It was already nine o'clock in the evening, and the school celebration would end in an hour. The performance in the auditorium was still in full swing, but Xia Ruya quietly left the auditorium and came to the Crape Myrtle Path.
On an autumn night, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, shining silver light that makes every detail of the earth visible. Because of the school anniversary, the college is decorated with lights and the street lamps make the whole college as bright as day.
Xia Ruya stood under the crape myrtle tree and looked up at it. No matter how it bloomed to its fullest and became a beautiful sight in the academy, it still couldn't stop it. The golden autumn of October took away its final withering.
The decadent and withered flowers are trembling stubbornly on the branches. Does every flower make such a dying struggle when it withers
She thought of Wen Xinya’s prime years, and felt like the crape myrtle flower that was beginning to wither but was struggling to survive!
Suddenly, boundless hatred surged in her heart.
"Ruya! So you are here!" After Chu Jingnan dealt with the matters of Wen Xinya and the others, he had been looking for Xia Ruya. At this moment, he saw her standing under the withered crape myrtle tree. From her back, her thin shoulders were exposed in the air, and her slender waist, which could be held in one hand, would break at the slightest touch. She looked so pitiful that it made people feel a strong desire to protect her!
Xia Ruya's spreading hatred suddenly receded like a tide. She slowly turned her head, her pale face against the withered crape myrtle flowers on the branches, broken yet beautiful: "Brother Chu! Why are you here?"
Chu Jingnan strode to Xia Ruya, and seeing the tear marks on her face and the tears in her eyes, he felt a little pricked in his heart: "I came here specially to see you."
"It's a bit stuffy in the auditorium, so I came out to get some fresh air." Xia Ruya's pale face looked almost transparent under the silver street lights: "Brother Chu, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Chu Jingnan looked at the girl wearing a thin skirt, standing under the street light, her shadow stretched out, making her look even more delicate: "It's already autumn, why don't you wear more clothes when you go out?"
"I... forgot!" It would have been fine if Chu Jingnan hadn't said it, but as soon as he said it, Xia Ruya couldn't help but shiver twice. She felt cold all over, and countless small bumps suddenly appeared on her exposed skin.
Chu Jingnan naturally saw how thin she was, and quickly took off his suit jacket and put it on her shoulders: "Put on my clothes first, otherwise you will catch a cold and it will be bad!"
"Brother Chu, you gave me your clothes. What are you going to do? You're only wearing a shirt." Xia Ruya hurriedly took off her coat and gave it back to Chu Jingnan.
"You'd better keep it on! I'm a boy and I'm more resistant to cold than girls, so I don't feel cold." Chu Jingnan gently pressed her shoulders to stop her.
"Thank you, Brother Chu!" Chu Jingnan's thoughtfulness and concern made Xia Ruya's heart palpitate. She lowered her head shyly. The loose suit jacket on her body blocked out the cold outside. His body temperature wrapped her up, making her feel extremely warm. She quietly pulled the jacket over her shoulders.
Chu Jingnan looked at her and said, "Before, Xinya said that you suggested that she perform with you. You are always kind and lovely, so I believed it. I thought you were probably worried that Xinya would ruin the performance of the school anniversary, so you did this, so I didn't think too much about it."
"I understand, Brother Chu, I don't blame you." Xia Ruya's tears suddenly fell down, and her pale face looked as soft and beautiful as pear blossoms in the rain.
The hatred and resentment that spread in her heart suddenly bound her entire heart. Wen Xinya had indeed used dishonorable means to deceive Brother Chu, which was why she made a fool of herself in the school anniversary performance.
"I'm sorry, this is my mistake. I should have asked you in person before making a decision." Chu Jingnan looked at her crying sadly and aggrieved, and felt pity for her. During the previous rehearsal, she had heard Xia Ruya playing Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata". She would have shocked everyone with such a beautiful and moving piano piece, but in the end, because of Wen Xinya, she was completely reduced to a supporting role.
Xia Ruya sobbed and her thin shoulders trembled, making her look even more delicate and pitiful. "Brother Chu, as the student union president, you have a lot of things to do. How could you have the time to come and ask me? Besides, my performance was about to start at that time, and time was tight, so this is not your fault."
"Don't cry, I'll post something on the forum later and tell everyone what happened!" Chu Jingnan patted her shoulder gently with comfort and pity.
"Brother Chu! No! Xinya deliberately targeted me in this matter. You were just used by Xinya. You were innocently implicated by Xinya and me. Your reputation in the college should not be affected by the mistake in this incident." Xia Ruya hurriedly pulled Chu Jingnan's arm, her fragile face full of anxiety and worry.
"But in the final analysis, it was my mistake that made you suffer like this." Chu Jingnan was already feeling uncomfortable being used by Wen Xinya, and when Xia Ruya pointed this out to him, he felt a faint sense of anger in his heart. Then, when he saw Xia Ruya compromising because of him, he was deeply moved.
"Brother Chu, I don't feel wronged. Look, the school anniversary ended perfectly and there were rave reviews on the forum. This shows that our efforts were not in vain. How could I feel wronged? I am so happy." Xia Ruya stretched out her fingers to wipe away her tears, while trying to smile.
She smiled like this with tears streaming down her face, showing a fragile strength, like a pale and beautiful flower, which made Chu Jingnan's heart tremble suddenly: "But, letting you bear all the responsibility is too unfair to you. As the president of the student union, I naturally cannot deal with injustice."
Xia Ruya suddenly threw herself into Chu Jingnan's arms and said in a trembling voice, "Don't say anything, Brother Chu. I'm just cleaning the student union for a month. I'll just take it as exercise."
Chu Jingnan subconsciously put his arm around her waist and sighed slightly: "Ruya, you are so kind."
Chu Jingnan looked at Xia Ruya and sighed in his heart. She was so kind and pure, always thinking of others. It would be great if Wen Xinya could be half as good as her.
But this solution is naturally the best. He was born in a common family and became the student union president with great difficulty. He was always trembling with fear, fearing that one wrong step would lead to the loss of his position. If the matter of this school anniversary was brought to the college forum, it would surely cause dissatisfaction among many people, and then the posts he had previously published on the forum would become proof of his mistake.
The position of student union president of a college is very important to him, because it represents the trust and recognition of a college. Even if he leaves Lanfeng in the future, it will leave a strong mark on his resume, and everyone will look up to him.
With such an identity, he can accumulate enough capital. Even if he returns to that home in the future, no one will question his talent and ability. Instead, he will be valued.