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The day for the first repayment arrived.

Xiao Ran, Liu Yuan, and Chen Qiming got together and sorted out the money they had scraped together over the past few days, putting it into a brown paper bag.

Liu Yuan got seven thousand yuan from his family.

When his father found out about this, he was so angry that he almost hit him.

But in the end, he sighed, withdrew money from his savings account, and said, "This is the last time. If you cause trouble again, I'll pretend I don't have a son like you."

Chen Qiming scraped together three thousand.

He didn't dare tell his family that he had taken out all the New Year's money and pocket money he had saved over the years, and had also secretly sold one of his father's old watches.

Xiao Ran was the worst off, receiving only one thousand.

This thousand yuan was earned by him working day and night for more than half a month. During the day, he carried bricks on the construction site, at night he helped people watch stalls at the night market, and in the early morning he went to the wholesale market to unload goods.

My hands were covered in blisters, my shoulders were swollen, and I looked much thinner.

"That's eleven thousand in total." Liu Yuan counted the money and put it in his bag. "That's enough for the first installment."

Chen Qiming looked at the bag of money, his heart aching: "That's eleven thousand! My dad's watch was passed down from my grandfather, and I only sold it for eight hundred..."

"Alright, stop complaining." Xiao Ran's voice was hoarse. "Money can be earned back, but once you're in jail, everything is over."

The three of them arrived at Suning's dormitory building and called him down.

When Suning came downstairs, she was wearing a simple white shirt and casual pants, looking fresh and clean.

Seeing the brown paper bags in the three people's hands, he raised an eyebrow. "You've already raised the money so quickly?"

"First installment, eleven thousand." Liu Yuan handed over the bag. "Count it."

Suning took the bag, opened it, glanced at it, and without counting the contents, said, "Okay, I trust you."

Then he looked at Xiao Ran and found that the other person had sunken eyes, a haggard face, and bandages wrapped around his hands, clearly indicating that he had been exhausted recently.

“Xiao Ran,” Su Ning began, “I actually have a suggestion I’d like to discuss with you.”

Xiao Ran looked up, his eyes wary. "What suggestion?"

“You don’t need to pay back the rest of the money,” Su Ning said calmly. “As long as you agree to one condition.”

The three of them were stunned at the same time.

Liu Yuan was the first to react, "What conditions?"

Su Ning looked at Xiao Ran and said, word by word, "As long as you are willing to bow your head and admit your mistake to me, and promise that you will never have any improper thoughts about Han Ling again, I will not take a single penny of the remaining compensation."

The air froze instantly.

Xiao Ran's face went from deathly pale to bright red, and then from bright red to ashen.

He stared intently at Su Ning, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Su Ning," Xiao Ran's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "what the hell do you mean?"

“The literal meaning.” Su Ning remained calm. “Actually, money isn’t important to me. But there are some things I need to make clear.”

"Explain yourself?" Xiao Ran took a step forward, his eyes red. "You just want to humiliate me! You want me to bow down to you, to admit I'm inferior to you, to give up on Han Ling! Isn't that right?"

Liu Yuan quickly grabbed Xiao Ran, "Old Xiao, calm down!"

Chen Qiming also stepped forward to persuade, "Xiao Ran, don't be impulsive!"

Seeing Xiao Ran's agitated state, Su Ning shook her head. "Xiao Ran, you think I'm humiliating you? When you scratched my car, did you ever think about humiliating me? You scratched my car in front of so many people, making me lose face in front of the whole school. Isn't that humiliating?"

"That's because you pursued Han Ling first!" Xiao Ran roared. "You knew Han Ling was my girlfriend, yet you confessed your feelings to her in public, sent her flowers, and asked her to the movies! You did it on purpose!"

"Han Ling is your girlfriend?" Su Ning laughed, her smile laced with sarcasm. "Xiao Ran, have you ever gone public with your relationship? Has Han Ling ever admitted it? Do her parents know? Do her teachers know? If you really are boyfriend and girlfriend, why don't you dare to go public? Because you know you're not good enough for her, you can't give her a future, so you can only do it secretly?"

"You!" Xiao Ran was so angry that he trembled all over. He wanted to rush forward, but Liu Yuan and Chen Qiming held him back tightly.

“Xiao Ran, did I say something wrong?” Su Ning continued, “If you really love Han Ling, you should think about her. What kind of good life can she have with you now? Where will she live after graduation? What will she eat? What will she wear? You can’t even support yourself, how can you support her?”

"That's our business! It's none of your concern!" Xiao Ran roared.

“But now I’m in charge.” Su Ning’s tone turned cold. “Because Han Ling has a better choice now. I can give her a stable life, a platform for development, and a visible future. What can you give her? You can’t give her anything except empty promises.”

Xiao Ran struggled to rush over, but Liu Yuan and Chen Qiming used all their strength to hold him back.

