Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!-Chapter 788 - 342 once and for all

"We’re friends."

Liu Runxi spoke calmly, not as an explanation, but as a simple statement of fact.

Wei Yun’er’s eyes lit up. "Oh, so you’re friends. I thought if she were your girlfriend, I’d need to maintain some distance to avoid any misunderstandings."

Her words seemed thoughtful, but to Shen You’an, they were like a strong cup of tea—impossible to ignore.

Liu Runxi’s brows furrowed sharply. He wasn’t naive; he could clearly sense Wei Yun’er’s probing intent hidden in her words. It displeased him greatly, but his greater fear was that An’an might misunderstand.

He turned his head to look at Shen You’an beside him. The girl’s expression remained poised, her eyes holding a faint smile as she looked at Wei Yun’er.

Wei Yun’er walked cheerfully up to Shen You’an. "Hi, I’m Wei Yun’er. Since you’re Runxi’s friend, you’ll be my friend too."

Shen You’an raised an eyebrow and glanced at Liu Runxi. "Why have I never heard you mention this friend before?"

Wei Yun’er’s smile froze momentarily before quickly recovering.

She playfully glared at Liu Runxi, then stepped forward to casually hook her arm around Shen You’an’s. "Runxi and I met here at this chess academy when we were children. At the time, my parents forced me to learn Go, and I was emotionally distraught. Runxi supported me a lot, both emotionally and with Go. He’s not very talkative and tends to keep his feelings to himself. It’s understandable why he didn’t mention me to his new friends."

Ah, childhood friends.

And that "new friends" phrase—how interesting.

Shen You’an gently brushed off her hand and smiled lightly. "Sorry, I’m not comfortable being so close to strangers I’ve just met."

Wei Yun’er hadn’t expected her to show no courtesy whatsoever, and the smile on her face became slightly forced.

Liu Runxi, typically reserved, couldn’t suppress his reaction this time upon hearing Wei Yun’er repeatedly insinuate her closeness to him. "Wei Yun’er, you know exactly what kind of relationship we have. Don’t make me say anything unpleasant."

Wei Yun’er sighed and turned to Shen You’an. "Ever since he transferred to Qingzhou, we’ve grown distant. Are you one of the players competing today?"

She skillfully shifted the topic, her gaze landing on the number badge in Shen You’an’s hand.

Just then, a staff member wearing an organizer badge briskly approached, glancing around before his eyes lit up upon spotting Wei Yun’er. He hurried over to her. "Mr. Wei, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. The Dean wants to see you—please come with me."

Wei Yun’er smiled and nodded. "I’ll join you after I finish talking to my friends."

The staff member glanced at Liu Runxi and Shen You’an respectfully before stepping aside to wait.

Shen You’an raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Wei?"

Wei Yun’er glanced at Liu Runxi with a smile. "I’m embarrassed to admit I’m one of the judges for this competition."

Shen You’an narrowed her eyes slightly.

The girl before her lifted her chin proudly, her smile carrying an air of superiority.

Judging a Go competition at such a young age—indeed, she had reason to be proud.

Wei Yun’er sighed. "Runxi, if you’d continued down this path back then, your achievements would far surpass mine. You’re so talented. Among that group of students, Dean Sun always thought so highly of you. He even mentioned you to me recently—he spoke with such regret. You should come with me to see him. His health isn’t great these days, but if he could see you, he’d certainly be very happy."

Wei Yun’er’s eyes brimmed with a sincere pleading, as if truly lamenting the retirement of a Go prodigy.

Shen You’an glanced at Liu Runxi, her expression unreadable.

He really was being humble.

Liu Runxi’s demeanor remained stoic, his tone growing colder. "I will pay a visit to Dean Sun, but as for Go, I’ve never regretted my past decisions."

Wei Yun’er grew increasingly disappointed as he stayed unmoved. She adjusted her smile and turned to Shen You’an. "Even though you’re Runxi’s friend, I still can’t bend the rules for you. Fair play is what comes first on the chessboard. That said, if you ever have any issues, feel free to come to me. On behalf of Runxi, I’ll help however I can."

With those words, she cast a meaningful glance in Liu Runxi’s direction.

Shen You’an chuckled. This girl was interesting. What did she mean by "can’t bend the rules"? Fair play? She might as well say outright that Shen You’an was incompetent and unable to cheat even if she wanted to.

Who did she think she was looking down on?

Liu Runxi’s voice was as cold as a glacier. "You underestimate An’an, and you’ve underestimated me too."

With that, he didn’t spare her another glance and pulled Shen You’an away.

Wei Yun’er stared at their retreating figures, the sweet smile on her face vanishing instantly, replaced by a shadowy gloom deep in her eyes.