Changsheng: Peak at the Beginning

Chapter 1783 The Sun Shines Like Me 12

Zhuang Xu and Ye Rong's expressions both turned somewhat unpleasant.

Zhuang Xu believed that Nie Xiguang was forcing him to make a statement. If he did not give a definite answer, Nie Xiguang would give up on him completely. Although he felt flustered because he might lose Nie Xiguang, he also felt that Nie Xiguang was embarrassing him by asking these questions in public and wanted to use the power of others to force him to give in.

Ye Rong, on the other hand, noticed from the beginning that Zhuang Xu treated Nie Xiguang differently. She was actually quite afraid of losing Zhuang Xu, since he had a very good job and a promising future. She couldn't find anyone better than him, so she had been looking for someone better since her student days and was unwilling to give up on Zhuang Xu completely.

Now, she is even more worried that Zhuang Xu will directly agree to Nie Xiguang's request, or even deny that there is any relationship between them other than childhood sweethearts. In that case, everything she has done in the past will become a stain. She cannot face that reality, so she wants to break this unfavorable situation.

Ye Rong looked at Si Liang, who was indeed even more averse to seeing Nie Xiguang doing well than she was. She stood up and said, "Xiguang, isn't this a bad thing to do? You questioned Zhuang Xu like this in front of so many people. How can Zhuang Xu have the nerve to refuse you?"

Taking the opportunity, Ye Rong stood in front of Zhuang Xu as a protector, separating Nie Xiguang and Zhuang Xu, and echoed Si Liang's words, saying, "Yes, Xiguang, this is the boss's wedding banquet. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event. Let's talk about other things after the wedding."

Ye Rong and Si Liang joined forces to condemn Nie Xiguang to the pillory of shame for being ungrateful. Nie Xiguang looked at Zhuang Xu, who looked aggrieved but remained silent. Seeing that he also agreed with Ye Rong and Si Liang's words and was still hiding behind Ye Rong, Nie Xiguang suddenly remembered Xiao Feng's advice to her: "Xiguang, why don't you look at other people? Since the fact that Rongrong and Zhuang Xu are childhood sweethearts has spread throughout the entire academy, can you tolerate Zhuang Xu siding with Rongrong from time to time?"

At that time, she didn't understand Xiao Feng's words, but now, thinking back carefully, it seems that every time she felt that she and Zhuang Xu had made some progress, Zhuang Xu would always stand behind Ye Rong, making her doubt herself and constantly feel anxious and uncertain.

Nie Xiguang looked at the others at the table and saw that they all looked at her with disapproval. Only Xiao Feng was worried about her. She felt like a failure.

Xiao Feng took the initiative and found an excuse to take Nie Xiguang away. In the bathroom, she carefully cleaned the red wine that Zhuang Xu had just spilled on Nie Xiguang, and said with a pained and careful expression, "Xiguang, why don't you stop liking Zhuang Xu?"

"You saw it yourself, even after you asked them those questions today, they were still pretending to be stupid. They're practically playing you for a fool!"

Nie Xiguang smiled wryly, but he already understood something. He followed Xiao Feng out of the bathroom and bumped into Zhuang Xu, who was coming out alone.

Seeing that Nie Xiguang and Zhuang Xu had something to say, Xiao Feng could only leave the two of them alone. After hesitating for a moment, she left.

However, Zhuang Xu did not come to give her an explanation as Nie Xiguang had expected. Instead, he asked her to confirm his phone number and then asked for her bank card number.

Zhuang Xu said emphatically, "I just dirtied your clothes, and I can't just punish myself with three drinks. I should compensate you."

The faint hope that had just risen in Nie Xiguang's heart was extinguished by Zhuang Xu's act of drawing a clear line. She couldn't help but feel a little tired and asked, "Zhuang Xu, sometimes I feel that you do have feelings for me, but why do you always have to be so clear about things with me? It makes me feel like I'm just imagining things."

Zhuang Xu knew he should say something to persuade Nie Xiguang to stay, but he didn't expect that when he opened his mouth he would complain with a sour tone: "Xiguang, I'm not like you. You have a very wealthy family. Whether it's an internship or a job, you can just pick a company in your family's group to join, or you can just find a position in a company owned by a family friend."

“But I’m different. I was helpless when my mother was critically ill, but you can easily take out a sum of money to help our family get through the crisis.”

"So I have to work very hard, otherwise I'm afraid I won't even have the chance to get to know you!"

Zhuang Xu didn't want to be so harsh, because he knew it would hurt the person he liked. But Nie Xiguang had said she would always like him, and besides, when people are in a state of extreme inferiority, they often do things that hurt others for no reason. So he added, "You can comfortably be a parasite under your family's protection, but I can't. I can't stop!"

Nie Xiguang and Zhuang Xu parted on bad terms. He hurriedly gave his blessings to the bride and left without returning to his seat.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Xu, who had been waiting for the right moment to see Nie Xiguang off, was stopped by Ye Rong.

Ye Rong's first words were a accusation: "You couldn't wait to chase after Nie Xiguang as soon as he left. Do you know how much face that made me lose?"

"And even Zhuo Hui knew about your transfer to the investment banking department, but I knew nothing about it. Do you know how embarrassed I was at the time?!"

Zhuang Xu found it quite strange, "Do I really have an obligation to inform you between us?"

Ye Rong knew she couldn't press the issue any further, so she changed her approach: "We've known each other since we were little, and being childhood sweethearts isn't just a saying. The reason I didn't agree to be with you right away is because I'm no longer the proud little princess I used to be. If my family hadn't suddenly encountered some misfortune, I would probably be like Nie Xiguang now, always expressing my feelings directly."

Zhuang Xu wasn't buying it and directly exposed Ye Rong's facade: "From the very beginning, you've been using me as a stepping stone to defeat Xi Guang. This has nothing to do with the family troubles. Moreover, when I was forced to borrow money from Xi Guang for my mother's surgery, you were the first to spread the news, saying that Xi Guang borrowed money as a means to pursue me, and you smeared her a lot."

"So no matter what, we can never go back to the way things were before, so let's just say goodbye."

While Ye Rong and Zhuang Xu parted on bad terms, Nie Xiguang, who had returned to his home in Wuxi earlier, was teased about his relationship twice in one day, which made him feel a little depressed.

Jiang Yun was alright, saying that Nie Xiguang was still young and there was no rush to date or get married. However, Nie Xiguang's grandmother said with a smile, "My granddaughter is very outstanding. It's normal that many people like her. When the time comes, you should keep your eyes open and choose carefully. Don't rush to agree. You must enjoy the process of being pursued."

This was the first time Nie Xiguang had heard about love from her elders, and she was particularly surprised by what her grandmother said, which made her feel much better.