Tang Li noticed that Wu Xuehan peeked at her while speaking, and guessed Wu Xuehan’s concerns. Unable to suppress a smile, she explained before the class bell rang: "We are fine the way we are. Adding another person would only make the dorm more crowded, and our living habits would need to be adjusted. It might lead to conflicts."
"That’s true," Wu Xuehan nodded. "Back in the dorm, Yu Sui never cleaned, and her desk and bed were always tidied up by Yiniing."
To other students, these details earned Jiang Yiniing a lot of goodwill.
So, when Yu Sui and Jiang Yiniing had a falling out, everyone thought Yu Sui was being aggressive while Jiang Yiniing was seen as a good person bullied by others.
"Besides," Tang Li continued, "true friends value quality over quantity. Those who crowd together for some purpose will eventually separate for another."
Wu Xuehan listened, her lips curling into a secret smile.
Because Ah Li considered her a friend, a true friend.
"But Yu Sui is quite pitiable now." Seeing the teacher return to the classroom, Wu Xuehan lowered her voice: "Other classmates are ignoring her; these days she always wanders alone, while Yiniing comes to class with the girls from the next dorm."
Tang Li didn’t know what to say to that.
Although she didn’t have a good impression of Jiang Yiniing, she had never intended to share Yu Sui’s animosity.
Such feelings of shared hostility couldn’t last three years.
After class, Tang Li packed up her things and stood up with Wu Xuehan, just as they were preparing to return to Wentan Garden, Jiang Yiniing approached carrying her textbooks.
"Ah Li, Xuehan," Jiang Yiniing stood in front of them.
Tang Li asked, "What is it?"
"I saw Yu Sui coming to look for you during the first break," Jiang Yiniing bit her lip, not out of embarrassment like Yu Sui, but making her appear vulnerable and charming: "Yu Sui hasn’t been sleeping in the dorm at night recently. The other day, I saw a boy picking her up. I’m really worried about her. I called and texted her, but she didn’t reply."
Before she could finish, a group of classmates passed by.
Hearing Jiang Yiniing’s concerned words, someone sympathized: "Yiniing, why bother thinking about Yu Sui? She pushed you down and hurt your knee, preventing you from participating in the musical rehearsal. If I were you, I’d have ignored her long ago."
"Don’t talk about Suisui like that," Jiang Yiniing defended Yu Sui: "You just haven’t seen the good side of Suisui towards me. She’s ignoring me now because of a misunderstanding caused by Senior Brother Yuan."
Then, Jiang Yiniing looked at Tang Li: "Ah Li, I know Suisui hopes I move out. If you and Xuehan are willing to come back, I can move out, just as long as you and Suisui get along well."
"Why should you be the one to move out?"
Jiang Yiniing’s self-sacrificing words successfully provoked the dissatisfaction of others.
"You’re the only one so foolish, remembering favors and forgetting grudges. If anyone should move, it should be Yu Sui. She’s been out at night with other guys anyway."
The last few words, spoken enigmatically yet meaningfully.
Jiang Yiniing looked worried and helpless: "Suisui isn’t what you say; that boy... might be a relative of her family."
"What relative? I saw them hugging and cuddling under the dorm building."
"Yiniing, you’re just too kind, still defending her at this point. Yu Sui doesn’t appreciate your kindness. Only you would tolerate her and be willing to be friends with her."