Chapter 25: I Guarantee I’ll Make You Regret It

“It’s fine. I was just asking casually.” Gao Xu smiled gently.

“It’s simply because everyone hasn’t seen you in such a long time, so they were curious about how you’ve been doing. Your studies are more important—we completely understand.”

He was very tactful and didn’t linger any longer.

Raising a hand slightly in farewell, he said,

“Then you two enjoy yourselves. I’ll head back first. Let’s keep in touch when we have time.”

With that, Gao Xu turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing into the crowd at the plaza.

Only after he was completely gone did Tang Shu quietly let out a long breath.

The tension in her shoulders finally relaxed.

Turning to Zhao Yingying, she asked with a probing look,

“Yingying… you still like him, don’t you?”

A flicker passed through Zhao Yingying’s eyes.

She sighed openly and helplessly.

“You know me.”

“I’ve liked him since high school.”

“After all these years, how could I just let it go overnight?”

Tang Shu suddenly understood.

No wonder she’d assumed they were already dating when she first saw them standing together.

The way Gao Xu looked at her had been far too intense.

It was exactly like the way Xu Yan, the class monitor at her university, looked at her.

Even back in high school, it had been the same.

She was clearly distant by nature.

Aside from Zhao Yingying, she barely interacted with anyone.

Yet Gao Xu always found excuses to talk to her and ask about her life.

Back then, she’d assumed he was simply being a responsible class monitor.

Looking back now, it clearly wasn’t that simple.

Tang Shu sighed softly and advised seriously,

“Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I really feel like his intentions aren’t quite right.”

“You shouldn’t keep hanging all your hopes on one tree.”

“It’s not worth it.”

“I know.” Zhao Yingying smiled helplessly, unusually clear-headed.

“I see it more clearly than anyone.”

“He likes you.”

“Otherwise, the moment he heard I was coming to see you, he wouldn’t have immediately tagged along looking so eager.”

Tang Shu frowned slightly.

“Then why did you let him come?”

“I did refuse him on the spot.” Zhao Yingying spread her hands innocently.

“He insisted on coming. I couldn’t stop him.”

“And honestly, this gave me a chance to see things clearly and finally give up.”

“At least it gives an ending to the crush I’ve had for so many years.”

Looking at her sensible and self-aware friend, Tang Shu felt somewhat relieved.

“Seeing things clearly is good.”

“There are plenty of excellent people out there.”

“You deserve someone better.”

“There’s no reason to stay attached to someone whose heart isn’t with you.”

“I know, I know!” Zhao Yingying waved her hand dramatically.

Then she decisively changed the topic.

Hooking her arm tightly through Tang Shu’s, her eyes sparkled with gossip.

“Enough about him!”

“Tell me about you.”

“Do you have a boyfriend yet?”

“Our Shushu is so pretty, gentle, and beautiful.”

“There must be tons of guys chasing you at university, right?”

The moment the question was asked, the first thing that flashed through Tang Shu’s mind was Shi Zhiyu’s handsome, restrained face.

And his ridiculously perfect physique.

Her heart stirred slightly.

But she quickly suppressed the faint fluttering feeling and smiled.

“Do I look like someone who has time for a relationship?”

“I’m busy making money every day.”

“Romance can’t compare to earning cash.”

Zhao Yingying sighed regretfully.

She reached over and pinched Tang Shu’s soft cheek.

“Sigh.”

“I really wonder what kind of person will be worthy of our beautiful and talented Shushu in the future.”

“Fair skin.”

“Pretty eyes.”

“Sweet personality.”

“And yet all she cares about is making money.”

Tang Shu tilted her head away and laughed helplessly.

“Alright, alright.”

“Stop teasing me.”

“If you keep praising me, I’ll start getting full of myself.”

“Come on, weren’t you supposed to buy me milk tea?”

The two girls strolled leisurely through the mall with milk tea in hand, chatting and laughing while they walked.

But before long, they ran into an unwelcome guest.

The moment Tang Shu saw the exquisitely made-up woman dressed in luxury brands approaching from ahead—

her brows instantly knitted together.

A wave of annoyance rose inside her.

What rotten luck.

