I Helped My Best Friend with Her Romance—and Fell for the Enemy’s Strategist - Chapter 65

Lin Ruocheng didn’t finish all the food. Instead, she mixed the leftovers from Fu Yanxi’s meal together.

Fu Yanxi watched her actions, somewhat puzzled.

Was Lin Ruocheng planning to throw it away?

But why mix it together?

“Do you have disposable gloves? I’ll take you somewhere. Come with me.”

Lin Ruocheng stood up and rummaged through her pockets.

She must have brought some.

“Let’s go, follow me.”

Although Fu Yanxi didn’t know what the other girl had in mind, she was someone who acted first and asked questions later.

She obediently followed behind Lin Ruocheng.

Lin Ruocheng stopped near the large green trash bin on campus.

Before she could make a sound, she crouched down on the ground.

A few kittens immediately emerged from their hiding spots.

She placed the mixed rice on the ground, cushioning it with a few napkins.

This way, it wouldn’t dirty the ground.

“Meow, meow, meow~”

Lin Ruocheng deftly put on a glove and handed the other one to Fu Yanxi.

“Want to try petting them? I’ve already spayed the older cats, but these kittens are still too young for the procedure. It seems like there have been more stray cats around these past couple of days.”

“Normally, there are only three or four, but gradually, the number grew to over a dozen. I brought some cat treats, want to try feeding them?”

Lin Ruocheng pulled out the cat treats.

These dozen or so cats were still quite wary of people. It was only because she had been feeding them here consistently over the years that she had managed to win their trust.

Even during the week-long National Day holiday, she had asked a few junior students to help out.

It wasn’t just about asking for their help.

She also paid them 100 yuan per day.

After all, it was the holiday season, so it was normal for the price to be a bit higher.

A few cats spotted Fu Yanxi, who stood there with an icy expression.

None of the cats approached her.

Instead, they all gravitated toward Lin Ruocheng.

Fu Yanxi, who had halfway extended her hand, awkwardly withdrew it.

When she was little, she had loved small animals.

But her mother was allergic to cat fur and wouldn’t let her keep any pets. Not even a puppy or any other animal. Her childhood was filled with only one thing: studying. Only through relentless studying and hard work could she earn her mother’s praise.

Her mother’s unhappiness was caused by her father.

From a young age, she knew her family was not a happy one.

But she also knew that she was her mother’s only reason for living.

When she was little, her mother would only show happiness when she came in first place. So she worked tirelessly to maintain that top position, until she entered the same middle school as Lin Ruocheng. For three years, no matter how hard she tried, Lin Ruocheng remained the top student in their grade.

She was an insurmountable presence.

“Meow.”

A little kitten approached, rubbing against Fu Yanxi’s pant leg.

It even rolled over in front of her, exposing its soft belly.

Inviting her to pet it.

Lin Ruocheng took Fu Yanxi’s hand and gently placed it on the kitten’s belly.

This was the only kitten that was particularly friendly to people.

“You should try new things sometimes. It seems to really like you.”

Fu Yanxi pressed her palm against the kitten’s belly and gently rubbed it a few times.

The kitten purred contentedly.

It felt novel to her.

Lin Ruocheng handed her the cat treats.

It was Fu Yanxi’s first time feeding a cat, and her movements were a bit clumsy.

Awkward, yet earnest.

Her actions looked really adorable.

Why hadn’t I noticed how interesting she was when I was younger?

Back then, I was too busy teasing other little girls.

But I couldn’t really blame myself, I knew her name, but we weren’t close. I wanted to get closer to her, but she would turn and walk away whenever I approached. I thought she disliked me.

At that time, I didn’t like the idea of forcing affection where it wasn’t wanted. If she didn’t like me, there was no point in wasting so much effort.

Besides, I only realized I might like girls in high school. After that, I stopped casually teasing little girls and focused entirely on studying.

I never knew someone had a crush on me for a full seven years.

How many years does a person even have in their life?

Spending seven years secretly loving someone is quite devoted.

Unrequited love is truly painful.

But thankfully, the little Taurus expressed her determination to pursue a relationship.

An earth sign taking the initiative is rare.

I’ve heard earth signs only show warmth and attentiveness to those they truly like.

“Alright, let’s go. We should head back early, it’s cold outside.”

“Mm.”

…

A few days later, Lin Ruocheng was already feeling better, but she still didn’t want to get out of bed.

She felt as though she were better suited for hibernation, no matter how much she slept, she never felt fully awake.

She was so drowsy. The alarm went off several times, and each time, she turned it off.

Then, groggily, she sat up, only to feel like flopping back down immediately. Her hair, charged with static, had turned into a lion’s mane.

She had recently dyed her hair blonde, but it actually suited her fair skin quite well.

In a daze, she spent half an hour dawdling before finally changing her clothes and getting out of bed.

She washed up briefly in the bathroom and applied a simple makeup look for class. Generally, she didn’t bother with makeup. In her freshman year, she might have worn a full face, but by sophomore year, she was mostly going bare-faced.

She was lazy and just wanted to sleep.

Seriously, who would want to wake up at 5 a.m. just to put on makeup?

Fu Yanxi had said she would take her somewhere, it counted as a date.

Going on a date with Fu Yanxi was actually quite rare.

Their class schedules in different departments often conflicted, so finding a day when neither of them had classes was a rare opportunity.

To put it bluntly, they had almost become online friends.

Aside from student council meetings to discuss campus festival arrangements, they hardly ever ran into each other.

They didn’t even see each other during meals.

Both had their own responsibilities, they were busy with company matters, personal affairs, student council duties, study group assignments…

Life was hectic. After struggling to get out of bed, she was still exhausted.

She just wanted to sleep a little longer…

Yawning repeatedly, she wrapped a scarf around her neck and put on a oversized black down jacket, bundling herself up tightly. She was sensitive to the cold, so it was better to dress warmly.

She picked up the gift box beside her.

Inside was a scarf she had knitted herself. Being in a relationship called for little surprises and gifts.

There was also the watch she had bought specially for Fu Yanxi last time, priced similarly to the LABUBU she had previously bought for Lin Shuyi.

Although neither of them was short on money, spending so much within the first month of dating felt a bit excessive.

Following Fu Yanxi’s instructions, Lin Ruocheng got into the low-key black Rolls-Royce Ghost parked at the school gate.

She recognized the car.

For the Fu family, it was indeed quite understated.

The final price was just over seven million.

The car’s heater was on full blast, and as soon as she stepped inside, a cozy warmth enveloped her.

“Xiao Xi… I missed you so much… This is a gift for you…”

Lin Ruocheng rubbed her hands together, still feeling a bit chilly.

“Hmm.”

“What do you mean by ‘hmm’? Aren’t you going to express how much you missed your girlfriend?”

Lin Ruocheng opened her arms for a hug.

It had been several days since they last had any intimate moments, and she truly missed Fu Yanxi dearly.

She never expected her little Taurus to respond with just a “hmm.”

Fu Yanxi smiled and leaned in to embrace her, pressing close to her ear.

Softly, she whispered:

“‘Hmm’ means… I missed you very much.”