"Little Ci, please don't say that. I've always seen you as a friend. Really." Dong Yin took in a deep breath, forcing back her tears before facing Ye Ci once again.
Ye Ci snorted and repeated emotionlessly, "Do you really see me as a friend?"
"Yes, I do! Aren't we best friends? We've been best friends since we're young! We were born together, we grew up together and went to school together! We've even eaten from the same pot, slept on the same bed and read the same books! Is there anything deeper and stronger than our bonds of friendship?" Dong Yin's voice was soft, but calm. It had a calming effect on its listener.
Ye Ci was astonished after listening to Dong Yin's words. She had underestimated this petite girl. She had always thought that Dong Yin was a person who would never dare to voice her thoughts out loud and could only cry in the face of pressure. It seems that Ye Ci was wrong. The Dong Yin in front of her knew very well how to use a person's soft spot and turn an utterly desperate situation around. Compared to the little girl she was, the current Dong Yin had changed by a lot.
Dong Yin fixed her gaze on Ye Ci, and the faint unfathomable light glowing within her black eyes. It was a terrifying experience. Ye Ci had always been a reserved person since she was young. Some would say that she was wise, while there were other who would claim that she was being shrewd. Dong Yin knew that she was never Ye Ci's opponent in a mind game. With this very moment as an example, she was unable to fathom what was in Ye Ci's thoughts, and she could not comprehend the smile on Ye Ci's face. What did it mean? Dong Yin was very curious, but she was too afraid to ask.
She was afraid that all ground she made up would be lost again once she heard the answer from Ye Ci.
Dong Yin felt cold despite the warm weather. The coldness enveloped her, causing her to shiver. Having knelt on the ground for quite a long time, Dong Yin's legs were numb. With that, the shivering of her body intensified. It became more and more obvious to the point where Yi Cang had noticed Dong Yin's condition. But since he was pinned down by Bai Mo, the only thing he could do was to protest loudly in an angry voice, "Ye Ci! Look at Dong Yin! She's shivering like crazy! Didn't you know that her body has been weak since she was young? How could you let her kneel in front of you for so long? You're so cruel, she was merely..."
A sudden feeling of disgust washed over Ye Ci. She had never disliked a guy like she did Yi Cang right at this moment. She cast a glance at Yi Cang impatiently and cut him off mid sentence, "Is she my daughter? Is she a child? Or is she an idiot? She's the one who willingly knelt in front of me. Did I force her to do that? And why would she keep kneeling when her body couldn't take it anymore? Is it to highlight how innocent she is and how cruel I am?"
"Stop it! Stop fighting! It's my fault!" Dong Yin was dismayed by the tone Ye Ci used on Yi Cang, as well as her sarcasm. She stood up abruptly. The sudden gush of blood towards her brain made Dong Yin dizzy. Her vision darkened and the world spun. Out of reflex, she closed her eyes and leaned against the table for support.
Right before she closed her eyes, Dong Yin subconsciously cast a glance at Ye Ci. The only thing she saw however, was a cold expression. There was no warmth, no intimacy that a friend should have. Ye Ci was like a bystander. The same thing happened a long time ago. She was having a dizzy spell after kneeling on the ground for too long. At that time, the first person who helped her up was not Yi Cang, who was standing beside her. It was Ye Ci, who had stood further away. At that time, Ye Ci was so worried about her. But right at this moment? The person in front of her did not even react.
Why was that?
Was this the Ye Ci she used to know? Was this really the Ye Ci who had always been so protective of her? Were there any similarities between the two other than their looks?
An unknown feeling of hatred crept its way slowly into Dong Yin's heart. She had done nothing to wrong Ye Ci, and had even defended her in front of He Xiao. Why couldn't she get a hint of sympathy from Ye Ci? She was disappointed by how cold and heartless Ye Ci was.
Dong Yin took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes when the dizziness had faded. She sat beside Ye Ci, casting a glance at her. She then spoke up with hints of resentment in her voice, "Little Ci, can you stop being so sensitive? I've never wronged you, nor have I done anything to harm you. I'm just asking for your help."
"Since things have come to this, let's get this straight. I refuse to help." Ye Ci rejected Dong Yin without hesitation.
"You..." Dong Yin was rejected before she could even voice her anger out. Yi Cang, however, could hold himself back no longer. He shoved Bai Mo aside and stood up. He walked up to Dong Yin and grabbed hold of her arm. He then glared at Ye Ci, "Dong Yin, let's go, there's no point begging her. We grew up together, don't you know what kind of person she is? She has always been selfish. It's all about her own benefit. She's just slightly better in the game, that's it! We don't need her help!"
With that, he began dragging Dong Yin away.
Ye Ci stared coldly at the duo. That was, however, the last straw for Liu Chang. She slammed her chopsticks onto the table and shouted, "Yi Cang! Don't you dare!"
"What? You have something else to say?" Yi Cang turned around and looked and Liu Chang with disdain, "Look, I don't want get into an argument with you since we're friends. But Liu Chang, can you not be so shameless? Since you're always following behind Ye Ci like a dog, don't you act like you're somebody in front of me! To put it frankly, there's no way I'll be interested in you with that pedantic look of yours!"
"Yi Cang, you..." Liu Chang was so angry that her entire body trembled. She wanted to grab Yi Cang, but someone acted faster than her.