Chapter 45 At Odds With Each Other

f down and looked at Li An with disdain. "Whether or not I secretly like your brother and whether your brother likes me is none of your business!"Li An, who was eating, was surprised to see Ni Xuanyi,...Chapter 45: Becoming Rivals

Yan Luoxi racked her brains but couldn't find a word to describe the relationship between herself and Li An. She didn't know how He Yufan found out that she had known Li An before, and it was clear that this wasn’t an appropriate time to ask about it either. All she could do was futilely explain: "My relationship with Li An is all in the past. I thought there would be no more entanglements between us, so I didn't tell you guys that I knew him."

He Yufan straightened her back and sat up from the sofa, turning her head to look out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the buildings outside. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice: "You said he never treated you as a friend, then where did Li An's forehead and face injuries come from You also said that there would be no more entanglements between you two, so where did those kiss marks on your body after the banquet come from"

Yan Luoxi was at a loss for words. She slumped her shoulders and lowered her head, with nothing but dark gray in her eyes.

It seemed that He Yufan wasn't expecting an answer anyway; many times it wasn’t others deceiving one, but oneself being too careless. Her eyes burned with fiery light: "You and Li An conspired to deceive me, just so I could be your shield and scapegoat! Today, the crazy woman should have come looking for you instead of me. It should have been you who got beaten and scolded!"

"No... no... I didn’t think like that at all... I also didn't know such a thing would happen..." Yan Luoxi knew the misunderstanding had escalated to a serious level, cold sweat breaking out on her back.

She bitterly regretted not telling them about Li An earlier. Now she truly felt guilty towards He Yufan, her brave and kind friend who was humiliated by the whole hallway outside of the PR department because they mistakenly believed in her.

Lei Yixin looked at Yan Luoxi in disbelief and asked softly, "Luoxi, is all of this true"

"It's not entirely like that. I didn't intentionally harm You Fan. Li An is a tricky person; I have no idea what he was thinking or planning to do..." Yan Luoxi stammered as tears welled up in her eyes.

Seeing the pitiful look on her face, He Yufan felt some sympathy and softened his expression: "Luoxi, we've been classmates for so many years. I believe you wouldn't intentionally harm me. But how do you explain your secret dealings with Li An while watching my pursuit of him from a distance Do friends act like this"

"I didn’t secretly deal with him; it's true. That day at the banquet, I got drunk and ended up sleeping with Li An without knowing what happened. Afterwards, I felt ashamed and didn't tell you guys. You can see that I’ve been avoiding Li An these days…"

"You've been avoiding Li An!!!" He Yufan suddenly sneered: "I’m pursuing Li An, while you avoid him; when Li An pursues you, does it feel good to look down on me from the top of the food chain and mock me"

Yan Luoxi knew that He Yufan had been deeply hurt today. She didn't mind his sarcastic remarks and reached out to pull her: "Yufan, don’t get upset. Let me explain what happened between Li An and me. When I was young, he..."

Envious, He Yufan waved her arm and pushed away Yan Luoxi's hand: "After being played around with and then told the truth, you think I don't have the right to be angry at your plight My sympathy for your suffering is no reason to listen to Li An’s boring past with you."

Yan Luoxi, I don't blame you for pursuing Li An willingly; it's not your fault that he is so charming. No need to weave a tight web when everyone wants to jump into it themselves," He Yufan said this with a sorrowful smile.

"I'm also not blaming you for hiding the relationship between you and Li An, everyone has secrets and privacy. However, today, this crazy woman came here targeting you but took her frustration out on me instead."

"Neither of us are fools. Even if you refuse to admit it, Li An was only dating me to protect you. He might have known about the trouble this madwoman would cause and thus created a decoy like myself."

He Yufan looked at Yan Luoxi beside her; suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes: "After being humiliated like this today at Anrui International, I definitely won't go back to work there anymore. I also don't want to be your good friend anymore because every time I see you, I'll remember how my best friend betrayed me and that the man I loved used me, while a madwoman humiliated me!"

He Yufan's words were like a violent storm hitting Yan Luoxi, who looked at her dumbfounded.

Over their four years in university, every time she faced difficulties, He Yufan would extend a helping hand without hesitation; whenever others bullied her, He Yufan would stand in front of her with utmost strength. Whenever she felt wronged, He Yufan would try everything to cheer her up.

He Yufan and Ye Zixin's feelings were one of the richest treasures for Yan Luoxi who had led a lonely life; they nourished her existence. Now hearing that He Yufan was cutting ties with her, Yan Luoxi felt a pain in her very core.

Yan Luoxi leaned forward and grabbed He Yufan's wrist, her voice choked as she said, "Yufan, we are good friends! We have been such close friends for so many years!"

A trace of pain flashed across He Yufan’s eyes, but she remained stubbornly aloof, not even willing to look directly at Yan Luoxi: “We used to be good friends, but that will no longer be the case in the future.”

Leizi欣 was torn between the two of them. Over the past few years, they had unconsciously created a small world for themselves, and everyone thought their friendship would last forever. But before they could even graduate, this little circle was about to fall apart. Leizi欣 considered He Yufan and Yan Luoxi both her good friends, unable to tell who was right or wrong at the moment, so she remained silent in frustration.

"It's all Li An’s fault! It has to be that evil guy, Li An! He must have deliberately set out to sabotage me!" Yan Luoxi gritted her teeth and said this. Tracing back the root cause of it all, he was truly the mastermind behind everything—Shao Meizhuo coming to their doorsteps, and the three friends falling apart!

"Yufan, let's go find Li An together! I want him to explain himself to you. Whether or not he has some sinister scheme, I don't care, but he can’t ruin my friendship!"

Hearing Yan Luoxi’s words, He Yufan seemed to be hit hard; she hastily pulled away from her: "Are you still unsatisfied with how thoroughly I've humiliated myself Do you think my face is thick enough to get close after someone has beaten me up"

This was a side of He Yufan that Yan Luoxi didn't recognize. She knew He Yufan could be straightforward, carefree, and even prone to complaining or rough talk, but she had never seen such a fearful expression on her face before—it must have been the betrayal that hurt her so deeply.ted."No, no, I'm very busy lately and don't have time to get my license," Ni Xuanyi hurriedly waved her hands in rejection.In fact, she had long thought about getting a driver's license, but she could...