You all chase after the innocent school beauty, then I'll choose the rebellious female school b

When Jiang Yiqing asked that question, Lu Yuan's first reaction was to break free from her embrace and look at her with a look of astonishment.

Jiang Yiqing's cheeks flushed instantly, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, saying softly, "I was just... asking casually."

It took Lu Yuan a long time to recover from the shock of being caught off guard.

He couldn't be sure if Jiang Yiqing's question concealed feelings that went beyond ordinary friendship.

After a moment's thought, Lu Yuan decided to play dumb for the time being, and said with a faint smile, "You're great. You're beautiful, have a great figure, fair skin, and a gentle personality. I'm sure many people like you."

Jiang Yiqing pursed her lips tightly, not daring to look Lu Yuan in the eye, and cautiously probed, "So... how do you feel about me?"

"How does it feel?"

Lu Yuan continued to laugh it off, pretending not to understand the deeper meaning behind her words.

Jiang Yiqing's ears turned bright red, and she bit her lip: "It's just... do you... have even the slightest bit of a crush on me?"

"..."

The smile on Lu Yuan's face slowly faded, and he fell silent.

Lu Yuan knew who Jiang Yiqing cared about, but he never expected her to say such things in this situation.

Almost everyone who knew them knew that he and Ye Yixian had established a romantic relationship. Jiang Yiqing was even more aware of this, and logically and emotionally, she shouldn't have asked such an inappropriate question.

More than half a year has passed, and even Xu Lingjing has restrained her deep obsession. Lu Yuan thought he could finally calm down, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yiqing appeared, which really gave him a headache.

Lu Yuan stared at the girl in front of him, a little helpless, "Yi Qing, you are excellent and very good, but you shouldn't say these things. I'm with Yi Xian now, and I'm genuinely happy and content with being with her."

"I know." Jiang Yiqing's emotions were slightly agitated, and her eyes welled up with tears. She looked up at Lu Yuan. "Lu Yuan, you don't need to remind me repeatedly. I know you already have a girlfriend. I'm not the kind of person who would break up someone else's relationship. I just want to hear your honest opinion of me, okay?"

Jiang Yiqing is a person with principles and a bottom line.

In her past life, she always restrained her feelings for Lu Yuan and never interfered in or tried to ruin Lu Yuan's relationship with Xu Lingjing.

Thinking of this, Lu Yuan's expression darkened again, and he asked, "There was a trust crisis between Yi Xian and me before. She caught me with Xu Lingjing, and that incident was too suspicious. Tell me, what were you doing at that time?"

"..."

Jiang Yiqing remained silent.

Lu Yuan phrased his question very vaguely; if one hadn't personally experienced it, they wouldn't understand what he was referring to.

Logically speaking, if Jiang Yiqing was completely unaware of the matter, she should have been puzzled and asked which event it was.

But she didn't. This silence wasn't out of confusion or bewilderment, but rather a sign of weighing her options.

Lu Yuan tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on her, his tone seemingly gentle but actually carrying a questioning undertone: "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Jiang Yiqing bit her lower lip, her eyes suddenly becoming clear and sharp: "Yes, I admit it. I was the one who tipped off Xu Lingjing, and I kept whispering in Ye Yixian's ear, making her feel uneasy and insecure."

Even though he had expected it, Lu Yuan still found it hard to accept when he actually heard Jiang Yiqing admit it herself.

He could no longer tell whether Jiang Yiqing was a trustworthy friend or a ticking time bomb lurking beside him. This kind of person was too dangerous.

"What benefits do you get from helping her like this?" Lu Yuan asked in a deep voice.

Jiang Yiqing gently shook her head: "There's no benefit to it."

"Since there's no benefit to it, why are you doing it? Is it just out of friendship?"

"No." Jiang Yiqing shook her head, a self-deprecating smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "How could someone as selfish as Xu Lingjing truly consider me a close friend? Look at how much money she's making now, but has she ever thought about me, her friend of three years, whom she's spent every day with?"

Since joining the Love Notes startup team, Xu Lingjing has been earning tens of thousands of yuan every month, achieving financial independence at a young age.

During the winter break, she also took her family to Hainan for a vacation.

This matter was widely discussed among high school girls. Everyone knew that Xu Lingjing and Lu Yuan had made money together, and she was now even more successful than she was in high school.

However, Xu Lingjing never inquired about Jiang Yiqing's situation.

Didn't she know that Jiang Yiqing's mother was seriously ill?

She knew it all along, but she always ignored it, and now she hasn't shown any concern whatsoever.

Jiang Yiqing understood that she had no right to demand that Xu Lingjing take great care of her best friend's family, but it was too cold-hearted of her to be so stingy as to not even offer a simple greeting or a little help within her means.

In contrast, Lu Yuan took the initiative to lend a helping hand, and this sentiment far surpassed that of Xu Lingjing, his so-called best friend.

"If that's the case, why are you still helping her?"

"Because..." Jiang Yiqing paused, seemingly weighing her words carefully, before finally speaking helplessly, "Because I want to see if you've really changed your mind."

"What?"

Lu Yuan looked completely puzzled.

Jiang Yiqing slowly explained, "I watched with my own eyes as you were completely devoted to Xu Lingjing for three whole years. I still remember that the evening before you gave the breakfast to Gao Zhe, you even came to ask me what Xu Lingjing was lacking and what she wanted. But just one day later, you were a completely different person. Not only did you give the breakfast you originally brought for her to Gao Zhe, but you also completely ignored her."

"To be honest, I was completely baffled. Later I found out that Ye Yixian appeared, and then you changed your mind and fell in love with Ye Yixian."

Lu Yuan did not agree with the term "change of heart" in his heart, as it carried too much negative connotation.

If he and Xu Lingjing became lovers, and then he fell in love with someone else, then that would be considered a change of heart.

However, he never established a relationship with Xu Lingjing, which should be considered as cutting his losses in time, or realizing his mistake.

Jiang Yiqing continued, "It's undeniable that Ye Yixian is indeed very good now. She has outstanding looks, a remarkable temperament, and a likable personality. But in my eyes, she can't compare to Xu Lingjing. At least for a long time, the two were incomparable, like heaven and earth. Yet, you fell in love with Ye Yixian, who I consider ordinary, even somewhat unconventional."

"I often wonder if Xu Lingjing's long-standing indifference made you disheartened, and then Ye Yixian did something to move you, which is why you chose to turn to her."

"So I want to try and see if you've truly let go of Xu Lingjing in your heart."

"If you can let go of Xu Lingjing and like the ordinary Ye Yixian, then I might be able to win your heart."

As she said this, she slowly unbuttoned two buttons on her chest, revealing a patch of snow-white skin. "Lu Yuan, I'm not bad either."