Chapter 2: Chapter 2: I Am Not in Love

“Ren Ran, will you be my girlfriend?”

A buzzing rang in her ears, as if countless flies and mosquitoes were flying around.

Suddenly, a weight pressed down on her shoulder, with such great force that it jolted the dazed person back to her senses.

Ren Ran opened her eyes, the piercing sunlight causing a spell of dizziness.

“Ran Ran, are you so happy you’ve lost your mind?”

She squinted, looking at the youthful and pretty face before her, still with a hint of childishness.

“Xu Li?”

Xu Li smiled and said, “You can’t really be so excited you’ve lost your mind. Hurry up and say yes, Pei Ming is still waiting for you.”

Ren Ran looked towards the dormitory entrance, where a heart-shaped bouquet of roses was placed, with a handsome youth standing in the middle, holding flowers and gazing at her with smiling peach blossom eyes, full of self-assured confidence in his bearing.

Glancing around, she saw faces that were unfamiliar yet familiar, the greenness faded from them, and she could vaguely make out that they were her high school classmates.

Memories that had once been blurred slowly became clear.

This sensational confession ended abruptly when the teacher advisor stormed in.

Pei Ming and her as the female protagonist of this incident were both brought to the office by the teacher advisor for a lecture, and were subjected to school-wide criticism at the next day’s morning exercises.

The two of them read their statements of repentance before the entire school’s teachers and students, serving as a warning to others.

She never could have imagined that Pei Ming would shamelessly claim in his statement of repentance in front of the entire school that she was the one who seduced him, that she had threatened suicide and forced his hand, and that he had only done this for the sake of her life and safety. He profoundly repented his own improper conduct that had created a bad influence.

It was from this incident that she became a laughing stock of the entire school, a bad example in parents’ eyes.

Unable to bear the gossip and rumors, her grades plummeted as she developed depression.

It was her mother’s attentive care that gradually pulled her back from the abyss bit by bit.

But when she finally recovered, her mother passed away.

Having returned to this day, she would never let this incident happen again.

Pei Ming, the debt from our past life will have to be repaid.

Ren Ran saw the teacher advisor wearing a fake wig approaching, and she yelled loudly, “Pei Ming, have you looked in a mirror?”

Pei Ming’s expression froze.

The onlooking classmates were also confused, but the quicker ones understood and stifled their laughter.

“Be my girlfriend? You think you’re worthy?”

“If you're not handsome, don't think so highly of yourself.”

Pei Ming was stunned speechless, seemingly not having expected her to say this.

Xu Li went to pull on her sleeve, “Ran Ran, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t you say you like Pei Ming?”

“That was you who liked him, wasn’t it! Not daring to confess yourself, but using my name to admire men. I didn't call you out before because we were friends. But you really shouldn't have come here to disturb my studies.”

Pei Ming wanted to refute her, but Ren Ran's mouth ran off rapidly, not giving him any chance.

“My parents sent me to school to study, not to fall in love. You only have frivolous thoughts in your mind, while my mind is filled with math, physics and chemistry.”

“Whoever tries to make me fall in love, they're my enemy.”

Standing outside the crowd, the teacher advisor was shocked by her words, greatly impressed as he looked at Ren Ran with admiration in his eyes.

Feeling the strange gazes projected at him, Pei Ming's face flushed red, though it was unclear whether it was from her scolding or from embarrassment.

“What are you all gathered here for!” The teacher advisor yelled, and the students quickly gave way.

He glared at Pei Ming, “Pei Ming, you again! Come with me to the office. The rest of you should disperse. What image do you present clustering here like this.”

After the two left, the rest followed and dispersed as well.

Xu Li grabbed Ren Ran’s hand, “Ran Ran, what’s going on with you?”

“Aren't you happy that I'm fulfilling your wish? You're not happy about it?” she said sarcastically.

Shaking off her hand, she didn’t have time to act out a deep sisterly bond with her here.

When she was mired in gossip and rumors, Xu Li as her friend not only did not help her, but instead confirmed the accusations against her behind her back, thoroughly nailing her to the pillar of shame.

She wanted no part of such a good friend!

Shaking off the annoying Xu Li behind her, she hurried home.

Pushing open the villa door and seeing her lively mother in the living room, longing and grievances surged forth in this moment, and she rushed forward to hug her tightly.

Ren Suya looked at her little firecracker of a daughter in her arms, patting her on the back, “Ran Ran, what’s wrong?”

Ren Ran didn’t speak, only hugging her mother tightly, with tears silently falling as faint sobs gradually turned into wailing cries.

This abnormal behavior frightened Ren’s mother badly.

“Did someone bully you? Tell mom, and mom will get justice for you.”

“No one bullied me, I just, just missed you. Mom I missed you so, so much.” Her voice was choked with sobs.

Ren Suya stretched out a hand to wipe away the tears on her face, gentle and doting, “You silly child. We just saw each other a while ago, could you have missed me that much? Tell me, did something happen, or are you short on spending money again?”

“I had a terrible nightmare where you left me, and I could never find you again.”

Ren Suya didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “You girl, even nightmares can scare you like this, is your courage made of a rabbit’s?”

After calming down, Ren Ran clung to her mother’s side.

Regaining what was lost felt so good!

Just then, the villa door opened and her father Kong Liji came in holding a bouquet of flowers.

Ren Ran looked up at her much younger-looking father, not showing an ounce of joy, only hatred.

The adoration from before had disappeared when he brought his mistress and illegitimate daughter to their door, driving her mother to death.

She had thought her father loved her mother, loved her.

But she watched with her own eyes as her once kindly father protected his mistress, protected his illegitimate daughter. No matter what they did, her father unconditionally believed them, venting all his anger at her and her mother, hurling abusive words at them.

Her mother could not accept her father’s betrayal, could not accept that his past affection was all lies. On a stormy night, she committed suicide by taking sleeping pills, abandoning her.

Kong Liji looked at mother and daughter, and handed the bouquet of flowers to Ren Suya, also giving Ren Ran a box of pastries.

“Ran Ran, dad brought your favorite durian puff pastries.”

In the past, she would have happily hugged her father and acted spoiled, but now she didn’t have the energy for it.

Kong Liji looked at his daughter strangely, noticing her red eyes as if she had been crying. He asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Who bullied my precious daughter?”

“This girl had a nightmare.”

Kong Liji laughed, “You girl, dad thought something had happened to you.”

Looking at the father before her eyes, she only felt disgust.

How could he pretend to be a caring husband and kindly father before their eyes like this?

Did he not feel disgusted with himself?

She wanted to expose his true colors, to save her mother from repeating the same fate.

Seeing his hypocritical thoughtfulness and hypocritical love, Ren Ran’s hands tightened into fists.