Chapter 58: A Best Friend’s Confession Scene |
Early Sunday morning, Jiang Xueli arrived at the training room of the Children’s Talent Agency.
Although the studio had professional singing equipment, she rarely practiced there—she either trained at home or had Lin Zhengran teach her. But despite her infrequent visits, she had quickly become close with another twin-ponytailed girl, a golden-haired, blue-eyed mixed-race girl named Liu Xinyue.
Liu Xinyue was a bit older than Jiang Xueli, but from the moment they met, they knew—they were kindred spirits.
Standing outside the practice room, Liu Xinyue was already waiting. She wore a floral dress, her high ponytail contrasting with Jiang Xueli’s low one.
"Lili, you’re here!" She hurried over excitedly.
Jiang Xueli greeted her. "Yeah. Why did you suddenly hang up last night?"
Liu Xinyue blushed. "My big brother came over, so I had to hang up. Come on, I need to tell you everything! I really need your help today, or I won’t be able to do this!"
Jiang Xueli nodded, and the two left the practice room, heading toward the mall as Liu Xinyue started explaining.
"I’m leaving for abroad next week, so I want to confess to my neighbor—he’s in college—before I go. If he agrees, I’ll come back in six months. If not… I probably won’t return."
"But I’m nervous," Liu Xinyue continued. "He has a childhood friend named He Qingqing who’s always had a crush on him!"
Jiang Xueli felt a weird sense of déjà vu.
"As a kid, I didn’t even know he had a childhood friend. I only found out in middle school. She has a bunch of freckles—super cute! She’s always liked him, and lately, I’ve noticed her and her best friend plotting something. I think she’s planning to confess!"
Jiang Xueli blinked. Wait… didn’t He Qing and Han Wenwen seem a little suspicious lately, too?
Liu Xinyue sighed. "I think my big brother might like her too. He spends time with her occasionally! If she confesses first, he might say yes, and then I won’t have a chance!"
Frustration clouded her face. "I’ve always hesitated because I’m too tsundere to say things directly. But after hearing you talk about how you asked your crush to see a movie, I realized—I need to take action too! If I don’t, I’ll never get anywhere!"
Jiang Xueli had only shared that story to boost Liu Xinyue’s confidence, but apparently, it had become a guiding principle for her.
Feeling a little awkward, Jiang Xueli said, "I get it now. Xinyue, I’ll support you no matter what! So, when are you confessing?"
"Tonight!"
"Tonight?! That’s fast!"
"Yeah! It’s his birthday today, so I want to surprise him with candles, flowers, and balloons. Then, I’ll confess under the stars!"
Her eyes sparkled with determination.
Jiang Xueli, caught up in the excitement, immediately nodded. "Alright, let’s do it!"
The two girls hit the mall, buying everything needed to create the perfect confession scene. As they worked, Liu Xinyue admitted she had never done anything like this before.
"Because of my tsundere personality, I always gave way to He Qingqing. But not today!"
Jiang Xueli couldn’t shake the sense of familiarity…
After choosing a quiet spot in the park, they set everything up—the balloons were tied down with rocks, the candles arranged in a heart shape, and rose petals scattered in the center.
By the time they finished, the afternoon had slipped away, and the winter sky darkened quickly.
Liu Xinyue clutched a bouquet and took deep breaths.
In the glow of the candlelight, she asked nervously, "Alright… I’m calling him. I’ll succeed, right?"
Jiang Xueli gave an encouraging nod. "Of course! You got this!"
Liu Xinyue fumbled with her phone, found her big brother’s number, and hesitated, her face growing redder by the second.
"I… can I really do this? I’ve never taken the lead before…"
Even Jiang Xueli was getting anxious for her. "You can! Go, Xinyue!"
Liu Xinyue reached for the call button, then yanked her hand back, clenching her fists. "No, no, I’m not ready yet! How should I even ask him to come out?!"
Jiang Xueli, familiar with tsunderes, remained patient. "Just say it directly! You got this!"
"You really think I can do it?"
"Yes, you can!"
Liu Xinyue squeezed her eyes shut, gathering her courage. "You’re right! I can do this!"
"You can do this!"
"I can do this!"
"You can do this!"
Their chant continued, filling the park with determination…
Until a passerby walked up, making them both freeze in embarrassment.
"Are you two confessing, too?" the stranger asked. "What a coincidence! This park is usually empty, but today, there’s actually two confessions happening!"
Jiang Xueli and Liu Xinyue exchanged a glance.
"Wait… someone else is confessing?"
"Yeah," the passerby said, pointing. "Over there. A little girl just confessed to her childhood friend, and he actually said yes! If I wasn’t heading home for dinner, I’d totally stick around to watch."
Liu Xinyue’s eyes widened. "Really?"
Then, turning to Jiang Xueli, she chuckled nervously. "Lili, should we… go check it out? Maybe watching someone else confess will give me some confidence."
Jiang Xueli figured it couldn’t hurt, so they walked over.
A small crowd had gathered around the other confession.
The scene was much simpler—just a single candle on the ground and a bouquet in the girl’s hands.
The confessor was a freckle-faced girl in a white dress. She wasn’t conventionally pretty, but she had a certain charm. The boy was tall, though nowhere near as good-looking as a certain idiot Jiang Xueli knew.
The girl beamed, holding out her flowers. "You really agreed to be with me?!"
The boy smiled softly, nodding. "Of course. Since the girl made the first move, how could I refuse?"
She took a deep breath. "I like you!"
His voice was just as firm. "I like you too."
The crowd started clapping and cheering. "Kiss! Kiss!"
Blushing, the two leaned in for a shy kiss.
Jiang Xueli laughed and turned to Liu Xinyue. "See? It’s simple. Just say you like him, and—"
But before she could finish, she noticed something—
Liu Xinyue was frozen.
Her eyes were locked on the couple, trembling.
Her bouquet slipped from her hands, hitting the ground.
Her heart shattered into pieces.
"M-My big brother…"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the scene before her.
There, in the middle of the crowd, was her beloved big brother—kissing his childhood friend.
"No… no…"
Comments 2