A perfectly good holiday mood ruined just like that.

The newcomer was none other than her eldest uncle’s daughter—

her cousin, Tang Xinyao.

Tang Xinyao had clearly spotted her as well.

A trace of contempt and mockery flashed across her eyes.

Then she immediately put on an absurdly fake smile.

Clicking forward in her high heels, she stopped before Tang Shu and looked her up and down condescendingly.

“Tang Shu?”

“Oh my.”

“I thought you’d stay in Jiang City forever and never come back.”

“You actually remembered that Yun City exists?”

Raising an eyebrow, she sneered,

“Why aren’t you helping your parents work and pay off their debts?”

“How do you still have the leisure to go shopping?”

“Your family’s debt has dragged on for years.”

“When exactly are you going to finish paying it off?”

“How about I kindly introduce you to a few wealthy businessmen?”

“With your looks, if you flatter them properly and accompany them for a few meals, maybe your family’s debts would disappear overnight.”

“Wouldn’t that be much easier?”

Beside her, Zhao Yingying’s face immediately darkened.

She instinctively stepped forward to defend Tang Shu.

But Tang Shu lightly pressed her arm, signaling that she was fine.

Looking at Tang Xinyao, all warmth vanished from her eyes.

Only cold detachment remained.

“Then I won’t trouble Cousin with worrying about us.”

“Instead of concerning yourself with our family affairs, perhaps you should focus on your own.”

“After all, I’ve heard your speed at changing boyfriends is even faster than your speed at repaying debts.”

Tang Xinyao’s expression froze.

For a moment she was rendered speechless.

Then embarrassment instantly turned into anger.

Deliberately raising her arm, she showed off the designer handbag in her hand.

“How ungrateful!”

“See this?”

“The latest limited-edition luxury bag.”

“It costs over a hundred thousand yuan.”

“Someone from an ordinary family carrying a cheap little bag like yours probably won’t be able to afford one in her entire lifetime.”

A cold smile appeared on Tang Shu’s lips.

“The bag may be new.”

“But your outlook and manners are decades out of date.”

“They clearly haven’t evolved yet.”

“A bag worth a hundred thousand yuan makes you this proud?”

“Looks like this is the greatest achievement you’ll have in your life.”

“You—!”

Tang Xinyao was completely humiliated.

Her face alternated between green and white.

Grinding her teeth, she snapped,

“I didn’t expect you to become so sharp-tongued!”

“Do you believe that with a single sentence from me, I could make your father kneel and apologize to my family?”

Those words crossed Tang Shu’s bottom line completely.

A layer of cold anger instantly covered her eyes.

All traces of her usual gentleness vanished.

The atmosphere around her turned icy.

“I call you Cousin out of respect for the little family relationship we still have.”

“Not so that you can push your luck and insult people however you please.”

“My parents work honestly and diligently.”

“They repay their debts through their own hard work.”

“They are upright and honorable people.”

“You have no right to point fingers at them or humiliate them.”

“If you dare slander or bully my parents even one more time…”

Tang Shu’s voice turned cold and resolute.

“I guarantee I’ll make you regret it.”

Faced with her warning, Tang Xinyao remained completely unconcerned.

She looked Tang Shu up and down with obvious disdain.

“You?”

“You’re just a university student who hasn’t even entered society yet.”

“What exactly can you do?”

Relying on the fact that her family was one of the Tang family’s creditors, she acted arrogant and superior.

“Don’t forget.”

“My family is your family’s creditor.”

“Since your family owes us money, you’re naturally beneath us.”

“You should obediently serve us and do whatever we tell you.”

Tang Shu let out a cold laugh.

“The Qing Dynasty fell a long time ago.”

“Nobody believes in that ‘debtors are inferior people’ nonsense anymore.”

“Repaying debts is only natural.”

“My family has never missed a payment.”

“We’ve worked hard and repaid everything honestly, little by little.”

“But that’s a financial debt.”

“It is not a license for you to trample on other people’s dignity or insult my family.”

“We will repay every cent.”

“But if you continue using old debts as an excuse to bully my parents…”

Her eyes grew colder with every word.

“Even if I have to give everything I have…”

“I absolutely will not let you get away with it.”