Wen Tingxue remembered Xie JinYi's words from last time.
Thinking Shang Ziqian was threatening her again, she immediately stood in front of her, "Yi Yi doesn't need your gift."
Shang Ziqian: "..."
Wen Tingxue stared at him with determined eyes, adding, "If you have a problem, come at me. There's no need to make things difficult for her."
"Make things difficult?" Shang Ziqian scanned the pale-faced birthday girl with a sarcastic laugh. "Between us, who is making things difficult for whom?"
All along, wasn't it him who was being made to suffer?
"..."
Xie JinYi's fingertips trembled as she pursed her lips. "If you have something to say, we can talk after dinner."
She raised her eyes, and in her usually serene gaze, there was a rare trace of pleading.
Shang Ziqian took a deep breath. He had known her for six years.
Yet he had never seen her so humbled and submissive.
It was truly... rare.
"Since it's a grand gift, it should naturally be the finale," Shang Ziqian turned and walked towards the round table. "Where do I sit?"
Xie JinYi personally went to pull out a chair for him.
Shang Ziqian was slightly stunned.
He hadn't expected her to go this far.
Yu Wenli and the others arrived late and were surprised to see Shang Ziqian upon entering.
But to their surprise, the two sides were extremely harmonious, with no arguments or bickering.
Wen Tingxue blinked curiously. This wasn't right.
"Have you... made up?"
She couldn't help but ask. Yu Wenli rubbed her head and gave a knowing smile. "Temporarily."
Wen Tingxue: "?"
"After all..." Chi Zerui glanced at Shang Ziqian across the table. "We are all looking forward to his grand gift."
Wen Tingxue: "??"
She didn't understand, and in fact, she never wanted to understand.
But the truth always had a day of revelation.
Shang Ziqian finished his last bite of cake and stood up, saying, "Happy birthday, Xiao Yi."
His tone was familiar.
As if they had known each other for a long time.
Wen Tingxue bit her spoon and looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The lively private room instantly fell silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
The only sound was the piece of cake that Lin Ling had deliberately dropped.
It was topped with a few bright red, enticing strawberries.
Unfortunately, it landed on the floor.
Xie JinYi calmly withdrew her hand, under everyone's doubtful or shocked gazes.
She didn't care if this piece of cake was given away, as long as Wen Tingxue's piece was delivered, that was enough.
Xie JinYi took a tissue and slowly wiped the cream from her fingertips.
Lin Ling was truly shocked by her shamelessness and couldn't help but sneer:
"You are truly invincible. Pretending to be a stranger for so long, don't you get tired? To think we all believed you!
"That day you ate together, it wasn't a threat at all, was it!"
Xie JinYi didn't react for a long time, and Lin Ling couldn't help but turn to ask Shang Ziqian.
"What is your relationship? How long have you known each other?"
This question, in fact, voiced everyone's doubts.
Xie JinYi continued to look down, not speaking.
The tissue in her palm was crumpled into a mess.
Shang Ziqian glanced at her, who was almost avoiding him, and said with a cold laugh, "It's nothing special."
Lin Ling: "?"
Everyone: "??"
"It's just that I've been pursuing her for six years."
Shang Ziqian dropped a bombshell, stunning everyone.
"Six years?" Xu Kexin quickly did the math and then looked at Xie JinYi with a cold gaze.
"Don't you have anything to explain? About what happened at the snack street."
"What explanation do you want to hear?"
Xie JinYi threw the crumpled tissue into the trash can.
She looked up, her expression calmly smiling.
"I think he's already made it very clear. Do you need me to be even clearer?"
She tilted her head slightly, and as the atmosphere became almost frozen, she said with a smile:
"It wasn't just the snack street. From the moment Wen Tingxue entered our high school, I've been plotting against her.
"It's true that Yu Yahe liked Yu Wenli, but she wasn't brave enough to be involved in bullying.
"It was I who forced her with the Yu family's interests. She cared so much about her parents that she naturally obeyed.
"From the bracelet, to the video, to the running fall, it was all my doing.
"She just followed my instructions. It's a pity..."
Xie JinYi pouted slightly, looking both娇 (charming/spoiled) and 蛮 (willful/difficult).
"She was really incompetent. After being warned by Yu Wenli, she didn't dare to continue targeting you.
"So, I had to remove her from the picture. That scene in the alley outside the school could both clear her name.
"And it would completely win over Wen Tingxue. Two birds with one stone. The result..."
Xie JinYi paused for two seconds, her eyes flickering with emotions before quickly returning to calm.
"I was the one who called Yu Yahe's parents. I knew she had a soft heart.
"As long as Mother Yu knelt and begged, she would definitely compromise.
"Oh, and besides that, there was Wen Bin and the art festival. They were all my doing.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?
"I'm in a good mood today, so I can answer your questions."
Xie JinYi said casually, as if she were talking about trivial matters.
But Shang Ziqian knew that she wasn't as carefree as she appeared.
Otherwise, why wouldn't she dare to look at Wen Tingxue's eyes?
Xu Kexin could guess that these things were related to her.
But she never expected that on the day the truth was revealed, she could be so calm.
As if the past six months had been nothing but a dream.
"Don't you feel any guilt? Xuexue was so sincere towards you.
"No matter what you said or did, she never doubted you.
"Even though she was so timid, she still went on stage with you.
"Xie JinYi, do you even have a heart?
"How could you say these things so..."
Xu Kexin couldn't find the right words to describe her.
It seemed any word used for her would be inappropriate.
It would be a desecration.
"Guilt? Why should I feel guilty?"
Xie JinYi dug her nails into her palm until it bled, but her face wore a strangely wild smile.
"From beginning to end, I never gave half a sincere heart. How can there be guilt?"
"You!" Xu Kexin and Lin Ling were both so angry they were speechless.
Wen Tingxue was even more thunderstruck. From the moment Shang Ziqian started speaking, she had been biting her spoon.
Even now, she had forgotten to blink.
Her pair of moist apricot eyes were forced to turn red by the wind.
Yu Wenli and Chi Zerui frowned in distress. Just as they were about to say something to comfort her, she suddenly removed the warm spoon from her mouth.
Her tongue tasted bitter as she asked, "Since that's the case, why don't you dare to look at me? What are you hiding from?"
Xie JinYi's eyes trembled violently.
Yes.
She dared not.
She could face everyone's disappointment and accusations, but she dared not look at her expression.
She was like a fool covering her ears, thinking that as long as she didn't look, their relationship could remain as it was.
Even though she knew this relationship was beyond repair, she still wanted to drag it out.
Just a little longer.
"Don't flatter yourself," Xie JinYi turned to look at her, her harsh words sharper than anyone else's.
Yet her heart ached more than anyone else's.
"I don't look at you because I don't want to. Wen Tingxue, you don't know this.
"I've always wanted to be Mrs. Yu Wenli. I knew him before you did, and I've put in more effort than you.
"Why should you be the one standing next to him, and not me?"