slightest moment of glory.”

“Exactly. All he ever does is criticize me. There isn’t even the slightest bit of tenderness. How could I possibly see any affection in that?”

“That might just be a guy’s clumsy way of showing his feelings.” Tang Shu lowered her voice and carefully analyzed the situation for her.

“Maybe he doesn’t know how to properly express his feelings. He can only get your attention by arguing with you and deliberately provoking you. He just wants you to keep him in your thoughts all the time.”

“If he truly didn’t care about you at all, after what happened that night, he could have simply pretended it had nothing to do with him. Why would he be the one to bring up getting engaged? Isn’t that proof that he cares about you but can’t hide it?”

“He may criticize you with his words, but his actions have never actually pushed you away.”

Shi Manman froze slightly. Some of the darkness in her eyes faded, and she murmured hesitantly,

“Really… really?”

“I’m almost certain. Find a way to test him, and you’ll know.”

The moment she heard that, Shi Manman instantly perked up. She straightened herself and immediately asked,

“Then how do I test him? Teach me!”

The two girls leaned their heads together, whispering and discussing ways to test him.

They only stopped when the class bell rang.

…

Six in the evening.

The sky had completely darkened.

Heavy gray clouds covered the sky, and a fine drizzle continued to fall without stopping.

There were people coming and going outside the library. The students hurried along, each holding an umbrella as they rushed back toward their dormitories.

Tang Shu gazed at the dark, rainy sky and softly sighed.

Another drizzly day.

Fortunately, she had brought an umbrella today.

She opened it and walked along the rain-soaked, tree-lined path through campus.

The rain had dampened the ground, reflecting the hazy yellow glow of the streetlights. Patches of light and shadow shimmered across the wet pavement. The surroundings were quiet, with only the soft rustling of rain remaining.

Just then, a faint, soft meow came intermittently from the bushes beside the path.

“Meow… meow…”

The tiny cries trembled with the cold rain, sounding pitiful and helpless.

Tang Shu stopped in her tracks.

Naturally soft-hearted and fond of small animals, there was no way she could simply ignore it.

Holding onto the umbrella handle, she turned sideways and pushed aside the drooping branches of the bushes, their leaves heavy with rain. She bent down and peered deep into the dense grass.

The grass was damp and waterlogged.

A tiny orange kitten, barely the size of her palm, was curled up in a corner. Its entire body was soaked through by the cold rain, its wet fur clinging tightly to its tiny frame.

The fluffy orange fur that should have been soft and full had clumped together into little strands. Its entire body was trembling from the cold, and its small tail was weakly tucked beneath it.

Its round eyes were wet with tears as it timidly looked outside. Every now and then, it let out a tiny, aggrieved meow, looking unbearably pitiful.

Tang Shu immediately couldn’t bring herself to leave.

Her heart melted.

She carefully bent down, afraid that she might frighten the timid little creature.

With one hand, she held the umbrella firmly to shield it from the wind and rain. With the other, she slowly reached into the bushes and gently lifted the freezing little orange kitten into her arms.

The kitten trembled slightly but didn’t struggle or try to escape. It simply nestled obediently against her warm palm, instinctively curling closer to the source of warmth.

Tang Shu quickly pulled a large packet of tissues from her bag and carefully wrapped the shivering kitten in layer after layer.

Holding it securely in her arms, she hurried toward an open pavilion nearby where she could take shelter from the rain.