"Su Ning, shut up!" Liu Yuan shouted. "We'll return the money to you, and you don't need to worry about anything else!"

Su Ning ignored Liu Yuan and continued looking at Xiao Ran. "Xiao Ran, I'm making this clear today. I'm determined to pursue Han Ling, and I will definitely win her over. You have two choices: First, accept my conditions, admit your mistake, and promise not to bother Han Ling anymore. You don't need to pay back the rest of the money. Second, continue to oppose me, and then you will have to pay back every penny. The choice is yours."

"I choose your mother!" Xiao Ran completely lost control, suddenly breaking free from Liu Yuan and Chen Qiming, and threw a punch at Su Ning's face.

Su Ning was prepared; she dodged to the side and grabbed Xiao Ran's wrist with her other hand.

"Xiao Ran, if you lay a hand on me, you're really finished," Su Ning warned coldly. "Hitting someone is much more serious than scratching a car. If you go back in, it won't just be a matter of paying money."

Liu Yuan and Chen Qiming rushed over, one hugging Xiao Ran's waist and the other grabbing his arm.

"Xiao Ran! Are you crazy!" Liu Yuan roared. "Do you really want to be expelled?"

Chen Qiming also advised, "Old Xiao, calm down! We've already been disciplined; we can't afford to cause any more trouble!"

Xiao Ran was held tightly by the two men, his eyes glaring at Su Ning as if he were about to spit fire.

“Su Ning,” Xiao Ran gasped, his voice hoarse, “remember this, I’ve got my hands on this debt. I’ll pay you back every penny, and I won’t give up on Han Ling either. We’ll see.”

Su Ning released his grip and straightened his collar. "Fine, I'll wait for you. But Xiao Ran, I advise you to think this through. In your current state, what makes you think you can compete with me? With your pathetic little bit of pride?"

"Get out!" Xiao Ran roared.

Suning wasn't angry; he took the money bag, turned around, and left.

After taking a few steps, she turned back and said, "By the way! Han Ling is meeting me tomorrow. She said she wants to give me an answer. Do you want to know what she will choose?"

Xiao Ran froze.

"Tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon, at the coffee shop near the school gate." Su Ning smiled. "But I think you'd better not go. Seeing the result might make you feel even worse."

After saying that, Su Ning left without looking back.

Xiao Ran stood still, like a statue.

Liu Yuan and Chen Qiming let go of his hand and stood beside him, unsure of what to say.

After a long silence, Xiao Ran finally spoke, "Liu Yuan, Chen Qiming, I will pay back the rest of the money. I will also pay back your share."

"Old Xiao, don't say that..." Liu Yuan tried to persuade him.

"Stop talking." Xiao Ran interrupted him. "This is my own business. From today onwards, Su Ning and I are sworn enemies."

Then he turned and walked towards the dormitory building, his back view stubborn and lonely.

Liu Yuan and Chen Qiming exchanged a glance and both sighed.

"This is troublesome," Chen Qiming said in a low voice. "With Xiao Ran's temper, he definitely won't let this go."

“What can we do?” Liu Yuan shook his head. “We can only take it one step at a time now. But to be honest… I think Su Ning is right. Han Ling is definitely not having a good time with Xiao Ran.”

"You think so too?" Chen Qiming asked in surprise.

Liu Yuan smiled wryly, "I do like Han Ling, but I know my own limitations. My family's financial situation is alright, but it's far worse than Su Ning's. If Han Ling were with Su Ning, at least she would be financially secure. With Xiao Ran... sigh."

The two walked silently back to their dormitory, both knowing that this struggle had only just begun.

The coffee shop at 3 pm tomorrow will be another turning point.

……

That evening, Xiao Ran went to a small bar outside the school alone. He ordered a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and drank alone, feeling melancholy.

The tavern owner recognized Xiao Ran and, seeing that he looked unwell, kindly advised, "Young man, drink less; you have class tomorrow."

Xiao Ran didn't say anything, he just poured wine into his glass.

One cup, two cups, three cups...

The alcohol burned my throat and my heart.

I recalled the first time I met Han Ling.

It was the start of my freshman year, at the dance department's welcome party. Han Ling was dancing "Swan Lake" on stage, her white dress flowing, looking like a fairy.

Xiao Ran sat in the audience, stunned.

Later, Xiao Ran mustered up the courage to get to know her, invited her to the movies, tutored her, and saved up money to buy her a birthday present...

Those little things, when I think back on them now, feel like they happened in a past life.

The day Han Ling agreed to be Xiao Ran's girlfriend was under the sycamore tree at school.

"Xiao Ran, I don't care if you have money or not, I only care if you treat me well."

Xiao Ran was so moved that he almost cried, and vowed to make something of himself so that Han Ling could live a good life.

But now?

Not only did they fail to provide Han Ling with a good life, they also caused her distress and pain.

