I Helped My Best Friend with Her Romance—and Fell for the Enemy’s Strategist - Chapter 61

After sending Lin Shuyi back to school, the four of them also returned to C University.

However, Lin Ruocheng asked Song Wanqing and the other girl to go ahead first, as she still had something unfinished to take care of.

That was the promise she had made to Fu Yanxi to kiss her in the car.

She always kept her promises, no matter what.

Especially when it came to her girlfriend’s requests.

Fu Yanxi stared ahead.

Lin Ruocheng unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned in closer.

“Are you still angry? About the brown sugar water for Yu Qiuli?”

“I’m not angry…”

Fu Yanxi completely understood, special circumstances called for special treatment.

Besides, Song Wanqing was in the car taking care of Yu Qiuli and couldn’t spare a hand.

If there was a way to ease the discomfort, it was definitely better.

If it were her, she would have done the same.

It was all the same; there was no need to feel jealous.

Lin Ruocheng had a great personality.

But she wasn’t a “central air conditioner.”

Since they had gotten together, she had maintained a polite distance from everyone around her.

“So, do you still want to kiss?”

“Yes.”

“How do you want to kiss?”

Fu Yanxi turned her head, took off her cumbersome glasses, and cupped Lin Ruocheng’s face, gently pressing her lips to hers.

But it was Lin Ruocheng who deepened the kiss, pressing her hand against the back of Fu Yanxi’s head.

She knew Fu Yanxi had low self-esteem and struggled with happiness, largely due to her experiences growing up. But it wasn’t a big deal, they could take their time.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Lin Ruocheng’s lips were slightly swollen.

“Fu Yanxi, you should be able to feel that I love you, right?”

“Don’t doubt my feelings for you, okay?”

“Mm.”

“So obedient.”

Lin Ruocheng kissed her once more before the two tidied themselves up.

Then, one after the other, they walked into the school.

Fu Yanxi accompanied Lin Ruocheng to the dormitory building and watched her go inside before turning to leave.

…

Lin Ruocheng took a deep breath and pushed open the dormitory door.

Her other two roommates had already returned.

Song Wanqing didn’t seem to be there, probably still taking care of Yu Qiuli.

“Chengzi, something’s off, why are your lips so red? Tell us the truth, are you in a relationship? You look so much better than before, absolutely glowing.”

“And don’t lie to us, we just saw you and Fu Yanxi being all lovey-dovey from the balcony.”

“So affectionate~”

Knowing she couldn’t hide it from them, Lin Ruocheng openly admitted it.

“Yes, our relationship has evolved.”

“What?”

“No way! That’s so intense?”

The two roommates exchanged glances, feeling as though they had missed out on a lot.

While they were happy for her, they were also a little worried.

After all, as people who had attended the same high school as Fu Yanxi, they had heard that Fu Yanxi’s mother strongly disliked homosexuality. They didn’t know the specific reasons, but now that Lin Ruocheng and Fu Yanxi were dating, which was, in essence, a same-sex relationship, they wondered if Fu Yanxi’s mother would let them off easily.

“I heard you four went to the island during the holiday? Did you and she…”

The other roommate clapped her hands twice, making a smack smack sound, perfectly setting the mood.

“No, you’re overthinking it. You’re all so perverted. Even in the 21st century, you can’t just do that kind of thing casually.”

“I’m not saying it again, we still have you two. Don’t just casually hand things over to others, understand?”

The two of them remained where they were, chattering away, asking about every detail of their trip to the island.

Lin Ruocheng didn’t tell them everything, only sharing bits and pieces.

The truth was, no matter how clever or well-mannered she was, she could never get past Fu’s mother.

No one could persuade Fu’s mother to let go, to be magnanimous and release Fu Yanxi.

No one at all.

…

“Zhong Xiao, your phone is ringing.”

No response.

“Zhong Xiao…”

Text messages kept coming, one after another.

Fu’s mother, heavily pregnant, struggled a little as she reached for his phone.

She was afraid of missing any important work messages.

When she and Zhong Xiao got married, he had married into her family.

Before he joined their household, she had spent years observing him, he was polite, impeccable in his interactions with others.

He respected women and never forced any intimate relationship with her.

Even after marriage, he followed her parents’ wishes, undergoing a three-year probation before they decided to have a child.

She thought she was the happiest woman in the world.

After she became pregnant, her parents died in a car accident, and it was Zhong Xiao who helped arrange the funeral.

Now, she was over eight months pregnant.

Logically, she should give each other some privacy.

But for some reason, today she felt an overwhelming urge to check his phone.

[Voice message]: “Zhong Xiao, honey, are you home yet?”

[Voice message]: “You’re so bad.”

[Voice message]: “I still feel weak all over.”

[Voice message]: “Next time, I’m not trying any new tricks with you.”

[Voice message]: “I’m upset.”

[Voice message]: “Zhong Xiao, why aren’t you replying? Did that big-bellied, plain-faced wife of yours latch onto you again? So annoying. What right does she have to monopolize my husband? I don’t care, you have to make it up to me later…”

All the voice messages were from a young man.

Fu’s mother stood frozen, unsure what expression to wear.

How could two men…?

Her husband… Zhong Xiao, the man everyone praised as the perfect husband, was gay?

A disgusting gay man who had deceived her into marrying him and bearing his child!

“Why are you snooping through my phone? Didn’t we agree to give each other enough privacy?”

Zhong Xiao rushed over and snatched his phone back.

“Give you enough privacy? So you can go do those things with a man?”

“What nonsense are you talking? You’re overthinking it.”

“Overthinking it? Then go ahead, play those voice messages! You gay people disgust me.”

Fu’s mother stood up, her heavily pregnant body making the movement somewhat difficult.

“Zhong Xiao, I observed you for six whole years! Six years! You gay people are so good at pretending! I thought you were humble and polite, just from a less fortunate family.”

“So what? You married into our family. Have we ever treated you poorly?”

“Ever since we got married, I felt something was off, but I never wanted to suspect you of cheating. I thought I was just overthinking.”

“But more and more of your behavior proved something was wrong. I imagined many scenarios, but I never once thought it would be a man…”

“Yes, he’s my boyfriend. We’ve been together for ten years, since we were eighteen. I never planned for things to change.”

“But my parents were strongly against it, saying it was shameful for their son to like men, that I had a mental illness.”

“They said I couldn’t carry on the Zhong family line, that I’d be a sinner to the entire clan, betraying our ancestors. I… I had no other choice. I had to get married.”

“Only by marrying a woman and having a child could I keep this hidden. Wouldn’t everyone be able to live peacefully then?”

“Live… peacefully?”

Fu’s mother let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“Zhong Xiao, do you realize this is a fraudulent marriage? Why didn’t you tell me you’re gay? Now I’m eight months pregnant, about to give birth, and only finding out? I don’t discriminate against any gay couple, really.”

“But using me as a sacrificial pawn, as a cover for you and your lover, that’s utterly disgusting!”

“Enough! Do you have any idea how much hatred we face in this world? Do you know how much pain I’ve endured? Do you think I wanted to do those things with you?”

“Do you know how nauseated I felt every time I saw you lying in bed? What other options did I have?”

“I was forced into this! But now it’s over, I don’t have to pretend anymore. The baby is already eight months old; an abortion is out of the question.”

“If you want this child, we can try to make it work together. If not, that’s up to you.”

“I hope you’ll have made your decision by the time I return from my trip with my boyfriend. Don’t keep me waiting too long, Fu Nuan…”