Chapter 133: So a Friend Is Someone Willing to Go Crazy and Mess Around with You

Chapter 133: Chapter 133: So a Friend Is Someone Willing to Go Crazy and Mess Around with You

Ruby heard Rian’s words and desperately wanted to pour her heart out, but the moment she saw Rian’s face, she couldn’t hold back her tears. She had no friends. Wyatt only knew how to tease her. Noel and the rest treated her like a well-behaved little girl, talking down to her as if she were a child. Because the elders adored obedient kids, she had molded herself into exactly what they wanted. She had always assumed her facade would be seen through the second anyone got too close. Yet, for the first time in her eighteen years of life, she realized there were people who would play along with her antics. Even when they saw through her fake tears, someone was actually willing to keep up the act for her sake.

The others were preparing to come over and comfort her as well, but Noel spoke up directly, "Whoever made her cry should be the one to coax her, right, Wyatt?"

Being called out, Wyatt was now in a panic. Whenever Ruby cried, his brain seemed to completely short-circuit. He had never seen her cry like this; this version of her felt much more alive.

Wyatt approached, bent down, and brought his line of sight level with Ruby’s. "Ruby, don’t cry."

He reached out and rested a hand on the top of her head. His voice was deep but full of helplessness. As her tears fell onto his hand, he felt a sharp pang in his heart. He decided that next time, he shouldn’t... No. He still had to say what needed to be said. But maybe not in such a harsh tone.

Seeing Wyatt’s face and recalling the things he had said to anger her earlier, Ruby pouted unhappily. Wyatt frantically wiped away her tears.

Rian Sinclair sat to the side, watching Wyatt’s clumsy efforts. Noel also walked over to Rian and muttered, "We’re subjected to their PDA every single day." He then rolled his eyes dramatically. "It’s so annoying."

Jason Rivers and Ulysses Shepherd shook their heads from the sidelines. How had they not noticed this before? Were they completely blind?

Rian lifted her gaze, glanced at Noel, and chuckled softly. "It’s quite sweet to watch, actually. A crybaby little lamb and a hot-tempered big bad wolf—they’re quite a match."

Noel shook his head, leaning against the dining table. "Rian, you don’t know the half of it. I feel like this guy has been hiding his feelings for a long time, but they still haven’t broken through that final barrier.

"And that little girl, Ruby, too. We don’t know what her attitude toward Wyatt is—whether she sees him as an older brother or something else. Anyway, the two of them have just been stuck in this phase."

Watching the pair, Rian smiled and shook her head. "Wyatt is definitely doing this on purpose, though he probably developed feelings for Ruby without even realizing it himself.

"They’re just missing a catalyst. If you were to find a good-looking, charismatic guy to get close to Ruby, Wyatt—that big bad wolf—would immediately step up to declare his sovereignty. He wouldn’t be able to hide it anymore."

Rian’s expression was full of amusement. Wasn’t their situation exactly one where they needed a third party to intervene? This was exactly how it always played out in novels and TV shows.

Noel nodded in strong agreement. "You’re smart, Rian. They really do need someone to break the stalemate. But who should we find to do it?"

Seeing that Noel was actually planning to take action, Rian laughed and shook her head. "No need to deliberately find someone. They’ll naturally get together; it’s just a matter of time."

Noel didn’t dwell on it. He had wanted to find someone, but after thinking it over, he felt it might be a bit inappropriate, so he dropped the idea. As if suddenly remembering something, he looked at Rian and asked, "Rian, do you know Old Mr. Sinclair? Or perhaps anyone else from the Sinclair family?"

Rian shook her head. "I don’t. We just share the same last name. It’s merely a coincidence."

Jason leaned in and said, "Noel is wondering if Rian is related to Old Mr. Sinclair. But Rian is a true-blue Basilian. The two of them are worlds apart."

Rian nodded in agreement, confirming that what Jason said was true. Only then did Noel set aside his curiosity about her identity. He nodded and didn’t press the matter further, shifting the conversation to other topics.

They chatted for who knew how long. All the dishes had been served, yet Wyatt and Ruby still hadn’t finished their conversation.

Noel didn’t mind and took his seat. "Let’s eat. Don’t worry about them, they’ll be at it for a while."

Jason and Ulysses also wordlessly took their seats, completely ignoring Wyatt and Ruby nearby. They would let the little couple resolve their issues internally.

Then, Noel picked up the serving chopsticks and began grabbing food. Rian noticed that the two had indeed been at it for a while. Upholding her habit of not wasting food—and definitely not because she was hungry—she also picked up her chopsticks. Needless to say, Jason and Ulysses completely ignored the situation and dug right in.

Later, no one knew what the other two discussed, but they saw a red-eyed Wyatt pulling Ruby out of the private room. Then, with a loud BANG, the door was slammed shut.

Rian was eating when she met Noel’s completely bewildered gaze. Jason’s voice trembled slightly. "That bastard Wyatt wouldn’t hit a woman, would he?"

Ulysses shook his head, continuing to use the serving chopsticks to grab food while he ate. "Whether he’d hit a woman or not is up for debate, but he definitely wouldn’t hit Ruby. You can put away that mother hen act of yours."

The group exchanged speechless glances before resuming their meal.

An unknown amount of time passed before the private room door opened again. Ruby came over and sat down next to Rian. She looked at her, her voice hoarse from crying. "I’m sorry, Rian. I made you worry just now. I was only crying because I realized just how gentle you really are. It must be a blessing to be your friend."

Her cheeks were flushed, but her eyes were sparkling. Putting herself in Ruby’s shoes, Rian guessed the real reason behind her tears. "Then, does Ruby want to be my friend?"

Ruby’s head snapped up. Her eyes filled with joy, though her words lacked confidence. "R-really?"

Rian smiled and nodded. The smile on Ruby’s face grew wider. Her cheeks flushed as Wyatt, who was beside her, naturally took the empty seat next to her and nodded at Rian in gratitude.

Rian didn’t think much of it. Suddenly, her elbow was nudged. Confused, she turned to look at Noel, who pursed his lips toward the pair’s hands. She followed his gaze and saw Ruby and Wyatt’s fingers tightly intertwined.

Turning back, she was met with Noel’s "I knew it" expression, as well as Jason and Ulysses’s utterly disgusted glares. Rian hadn’t noticed while chatting with Ruby, so this reveal caught her completely off guard.

Looking at Ruby’s blushing cheeks, she could tell the girl was in a great mood. Even the usually hot-tempered Wyatt was like a big bad wolf without his fangs. His entire aura had become incredibly peaceful, and the interaction between the two was exceptionally sweet.

"They moved that fast?" Noel truly couldn’t quite believe it. They had been stagnant for so long, and now they had suddenly progressed to this.

Beside him, Ulysses was equally in disbelief. "How long were they even out there? And they’re already together?"

Holding his chopsticks, Jason looked at Wyatt’s creepy grin and couldn’t help but gaze up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle. As if suddenly remembering something, his head whipped back around. "Now that I think about it, these two seemingly went out of town for a few days last week. I couldn’t be bothered to ask what they were doing at the time."