Tan Rou looked down and said, âScold me.â
Li Li expressed her confusion. âWhy should I scold you?â
Tan Rou sighed. âI stole the person you liked; you should be angry.â
Li Li suddenly laughed; she said, âOh, if I had known he liked you, I wouldnât have bothered him. Donât you know me? Usually, I donât like someone for more than a week. Although this time was quite long, he didnât like me, so I had already decided to give up.â
Tan Rou was still very conflicted, âBut⦠but you really liked himâ¦â
âAlright,â Li Li affectionately slung her arm around Tan Rouâs shoulder and said, âAlthough Wu Haoâs face did match my standards, itâs not like heâs the only guy for me. There are so many handsome guys in the world, and I wouldnât keep my focus on just one person. If you like him, I could help you chase him.â
âNo, no, no!â Tan Rou vigorously shook her head, âI donât like him at all, please donât help me pursue him, and besides, I clearly rejected him, but it seems like he hasnât given up yet.â
âOh, you rejected him?â Li Li asked, âWhen did that happen?â
Tan Rou recalled the timing, saying, âIt was last time he got hurt; we went to see him at the hospital, and then I bought him a fruit basket. After he returned to school, he found me and wanted to treat me to dinner, but I didnât agree. He then bought me things and said he liked me, but I rejected him. Yet, he still keeps sending me gifts.â
Li Li disliked this approach. âAlthough my usual method is not to give up until I achieve my goal, I wouldnât keep sending gifts to someone. Isnât that just plain dumb?â
Tan Rou said, âLi Li, actually I think his character isnât as good as you imagined. I didnât dare tell you when you still liked him. Now that you know, let me tell you what happened to me.â
Li Li pointed to the nearby chairs, âLetâs sit down and talk about it.â
Four chairs, just enough for one each, Liang Lu and Tan Rou sat together; Li Li and Lan Ning sat together.
Tan Rou said, âHe told me when he was giving me gifts that if I didnât accept his gifts, he would tell you about his feelings for me to make you angry, asking you not to hang out with me anymore.â
Li Liâs mouth fell open in surprise as she asked, âDid he really say that?â
Tan Rou raised her right hand and swore, âI swear I havenât told a single lie. If I did, may lightning strike me dead.â
âNo need to swear, I definitely believe you,â Li Li stopped her, âI just didnât expect him to be this kind of person. Looks really can be deceiving, huh? Just like that younger student we know who smokes, he looks so respectable, but turns out he has so many bad habits.â
Tan Rou nodded continuously, âLi Li, please donât be tricked by him. Although heâs good-looking, he can be threatening. What would you do if he threatened you in the future, telling you not to hang out with us anymore?â
Li Li laughed, saying, âSilly Tan Rou, I would definitely stand by your side. If anyone prevents me from hanging out with you guys, then I absolutely must flatten him.â After saying that, she raised her right fist, making a punching gesture, âJust like this, Iâd flatten his face with a punch!â
Tan Rou finally breathed a sigh of relief, âI was afraid this matter would make you angry with me.â
Li Li said, âThatâs impossible. No one can break our relationship, not even future boyfriends; they canât keep me from hanging out with you all. If you donât believe me, just ask Tan Rou and the others if theyâve ignored us because they got partners?â
Liang Lu straightaway answered, âIf Lu Qing dares to stop me from hanging out with you guys, Iâll go home tonight and give him a thrashing.â If a real fight happened, Lu Qing probably wouldnât be able to beat Liang Lu, because sheâs really skilled from actual combat training.
Tan Rou thought for a moment, then answered, âI would also stand by your side. If Zhuang Liu stopped me from being friends with you, Iâd seriously reconsider marrying him.â
Unbeknownst to them, Presidents Zhuang and Lu felt a chill down their backs; they almost got dumped by their own wives.