Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

He Xinglan had met many women over the years. Her luck with romance was good; someone always liked her. If she found them appealing, He Xinglan would date them, but it would rarely last more than a week before she broke up with them.

Before, Lin Yue couldn’t understand why and just thought her friend was a bit of a jerk.

Now, it seemed, she had an unforgettable “white moonlight” in her heart.

He Xinglan looked hesitant, her lips opening and closing, appearing extremely conflicted.

A bold idea suddenly popped into Lin Yue’s mind.

“He Xinglan, you said she was your ex. Did you break up with her, or did she break up with you?”

He Xinglan pursed her lips and sullenly said, “She broke up with me.”

“Oh, wow! So all those girlfriends you had later, where you were the one breaking up with them, were all intentional acts of revenge, right?!” Lin Yue suddenly understood.

He Xinglan gave Lin Yue an annoyed look but didn’t refute her.

It wasn’t exactly intentional revenge. It was just that the breakup with Yin Qiuman gave her a slight case of PTSD. So, the moment she realized she wasn’t interested, she immediately initiated the breakup.

Strike first to gain the advantage. She really didn’t want to hear anyone say, “Let’s break up,” to her again.

“So you’re scared,” Lin Yue concluded.

“So you clearly still like her, but you don’t dare to accept her pursuit. You’re afraid she’ll play you again.”

He Xinglan fell silent. Lin Yue’s words struck a chord with her.

She was indeed afraid, afraid that Yin Qiuman was just acting on a whim. After all, her current behavior was completely unlike anything the old Yin Qiuman would do. With such a drastic change, it was hard for He Xinglan not to worry.

Lin Yue patted He Xinglan’s shoulder, feeling sympathetic yet subtly expectant.

Having seen the cold and ruthless He Xinglan for so many years, she was genuinely looking forward to seeing He Xinglan in love.

Knock knock.

The office door was knocked twice.

“Come in.”

Lin Yue called out to the person outside, then looked at the dejected He Xinglan next to her, comforting her, “Don’t worry about it. Have some drinks. Drowning your sorrows in wine will solve a thousand problems. What kind of young lady can’t you dream up?”

The person delivering the drinks was Lin Yue’s bartender. Hearing Lin Yue’s words, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is Ms. He… dating someone?”

Noticing the visible nervousness in her bartender after asking this question, Lin Yue shrugged, “Not yet, but probably soon.”

Lin Yue had a hunch that He Xinglan would once again fall into the hands of her “white moonlight.”

The white moonlight. The most lethal force in the world.

The bartender was relieved. Her gaze swept over He Xinglan, who was leaning lazily on the sofa, and she couldn’t help but offer unsolicited advice, “I still think dating should be approached cautiously. With such an outstanding… woman as Ms. He, who knows if the other person is only after her looks? Ms. He must make sure she understands the situation and doesn’t get fooled by anyone.”

Lin Yue was amused by her bartender’s remark.

“Her? Getting fooled? She’s always the one doing the fooling.”

Didn’t she fool the heart of my bartender?

He Xinglan glanced at Lin Yue. Her eyes were mild but full of deterrence, and Lin Yue immediately shut up.

“Alright, you can go back to work now,” Lin Yue dismissed the bartender.

Picking up the drink in front of her, Lin Yue sighed, “I have to say, her cocktail skills are really good. Since she came, the bar’s turnover has increased significantly every day. Are you truly not tempted by this money-sucking toad? While her looks might not be your type, she’s not bad either.”

He Xinglan was about to speak when Lin Yue’s topic shifted, “Or, how about using her to test your white moonlight’s sincerity?”

Lin Yue was a typical person of action. Although she had just casually suggested it, she immediately pulled He Xinglan in to take a joint photo.

She felt she was being reliable and wasn’t truly asking He Xinglan to flirt with her bartender to test He Xinglan’s white moonlight; she was using herself.

After taking the photo, Lin Yue sent it to He Xinglan.

“I sent the photo to your WeChat. Post a moment with our photo and see how your white moonlight reacts.”

He Xinglan: “…She hasn’t added me on WeChat.”

Lin Yue’s eyes widened like brass bells when she heard this.

“What? What did you say? Who connects with people using anything other than WeChat these days? You mean you two aren’t even friends?”

He Xinglan: “Mhm.”

“Then I think she’s not sincere about you,” Lin Yue said immediately.

“If she truly liked you desperately after meeting you again after all these years, how could she not even add you on WeChat? Where is the sincerity? Where is the sincerity of pursuit? Isn’t she afraid you’ll run away?” Lin Yue expressed her incomprehension.

“Unless she has a secret on her WeChat that she can’t let you know about,” Lin Yue stated this firmly.

“Maybe she’s already married, but her marriage is boring, and you just happened to appear in front of her. She wants to add some excitement to her married life.” Lin Yue’s imagination was always remarkably rich.

He Xinglan subconsciously defended Yin Qiuman: “She is not that kind of person.”

“And she said she’s single now, without a girlfriend.”

“Yes, single without a girlfriend, but she didn’t say she didn’t have a husband or a boyfriend,” Lin Yue pointed out. What a great loophole to catch.

“She is not that kind of person.” Lin Yue’s words made some sense, but He Xinglan was very stubborn.

Even though she hadn’t seen Yin Qiuman for many years and Yin Qiuman made her feel a change in her, she still believed in Yin Qiuman’s character.

“You’re not allowed to talk about her like that,” He Xinglan glared at Lin Yue fiercely, sounding very protective.

Lin Yue: “Fine. Is this the lethality of the white moonlight?!”

He Xinglan remained silent, still firm in her beliefs.

Lin Yue found this amusing and continued to offer He Xinglan ideas.

“I think you two should still connect on WeChat, as it makes communication easier.”

He Xinglan: “We have phones.”

“Yes.” Lin Yue rolled her eyes. What an archaic way to communicate.

“But don’t you want to know how she’s been doing all these years? WeChat Moments is the fastest way for you to learn about her, you know,” Lin Yue patiently coaxed.

He Xinglan’s face showed hesitation. To be honest, Lin Yue’s words greatly tempted her.

Even though she always kept a cold face around Yin Qiuman, even though she always seemed unwilling to engage with her, He Xinglan herself knew that she still really wanted to get close to her, to understand her, and to squeeze herself into Yin Qiuman’s past.

“Then, should I… add her?” He Xinglan said, slowly taking out her phone to search for Yin Qiuman’s phone number on WeChat.

Her own WeChat was registered with her old phone number, and she assumed Yin Qiuman’s was too.

Sure enough, He Xinglan found Yin Qiuman’s WeChat right away.

Why was He Xinglan so certain it was Yin Qiuman’s WeChat? Because the profile picture was the one she had insisted Yin Qiuman take with her back then—a photo of their fingers interlocked under the sunlight.