The Young Miss Refuse To Love-Chapter 96: No friends

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Chapter 96: No friends

"Huh, when did she ever say she wants to be with you?" He Zeqing interjected sharply, cutting off Qi Jianyi who was about to open her mouth to say something. His gaze was filled with disdain as it rested on his so-called friend.

The sheer audacity of Song Chengfeng—his confidence so inflated and his arrogance so brazen—was enough to make He Zeqing feel secondhand embarrassment.

How could someone be so full of himself?

Meanwhile, He Zejin, the unusually quiet and forgotten presence in the room, stood stunned by Song Chengfeng’s boldness.

He had heard rumors of someone daring to pursue his cousin, but no one had prepared him for this level of shamelessness.

"Did I talk to you? No? Then shut up," Song Chengfeng snapped with irritation, his patience wearing thin.

He could barely tolerate the sound of He Zeqing’s overly protective tone, which grated on his nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

"You—" He Zeqing jabbed a finger in Song Chengfeng’s direction, utterly speechless at his friend’s sheer audacity.

Seated comfortably, Qi Jianyi observed the two of them bickering with an amused expression, her calm demeanor unshaken by their childish antics.

Without a word, she casually reached out to take the apple slices from He Zejin’s hand, her actions a stark contrast to the chaotic energy between the two men.

Caught off guard, He Zejin hesitated momentarily but quickly decided to follow Qi Jianyi’s lead. Seeing her unfazed reaction made him subconsciously tune out the squabble as well.

After all, he reasoned, He Zeqing and Song Chengfeng were friends at the end of the day, and no matter how heated their banter seemed, they weren’t likely to take it seriously enough to escalate into a real fight.

"Why am I even friends with you?" He Zeqing muttered aloud, his voice laced with genuine disgust.

He grimaced as though regretting the choices of his younger self, lamenting the fact that he had ever befriended someone like Song Chengfeng—whom he now considered the ultimate scumbag.

Song Chengfeng rolled his eyes at the exaggerated display of regret, flashing He Zeqing a disdainful glance before retorting coldly, "Because no one else wanted to be your friend."

Unbothered by the jab, He Zeqing leaned back in his chair with an air of triumph. "Wrong, Chengfeng. It wasn’t that no one wanted to be my friend—it’s that no one wanted to deal with you. You were so pitiful that I felt bad and decided to stick around. And because of that, no one wanted to hang out with me either, since you’d always push them away like some tyrant."

The confident delivery of his words caused Song Chengfeng to stiffen momentarily. His expression faltered as he instinctively glanced at Qi Jianyi, who was just about to put a slice of apple into her mouth. Her hand froze mid-motion as she blinked in surprise, her interest piqued by He Zeqing’s bold declaration.

"Really?" she asked, her round eyes brimming with curiosity as they flicked between the two men. Her gaze moved back and forth, trying to discern who was lying.

He Zeqing, never one to miss an opportunity to assert himself, nodded with conviction.

"Of course! Who else would be friends with this cold, arrogant guy other than me?" he said, grinning victoriously at Song Chengfeng as though he had already won the argument.

"Nonsense," Song Chengfeng finally interjected, his voice firm as he tried to debunk He Zeqing’s claims. His stern expression suggested he was taking this far too seriously.

But it was already too late. His delayed reaction only solidified the narrative in the minds of his audience.

Qi Jianyi and He Zejin exchanged knowing glances before both turned to look at Song Chengfeng, their eyes now tinged with pity.

Song Chengfeng, catching their expressions, felt his jaw tighten. He didn’t need to hear their thoughts to know they had fully bought into He Zeqing’s embellished tale.

For once, he was at a loss for words, and He Zeqing couldn’t have looked more satisfied with himself.

"So, you’ve always been cold, even as a kid?" Qi Jianyi asked, her words cutting straight to the point. The topic seemed to spark her curiosity as she leaned slightly forward, her gaze fixed on Song Chengfeng.

Song Chengfeng hesitated, the urge to deny her claim flickering in his mind. But the unwavering stare of He Zeqing, the only person who could truly verify—or expose—his childhood behavior, stopped him.

It was clear that if he dared to twist the truth, He Zeqing wouldn’t hesitate to call him out.

"Other kids were just brats who cried whenever things didn’t go their way," he finally said, his tone cool as he skillfully sidestepped the question.

His answer, though evasive, wasn’t far from the truth. Song Chengfeng genuinely disliked most of the other children during his younger years.

They were either insufferably loud, constantly wailing, or quick to gang up and bully the weaker ones. Such behavior had always irritated him.

Qi Jianyi raised an eyebrow, her lips curving slightly, as though silently questioning him. Yet instead of pushing him further, she turned her gaze to He Zeqing, seeking his confirmation.

