Chapter 26


    But these were the facts. There was nothing I could say, so I just smiled bitterly.


    “Felix, why don’t you introduce your girlfriend to everyone?”


    Lc leaned in Felix’s arms, smiling shyly. She was obviously the one that Felix loved.


    “When did you get a girlfriend? This Isn’t a third–party kind of situation, is it?” Jade said loudly,


    These girls knew about my feelings toward Felix. When I had been scolded by him in public, they also


    had all known about it and had bullied Felix thoroughly for several days.


    Jade was very biased, and she was probably racking her brains to think of a way to find justice for me.


    I pped a hand to my forehead in resignation. Jade really just said whatever was on her mind. I


    wished she hadn’t made things awkward for me!


    hin?” Felix was obviously


    “The two of us are both single. Isn’t it normal for us to be in a rtionship?” Felix


    displeased.


    “Aren’t you both


    Mmph …”


    Zara Lowe was the closest to Jade, and to prevent Jade from embarrassing me further, she reached


    out to cover Jade’s mouth. She was tall and had long arms, so she dragged Jade away easily.


    “What nonsense are you talking about? There’s no need for introductions. We’ll get to know each other


    soon enough. Let’s start hiking.”


    Hiking was a physically strenuous activity, and my friends, who had been bookworms and nerds since


    childhood, weren’t ustomed to it.


    We were only halfway up the mountain, but all of them were already exhausted. They dragged


    themselves to rest under the trees, gasping as they sought the shade.


    They all surrounded me, hesitating to speak. It was funny and heartwarming to see how much they


    wanted to say something without hurting my feelings.


    I was d they were here today. Otherwise, I would really have been affected by Felix.


    “I’ll just say it once, and no one’s allowed to ask again in the future. The marriage pact between us was


    just a joke between our families, and he’s always treated me as a little sister.


    “I was the one who misunderstood, and it has nothing to do with him. Lc is the woman he likes, and


    she’s already met his parents. They’ll be together in the future.”


    “What about you, then, Lulu? Don’t tell us that your feelings for him weren’t real,”


    I smiled bitterly. How could they be false? I had almost thrown my life away for Felix.


    “You can’t force what isn’t yours. He’s him, I’m me. If you don’t want to see me staying single, then find


    a good man among your cousins or whatever and introduce him to me.”


    “Lulu, you must be so upset.”


    I looked over at a daisy blooming in the distance, and after a long time, I said, “It’ll pass.”


    Everyone was quiet, and we all sighed as we thought about how things changed and how people’s


    hearts. were fickle. Then, our spirits were lifted again as we talked about how we would spread the


    wider when we got back so that they could find me a boyfriend who was a hundred times better than


    Felix.


    I couldn’t argue with them, so I left them to it.


    With much difficulty, we finally reached the summit. Everyone mored to go and eat ice cream at the


    lone shop there. I nced at Felix and Lc, who had arrived before everyone else. They were holding


    a box of raspberries, feeding each other as they sat on a bench underneath a tree.


    The two of them gazed at each other from time to time, their eyes full of lingering affection. Felix had


    his arm around Lc’s shoulders while she leaned into the crook of his neck. Whenever he bent down


    or she lifted up her face, their lips would meet easily.


    My heart broke, and there was a sour taste in my mouth.


    I didn’t want to make myself suffer, so I turned and walked in the opposite direction.


    The summit of the mountain was spacious, so it was easy for me to find a ce where I couldn’t see


    them.


    I