HLnovel Chapter 70 Dual Duties
Chapter 70 Dual Duties
Meanwhile, in the school cafeteria, Xu Lingjing and Jiang Yiqing were eating at a table.
The cafeteria was noisy, with steam rising from the food. Suddenly, a group of girls walked past their table. One of them, a chatterbox, deliberately raised her voice, her tone full of mockery:
"Hey, I just saw Lu Yuan's mom bring lunch to school. Lu Yuan didn't even invite our school beauty Xu to eat; instead, he brought Ye Yixian along. I heard Lu Yuan's mom is absolutely smitten with Ye Yixian!"
These words instantly created a tense and anxious atmosphere in that area of the cafeteria.
Many students eating nearby looked up, and all their gazes eventually fell on Xu Lingjing, filled with curiosity, curiosity, and a touch of wistfulness.
Throughout the entire school, everyone knows that Lu Yuan was once wholeheartedly pursuing Xu Lingjing, and whenever there was something good, she was always the first person he thought of.
Previously, Lu Yuan's breakfasts brought to school every day were all made by his mother. Now, when Lu Yuan's mother specially came to the school to deliver meals, Xu Lingjing was not included at all. This disparity inevitably caused a lot of discussion.
Logically speaking, the Lu family had no obligation to share their meals with Xu Lingjing.
What's intriguing is that Ye Yixian, who has always been unremarkable and has a poor reputation, was invited by Lu Yuan. Even Wang Qingyu, who is close to Ye Yixian, benefited from the invitation.
Xu Lingjing, who was once pampered by Lu Yuan and enjoyed his favoritism and vanity, can now only sit in the cafeteria eating bland food. The contrast is truly glaring.
Xu Lingjing's face instantly darkened. She abruptly put down her chopsticks, turned her head and stared intently at the girls who had walked away, her eyes surging with barely suppressed resentment and embarrassment.
But after the girls finished speaking, they left quickly, feeling guilty, and didn't dare to look her in the eye. Even if she was furious, she couldn't vent her anger. She couldn't possibly stop everyone who was talking to argue and confront them.
For a moment, Xu Lingjing was both angry and annoyed, yet utterly helpless, a feeling of pent-up frustration lingering in her chest.
Seeing this, Jiang Yiqing put down her chopsticks and gently comforted her, "Lingjing, don't take those people to heart. It's just a meal, nothing serious. Don't take it to heart."
Xu Lingjing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. She didn't have much of an appetite to begin with, and now she couldn't eat anything at all.
The food in the cafeteria was always rough and bland. In the past, when she complained that it was unpalatable, Lu Yuan would always find ways to bring her snacks and buy her delicious food, taking meticulous care of her.
At this moment, endless regret surged into her heart, and she couldn't help but repeatedly question herself in her mind why she couldn't have been nicer to Lu Yuan back then.
If she had given him even the slightest response, allowing him to see a glimmer of hope, he wouldn't have turned away so resolutely, never to look back.
Amidst her turbulent emotions, she turned to look at Jiang Yiqing, her voice hoarse and bewildered: "Yiqing, tell me the truth, was I particularly mean to Lu Yuan before?"
Jiang Yiqing bit her chopsticks and looked at Xu Lingjing with a surprised expression. She never expected that Xu Lingjing would ask this question on her own initiative.
The answer is so obvious, why does she have to make a fool of herself like this?
Or even bring shame upon themselves?
If it were any other girl, she would have happily agreed to be with him long ago, given how wholeheartedly Lu Yuan pursued her back then. There wouldn't be this farce of unrequited love now.
In truth, Jiang Yiqing had long envied Xu Lingjing countless times.
She had even secretly thought countless times that if she were the one Lu Yuan cherished and pursued, she would hold onto that affection tightly and do everything in her power to let Lu Yuan know that all his efforts were worthwhile.
There will be absolutely no possibility of him falling in love with someone else.
To be honest, on the day of the 100-day countdown rally, Lu Yuan didn't give the ninety-nine roses to Xu Lingjing. The happiest person wasn't Ye Yixian, who received the flowers, but Jiang Yiqing.
She felt from the bottom of her heart that Lu Yuan should not waste his time on someone like Xu Lingjing, and she couldn't stand that Xu Lingjing could enjoy everything with a clear conscience and be complacent without contributing anything.
But Jiang Yiqing would never reveal these true thoughts on her face; she always treated people with three parts sincerity and seven parts concealment.
At this moment, she suppressed the turmoil in her heart, put on the empathetic look of a best friend, and gently comforted her: "It's okay, we all know that you just don't want to let romantic feelings interfere with your studies. After all, we are both high school students now, and it's wrong to fall in love too early."
"Stop giving me those polite platitudes!" Xu Lingjing was getting increasingly irritated, and her tone became more serious. "Just tell me the truth, do I have some flaw that made Lu Yuan completely hate me? Otherwise, he would never suddenly ignore me."
"Are you sure you want to hear the truth?" Jiang Yiqing also dropped her casual expression and became serious, tentatively confirming again.
