After Becoming a Spare Tire, I Got Together with My White Moonlight - Chapter 4

Song Anchen staggered, nearly tumbling to the ground.

She steadied herself by gripping the edge of the table, her face a picture of shock as she stared at Yan Guiqiu, who had just spouted nonsense. For a moment, she thought she must be hallucinating.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I’m going to pursue her.” Yan Guiqiu composed herself and rephrased it more elegantly. “I mean Jiang Xuehe, the one in the blue dress.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Song Anchen widened her eyes and reached out to feel Yan Guiqiu’s forehead. “You don’t seem feverish, and your brain isn’t fried. Why are you talking nonsense all of a sudden?”

“I’m not joking with you.” Yan Guiqiu pulled Song Anchen’s hand down, her expression deadly serious.

Yan Guiqiu had never joked about matters of the heart.

That’s why, despite all the “coincidences” between her and Qin Xiangxi, their friends had only half-believed it, occasionally teasing her in jest.

Song Anchen and Yan Guiqiu had been childhood friends since kindergarten, and in all those years, Song Anchen had never seen Yan Guiqiu show the slightest interest in romance. Even when confessed to, she had never used “I already like someone else” as an excuse.

After a long pause, Song Anchen finally asked, “Since when have you started liking women?”

Yan Guiqiu replied, “Just now.”

Song Anchen: “…”

So it was love at first sight.

A miracle.

Who knew if it was a good or bad thing?

When Yan Guiqiu actively pulled her toward Jiang Xuehe, Song Anchen couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

As Yan Guiqiu approached, the people around Jiang Xuehe gradually dispersed.

When Jiang Xuehe glanced their way, everyone suddenly found the ceiling or floor fascinating anything but her. Yet they all lingered nearby, ears perked up, waiting for the drama.

A meeting of “rivals in love.”

Sounded thrilling.

Jiang Xuehe smiled helplessly and turned back just as Yan Guiqiu and Song Anchen reached her.

“Anchen, long time no see.” Jiang Xuehe greeted the familiar face first before turning to Yan Guiqiu. “And this must be Miss Yan? I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Xuehe-jie.” Song Anchen exchanged a few pleasantries before introducing, “This is my childhood friend, Yan Guiqiu.”

By introducing her only as a friend, she avoided any entanglement with family business matters.

Jiang Xuehe extended her hand, tactfully avoiding any mention of Yan Guiqiu’s “reputation.”

“Miss Yan, hello. I’m Jiang Xuehe.”

“Hello.” Yan Guiqiu shook her hand dazedly. “I’m Yan Guiqiu. I’m currently studying at Yunhua University and will probably be there for a few more years. I live in the school dorm, but I’ve also rented a place nearby recently. My hobby is photography, and I do freelance photo.”

“Ahem!” Song Anchen coughed loudly and elbowed Yan Guiqiu, signaling her to rein it in.

Yan Guiqiu snapped out of it and awkwardly shut her mouth.

“Guiqiu’s been buried in her thesis at school and hasn’t seen people in ages. Ahem, she might be a little overexcited.” Song Anchen tried to salvage her friend’s dignity. “She’s not usually like this. Really.”

Jiang Xuehe gave a soft “Mm,” though it was unclear whether she believed it. Still, the corners of her eyes crinkled gently, her soothing voice offering comfort. “Actually, it’s quite endearing.”

Yan Guiqiu flushed slightly. “Really?”

Jiang Xuehe nodded, studying her briefly before adding, “It makes you very memorable.”

It truly fit the description of “eccentric” as her friend had put it, but for Jiang Xuehe, it was a compliment.

Adorable, indeed. Seeing someone who appeared quite intelligent act a little foolish only made them seem more genuine and approachable.

Yan Guiqiu couldn’t quite tell if this was genuine praise or teasing, but she relaxed a little nonetheless.

“Xuehe-jie, what brings you to Yunhua City? Are you planning to settle down here?”

Jiang Xuehe was a few years older than Yan Guiqiu, so she simply followed Song Anchen’s lead and called her “jie.”