"Boss, another bottle, please," Xiao Ran called out.

The shopkeeper sighed and brought over another bottle of wine. "Young man, heartbroken?"

Xiao Ran smiled wryly, "We haven't lost it yet, but it'll be soon."

"Then go for it!" the boss said. "A grown man like you, just go for it, what's there to be afraid of?"

"I can't compete," Xiao Ran shook his head. "They drive Mercedes, I ride a bicycle. One meal for them costs as much as my monthly living expenses. How can I compete?"

The boss was silent for a moment, then patted him on the shoulder, "Then you should work hard! Being poor now doesn't mean you'll be poor forever. You're still young, you have plenty of opportunities."

Xiao Ran didn't say anything, he just drank.

Try hard? Of course he wants to try hard.

But the reality is that some gaps cannot be bridged by hard work alone.

Just like Su Ning said, he can't even support himself, how can he support Han Ling?
After finishing the bottle of wine, Xiao Ran was already drunk.

He staggered to his feet, paid the bill, and left the tavern.

The night breeze felt cool on my face.

He took out his wallet and looked at the photo of himself and Han Ling inside.

The photo was taken by the lake at school. Han Ling smiled sweetly, and he had his arm around her shoulder, looking very happy.

"Han Ling," Xiao Ran said softly, "would you be better off if I let go?"

No one answered.

Only the night wind howled past.

Xiao Ran put the photos away, took a deep breath, and walked towards the school.

Han Ling will give Suning an answer by 3 PM tomorrow.

I also know that the answer might not be what I want to hear.

But Xiao Ran still decided to go.

Even if it's just to catch a glimpse from afar, even if it shatters his heart into pieces, he will still go.

Because this is his love, even if it is destined to fail, he must see it through to the end.

……

On her way home from school, Su Ning was still thinking about how she had just provoked Xiao Ran.

I just didn't expect that being a villain would feel so good. No wonder there are so many evil people everywhere. It seems that they are all just trying to achieve their own goals.

In fact, Suning really doesn't care what Han Ling chooses. Han Ling is indeed beautiful, but not enough to make him infatuated.

The reason he pursued Han Ling from the very beginning was simply because she was the female lead.

Pursuing her is the fastest way to get involved, since he wants to change everyone's fate.

Of course, Suning was aware of this as well.

During this period of contact, I could sense Han Ling's wavering heart; after all, women are the most pragmatic creatures.

Just then, the car turned a corner and saw a figure standing under a streetlight ahead, who seemed to be someone they knew.

Su Ning slowed down and discovered that the person was actually Sun Yumei.

What is she doing here all alone so late at night?
Sun Yumei was wearing a light-colored dress, her hair was carefully styled, and she had makeup on; she had clearly dressed up intentionally.

Standing under the streetlight, he kept glancing towards the intersection, as if waiting for someone.

Su Ning's heart skipped a beat. She pulled the car over to the side of the road, rolled down the window, and asked, "Sun Yumei?"

Sun Yumei turned her head, saw Su Ning, and immediately a look of surprise appeared on her face, "Su Ning? What a coincidence!"

What are you doing here? Waiting for a bus?

“No…” Sun Yumei took a few steps closer and stood outside the car window. “I was just… taking a walk. I didn’t expect to run into you. What a coincidence.”

That was said in a clearly unnatural way.

This road is the only way I can get home, so it's obvious they're coming for me.

Su Ning smiled and said, "Get in the car! I'll take you back to school."

“Okay!” Sun Yumei immediately agreed, walked around to the passenger side, opened the car door and got in.

A faint scent of perfume wafted through the car, emanating from Sun Yumei.

Su Ning restarted the car and slowly drove forward. "You said you were just taking a walk, but this place isn't close to the school. Did you walk here?"

Sun Yumei blushed, but quickly regained her composure. "Actually... I was waiting for you."

"Wait for me?" Su Ning looked at her with feigned confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm." Sun Yumei took two movie tickets out of her bag. "I bought tickets for tomorrow afternoon. I originally wanted to ask Han Ling to go with me, but she said she has something to do tomorrow and can't go. I was thinking... do you want to go?"

Then she handed over the movie ticket, which was for the recently popular Hong Kong film "Once a Thief".

Su Ning didn't take the ticket, but just smiled and said, "Sun Yumei, you came to see me just to watch a movie?"

“It’s not that…” Sun Yumei bit her lip, “I just feel… you’ve helped Han Ling so much lately, and you’ve so generously forgiven Xiao Ran and the others. You’re such a good person. I wanted to thank you.”

"Thank me?" Su Ning shook his head. "I helped Han Ling, not you."

“I know…” Sun Yumei’s voice was a little softer, “but I just want to thank you. Han Ling is my best friend. You helped her, which is to help me.”

"..."

...(End of chapter)