Chương 75: Reconciliation

The "Xiao Li?!" that slipped out was trembling with disbelief, like a wounded groan.

Her body stiffened abruptly, and the scene she had witnessed in the mall that afternoon flashed through her mind—Xiao Li, wearing a beautiful dress, being held tightly in A Che's arms…

The image was like a dull knife, cutting deeply into her heart and stirring up her still-unsettled emotions, making her instinctively want to back away and avoid the figure that might be hiding the "truth."

But Liuli's expression made her stop in her tracks.

In the darkness, Liuli clenched her fists tightly, her fingers trembling slightly at her sides, her icy blue eyes filled with obvious trepidation, unease, and guilt.

She looked at Yin Xue cautiously, like a little animal that had done something wrong and was waiting for judgment, her face full of worry as if asking, "Are you angry?"

Seeing Liuli like this, half of Yinxue's awkwardness and grievances immediately dissipated, replaced by heartache for his friend.

She knew that Liuli was sensitive, and that any rejection or rejection she showed would cause great harm to Liuli. She couldn't do that; she couldn't let Liuli get hurt because of her actions.

However, she didn't know how to face Liuli, what to say, or how to explain her pain and suspicion. So she could only stand there awkwardly, watching helplessly as the unease on Liuli's face deepened.

Seeing the fleeting evasion and struggle in Yin Xue's eyes, Liu Li felt a sharp pang in her heart. She knew that Yin Xue had misunderstood, and the harm caused by the misunderstanding was deeper than she had imagined.

She was also very scared. She was scared that her explanation would not be accepted, scared that she would really lose Yuqing's trust because of this misunderstanding, scared that Yuqing would distance herself from her, and scared that the warmth that belonged only to them would disappear again, just like everything they had before.

Subconsciously, she wanted to walk forward and tell Yin Xue that none of this was true, and to tell her how sorry she was. But looking at the other person's helpless expression and the tears in her eyes, all of Liu Li's words got stuck in her throat, and she didn't know how to start.

For a moment, the rooftop fell into a suffocating silence, with only the wind howling, seemingly mocking the complexity and clumsiness of human emotions.

Xing Shuang sensed the stiffness in Yin Xue's body beside her and saw the obvious unease in Liu Li's eyes. She knew that someone needed to break the deadlock, and she was the one who had to take action.

So she gently patted Yin Xue's back and spoke softly, guiding him to understand the situation: "Liu Li came here because she knows you are very sad right now."

Yin Xue's body trembled slightly as she looked blankly at Xing Shuang.

"She knows why you're sad, and she knows that she might... have unintentionally become the reason." Xing Shuang's words were like warm water, slowly dissolving Yin Xue's defenses.

"She told me everything." Xing Shuang looked in Liu Li's direction, her voice still gentle, "Including the message she sent, and the reason she did it... and also this afternoon, when she went to the mall with your brother, and then... everything that happened."

Liuli received Xingshuang's signal, as if waking from a dream. She knew that it was time for her to step forward.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her anxiety, forced herself to take a step, and stopped a few meters away from Yin Xue.

"Yinxue..." Her voice was low, filled with obvious guilt and unease, "I'm sorry... I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

She began to explain, her voice still trembling slightly, but she tried to make every word clear: "This afternoon... we went to the mall together because Lin Che wanted to pick out a gift for you, and he asked me to help him with his suggestions."

"We parted ways after lunch." Liuli looked down at the ground, her voice growing softer and softer.

"I went home, and he... he went somewhere else. I don't know where he went."

She certainly didn't know where Lin Che went in the afternoon, but she was certain that he hadn't spent the afternoon with her as the other party had mistakenly thought.

To make her argument more convincing, Liuli turned to her contracted spirit beside her: "Ruby, come out and tell Yinxue whether I was alone this afternoon or not!"

Ruby peeked out from under the glass collar at just the right moment, blinked at Yin Xue, and said with a serious expression on her fluffy little face, "Little Li stayed at home all afternoon, I can vouch for that!"

This additional testimony, coupled with the obvious honesty and guilt on Liuli's face, and Senior Xingshuang's subtle guidance, instantly shattered all the remaining doubts in Yinxue's heart.

So... what we saw in the afternoon wasn't because they were on a date all afternoon, but rather... just a brief moment? An accident?

And because of that image, those text messages, and Ah Che's unintentional "lie," she misunderstood everything? She misunderstood her best friend?

Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time, they were not tears of pain and grievance, but tears of relief after a huge misunderstanding was resolved, and deep self-reproach for having doubted her friend.

"Xiao Li..." she whispered, her voice trembling with tears. Unable to bear the guilt any longer, she lunged forward and hugged Liu Li tightly, burying her face in the other's shoulder.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I thought... I thought you..." She buried her face in Liuli's shoulder and cried uncontrollably. All her suspicions and misunderstandings about her friends turned into the most sincere apology at this moment.

Liuli was startled by Yinxue's sudden hug, but quickly, feeling the sincerity and apology in Yinxue's words, all the grievances and unease she felt due to the misunderstanding vanished instantly.

She hugged Yin Xue tightly, buried her face in his neck, and whispered, "It's okay, Yin Xue... as long as it doesn't affect our relationship... it's fine."

"Also, don't let your imagination run wild next time..."

The two girls embraced tightly, and in the night breeze on the rooftop, they used tears and hugs to mend the rift caused by the misunderstanding, and used each other's body heat to warm their hearts frozen by suspicion.

Xingshuang stood not far away, quietly watching this scene, her deep purple eyes revealing a light mixed with relief and reassurance.

"It seems... the misunderstanding has been cleared up," she said softly, her tone relaxed and with a faint smile.

Upon hearing Xing Shuang's voice, Yin Xue lifted her head from Liu Li's embrace. Her face was still streaked with tears, but her expression had completely relaxed. She wiped her eyes and then remembered some crucial matters, some doubts that she had previously ignored.

"Senior Xingshuang..." She looked at Xingshuang, her tone tinged with confusion, "You just said that Xiaoli told you all these things? How would she know about this? Why would she... bring you here?"

"Could it be...?"

Liuli also turned her gaze to Xingshuang, a subtle expression on her face, as if she was thinking about how to answer.

Xing Shuang glanced at Liu Li with encouraging eyes, indicating that it was Liu Li's turn to answer.

Liuli bit her lower lip, took a deep breath, and relayed the explanation she had heard from Lin Che on the phone to Yin Xue: "It was... your brother's idea."

"Ah Che?" Yin Xue was stunned, never expecting that this matter would involve Lin Che. She looked at Liu Li in confusion.

"He... he called me and said that you misunderstood the text message and were very emotional, so you might not be able to listen to my explanation."

As Liuli spoke, her voice lowered, as if she were a little embarrassed, "So we need to find someone we both know and someone you trust... to comfort you, and then explain things to you."

Yin Xue was completely stunned. She looked at Liu Li, and then at Senior Xing Shuang.

"He... he really said that?" she murmured, her voice filled with disbelief.

"I clearly wronged him, I clearly yelled at him... and I even pushed him away, but instead of being angry or blaming myself, he immediately thought of using this method to clear up the misunderstanding..."

The deep-seated resentment and pain caused by his "lie" vanished at this moment, replaced by a tremendous warmth of being understood and cherished.

He was protecting her in his own way.

Those teary eyes shimmered with a complex light: surprise and emotion towards Lin Che, guilt and relief towards Liu Li, and gratitude towards Senior Xing Shuang.

"Senior Xingshuang..." She looked at Xingshuang again, her tone sincere and solemn, "I am truly grateful to you this time... You not only comforted me, but also helped me clear up the misunderstanding..."

She paused, then gave a smile that was both apologetic and determined: "However... there was something you said wrong earlier, senior..."

Xing Shuang's heart tightened slightly.

"The misunderstanding... hasn't been completely cleared up yet." Yin Xue's voice lowered, but her tone was unusually firm.

"I... I have to go apologize to A-Che." She bit her lower lip.

"I have to tell him that I was wrong, that I shouldn't have distrusted him, and that I shouldn't have impulsively argued with him."

"This is what I owe him."

Hearing Yin Xue say this, Xing Shuang felt a warm current surge in her heart. She knew that the misunderstanding had been completely resolved, and Yin Xue was gradually moving towards true understanding and maturity.

"Go ahead," she said softly with a smile.

"Then I should go back too..."

Yin Xue nodded emphatically, then took out her phone from "Tears of the Star," found Lin Che's contact information, and pressed the dial button without hesitation.

Seeing this sudden scene, Xing Shuang's smile slowly, little by little... froze.