Chapter 485: How Terrible

It was all because Gu Shuxin said she liked Lu Cheng. That was why Chu Lingxiu had done those awful things to an innocent Shen Nian, why her family was so disappointed in her, and why she’d been grounded for so many days.

And now, the scene unfolding before her eyes showed her just how absurd it all was.

"I..."

Chu Lingxiu had never been so forceful with Gu Shuxin before. Gu Shuxin, taken aback by this sudden assertiveness, was rendered speechless.

Moreover, Gu Shuxin had no idea how long Chu Lingxiu had been standing there, or how much she had witnessed.

"Shuxin, I’ve always considered you my best friend. My only friend, even! When people told me there was something off about you, I never once doubted you. But is this how you treat me?"

’Deceiving me, hiding things from me, and even using me! Is that how a person should treat their friend?’

’My brother was right. I was so stupid, so blind. I couldn’t see anything but what I thought was kindness, completely oblivious to the manipulation and deceit behind it all!’

’Thinking back, what did Gu Shuxin’s so-called kindness even consist of? Other than saying a few nice things to my face and flattering me a bit when I was upset...’

’Even when I did something wrong and my family scolded me, I thought Gu Shuxin was the only one on my side.’

’But what if I was actually in the wrong, and my family was scolding me for my own good? As a best friend, shouldn’t she have told me right from wrong and helped me correct my mistakes? How could she just offer that kind of blind, unconditional support!’

’Being praised to death... what a terrifying concept.’

Everything Chu Lingxiu had failed to see through before now played out in her mind, one scene after another, and a growing pain tightened around her heart.

Regardless of what Gu Shuxin was truly thinking, she, at least, had genuinely considered Gu Shuxin her best friend. She had truly given so much for her.

To have your sincere feelings taken advantage of and deceived... the moment the truth was revealed was crueler than anything she had ever experienced.

"No, Lingxiu, you’ve misunderstood me!"

"Then tell me, what have I misunderstood!"

"I was just in a bad mood, that’s the only reason I came here! Qi Chengliang... he saw I was down, so he brought me here to relax a little!"

"So, it’s all because of him?"

As she spoke, Chu Lingxiu turned to look at Qi Chengliang, who was now walking toward them.

"Y-Yes! Qi Chengliang, hurry and tell Lingxiu. Wasn’t it you who saw I was in a bad mood and brought me here to relax?"

Gu Shuxin turned to see that Qi Chengliang had somehow already reached her side. Afraid he would say the wrong thing, she quickly spoke up before he could.

Gu Shuxin wasn’t worried about Qi Chengliang betraying her. She had always known he liked her. He had been relentlessly pursuing her for a long time, and no matter how many times she’d rejected him, he never got discouraged.

’A man like that would surely do whatever she said. How could he possibly disobey her!’

"That’s right, Miss Chu. I’m the one who brought Shuxin here. I could tell she’s been in a bit of a funk lately. So, it turns out you two had a little falling-out!"

Chu Lingxiu looked at Gu Shuxin, then at Qi Chengliang. In the past, she would have believed Gu Shuxin without a second thought.

But after the earlier shock and anger, Chu Lingxiu still held onto a sliver of suspicion.

Still, her anger toward Gu Shuxin had subsided somewhat.

"What kind of argument can two friends have that can’t be solved by talking it out? As it happens, Miss Chu, Shuxin and I have something important to tell you."