The Jiang family had risen to prominence in Yanling, where their company headquarters were located, so naturally, the family lived in the surrounding areas. Yunhua, however, was much farther away.

“That’s the plan,” Jiang Xuehe replied. “The family’s old residence is in the neighboring city, but it’s not very convenient there. This place is more suitable for long-term living.”

“So you’ll be staying in the country from now on?”

“Mm. Once I’m settled, I’ll probably open an art gallery. You’re welcome to come by then.”

“Definitely,” Yan Guiqiu nodded. “I happen to have a friend who loves all kinds of artwork and paintings. I’ll bring her along to take a look.”

“Miss Yan!”

“Just call me Guiqiu,” Yan Guiqiu said. “Not many people call me that, so it feels a bit unfamiliar.”

“Alright, Guiqiu.” Jiang Xuehe smoothly adjusted her address. “Do you have an interest in these things as well?”

“Only a passing familiarity,” Yan Guiqiu smiled. “Not to be modest, but I’m not as knowledgeable as my younger sister or some of my friends in this area. But if Xuehe-jie is unsure about choosing a location, I can offer some suggestions. I’ve lived here for four years and have pretty much explored every corner of the city.”

“For taking photos?”

“You could say that. I’m not the type to sit still when I’m not too busy, I like to wander around. If Xuehe-jie ever wants to go out and relax or travel, I can recommend some good spots too.”

Watching the two newcomers chat animatedly, Song Anchen retreated to the side with a wooden expression, her urge to vent frustration with nowhere to go, so she could only take it out on her juice.

With Yan Guiqiu’s expert social skills, did she even need “outside assistance” like her?

Xia Yaoxin, who had been watching the scene with interest, quietly sidled up to Song Anchen and greeted her in a low voice.

She had briefly been neighbors with both Song Anchen and Yan Guiqiu, living closer to Yan Guiqiu’s place, and had met Song Anchen a few times, so they were acquainted.

Thus, she had been nudged by the onlookers to come and gather some intel.

After exchanging greetings, Xia Yaoxin lightly nudged Song Anchen’s arm, tilting her chin toward Yan Guiqiu’s direction, and whispered, “What’s going on?”

She had expected a clash between “rivals,” with sparks flying or at least some thinly veiled sarcasm, but instead, they were deep in conversation?

Song Anchen looked up at the sky, hiding her eye roll, and sighed deeply. “I’d like to know too.”

Xia Yaoxin hesitated for a long moment before cautiously asking, “I heard Yan Guiqiu likes Qin Xiangxi, is that true?”

This was the most tactful way she could phrase it.

Generally, if something was just hearsay, it would never be brought up to the person involved.

Asking a close friend was no different.

Song Anchen felt a sudden jolt in her heart and instinctively replied, “How could that be?” before turning to ask, “What other rumors have you heard?”

Xia Yaoxin glanced around. Apart from the two or three friends who were eavesdropping on the gossip, no one else seemed to be paying attention to them. She pulled Song Anchen further into the corner.

“I heard that Yan Guiqiu transferred schools eight times just to chase after Qin Xiangxi.”

Perhaps gossip is an innate human trait. Xia Yaoxin started off somewhat tactfully, but as she continued, she grew increasingly excited, even bringing up rumors that were blatantly insulting to human intelligence.

For example, Yan Guiqiu once stood up to teachers and the principal for Qin Xiangxi, even declaring she would buy the school so Qin, who was frequently late, could attend whenever she pleased.

Or how Yan Guiqiu secretly employed a security team of dozens, solely dedicated to covertly protecting Qin Xiangxi.

And then there was the claim that she had implanted a nano-sized GPS tracker on Qin, which was why she always appeared just in time to rescue Qin from peril.

Song Anchen’s lips twitched in disbelief.

How could anyone come up with such nonsense?

“Look at her outfit does she look like someone who could afford to buy a school?” Seeing Xia Yaoxin still eager to continue, Song Anchen pointed at Yan Guiqiu, deciding to argue with facts.

