Chapter 299 : A Scene Right Out of a White Album
“Was that your girlfriend calling again?”
“It’s nothing, really. We already broke up. That was just a friend inviting me out for some gaming. Anyway, let’s keep enjoying our dessert. Where were we?” Makoto Itou said with a cheerful smile.
“Oh, really?”
The girl with heavy makeup glanced at Makoto with narrowed eyes, her lips curling into an enigmatic smile. But she didn’t press further and instead resumed savoring the desserts from the café.
Makoto let out a sigh of relief as he observed the girl’s reaction. She’s so hard to please, he thought. However, if he could win over this rich young lady, his future would be secure.
As for his current girlfriend, while she came from a well-off family, she was way too conservative. Three years of dating, and they hadn’t gone beyond holding hands—not even a kiss!
Her traditional values aside, she was practically perfect: understanding, caring, and incredibly thoughtful. She listened to him on almost everything. If not for the allure of this rich young lady, he never would have considered giving her up. In fact, his plan had been to propose after graduation, certain she’d say yes. But...
Makoto absentmindedly took a bite of dessert and gazed out the window. His right eyelid twitched uncontrollably, giving him an ominous feeling.
He shook his head, dismissing it as superstition—such things had no place in the modern age. Surely, it was just his overthinking.
Makoto decided he’d break up with his girlfriend after this date. Continuing to hide things would only worsen the situation. He had considered juggling both relationships, but the young lady knew he had a girlfriend. Unless he ended it, he’d never be able to justify his actions.
Makoto shifted his gaze to the young lady, who was still leisurely enjoying her dessert. How much longer is she going to eat? he wondered. They’d been sitting here since lunch, and now his stomach felt like it was about to burst. How could someone so petite eat so much dessert and not worry about gaining weight?
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Just then, the door to the dessert shop swung open, and three figures walked in: two beautiful girls and an adorable little loli.
Yes, it was none other than Ling Ning and her group.
This dessert shop was the most renowned in the area, known for its quality and ambiance. Naturally, it was pricier than ordinary cafés, but that wasn’t an issue for Ling Ning.
Upon entering, Ling Ning scanned the shop for a table. Her gaze inadvertently fell on a familiar face—the boy she had seen earlier at the restaurant, along with the heavily made-up girl. What were the odds they’d run into each other again here?
As Ling Ning noticed Makoto Itou, he also noticed her. Makoto was stunned by her beauty and elegance. If the rich young lady weren’t sitting beside him, he’d have walked over to strike up a conversation. Who knew? It might have led to a wonderful night. Just imagining it brought a smile to his face.
But his fantasies were short-lived. His smile froze as his gaze shifted to someone else: his girlfriend, Lin Xi, walking in with a slight limp.
Why is she here? he panicked. Didn’t she injure her foot?
His mind raced with possibilities. Were Lin Xi and the elegant beauty friends? Did Lin Xi come here with her?
But it was too late to run. Lin Xi had already spotted him. Her expressionless face betrayed nothing, but the sight of her boyfriend sitting comfortably with another girl, eating dessert, made the situation all too clear.
Lin Xi hobbled over and stood in front of Makoto, her tone icy. “So, this is your ‘work’? This is why you’ve been ‘too busy’? This is the reason you haven’t shown up even once since I hurt my foot?”
“I...”
Makoto opened his mouth to explain, but his words caught in his throat when he glanced at the young lady still calmly eating her cake. For the first time, he didn’t know what to say.
Ling Ning, observing the situation, quickly pieced things together. She finally remembered where she had seen Makoto before—he was the guy in the photo displayed at Lin Xi’s home, labeled as her boyfriend.
Judging by the scene unfolding before her, not only had this man cheated, but his “train” had derailed spectacularly.
“You don’t need to say anything. We’re done, Makoto Itou!” Lin Xi declared.
Her voice was calm, devoid of hysteria or theatrics. Yet, her words struck Makoto like a thunderclap. He felt as though something vital had been ripped from his chest, leaving behind only regret.
Moments earlier, he had been planning to break up with Lin Xi. Yet now, as she walked away, he felt nothing but loss.
He reached out, wanting to stop her, but Lin Xi didn’t even glance back. Her resolute departure left him with nothing but her retreating figure.
Seeing this, Ling Ning knew dessert was no longer on the table—literally. Silently, she followed Lin Xi out of the shop.
Ling Ye trailed behind them, her small mind still struggling to process the drama she had just witnessed.
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“Well, it seems you lied to me,” the young lady finally spoke after Ling Ning and her group left.
Her tone was indifferent, but her gaze carried an icy edge as she looked at Makoto.
“N-No! That’s not how it is!” Makoto stammered, desperate to explain.
“Hmm. There’s nothing more to say. Take care of yourself.”
With that, the young lady rose gracefully and left the shop without another word.
Makoto sat there in stunned silence, unable to form a single coherent thought as he watched her walk away.
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Author’s Note:
How did it come to this? It wasn’t supposed to end like this...