Song Chengfeng’s face darkened the moment he noticed her unspoken doubt, a silent complaint evident in his expression.

Suppressing his laughter at Song Chengfeng’s discomfort, He Zeqing nodded without hesitation. "He’s telling the truth. The other kids back then were unbearable—always bullying others or throwing tantrums. Neither of us wanted to play with them."

Qi Jianyi smiled faintly at his words, the thought pulling her deeper into reflection.

"It’s ironic that I never saw you when we were kids," she said softly, almost to herself.

The thought struck her as peculiar. She, Qi Jianyi, was He Zeqing’s cousin, while He Zeqing and Song Chengfeng had grown up as childhood friends.

Yet, somehow, the original Qi Jianyi and Song Chengfeng had never crossed paths until now.

It was as though fate had deliberately kept their lives separate, waiting for the right moment to bring them together.

Or perhaps, she mused quietly, the original Qi Jianyi was never meant to meet him at all. Only she was.

Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile at the idea, a swirl of wonder and acceptance brewing in her heart. Whatever the reason, their paths had finally converged, and it felt significant, even if the answers weren’t yet clear.

"It’s better that way,"

Song Chengfeng replied, the words slipping out almost instinctively. His usual sharp gaze softened when he noticed the slight bewilderment crossing Qi Jianyi’s face.

In truth, he genuinely believed it was for the best that they hadn’t met earlier. If they had, he wouldn’t have encountered the Qi Jianyi sitting before him now—the one he had come to admire, to cherish, and to fall in love with. Instead, he would have met the original Qi Jianyi, a person he felt no connection with.

The thought unsettled him deeply. Somehow, the idea of knowing the original Qi Jianyi first felt... wrong. Because he was certain he wouldn’t have been moved by her.

To him, she would have been just another person, someone insignificant in the vast sea of his acquaintances. And the idea of such a meaningless meeting, devoid of the depth he now felt, made his chest tighten uncomfortably.

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" He Zeqing interjected, breaking the moment with an exaggerated look of disbelief.

His tone dripped with mockery as he leaned forward slightly. "Since when did the infamous Song Chengfeng start talking like a lovesick fool?"

Qi Jianyi rolled her eyes, exhaling a small huff of amusement. Now she understood why Song Chengfeng often seemed exasperated around He Zeqing.

The man simply didn’t know when to stop talking. Worse, he seemed to enjoy interrupting every rare moment of sincerity between them.

"Cousin," she began, narrowing her eyes as she turned toward He Zeqing.

"Don’t you have work to do?" Her tone carried a pointed edge, clearly signaling her intention to send him on his way.

Shrugging nonchalantly, He Zeqing leaned back in his chair, utterly unaffected by her thinly veiled attempt. "I’m the President. Even if I have work, who would dare press me to finish it?"

"Don’t Presidents usually have meetings to attend? Why are you so free?" she countered, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her palm as she stared at him.

"I pushed them all back," he replied with the kind of shameless confidence only He Zeqing could muster.

"Tsk, useless President," Song Chengfeng quipped, the corners of his mouth lifting in a mocking grin.

Unbothered, He Zeqing smirked back. "At least I have my own business, unlike someone who claims he can take care of others while lounging around like a salted fish."

Qi Jianyi let out a long, weary sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She could already feel the tension brewing into another one of their infamous bantering matches.

Before it could escalate further, she cut in swiftly.

"Do you really plan to be a salted fish for the rest of your life?" she asked, turning to Song Chengfeng with feigned nonchalance.

Her tone was casual, but she was ready to follow up with reassurance that it was fine if he did. However, before she could finish the thought, he beat her to it.

"What do you like to do other than writing?" he asked suddenly, his question catching her off guard. Even He Zeqing raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the abrupt shift.

Qi Jianyi blinked, momentarily at a loss. What did she enjoy doing other than writing? Her mind searched through her scattered memories before she hesitantly answered, "Games?"

She tilted her head slightly as she spoke, her voice soft and unsure. Yes, gaming.

She used to play mobile games a lot—not the intense ones filled with guns and battles, but the kind that allowed her to unwind and relax.

"Games? Okay," Song Chengfeng said, nodding thoughtfully as if he were filing the information away for later.

"Why are you asking that?" she questioned, her interest piqued as her gaze shifted to him. She briefly glanced at He Zeqing, who seemed just as curious.

Raising his brows with a teasing glint in his eyes, Song Chengfeng smirked. "Just asking. You’ll find out soon enough," he replied, deliberately dodging her question.

Qi Jianyi’s curiosity only deepened, but for now, she let it go, watching as the faint smirk lingered on Song Chengfeng’s lips, leaving her wondering what he had planned.

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