Chapter 80: Gu Yifan: I Will Never Be a Simp
"Alright... let’s eat. The food’s getting cold," Gu Yifan said with a nod.
"Oh, okay."
Su Qinghe nodded.
After that, neither of them spoke again. They just lowered their heads and ate in silence.
...
「One o’clock in the afternoon.」
「Library, Fifth-Floor Reading Room.」
It was the same familiar spot by the window. Gu Yifan was sprawled on the table, sleeping soundly, while Su Qinghe sat quietly beside him, reading her book.
They were the only two in the entire reading room, as if they had the place to themselves. There wasn’t a third person in sight.
Su Qinghe turned the pages gently, trying to be as quiet as possible, afraid she might wake Gu Yifan.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Gu Yifan’s profile. His handsome face seemed to be cast in gold, and Su Qinghe couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at him.
Perhaps the sunlight was too bright. The sleeping Gu Yifan stirred, his brow furrowing slightly.
Startled, Su Qinghe quickly looked away.
She shifted slightly toward the window, using her body to block the sunlight from him.
Seeing Gu Yifan’s brow slowly smooth out, Su Qinghe relaxed. She picked up her book and went back to reading.
A quiet tranquility settled over the afternoon campus.
The only sounds in the library’s reading room were the soft rustle of turning pages and Gu Yifan’s steady breathing.
...
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Su Qinghe eventually finished her practice test.
When she turned her head, she found that Gu Yifan had woken up at some point. He was looking at her, his chin propped on one hand.
"Uh..."
Su Qinghe’s face flushed slightly. She averted her gaze, timidly lowering her head.
Just when she felt she couldn’t take it anymore, Gu Yifan looked away.
"Let’s go, class is about to start!"
he said with a lazy stretch.
"Mm-hm..."
Su Qinghe didn’t dare to look at him. She just nodded and whispered her reply.
Gu Yifan didn’t think much of it. He stood up, stuffed his phone in his pocket, and after a quick tidy-up, the two of them left.
...
「Senior Year, Class One Classroom.」
The moment Gu Yifan stepped into the classroom, he sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere.
Many of the girls in the class were giving him strange looks. ’Why are they looking at me like I’m some kind of love ’em and leave ’em scumbag?’
Gu Yifan was baffled, and his eyebrows knitted together.
Just then, a well-meaning guy leaned in and whispered, "Brother Fan, did you do something to the Han School Beauty?"
"Huh???"
Hearing this, Gu Yifan’s brow furrowed even deeper!
’What did I do to Han Ning?’
He thought back. ’I barely said two words to Han Ning at lunch. She cried, but that was her own doing. What’s it got to do with me?!’
He glanced around but didn’t see Han Ning in the classroom.
Just then, Han Ning’s best friend, Wu Xiaoyan, walked up to him.
Wu Xiaoyan had already guessed that something else must have happened between Gu Yifan and Han Ning after that public confession. She looked at Gu Yifan with a complicated expression. "Xiaoning’er... she took the day off and went home."
Gu Yifan froze for a second before his expression returned to normal.
"Oh."
He nodded, his tone calm.
Seeing his flat tone and completely unconcerned appearance, Wu Xiaoyan couldn’t help but speak up again. "Xiaoning’er was crying her eyes out earlier."
"Mm, and?"
Gu Yifan asked, his expression still placid.
Wu Xiaoyan: "..."
’Seriously?!’
’Bro, how am I supposed to respond when you talk like that?!’
She gave Gu Yifan a speechless, exasperated look.
"Um... is there anything else?"
"If not, could you move? I’m going to get some water."
Gu Yifan said flatly, holding up his water bottle.
Wu Xiaoyan: "...-_-||"
"Gu Yifan!"
Seeing that Gu Yifan was about to leave, she called out to stop him again.
"What is it?"
"Is there something else?"
Gu Yifan glanced back at her and asked with a frown.
"Gu Yifan," Wu Xiaoyan said hurriedly, "I don’t know what else happened between you and Xiaoning’er besides that incident before, but I can tell she genuinely knows she was wrong! She really doesn’t want to lose you as a friend!"
"Heh~"
"Good friend!"
Gu Yifan found her words laughable.
He gave Wu Xiaoyan a derisive look, shook his head slightly, and continued toward the water cooler.
Seeing Gu Yifan’s persistent indifference, Wu Xiaoyan grew frantic. She shouted angrily, "Gu Yifan! You’re going too far! Xiaoning’er was really, truly heartbroken!"
Her voice was so loud that everyone in the classroom turned to look.
Everyone stared, wearing the confused expressions of onlookers eager for gossip.
Gu Yifan paused. He turned to glance at Wu Xiaoyan and said flatly, "Oh. I know."
"Then you should comfort her."
Wu Xiaoyan: "..."
Hearing this, Wu Xiaoyan was truly and utterly speechless.
’He’s throwing my kindness back in my face!’
’Whatever, do what you want!’
’I’m done with this!’
"Gu Yifan, you’ve changed!"
Her face flushed red with anger. Tossing that line at him, she stormed back to her seat.
Everyone watched this scene, somewhat confused, with no idea what had just happened.
"Holy shit, what’s going on?"
"How did Gu Yifan piss off that shrew Wu Xiaoyan?"
"No idea!"
"I think it’s about the Han School Beauty?"
"Yeah, where is the Han School Beauty? Class is about to start, why isn’t she here?"
"Oh right, I think I saw the Han School Beauty leaving in tears earlier..."
"Rumor has it something happened in the cafeteria at lunch. Gu Yifan made the Han School Beauty cry!"
"The hell? No way."
"Hasn’t Gu Yifan always been into the Han School Beauty? How could this happen?"
"After she rejected his confession last time, didn’t he jump off a building to prove his love?"
"And I thought the Han School Beauty was showing signs of changing her mind. Didn’t she bring Gu Yifan breakfast last time?"
"Who knows!"
"Only the people involved know the real story!"
"Um... are you guys forgetting that Gu Yifan seems to be together with Su Qinghe from Class Five?"
"Oh yeah, holy shit!"
"Damn, a cliché love triangle?"
"Gu Yifan’s two-timing them?"
"Suddenly, I feel like there’s a lot to unpack here!"
...
Seeing that the drama was over, the crowd of onlookers gossiped in low voices but couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
Although they were whispering, Gu Yifan could still make out bits and pieces of their conversation.
A bitter smile touched his lips as he filled his water bottle.
’I’ve changed?’
’Heh!’
’Yeah!’
’I have changed!’
’But!’
’I’m just done being a damn simp!’
’What’s so wrong with that?!’