Ex-Girlfriend Strategy (GL) - Chapter 42

“Explain.”

Shu Nanxuan’s voice was icy, her finger pointing at the chat history on the screen.

Even in the swelteringly unbearable June heat, where going outside felt like being scorched, Yang Jiu stood in the living room feeling as if she’d fallen into an ice cellar.

A week had passed since their last conversation, and Yang Jiu had been dodging the issue of the admission notice.

Every time Shu Nanxuan asked, she had to resort to kissing her to brush it off.

But the same tactic couldn’t work forever, especially since Shu Nanxuan cared so much about this matter.

Last night, Shu Nanxuan had given her an ultimatum: either Yang Jiu would ask about it today, or Shu Nanxuan would ask herself.

Shu Nanxuan was someone who followed through. It wasn’t hard to get answers.

She could even respect Yang Jiu’s hesitations and avoid asking the professor.

There was more than one person in their program who got admitted to grad school besides Yang Jiu.

All it took was sending a message to ask.

The answer was that the admission notice had already been received.

Yang Jiu lowered her head, her throat so tight she couldn’t utter a single word.

She tried opening her mouth several times but couldn’t produce a sound.

“Explain!”

Shu Nanxuan’s voice suddenly rose, the anger from being deceived spreading through her entire body, forcing her to use this tone to stay calm.

Yang Jiu still didn’t speak.

Shu Nanxuan grabbed Yang Jiu’s collar, pulling her close, her voice maintaining the bare minimum of restraint.

“Yang Jiu, I told you to speak.”

When Yang Jiu looked up, her eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears.

“There’s nothing to explain,” Yang Jiu said through gritted teeth, each word taking all her strength to force out.

Shu Nanxuan’s grip on Yang Jiu’s collar faltered.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s exactly what you see. I didn’t get the notice because there was never a notice,” Yang Jiu said again, hardening her heart and speaking more clearly.

“I don’t want to continue studying. I want to work.”

“You…”

Shu Nanxuan’s mind went blank.

She opened her mouth but said nothing.

“Didn’t you get admitted to grad school?”

“I turned it down.”

“Then… then…”

“That’s why I’ve been spending so much time on the internship. I want to stay at the law firm,” Yang Jiu said, looking into Shu Nanxuan’s eyes.

“Why?”

“No reason. I just don’t want to keep studying,” Yang Jiu said, turning her face away from Shu Nanxuan.

“Why don’t you want to continue? Don’t you know how much the legal field values education?”

Shu Nanxuan felt suffocated by a surge of frustration.

“And why would you give up such a great opportunity like grad school admission?”

“I don’t need it. I don’t want it even if it’s offered.”

“Fine, even if you don’t want to study further, why didn’t you tell me?”

Shu Nanxuan took a deep breath, still trying to stay rational.

“Do you even consider me your girlfriend?”

“Did everyone else know about this except me?”

Yang Jiu bit her lip, refusing to look at Shu Nanxuan.

She was afraid that one glance would make her cry.

Crying was for the weak, and she didn’t want to be weak—especially not in front of Shu Nanxuan.

“Does that matter? Whether it’s grad school or work, it’s my decision. I can take responsibility for my choices,” she said, her emotions rising.

Her voice grew louder, her tone cold and unyielding, devoid of warmth.

“Yang Jiu!” Shu Nanxuan shouted sternly.

“I’m doing this for your own good.”

“For my own good? You don’t even know what’s good for me!”

“You don’t know?” Shu Nanxuan pointed at herself.

“At least I know a master’s degree is a hundred times better than a bachelor’s in the legal field!”

“Yang Jiu, don’t be ungrateful!”

“Grad school has always been your idea, not mine,” Yang Jiu said through gritted teeth, forcing back the tears in her eyes.

“I can make my own decisions. I don’t need you to worry about me.”

The words “I don’t need you to worry” left Shu Nanxuan speechless.

She closed her eyes briefly and asked one final question: “Why did you lie to me?”

Yang Jiu couldn’t answer that question.

Why hide it? Because she didn’t know how to bring it up.

She didn’t know how to say it before, and she still didn’t know now.

The living room fell into a long silence.

Yang Jiu stood like a statue, unmoving.

After the surge of intense emotions, Shu Nanxuan felt drained.

“Yang Jiu, I don’t want to fight with you. Let’s both calm down. I’m going home to stay for a few days. We’ll talk later.”

With that, she stepped past Yang Jiu and left the house.