Chapter 527: Chapter 525: Tonight I Will Sleep with You

"Yeah, that’s right. In a friendship of three, one person is always the outsider. Otherwise, how can three people walk comfortably down the same path?"

"She must walk like this often. How pitiful."

"Doesn’t she have any other friends? Why squeeze herself in between a couple?"

"..."

The words of those around them drifted intermittently to Si Wen’s ears.

Her gaze flickered slightly. In a friendship of three, is there always an outsider? Am I the one intruding on others?

"Si Wen, don’t listen to their nonsense. We’re the best of friends, and you’re definitely not an outsider," Lin Xi said, stopping in her tracks and affectionately linking arms with Si Wen, smiling at her.

She was terrified that Si Wen would take those people’s words to heart. She and Si Wen had grown up together, and at their previous school, everyone was used to seeing them together. If they weren’t seen together for even a day, it would be considered strange. Everyone would definitely ask if something was wrong between them.

Is university really this gossipy?

Si Wen returned a reassuring smile. "Of course, I won’t listen."

"Mm-hm."

Only then did Lin Xi feel relieved.

Xue Yang’s gaze also drifted toward Si Wen. She seems to be in a mood these last two days. And not a bad one, either.

Si Wen might sometimes speak bluntly, but her temperament was similar to Lin Xi’s—both were straightforward. Generally speaking, she rarely dwelled on her worries. However, since she was a girl and hadn’t brought anything up herself, he didn’t feel it was right to ask.

Arriving at the school entrance, they didn’t see Si Wen’s Rolls-Royce. Lin Xi asked in surprise, "Uncle Zhong isn’t picking you up today? Why don’t we take you home?"

"Yeah, sure," Xue Yang added.

"I live nearby too, so I didn’t ask him to come."

Lin Xi was slightly stunned, not realizing Si Wen had also bought a place nearby.

Thinking back to what those people said... I’ve been so inattentive toward Si Wen. She must be really upset inside.

"Look at you, buying a house and not telling us! We could have helped you decorate and have a proper housewarming."

"No need, it’s just a temporary place to stay for school. I already had Uncle Zhong get everything ready, so I can just move right in."

"Then I’ll come over and keep you company tonight," Lin Xi declared.

Si Wen’s response was to cling tightly to her arm, leaning almost her entire weight on her. "There’s no need. I can manage on my own."

"No, you can’t. I’m coming over tonight anyway, and you’re not allowed to say no. Xue Yang, go get me a few changes of clothes."

Lin Xi winked at Xue Yang.

Xue Yang answered, "Okay."

So Si Wen really is troubled about something she hasn’t told us.

"Si Wen, where did you buy your house?" Lin Xi asked.

Si Wen pursed her lips. "Tongfang Residential District."

Lin Xi immediately said excitedly, "It’s the same residential district! That’s great, now I can come visit you often."

"Don’t we hang out at school all the time?"

"That’s different. If Xue Yang ever makes me angry, I’ll just run straight to your place."

"You two would fight?" Si Wen snorted. Those two are stuck together like glue. I’d sooner believe the sun would rise from the west than believe they’d actually fight.

"I’m just saying, what if!"

Knowing they were in the same residential district, Xue Yang went ahead to get Lin Xi’s clothes after the three of them entered the complex. Lin Xi, meanwhile, went with Si Wen to the apartment she had bought.

Si Wen’s apartment was in Building 5, while Lin Xi and Xue Yang’s was in Building 3. The distance between them was perfect.

"Is it really okay for you to stay with me? Xue Yang won’t be angry, right?" Si Wen glanced at Xue Yang’s retreating figure and humphed.

"Of course, it’s okay. You’re my best friend; Xue Yang has to take a backseat."

"Really?"

Although Si Wen kept a straight face, it was clear she was very happy inside.

About ten minutes later, Xue Yang returned with a change of clothes for Lin Xi.

"Xue Yang, Si Wen seems a bit down, so I’ll stay here and keep her company tonight."

Xue Yang patted her head and nodded. "Sleep early. Good night."

"Good night."

After they said their good nights, Xue Yang left.

Lin Xi closed the door, clothes in hand, just in time to see Si Wen getting ready to shower. She immediately approached with a mischievous grin. "We haven’t showered together in so long. Let’s do it together tonight!"

"I don’t want to shower with you."

"Oh, come on. We have to."

"..."

Lin Xi might have seemed well-behaved normally, but when she really got stubborn, no one could do anything about it.

The two girls entered the bathroom. Staring at the scene before her, Lin Xi swallowed hard. "Ah, this bathroom’s a bit small, isn’t it?"

The bathrooms they usually showered in together were as big as swimming pools. Though they called it showering together, it was really more like soaking in a hot spring together. This one, however... was indeed too small for both of them.

"I’ll just wait for you to finish."

Two hours later, after both girls had showered, they sat on the couch, drying each other’s hair.

"Xiao Xi, let me ask you something. If you suddenly found yourself liking someone you could absolutely never be with in this lifetime, what would you do?" Si Wen’s voice was intermittent as she spoke.

"Why couldn’t you be together?" Lin Xi asked curiously, the bewilderment in her eyes genuine.

"Let’s say, because of family reasons, the two of you absolutely cannot be together. Would you still start something with him?"

Lin Xi thought seriously for a moment.

Back when I first met Xue Yang, I don’t think I ever considered this problem. But my situation was different. I had run away from home. In a way, Xue Yang was the only person I could trust back then. Later, as we spent more time together, I realized he was a genuinely good person. Our bond grew stronger, and we became more and more inseparable. I never once thought about leaving him. Even if it meant leaving the home I grew up in, the thought of leaving Xue Yang never crossed my mind. So, the question of whether we could be together or not simply never came up.

Lin Xi looked at Si Wen and voiced her suspicion, "Si Wen, do you... like Xue Xing?"

I noticed it back in Hui City. But since Si Wen was so stubborn about it, she hadn’t pressed the issue. For this engagement, she had specifically booked a flight for Xue Xing to come a day early and had even paraded him around the venue. Si Wen would never do something like that for anyone else.

Si Wen stopped what she was doing. Her gaze drifted toward the darkness outside, her eyes vacant. "I don’t know."

"You don’t know?" Lin Xi looked at her in surprise.

"What does it even feel like to like someone?"

"It means you think about him all the time and want to see him every day. He’s the first person that comes to mind whenever something happens. If you can’t see him, you just don’t feel right. You desperately want to know what he’s doing, whether he’s with another girl..."

Si Wen tilted her head toward Lin Xi. "Do you worry about whether Xue Yang might be with another girl?"

...