Chapter 133

“I know you only see me as a friend, but think about it, such a beautiful and kind girl is always in front of me, how could I not like her? How could I not be moved? When you came close to me to talk, my heart was pounding. Although I know that early love is not good, I still made up my mind to confess to you.”

Several years later, Jiang Li can now laugh off her past crush with ease.

Tao Ruan genuinely didn’t know about this. She considered Jiang Li a friend and naturally assumed that Jiang Li also considered her a close female friend with whom she could get along.

“You must be wondering why I didn’t confess in the end, right?” Jiang Li picked up his coffee cup, took a big gulp, and looked at Tao Ruan.

Tao Ruan asked, bewildered, “Why?”

Jiang Li: “Because just before I was about to confess to you, your boyfriend Gu Zhizhou found me, beat me up without saying a word, and told me to stay away from you.”

Tao Ruan clenched her fingers, her slender eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Jiang Li looked at Tao Ruan and nervously scratched his head: “Don’t overthink it. I’m not trying to stir up trouble by saying this.”

Tao Ruan nodded gently: “I know, thank you for telling me all this.”

She asked Jiang Li, “Was it because of this that you transferred schools?”

Jiang Li shook his head: “My transfer to another school… was actually your father’s idea. At that time, I was beaten so badly that I was afraid to go to school, so I stayed at home to recover. Then I saw your father come over, apologize first, and then forcefully order me to transfer schools.”

She could understand why Gu Zhizhou hit Jiang Li, which showed that Gu Zhizhou had really liked her from a very early time. But what did it mean that her father forced Jiang Li to transfer schools?

“I don’t know why your father had to step in to resolve this. At the time, I even thought that the person who hit me might be your brother, which is why your father intervened. I never expected that he would be your boyfriend…”

Jiang Li smiled and said, “But why did you say you only got together two months ago? Did he pursue you for a long time before winning you over?”

Tao Ruan was still in a daze and did not answer for a moment.

“Tao Ruan?”

“Tao Ruan? Tao Ruan?”

Jiang Li called her several times before pulling Tao Ruan back to reality. Tao Ruan hurriedly picked up her bag and thanked and apologized to him, saying, “Thank you for coming over and telling me all this. I have something to do, so I’ll have to go now. I’ll treat you to a meal another time.”

Tao Ruan walked out of the coffee shop and stood on the street lined with tall buildings and reinforced concrete. Looking at the endless stream of people in front of her, she felt utterly lost for a moment.

She felt something was off, but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Perhaps she should ask Gu Zhizhou? Or should she ask her father?

Because of the helplessness that arose from the bottom of her heart, she did not go to Gu Zhizhou’s company, but returned to the villa where the two of them lived together. After sitting on the sofa for a while, Tao Ruan dialed her father’s number.

Her father was a loving man, but for some reason, there was always an inexplicable distance between them. Just like now, her father simply and politely asked her if she had enough living expenses, and then hung up the phone on the grounds that he had to go to a meeting.

Tao Ruan felt even more confused and flustered.

She was holding her phone and biting her lip when her younger brother, Tao Wenzhuo, sent her a message on QQ.

Sister, are you there?

This is her stepmother’s son, who is only ten years old this year. He is unusually well-behaved and cute, and he is close to her. Unlike other boys his age who are naughty and mischievous, he is exceptionally soft, cute and obedient.

Tao Ruan replied that she was there, then perked up and asked, “Does Zhuozhuo miss her sister?”

Tao Wenzhuo sent her a video, then hid in a corner of the villa with his phone, his face contorted in a grimace, looking hesitant.

Tao Ruan asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you? Don’t be afraid, tell your sister.”

“No, there’s something I’m hesitant about whether to tell my sister…”

Tao Ruan’s heart tightened inexplicably. She gently said to her little brother, who was nearly ten years old, “It’s okay, you can tell me.”

Tao Wenzhuo’s eyes were red: “Didn’t my sister say she wouldn’t be coming back this summer? So I went to find my dad and asked him to beg my sister to come back and play with me. But my dad got drunk and started yelling at me…”

Tao Ruan’s breathing tightened: “What did you say?”

Tao Wenzhuo burst into tears: “He said that you weren’t his biological sister, and that we weren’t even siblings. He told me not to keep looking for you, and that you were destined to marry into the Gu family, that you were born with a precious life… I really don’t understand why Dad would say such things, and who exactly is the Gu family?”

The string in Tao Ruan’s head snapped in an instant.

With her last bit of strength, she managed to soothe and comfort Tao Wenzhuo before collapsing onto the sofa.

Gu Zhizhou returned twenty minutes later, picked up Tao Ruan who was still in that position, and saw her little face covered in tears.

A sharp pain welled up in his heart, and his hand trembled slightly as he wiped Tao Ruan’s tears: “Ruan Ruan…”

Tao Ruan came over and hugged him, crying even louder: “Azhou, how long have you been hiding this from me, and what have you been hiding from me?”