Chapter 573: Chapter 568: Bai Xiaotang Side Story (Part 2)
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Bai Xiaotang was slightly stunned.
During her time in Beizhou, Fu Yuanxuan’s words to her brother resurfaced in her mind.
Perhaps he did at that time.
But having not been in touch for so long, there shouldn’t be much affection left.
"Don’t talk nonsense, he’s just a brother from a family friend, just like my brother."
Seeing Bai Xiaotang say this, Hu Lingling’s gossiping interest immediately cooled off, "Alright, I thought I could dig up some gossip about you, but it’s just this..."
Bai Xiaotang chuckled, suppressing a certain unfamiliar feeling rising in her chest.
"But Tangtang, is there no boy who makes your heart flutter? We’re adults now; we can have a romance." Hu Lingling said longingly, and Bai Xiaotang helplessly flicked her finger at her.
"You still like Xiao Yang?"
Hu Lingling’s face instantly looked unnatural, and she said shyly, "Ah, don’t say it out loud. I’m just thinking about it, and won’t have a relationship with him."
"Why?" Bai Xiaotang was a bit surprised.
Hu Lingling raised both hands, placed them on Bai Xiaotang’s shoulders, and sighed quietly: "Young lady, if you like the moon, would you pursue a relationship with the moon?"
"I don’t understand."
"Lin Yuanyang is like the moon on the horizon to me—admirable, likable, but unattainable. The distance between us is too far, I can’t reach him no matter how much I try."
Hu Lingling seriously looked at Bai Xiaotang, "Tangtang, you’re the same as Lin Yuanyang. If you both hadn’t come to Anhe Middle School, we would never have crossed paths in this lifetime. But I’m very glad to have become classmates and friends with you. I hope our friendship lasts."
"Of course, it will last."
Bai Xiaotang seemed to suddenly understand Hu Lingling’s meaning.
She looked again at the line on the screen.
Admire the moon, like the moon, but cannot reach it.
Unless the moon falls itself.
But in this world, there’s no ’unless’...
***
The moon was bright in the sky, its light illuminating people.
The shadow cast by the moonlight was elongated.
Fu Yuanxuan leaned against the car, looking at the simple line on the screen: [Thank you, Brother Fu]
He laughed silently.
Polite and courteous indeed.
A year without contact, simply to not distract her from her studies, but it didn’t mean she should treat him as a stranger.
He lightly tapped with his thumb, typing a line.
[What time will it end?]
But after waiting a long time, no further messages came from the other side.
Fu Yuanxuan chuckled helplessly a couple of times.
About to get in the car, he saw Bai Xiaotang and a not-so-strange boy walking out of the gates.
The two walked and chatted, the boy seemed to be telling jokes, making Bai Xiaotang laugh until her eyes formed crescents.
The pleasant laughter carried to his ears even from afar.
Fu Yuanxuan instantly turned off the ignition, picked up the sunflowers from the passenger seat, and quickly opened the car door.
"Wu Muzhe, this time your dad really chased you around the neighborhood with a mop?"
"Yeah, he wants me to go to university in Beijing, but I don’t want to."
Bai Xiaotang paused slightly, surprised, "Why? With your grades, you can definitely go to Jing University."
Wu Muzhe stopped walking, turned to seriously look at Bai Xiaotang, "I want to go to the First Military Academy."
There was a fierce flame in his eyes, making others quickly look away.
Bai Xiaotang didn’t know why she averted her gaze.
"Bai Xiaotang, I lik..."
The words hadn’t finished when a mature male voice abruptly interrupted.
"Tangtang? Are you guys done?"
Bai Xiaotang suddenly turned back to see Fu Yuanxuan, under the bright moonlight, approaching quickly with a large bouquet of sunflowers in one arm.
His hard features seemed much gentler under the moonlight.
He stopped two steps away from her, handing over the sunflowers he held.
"Tangtang, congratulations on finishing your exams."
Bai Xiaotang was full of shock, seemingly not expecting him to appear here.
She looked up, asking blankly: "Brother Fu, why are you here?"
Fu Yuanxuan’s lips curved upwards, he reached out to smooth her wind-tousled hair, smiling with great warmth, "I came to celebrate your graduation."
"But aren’t you in Beizhou?"
"I applied for leave; it’s perfect timing to accompany you to the academy."
Bai Xiaotang was slightly perplexed, this didn’t sound like something Fu Yuanxuan would say.
Nearby, Wu Muzhe’s mental alarm bells rang loudly, cautiously sizing up the suddenly appearing man.
This man likes Bai Xiaotang.
And regards her as his own possession.
Not allowing others to covet her.
"Classmate Xiao Tang, who is he..."
Only then did Bai Xiaotang remember her classmate next to her, she quickly introduced the two: "This is my classmate, Wu Muzhe. This is my... Brother Fu."
Bai Xiaotang suddenly didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Fu Yuanxuan, previously there was the title of fiancé, but now...
To call him a friend didn’t quite fit.
To say he’s a partner would require delving into family backgrounds.
In the end, she could only use the term Brother Fu.
Wu Muzhe’s gaze glinted, he raised a smile, extending his right hand: "Hello, Brother Fu."
Only then did Fu Yuanxuan turn his gaze to him, his expression much more restrained, extending his right hand: "Hello, Little Wu."
The handshake between the two men was filled with power and competition.
Originally thinking his S-level physique made him a favored son of heaven, Wu Muzhe did not expect the man before him to have more strength, nearly crushing his hand bones.
Just as he was about to struggle, Fu Yuanxuan suddenly released his hand, retreated politely half a step, approaching Bai Xiaotang, blocking Wu Muzhe from her view.
"Tangtang, are you done?"
"Not yet."
"Then where are you heading?"
"We’re going across the street to buy bubble tea."
"How many people?"
"30...34...no, I think it’s 36 people..."
Fu Yuanxuan didn’t care how many people she mentioned, immediately responded: "I’ll help you buy them. I see just the two of you can’t carry them all."
"We can..."
"Tangtang, I saw Sister Ning a few days ago."
Bai Xiaotang’s eyes instantly lit up, she immediately asked: "Sister Ning, did she say when she’s coming back?"
"She’s busy with an energy response experiment lately..."
Wu Muzhe glanced at the successfully diverted Bai Xiaotang, his expression darkening as he glared at Fu Yuanxuan.
He definitely did it on purpose!!!
***
Bai Xiaotang didn’t know how it happened, but she ended up bringing Fu Yuanxuan into the room, watching as he clicked with her classmates.
This was something she had never dared to imagine before.
It completely refreshed her understanding.
In her impression, Fu Yuanxuan had always been a qualified heir, calm, disciplined, mature, and polite, never doing anything out of line.
Certainly never playing board games, video games, or drinking until his face turned red.
So is the man in front of her an impostor?
"Come on, let’s play Truth or Dare! Brother Fu, you start by spinning the bottle..."
Hu Lingling, who loved lively environments, held a microphone in her left hand and raised an empty bottle with her right, shouting.
Encircled in the center, Fu Yuanxuan took the bottle, spinning it on the table before him.
The bottle spun quickly, then gradually slowed down until it stopped.
Its neck pointing to Bai Xiaotang.
"Ah... it’s Tangtang... Truth or Dare?"
Bai Xiaotang glanced at Fu Yuanxuan, somehow feeling he did it deliberately.
"I’ll choose truth."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Fu Yuanxuan on the other side responded.
"Do you have someone you like right now?"
