NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44: CH: 44 It is true that she feels too confident about herself!
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{Chapter: 44 It is true that she feels too confident about herself!}
Facing the narcissistic Yan Ruyue, Lin Yuan's patience wore thin. His expression turned cold, his usual composed demeanor giving way to a sharp edge in his tone.
"Miss Yan," he began, his voice steady yet firm, "don't think too highly of yourself. I truly came here with a friend, and my presence has absolutely nothing to do with you."
Yan Ruyue's brow arched slightly, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.
"Oh? Really? What a coincidence," she retorted, her tone dripping with skepticism. "Jiangbei is vast, and yet, we just happen to run into each other here? If that's not predestined, I don't know what is."
Her words carried a biting sarcasm that made Lin Yuan clench his fists briefly. He let out a soft exhale, reigning in his irritation.
"Are you still stuck in a teenage fantasy?" Yan Ruyue pressed on, crossing her arms in front of her as she glared at him. "Do you seriously find chance encounters like this amusing? If you'd been honest and told me you wanted to come together, I wouldn't have refused. You've been helpful lately, and I even owe you some gratitude. But following me like this, hoping for some romantic coincidence—it's childish and outdated. Do you really think this kind of old-fashioned trick still works?"
Her words were as frosty as her demeanor, her cold gaze piercing through Lin Yuan.
He stared back at her, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. What exactly was happening here? Why was she so insistent on making him the villain in a scenario he had no part in creating?
The lingering traces of the old Lin Yuan—the obsequious version of himself—had clearly left a deep impression on Yan Ruyue. That previous version of him had fed her self-confidence to the point where she now interpreted every coincidence as deliberate.
If Lin Yuan had truly orchestrated this meeting, he wouldn't have been battling a growing headache right now.
"Miss Yan," he said finally, his voice carrying an unmistakable edge, "please don't flatter yourself. Not everything revolves around you, and frankly, you're reading far too much into this."
For a moment, silence hung between them, her sharp gaze meeting his steady one. Lin Yuan's words seemed to hit their mark, rendering her temporarily speechless.
Seeing his calm but firm expression, Yan Ruyue let out a soft snort, her lips pressed into a thin line. Without another word, she turned on her heel and began walking away, her posture as stiff as her icy demeanor.
At that moment, Yu Shanshan emerged from the bathroom, her lively steps and carefree demeanor a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere that lingered.
"Cousin!" Yu Shanshan called out, jogging toward Lin Yuan with a bright smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to change my napkin—ugh, you know how these things are. Oh!" She stopped suddenly, her gaze shifting to the retreating figure of Yan Ruyue. "What's this? I leave for a few minutes, and you've already started chatting up a beautiful woman? Who was that?"
Lin Yuan glanced at his cousin, his irritation softening at her playful tone.
"Nothing to it," he replied with a faint smile. "Just a chance encounter with an old acquaintance."
Yu Shanshan's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her smile widened mischievously.
"Oh? An old acquaintance, huh? What kind of old acquaintance? Someone special? I didn't expect you to have such mysterious connections."
Lin Yuan rolled his eyes, his lips curling into a wry smile. "If you keep pestering me like this, I might just send those photos of your thirteen harems to your mom."
Yu Shanshan's playful expression vanished in an instant, replaced by one of alarm.
"Please don't, Cousin!" she pleaded, clutching his arm dramatically. "I was wrong, okay? Please don't do that!"
Lin Yuan chuckled softly, shaking his head at her antics.
Just then, his gaze shifted back to Yan Ruyue, who had stopped a few steps away. Her back was to them, but her stiff posture and the faint redness creeping up her neck and ears were impossible to miss.
He could guess exactly what she was feeling.
And he wasn't wrong.
Yan Ruyue had overheard the conversation between Lin Yuan and Yu Shanshan. The pieces began to fall into place in her mind, and she quickly realized how wrong her assumptions had been.
Lin Yuan wasn't lying about waiting for someone.
He wasn't lying about the coincidence.
And most importantly, he wasn't following her.
The truth hit her like a wave, and the confidence she had displayed so boldly just moments ago wavered.
Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, the heat rising to the tips of her ears. Embarrassment welled up inside her, making her want to sink into the ground.
She had been too full of herself—too quick to jump to conclusions.
Her footsteps faltered as she stood frozen, unable to decide whether to keep walking or turn back to say something. But the weight of her earlier words lingered, making it difficult to face Lin Yuan again.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan watched her, the corners of his lips quirking upward in mild amusement.
"Let's go," he said to Yu Shanshan, turning his attention away from Yan Ruyue.
Yu Shanshan blinked, sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere but deciding not to comment on it. Instead, she nodded and followed Lin Yuan, her curiosity about the mysterious woman still lingering in her mind.
Behind them, Yan Ruyue remained rooted in place, her mind a whirlwind of embarrassment and self-reproach. For the first time in a long while, she found herself unsure of what to do.
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