Xu Lingjing nodded emphatically: "Go ahead and say it. No matter how harsh it is, I promise I won't get angry."
"Okay." Jiang Yiqing had been waiting for these words. She looked at Xu Lingjing and said bluntly and sharply, without reservation, "You're just too good at pretending. You're clearly enjoying all the good things Lu Yuan does for you without a care in the world, but you never give any clear indication of your feelings. You neither say you like him nor simply reject him. You just keep him hanging on like this, and you even call it the sake of your studies and future. You're just hypocritical."
"That's all..." Xu Lingjing was just being polite, hoping that Jiang Yiqing would speak frankly. She thought Jiang Yiqing would give her a gentle hint, but she didn't expect her to be so direct and sharp. One sentence left her speechless, and her face turned pale and then red.
Before Xu Lingjing could react, Jiang Yiqing continued her tirade, listing on her fingers all the ways Xu Lingjing had ignored Lu Yuan's sacrifices and squandered his affections over the years, her voice growing increasingly agitated:
"If Lu Yuan hadn't genuinely liked you back then, anyone else would have been driven away by your attitude long ago. Why would they have waited this long?"
You are too selfish, arrogant, and complacent. You always think the whole world should revolve around you.
Lu Yuan is ignoring you now, not because he's fallen for someone else, but because he's completely seen through you! If you had even a shred of sincerity, you wouldn't have gone this far…”
Jiang Yiqing's words were harsh and offensive. At first, Xu Lingjing was furious, thinking that Jiang Yiqing was deliberately trying to make fun of her.
But the more he listened, the more uncomfortable he felt, and he gradually realized that every word Jiang Yiqing said hit the nail on the head.
Those past events that she had forgotten in the corner were brought up one by one by Jiang Yiqing, and she belatedly realized that she had been so harsh and indifferent to Lu Yuan back then.
After Jiang Yiqing finished speaking, Xu Lingjing slumped down, her shoulders drooping weakly, and she murmured to herself with a blank look in her eyes, "So...so I was so mean to Lu Yuan before, no wonder he never talks to me anymore..."
On the other side, facing his mother's questions and the curious gazes of the people around him, Lu Yuan's mind raced, and he quickly came up with a reasonable explanation.
He looked natural, his tone carrying just the right amount of realization and surprise, and laughed, "Hey, I didn't suddenly improve. Actually, I've been studying quietly all along, but I just didn't take the exams seriously enough before."
"With the college entrance exam getting closer and closer, I thought I should calm down and give it my all. I never expected to improve so much."
Lu Yuan's explanation was flawless, and his expression was exceptionally sincere. Everyone present found it reasonable and nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Lu's mother glanced at Ye Yixian beside her and then asked, "Has Yixian influenced you?"
This question seems ordinary, but it is easy for people to misunderstand it.
Ye Yixian's heart tightened suddenly, and her hand holding the chopsticks stopped. She subconsciously thought that Lu's mother was blaming her for affecting Lu Yuan's studies, and a sense of panic and unease welled up in her heart.
Lu Yuan glanced at Ye Yixian beside him, who looked nervous, and immediately saw through her concerns. He then smiled and said:
"I was indeed influenced by Yixian, but all of it was positive. If it weren't for her tutoring and encouragement, I wouldn't have gotten such a high score this time."
Ye Yixian suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with surprise as she looked at Lu Yuan, her heart filled with both shock and warmth.
She knew that she had only given Lu Yuan a little bit of insignificant help, and it was impossible for him to improve by more than 300 points all at once.
She never dared to take credit, but Lu Yuan unhesitatingly attributed all the credit to her.
Upon hearing this, Lu's mother's face instantly lit up with a smile. She clapped her hands excitedly, looked at Ye Yixian with loving eyes, and spoke with even more enthusiasm:
"Oh, Yixian is such a good boy! You should spend more time with... no, I mean, encourage our Ayuan to study. If you want anything to eat, just tell Ayuan and he'll tell Auntie so I can make it and bring it to your school!"
"Auntie, I..."
Ye Yixian was at a loss, her cheeks flushed red, her heart filled with panic, not knowing how to respond.
Should I refuse to have too much contact with Lu Yuan, or should I decline Lu's mother's kind offer?
She liked Lu Yuan, and every moment she spent with him made her incredibly happy.
The food cooked by Lu's mother made her feel a warmth she had never experienced before.
She had no mother since she was a child and had never tasted the home-cooked meals that belonged to her mother. This meal filled her heart with indescribable satisfaction and emotion.
Lu's mother didn't seem to notice her awkwardness at all, and said with a smile, "Yixian, don't be so polite with me. I really like you. You're welcome to come visit us anytime you have time!"
"I……"
Ye Yixian's face burned hot, and her ears turned red. She lowered her head, completely at a loss for words, her heart filled with a mixture of joy and embarrassment.
Other students passing by overheard the conversation and turned to look.
After recognizing the kind aunt in front of them as Lu Yuan's mother, everyone couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at Ye Yixian.