Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 223 - 221: Regret?

Today was Valentine’s Day, and it was also the first time Chen Fang had been home since the Lunar New Year.

She wasn’t back to stay, however, but to pick up a change of clothes. The ones she had brought to Yang Xiaozhi’s place were a bit too thick, and the weather lately had been unbearably hot. She had to get out her short-sleeved shirts; otherwise, it was unbearable during the day, especially around noon.

Just as she gathered a bag of clothes and was about to leave, a voice from the house next door suddenly called out to her.

"Chen Fang."

Chen Fang turned to see Chen Ying standing in her doorway.

Chen Ying really was beautiful. Even in a simple T-shirt, she was so striking and lovely.

Her hair cascaded down her back in slight, natural waves. It was dyed a stylish and playful milk-tea shade, a hairstyle and color that truly put one’s features to the test. Yet, the style looked as if it were tailor-made for her. She was incredibly beautiful.

"Sister, what is it?"

"I heard you spent the New Year at your boyfriend’s house?"

A blush crept onto Chen Fang’s pretty face, but she nodded. "Yes, my parents agreed to it." Since she wasn’t comfortable at home anyway, she had simply spent the New Year at Yang Xiaozhi’s place.

"Do you regret it?"

Chen Fang asked, a little puzzled, "Regret what?"

Chen Ying walked up to her, looked her in the eyes, and asked, "You’re not even twenty yet. You should be studying hard at university so you can graduate, find a good job, and realize your own potential."

Chen Fang smiled. "Sister, I’m not like you. You’ve always done well in school, at the top of your class since we were kids. I’m different. No matter how hard I try, my grades are just average. Even if I kept going, I’d only get into a regular community college. Do you know how much tuition for a place like that costs per semester? My parents could never afford it."

"But if you go to college and get a job afterward, life will be easier than it is now, no matter what."

"It’s fine. Things aren’t that bad for me now. I can work if I want to, and if I don’t, Xiao Zhi will support me. He has a bit of a temper sometimes, but he’s genuinely good to me."

As Chen Ying looked at Chen Fang, she noticed a clear hint of sorrow in her eyes when she mentioned Yang Xiaozhi. This suggested that reality was likely even worse than she was letting on. Yet she still chose to endure it, and even seemed to embrace her situation. Chen Ying couldn’t understand it. It was precisely because she couldn’t understand that she was even more uncertain whether she herself was right or wrong. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Sister, everyone makes different choices. I really envy that you get to go to a good university. But that’s all it is—envy."

"..."

Chen Ying opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

Just before she left, Chen Fang turned back and asked, "Sister, do you regret it?" This question had been circling in her mind ever since she had seen Xue Yang.

"What?" Chen Ying looked at Chen Fang, puzzled.

"Do you regret missing out on Xue Yang?"

"No, why would I regret it?" Chen Ying replied without hesitation. "I’ve never regretted anything I’ve done in my entire life."

Whether or not she truly had regrets, only she knew. Just thinking about that boy who would help her with data for hours without his focus wavering once made Chen Ying feel a bit breathless.

"I really don’t understand," Chen Fang said. "Back when Xue Yang hadn’t gotten into Yanbei yet, you said you wouldn’t accept his confession. I understood that; the gap between you two was too big. But later, after he was admitted, why did you still not accept him?"

"I just... wasn’t ready."

"Was it that you weren’t ready, or that you never believed Xue Yang could get into Yanbei? You just didn’t have faith in him."

"I..."

"Sister, if I were you, I would never let go of a guy who’s willing to work that hard to improve himself. What you lost wasn’t just Xue Yang; it was a boy who only had eyes for you. You’ll never meet anyone like that again, because fate won’t give you a second lucky chance."

Chen Fang had always envied her older sister. She truly embodied almost every fantasy Chen Fang had about what a girl could be. She had always excelled in her studies, never placing lower than third. She was beautiful. From childhood to adulthood, her drawer was never short of love letters. Some boys even left breakfast and all sorts of treats in her drawer for three straight years trying to win her over. And Xue Yang, for her sake, had gotten into Yanbei—a university he otherwise might never have had a chance to attend in his lifetime. But in the end, she still hadn’t accepted him. So seeing her now, Chen Fang felt a sense of peace about her own choices. Even someone as fortunate as her sister could get confused, so what did it matter if she herself took one wrong step? Besides, nothing was set in stone. Who could be sure that the path she chose was definitely the wrong one?

"Sister, sometimes I really don’t know what it is you truly want."

With that, Chen Fang picked up her bag and left. Her family’s house was some distance from Yang Xiaozhi’s. She had taken a bus to get here and now had to hurry to catch one back. The round trip took at least two hours, which was why she was usually too lazy to make the journey.

"What do I really want?" Chen Ying murmured, looking up at the sky.

The sky was clear and cloudless, and looking at it for just a short while made her eyes tired. She looked away, only to find herself facing the brightest object in the world. She shielded her eyes with her hand, but the light still pierced through, stinging them.

Even so, she had no intention of giving up, as if by enduring the initial discomfort, she would gradually adapt.

But the sun, after all, isn’t a guiding light on a dark path. It won’t dim in response to your persistence, allowing you to merge with the darkness and see the way forward. The longer you look at it, the more it blinds you. Only when you truly let go will it allow you to slowly regain your sight. But this time, Chen Ying felt she wanted to try seeing one path through to the bitter end.

With that thought, she went back inside to grab a coat and quickly hurried after Chen Fang.

"Sister, what are you..."

"It’s nothing. I just wanted to walk with you for a bit and see your new place."

"Oh?" Chen Fang was surprised. She probably doesn’t want to see Xiao Zhi’s place; she wants to see Xue Yang’s. Chen Fang didn’t call her out on it, simply letting her tag along.

An hour later, the two of them got off the number 25 bus.

"Sister, Xiao Zhi’s place is right around here."

"Oh," Chen Ying responded nonchalantly.

"Sister, to get to Xue Yang’s home, you go down this road to the very end. You’ll see a huge mango tree. Their house is right under it."

"I’m not going to his house. I’m going to yours."

Despite her words, Chen Ying’s feet unconsciously began to carry her down the road that led to Xue Yang’s home.

...