Chapter 395 : No Pics, No Proof
“Lin Xi, you’re here?”
As Lin Xi spotted Makoto Itou, he noticed her at the same time. It had been a while since they’d seen each other, and though they were now exes, a mix of emotions surged through him. Instinctively, he walked over to greet her. Despite the slim chances of reconciliation, he still couldn’t bring himself to give up.
Seeing her ex-boyfriend again after so long, Lin Xi noted how he’d lost the confident and spirited aura he once had. Now, he seemed much more haggard.
“It’s been a while.”
Lin Xi greeted him calmly, surprising even herself. She hadn’t expected to feel so composed when meeting him again after all this time.
Sitting nearby, Luo Xiaoyu sensed that something was off. Leaning toward Ling Ning, she whispered, “What’s going on? Why does the atmosphere feel so weird?”
“Ah, let’s not get into it right now. I’ll explain later,” Ling Ning replied with a cryptic smile.
Curiosity clawed at Luo Xiaoyu’s heart like a persistent cat, but since Ling Ning wasn’t willing to elaborate, she chose to stay quiet and simply observe.
Makoto Itou gave a bitter smile in response to Lin Xi’s cold demeanor. “How… how have you been?”
“Pretty good.”
Once again, the conversation fell into silence as the two stared at each other. Just when Ling Ning and Luo Xiaoyu thought the awkward exchange had come to an end, Makoto Itou spoke again.
“I deeply regret what happened before. I’ve thought about it a lot over the past few weeks, and I’ve realized that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I know it’s probably impossible to ask for your forgiveness, but… can you give me another chance?”
Makoto Itou gazed at Lin Xi with heartfelt sincerity, his emotions practically spilling out of his eyes. Ling Ning had to hold back the urge to clap for his performance.
Lin Xi sighed deeply before flashing a faint smile.
That familiar smile gave Makoto Itou a glimmer of hope. Whenever Lin Xi smiled like that, it usually meant something good was coming.
But reality was cruel.
To his shock, Lin Xi stood up, walked toward him, and—just as he was about to open his arms for a hug—she bypassed him entirely. Instead, she stopped beside the beautiful girl seated at the table, leaned down, and kissed her.
Not only was Makoto Itou stunned, but even Ling Ning, one of the involved parties, was too dumbfounded to react.
Luo Xiaoyu, sitting nearby, blinked several times in disbelief, equally at a loss for words.
“Hey, look over there! Those two girls… they’re so bold, kissing in public! Wait, the one standing looks really familiar!” someone in the cafeteria murmured.
“Senior, tell us! Who is she?”
The male student addressed as “senior” adjusted his black-framed glasses and explained, “The one standing is Lin Xi, a well-known beauty from the Chinese Literature department. You’ll see her at the opening ceremony. As for the other girl, I don’t recognize her. She’s probably a freshman, but with looks like hers, we’ll find out who she is soon enough.”
“I… I’m so excited!”
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Since it was the first day of registration, the cafeteria was packed. Ling Ning, Luo Xiaoyu, and Lin Xi had already drawn attention as a striking trio. Now, with this scene unfolding, all eyes in the room were on them. Some students even whipped out their phones to snap photos.
After what felt like an eternity, the kiss ended.
Lin Xi turned back to Makoto Itou and, with a polite smile, said, “I’m sorry, but as you can see, this is my situation now. Please don’t bother me again.”
With that, she grabbed the still-dazed Ling Ning and walked out of the cafeteria. Lin Xi was well aware of how much attention she’d attracted, and if they didn’t leave soon, they’d likely end up as a hot topic on the school forum.
Actually, it was already too late. If Lin Xi had checked her phone at that moment, she would’ve seen the forum’s pinned post: “Shocking! Chinese Literature Department Beauty Does This in Broad Daylight!”
The post’s author was one of the students in the cafeteria and had included a detailed account along with a photo. However, the angle wasn’t great—it captured Lin Xi’s face clearly but only a partial view of Ling Ning’s.
“Second-floor comment here. I was there too, but the OP’s photo skills are garbage. The girl who got kissed isn’t even fully visible!” someone replied, adding their own blurry photo.
“Third-floor here! Both of you are weak. I got a clear shot of the girl’s face!”
“Stop teasing us and post it already!”
“Crap! I accidentally deleted it!”
“No pics, no proof! But seriously, the department beauty openly kissing a girl? I’m really curious about her partner. Judging by her silhouette, she seems amazing~”
“I’ve been burned by silhouettes before, but Lin Xi’s taste must be good, right? By the way, did anyone notice the girl sitting nearby? Isn’t that Luo Xiaoyu from the Administrative Management department? And the guy standing there—wasn’t that Lin Xi’s ex, Makoto Itou? I can already imagine a million-word love-hate drama involving three women and one man.”
“OMG, it really is Luo Xiaoyu! I love you, Luo Xiaoyu! Legal Loli forever!”
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Lin Xi dragged Ling Ning to a quiet corner and, looking slightly embarrassed, muttered, “I’m sorry about earlier. I got carried away. I just wanted to settle things once and for all. But… I’ll take responsibility!”
“Well, you could’ve at least chosen a less crowded spot! Kissing in public like that—what if someone took a photo?”
Ling Ning looked exasperated. Why had things turned out like this? She’d only wanted to quietly watch from the sidelines, but somehow, she’d ended up caught in the crossfire.
“Don’t make that face. That was my first kiss, you know!”
“Your first kiss? But mine—” Ling Ning paused, thinking back. Oh, right, her first kiss had been with Li Qian… or maybe even earlier, with her childhood friend Bai Yiyue.
Hearing this, Lin Xi felt inexplicably like she’d been shortchanged.
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Author’s Note:
Salted Fish Fever is fully leveled!