Chapter 397: Pretending to Be Sentimental yet Ambiguous
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The results of the end-of-semester examinations had been released long ago and Wen Xinya was ranked fifth in her cohort, all thanks to Zhong Rufeng’s collation of revision notes which had helped her achieve stellar results. Hence, she had been wanting to treat him to dinner in order to express her gratitude. However, she had been unable to do so because her grandfather was hospitalized all of a sudden and Si Yiyan had gotten injured as well.
She gave Zhong Rufeng a call and the two of them agreed to meet at a private restaurant near the school. The restaurant served delicious fish and was often crowded because of its thriving business. It was only less crowded during the holidays.
Wen Xinya arrived before Zhong Rufeng did and walked towards the private room. At the same time, someone opened the door and Wen Xinya had no choice but to greet him.
“Xinya?” Chu Jingnan asked in surprise the moment he saw her. He stepped forward and stared at her with an indescribable gaze, giving her an invisible pressure.
“What a coincidence, President Chu!” Wen Xinya greeted calmly. Since he had tipped her off at the police station on the day that she was detained because of Jiang Ruoyin, she did not treat him with a harsh attitude. Instead, she just kept a straight face and stayed calm.
“Are you here for a meal with your friend?” Chu Jingnan asked in a charming and sexy voice while keeping his eyes fixed on her.
Wen Xinya nodded and said, “Yes, I’m meeting Zhong Rufeng.”
A sullen expression formed on Chu Jingnan’s face and he could not help but recall what happened when school started. There were photos of Zhong Rufeng and Wen Xinya behaving intimately circulating around the school forum. Wen Xinya and Zhong Rufeng were both good looking and they looked just like a match made in heaven.
He would often be filled with immense jealousy.
Zhong Rufeng was compatible with Wen Xinya in almost every aspect, including character, looks, talent, family background, status and wealth.
He had even deleted the post secretly when the hype around it died down.
After a short while of silence, Chu Jingnan said, “Congratulations on coming in fifth place during the end-of-semester examinations.”
“Thank you.” Wen Xinya thanked politely, sounding rather distant.
Chu Jingnan stared at Wen Xinya. Although she was only fifteen years old, he was truly in awe of her capabilities. He heard from Xia Ruya that she had accumulated the Ai Shang Group stocks in order to stop the Xiao Corporation from acquiring Ai Shang Group.
He was no longer confident about winning Wen Xinya’s heart after getting to know how shrewd she was. “Wen Xinya, what am I like to you?”
Wen Xinya’s eyebrows trembled, not wishing to give any comments about Chu Jingnan’s personality. “Is my opinion important?”
Keeping his eyes fixed on her, Chu Jingnan asked, “It’s very important. I want to know where I stand!”
It was the first time that he had ever encountered such a setback, which was caused by Wen Xinya’s suspicion and doubts against him. Hence, he wanted to know where the problem lied.
Wen Xinya had no idea how to answer his questions. She could not bring herself to view Chu Jingnan in a positive light because of all the inhumane acts of harm that he had inflicted on her in their previous lifetime.
“Why won’t you answer my questions?” Chu Jingnan questioned, walking towards her and compelling her for an answer. The warm, yellow light made him appear much taller and bigger.
Wen Xinya chuckled and said, “You said that you wanted to pursue me. May I ask if you fancy me?”
“Of course I do!” Chu Jingnan answered firmly without hesitation.
Wen Xinya looked at Chu Jingnan with a smile and sneered. “Will you fancy me if I’m still that hooligan that I used to be?”
Chu Jingnan’s pupils constricted. He wanted to say yes but could not bring himself to do so after seeing how derisive Wen Xinya was.
Wen Xinya had a sarcastic smile on her face, though she remained calm and composed. “See, you only fancy me because of superficial reasons. The first thing you consider is your interests. Do you really think I’d fancy such a mercenary person like you?”
Her blunt words were like daggers to his heart. Feeling extremely dejected, he said, “Turns out I lost because I didn’t have a head start. How disappointing.”
Wen Xinya felt a sudden urge to tell him that he had lost because of what he had done to her in her previous lifetime, though she was uncertain if he would be even more disappointed. “Don’t pretend to fancy me and be devoted to me. It makes me feel really disgusted.”
“Brother Chu!” A tender and coquettish voice squealed, breaking the awkward silence.
Wen Xinya turned around to see that Xia Ruya was grinning widely at Chu Jingnan, clad in a long, white dress that accentuated her beauty.
“Xin… Xinya!” she exclaimed in shock the moment she saw Wen Xinya, who was dressed in a red, floral dress which had sakura prints at the hems, exuding inexplicable grace and poise.
Xia Ruya suddenly felt like her outfit paled in comparison and subconsciously looked down at her own dress which she had meticulously picked out for Chu Jingnan. She had deliberately taken inspiration from Wen Xinya’s sartorial habits and fashion sense in a bid to appeal to Chu Jingnan. To her astonishment, she actually ran into Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya smirked and glanced at Chu Jingnan cynically. He’s pretending to be devoted to me while having an ambiguous relationship with Xia Ruya. Chu Jingnan is really still the same as he used to be in the previous lifetime. Well, a leopard never changes its spots. But then again… a jerk was a perfect match for a bitch.
Wen Xinya looked at Chu Jingnan with raised brows, making him feel small and embarrassed.
Seemingly having sensed that something was amiss, Xia Ruya hurriedly explained, “Brother Chu helped me out a lot during my revision for the end-of-semester examination. Hence, I wanted to treat him to a meal to thank him for his help.”
Chu Jingnan heaved a sigh of relief after hearing her explanation. However, he could sense that the situation was getting more and more complicated and hence, felt extremely awkward.
Wen Xinya nodded, not wishing to argue with them any further.
Xia Ruya looked at Wen Xinya and asked, “Xinya, are you here for a meal too? Are you alone?”
Wen Xinya caught sight of Zhong Rufeng, who was dressed in a light blue blazer and a pair of gray casual pants. He looked extremely refined and elegant. “The person I’m meeting is here,” she said.