“And all that high-tech stuff if she, a humanities student, had that kind of skill, she’d have already contributed to the advancement of human civilization. Would she really be stuck here, slogging through paper revisions?”

Xia Yaoxin glanced at Yan Guiqiu a couple of times, then nodded in agreement.

The Yan family was indeed wealthy, but not so wealthy that they could casually buy prestigious schools or dabble in cutting-edge black tech for fun.

Moreover, while Yan Guiqiu was technically a young heiress, she had nothing to do with the family business. Most of the time, she lived independently, her lifestyle entirely on par with that of an average person, even taking on part-time jobs to supplement her income.

Of course, her family didn’t mistreat her, but she seemed to relish the feeling of self-reliance. She rarely indulged in luxury goods, making her lifestyle remarkably modest among the so-called “young socialites.”

This had once led their social circle to label her as an “eccentric,” though it wasn’t exactly a secret.

“But I’ve heard from many people who’ve seen Yan Guiqiu always following Qin Xiangxi around, even saving her multiple times. And they’ve been classmates from elementary school all the way to university isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”

“Well…” Song Anchen faltered, glancing at Yan Guiqiu before resorting to a weak excuse. “Maybe it really is just coincidence. The city isn’t that big, and they both attended the best schools in the province. It’s not impossible for them to cross paths.”

But the odds were so low that no one would believe it was mere coincidence.

They were always classmates. Even outside school, whether on the way home or during holidays, Yan Guiqiu would coincidentally run into Qin Xiangxi either being harassed by troublemakers, stalked by shady individuals, or narrowly escaping accidents like falling flower pots.

Yan Guiqiu, who was actually quite civic-minded, would naturally step in to help.

But the sheer improbability of it all defied explanation.

If it wasn’t “coincidence,” the only other explanation seemed to be “fate.”

Unfortunately, Yan Guiqiu wanted neither.

Thankfully, both were still young back then, and they were both girls otherwise, rumors like “Yan Guiqiu deliberately tried to harm Qin Xiangxi” might have surfaced.

Even so, her reputation as a “stalker” was nearly solidified in the eyes of outsiders.

After mulling it over, Song Anchen suddenly felt that Yan Guiqiu falling for Jiang Xuehe might not be such a bad thing perhaps it could even help clear her own name.

Xia Yaoxin listened with half-belief but didn’t voice any further doubts. Instead, she leaned closer to Song Anchen and whispered, “Then do you know about Qin Xiangxi’s long-time crush on Sister Xuehe?”

Song Anchen froze for a moment. Her first thought was, “Why is it Qin Xiangxi again?!”

Xia Yaoxin was close to Jiang Xuehe. If people in her circle knew about it, Jiang Xuehe was also very likely to be aware.

Could it be that Guiqiu was being mistaken for having ulterior motives?

Song Anchen’s heart tightened. She quickly turned her head, wanting to warn Yan Guiqiu to avoid any misunderstandings with Jiang Xuehe.

If there were no feelings, that was one thing, but if she were mistaken for a love rival, things could get messy.

After taking a few steps back, Song Anchen saw that the two were still deep in conversation.

Jiang Xuehe happened to ask at that moment, “I heard you’re quite close to Miss Qin?”

Yan Guiqiu replied, “Not really. We’re just classmates who occasionally run into each other.”

Though their “classmate” relationship had lasted a tad longer than usual.

“Oh.” Jiang Xuehe nodded slowly, studying Yan Guiqiu’s expression before adding, “I’d heard before that there was someone who really liked Miss Qin.”

She paused, the corners of her lips curling slightly as she continued, “Some even say that Yan Guiqiu prefers people like her.”

“That’s just a rumor,” Yan Guiqiu clarified. “I don’t like her type.”

Not “her type.”

Not “women.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Xuehe’s tone lifted slightly, light and soft, carrying no hint of offense or aggression.

From a short distance away, Song Anchen caught Yan Guiqiu’s expression and felt her heart skip a beat, her eyelids twitching.

She didn’t have time to intervene.

Yan Guiqiu looked straight at Jiang Xuehe and said, “I like someone like you.”

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