Chapter 982: Beautiful Girl (27)

She had never imagined that her mind would collapse so quickly, that one day she would truly be unable to endure it all.

No one believed she genuinely wanted to jump.

Everyone thought she was merely using it to threaten Wei Liang and Zuo Ran into giving her even more money.

Throughout the vacation, neither Wei Liang nor Zuo Ran gave up following Tang Guo around.

Whenever she went to her part-time job, the two of them would wait nearby with bottled water, snacks, and even her favorite ice cream, showing not the slightest impatience.

After she finished work, Tang Guo would treat them to street food, hotpot, barbecue, and other things.

The three of them got along rather pleasantly.

As school was about to start again, Zuo Ran sought out Tang Guo first.

“Xiaoguo, we've known each other for quite a while now. You should know what kind of person I am by now, right?”

Tang Guo raised her head, her eyes curving into crescents. “What are you trying to say?”

Zuo Ran leaned closer, his voice soft and gentle. “The more I get close to you, the more attracted I become. Xiaoguo, I'm sincerely pursuing you. I hope you'll give me a chance.”

The moment those words left his mouth, an inexplicable nervousness seized him.

Whenever he had approached girls in the past and said similar things, he had always done so with amusement in his heart. Never before had he become so tense that his palms grew sweaty.

He convinced himself it was only because of the heat and not because he cared whether Tang Guo accepted him or not.

Maintaining his handsome smile, he confessed affectionately. Almost no girl had ever been able to resist the gentleness and sunshine he exuded.

“Xiaoguo, you don't have to answer right away. Think it over carefully. I'll wait for your answer.”

“I'm sorry, Zuo Ran.” Tang Guo shook her head without hesitation. “I've always treated you as a friend and never thought of you in that way. Whether it was the stranger I first met or the familiar you now, I've never had those feelings. I'm very happy to have a good friend like you.”

The smile on Zuo Ran's face vanished. Beneath the table, his hand clenched into a fist.

He truly hadn't expected that after months of effort, he would still receive such a straightforward and unhesitating rejection.

Staring at the beautiful girl before him, he repeated, “Xiaoguo, are you really unwilling to give me even one chance? Can't we at least try?”

“Right now, I want to focus seriously on my studies. Before university, I don't intend to think about romance. Besides, I really only see you as my best friend. So, I'm very sorry.” A trace of helplessness flashed across Tang Guo's face. “If all the kindness you've shown me during this time was because you liked me, then perhaps we should see each other less from now on.”

Another rejection.

Embarrassment and anger rose inside Zuo Ran.

But he had always cared deeply about maintaining his image. After keeping his head lowered for a long while, he forced a smile onto his lips.

“Forget it. I was pushing you too much.”

The two sat together in silence for some time before eventually parting ways.

A few days later, Wei Liang appeared before Tang Guo carrying a huge bouquet of roses.

“Xiaoguo, I still have feelings for you. I've thought it over again and again, and I'm willing to try one more time. I hope you'll give me a chance.”

Like Zuo Ran, Wei Liang had come brimming with confidence. When he'd heard that Zuo Ran had failed, he'd secretly laughed at him for a long time.

But now that it was his turn, he hadn't expected himself to become so nervous.

He didn't think this nervousness meant he cared about Tang Guo. He simply feared being rejected and becoming the object of Zuo Ran's ridicule.

He had prepared much more thoroughly than Zuo Ran.

Unlike Zuo Ran, who had casually invited her to a milk tea shop and confessed empty-handed, Wei Liang had come bearing flowers and had arranged everything in advance.