Chapter 21: The Matter of the Love Letter

Ming Zi drove over to pick up Si Rong, wearing a cashmere sweater of the same style as Si Rong's, though it was purple.

Perhaps because her name contained the character for "purple," Ming Zi had many purple clothes.

She had always suffered from decision paralysis, so she often bought the same clothes as her best friend, Si Rong.

"Little princess, please get in!" Ming Zi pressed the car window button.

Si Rong got into her car, "Let's wait for Li Xuan for a moment!"

Since they had all agreed to go together, naturally they had to wait for her.

Stopping downstairs at Li Xuan's, Ming Zi honked the horn twice with some impatience.

Ten minutes later, Li Xuan came downstairs, all dressed up.

She sat in the backseat of Ming Zi's car.

Seeing the two people in the front row wearing matching outfits, an indescribable feeling welled up in the bottom of her heart.

A part of it was jealousy, but more of it was the worry that she would be teased by those classmates at the reunion later.

Who didn't know the three of them were close?

Yet now the two of them were wearing matching outfits, while she alone had foolishly worn a designer trench coat; wasn't this clearly telling those people that the two of them were closer?

Chuncheng Dance Hall.

"Has our class beauty Si Rong not arrived yet?"

"Not yet, probably have to wait a while longer. She's a County Magistrate's wife now, so what's wrong with showing up late to steal the spotlight?"

"They say a person's life is all about fate; I've finally realized that some people are born into this world just to enjoy blessings. Take Si Rong, for example: her maiden family has influence, and the man she married has influence too. People like us are just beasts of burden, running around every day for a few crumbs of silver!"

"Who's to say otherwise? I heard her husband is incredibly good to her. Back then, I don't know what happened, but Si Rong couldn't have children, and Shen Lan married her anyway without a second thought. That's true love!"

"Doesn't Si Rong have two children? I remember running into her at the hospital once, and she was holding her daughter's hand."

"You don't even know this? Because Si Rong couldn't give birth, the couple adopted a pair of fraternal twins from outside."

"Those twins really fell into a nest of good fortune..."

"The word 'fate' is beyond words! I knew a woman who was abandoned by her husband when she was over thirty just because she couldn't have children!"

"By the way, have you heard of that Ming Zi? The one who latches onto wealthy men!"

"I heard that last year her husband even got a woman on the side pregnant. Tsk tsk, don't look at how glamorous she appears on the surface; in reality, she might not be living as well as us ordinary women!"

The three of them, Si Rong included, heard the discussion about them from inside as they reached the entrance.

However, they had long since grown accustomed to it, ever since their student days.

Li Xuan waited for a long while, but she didn't hear anyone inside mention her.

As expected, she would never be the center of the conversation.

As soon as Si Rong walked in, the classmates changed their tune from the sharp, mean-spirited gossip they had just been spewing, fawning, "The County Magistrate's wife is here! Quickly, give up the seat in the middle!"

Cui Lili looked behind her, "Si Rong, our County Magistrate didn't come?"

"Don't call him that, Shen Lan is only a Deputy County Magistrate," Si Rong explained to everyone after sitting down, "He has a meeting this morning and will come later in the evening."

"He's a deputy now, but he's probably about the same as the full one. We've all heard that he's about to be promoted."

Si Rong just smiled and said nothing.

Li Xuan had originally wanted to sit beside Si Rong; in fact, in such a familiar environment, it was just an instinctive reaction.

But Ming Zi, whether intentionally or unintentionally, squeezed her aside and sat next to Si Rong.

This person was just as annoying as she had been back in university!

She could only sit to the side, bored to tears as she listened to everyone fawning over Si Rong in every way.

From jewelry to skincare, from handbags to shoes.

No one knew that she was also very knowledgeable about these things now.

Moreover, she was a dance teacher at a university and knew more than housewives like Si Rong and Ming Zi.

Even, the real County Magistrate's wife should have been her.

These people who only knew how to flatter and fawn—if one day they knew she was the real Mrs. Shen, who knows how they would fawn over her then.

"Si Rong must be the youngest-looking among us," a female classmate said with an envious look, "Back in school, you received so many love letters; we were so envious of you!"

"By the way, do you all remember Jiang Cheng? The 'high-mountain flower' of our class; I heard that even he wrote a love letter to Si Rong!"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. It seems someone admitted it personally when drinking with Jiang Cheng!"

"Then here's the question!" Ming Zi immediately joined the conversation loudly, "Cui Lili, do you still remember who Jiang Cheng entrusted to deliver the love letter to Rongrong back then?"

Once this question was out, everyone's eyes fell on Cui Lili.

Cui Lili first took a big gulp of juice, then began to tactically clear her throat, keeping everyone's curiosity hanging high.

Li Xuan's fingers were digging tightly into the chair, her heart pounding; she didn't know which person it was—they really had to bring up the most sensitive topic.

It had been so long, nearly twenty years; she really hoped Cui Lili didn't remember.

But her hope was destined to be dashed, because Cui Lili had a very good memory.

"Of course I remember! Back then, Jiang Cheng originally wanted to ask Ming Zi to help deliver the love letter, but you were on leave that day, so he asked Li... Li what's-her-name? That little sidekick of yours and Si Rong's!"

She forgot what her name was.

Li Xuan was so angry that she broke her fingernail digging into the chair.

It was simply too hateful!

How could these people insult her so much! They remembered Si Rong's name, they remembered Ming Zi's name, but they just couldn't remember hers!

"Li Xuan, right?" Ming Zi reminded Cui Lili in time.

"Right! That's Li Xuan!"

Cui Lili looked around, and finally succeeded in recognizing Li Xuan.

"Back then, Jiang Cheng asked you to help deliver a love letter to Si Rong, right?"

Si Rong's gaze landed on her, carrying a hint of scrutiny and faint confusion.

Li Xuan did not quite dare to meet her eyes.

Back then, Jiang Cheng had indeed entrusted her to give the love letter to Si Rong.

It was just that when the boy whom all the girls in school liked stood before her, her brain went 'boom' and nearly exploded, her face flushed red with shyness, and she hadn't heard a word of what he said at all; after Jiang Cheng left, she opened that letter.

There wasn't anything about love or affection written inside, and she couldn't remember the content now, but the sentence at the end of the letter: "Si Rong, would you be willing to be my girlfriend?"

Made her suddenly realize that the letter was a love letter written by Jiang Cheng to Si Rong.

In fact, there were many boys in school at the time who had a crush on Si Rong, and quite a few had entrusted her to deliver love letters.

But that love letter was tossed into the trash can by Li Xuan with an expressionless face.

She was someone very skilled at observing others' inner thoughts; that Jiang Cheng had a good family background and was excellent in every aspect, so he must be a proud person just like Si Rong.

For such a person, if a love letter received no response, he would not press for an answer.

He would only assume he had been rejected by silence.

Sure enough, that letter she had thrown into the trash can was never mentioned by anyone again.

She had thought no one else would ever know about this, but she hadn't expected that big-mouthed Cui Lili would actually know too.

Now that everyone was looking at her like this, waiting for her answer, how was she supposed to get out of this situation?

Li Xuan tactfully gave Si Rong a look for help, hoping she could help her out of this predicament.

Si Rong smiled faintly, her chestnut-brown curly hair hanging gently by her side, and asked her, "I never received a love letter written by Jiang Cheng, Li Xuan, what is going on here?"