Damn it! Let’s smash the darkness together!
Chapter 191 - 18: Bizarre Star Tower, Heavenly Defiance Childhood Friend (Second update, averaged 5000 owed a little)

Chapter 191: Chapter 18: Bizarre Star Tower, Heavenly Defiance Childhood Friend (Second update, averaged 5000 owed a little)

Xu Shu watched her for a few moments, thinking that after yesterday’s incident, his sister was indeed safer in school, and thus slowly turned around and left.

Suddenly, he heard a surprised voice from behind, "Xu Shu? What are you doing here??"

"Hmm?"

The woman’s voice sounded somewhat familiar. Xu Shu stopped, turned around, and saw a pretty girl standing there,

about eighteen or nineteen years old, with delicate features, fair skin, short bob hair, dressed in a tight white dress, revealing her dazzling long legs, standing strikingly behind him.

She was actually quite attractive, but she had on overly bright lipstick and her hair was permed and dyed. Additionally, the flashy expensive necklace and earrings on her neck and earlobes made her look rather vulgar.

This attire certainly didn’t seem appropriate for an eighteen-year-old high schooler; instead, she resembled the "princess" roles marketed for their innocence in nightclubs.

Coincidentally, this girl happened to be his childhood friend, the girl next door, Hu Xinrui.

To the young and naive Xu Shu, she was like the "moonlight" in his heart. Back then, Xu Shu was timid and had secretly adored her for years, sensing that she also harbored tender feelings for him. However, he never dared to break the ice.

Until later, when his foster father Zhou Junjie fell ill and Xu Shu’s family went into decline. Seeing her find a boyfriend right after graduating high school, Xu Shu completely let go.

Xu Shu was not the type to hold grudges. Relations in this world were just like this—everyone’s circumstances and personalities differed, and he wouldn’t harbor resentment over such trivial matters.

But since they were childhood friends, albeit their relationship had faded, and since they had run into each other and she recognized him calling him over, Xu Shu casually asked, "Oh, is there something..."

Before he could finish the word "matter."

The girl, dressed in an almost white lotus-like fashion, interrupted him with a trace of complaint, "Hold on, wait a minute!"

"Huh?"

Xu Shu was somewhat puzzled.

What do you know?

But Hu Xinrui first stepped back a few paces toward a high-end black sedan parked by the roadside. While smoothing her hair, she muttered apologies like "Sorry, my neighbor’s younger brother," "I’ll handle it."

Naturally, this sparked Xu Shu’s curiosity. He glimpsed at the man sitting in the back seat of the car, whose window was only cracked open slightly, listening expressionlessly to Hu Xinrui’s explanations.

"Heh, this relationship is difficult to define," Xu Shu thought as he made brief eye contact with him.

Through the car window, he could only see vaguely that the man had short hair and a lean, skinny figure.

However, this man was not the same person Hu Xinrui had dated when she graduated.

"Jeez, looks like the rich second-generation guy got dumped too, and this time, this guy is obviously of a higher tier."

Just from the car alone, one could tell this guy was wealthy.

Xu Shu could only sigh that Hu Xinrui did have some tricks up her sleeve, but not many.

You’re an average person with nothing special; what do they see in you to shower you with gold and silver?

There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world, right?

Xu Shu noticed that the man didn’t seem to value Hu Xinrui much; she was likely trading her youth for some meager benefits, unlikely to reap any good outcomes.

But people have their own aspirations, and it wasn’t his place to comment.

Indeed, Hu Xinrui had always had a bit of a snobbish streak since childhood.

When they played together as kids, she always had a disdain for the poor and liked to compare whose father was from the Judgment Bureau, whose mother worked for the research institute.

It was just that the younger Xu Shu was too naive to see through her at the time.

He had time now and wasn’t willing to waste it here. Their relationship wasn’t as good as before, and it was her choice, so he didn’t say much.

Seeing that Hu Xinrui had nothing else to say, Xu Shu stepped away to leave.

However, after sending her "sponsor" away, Hu Xinrui hurriedly caught up, grabbed Xu Shu’s hand, and tried to pull him into a deserted alley, saying, "Come with me." —Smack.

She stumbled, unable to pull him along, and even twisted her foot a bit.

Xu Shu stood firm, responding indifferently, "Don’t pull like that, just speak if you have something to say."

Hu Xinrui looked at her hand that he had pushed away, stunned for a moment, "You... you weren’t here waiting for me for a long time?"

Xu Shu looked at her bewilderedly and said, "Why would I wait for a long time? Don’t be so self-absorbed."

"You..."

Hu Xinrui was momentarily speechless, glanced around, and rolled her eyes, "Xu Shu, if you’re using this method to provoke me, to make me pay attention to you, I must tell you that you are mistaken."

"..."

"I heard that after you returned from Wasteland, you found a decent job with a good income. Not only did you cover uncle’s medical bills, but you also moved back home. I’m glad your family is making it through. I’m really happy we can be neighbors again..."

"You’re happy too soon."

"???" Hu Xinrui was taken aback and then pouted, "You know, you shouldn’t be so childish by saying that."

Heavenly Defiance. Xu Shu’s mouth twitched, but still curiously asked, "...But how do you know all this?"

Hu Xinrui replied matter-of-factly, "Your sister told me this afternoon."

"Dammit, why would she tell you that?"

"Don’t change the topic, Xu Shu... As you see, I have a new boyfriend now, so there’s no chance for us. Let’s just be regular friends first. You can come to see me, but I hope you don’t keep showing up at my school like this," Hu Xinrui said.