Raise Love-142-"Don't play coy with me, it's useless

"It's all in the past," Aria said with a smile. "Look, he likes me a lot now and treats me very well. It was me who hid it from you first. Why are you blaming yourself?"

Maya Brooks said sullenly, "It's my fault."

After a pause.

Through gritted teeth, she said, "If I had known you liked him earlier, I should have cut off all his romantic relationships from the start and let him stop being a playboy!"

That damn Ryder, he always made her feel annoyed!

"..."

Hearing Maya Brooks grinding her teeth, Aria couldn't help but laugh and fall onto her. It took her a long time to say softly, "Okay, okay. He's already confessed to me. Those rumors aren't true."

Maya Brooks gave a cold snort.

Should she just let him off the hook for those rumors so easily?

Weren't all those rumors a result of his laziness and his indulgence?

Maya Brooks had long been annoyed by Ryder's attitude of not caring about anything and being too lazy to explain. He was both annoying and irritating.

She sniffled and then perked up again. She continued poking Aria's head and lecturing her, "You could have liked anyone.

"Why did you have to have bad taste at such a young age? If you liked him, why didn't you tell me? Were you afraid that I would scold you?"

Aria shrank her neck and nodded honestly.

"Yes, I was."

"Hmph."

Maya Brooks sneered. "You were afraid of being scolded but still dared to disobey me? Are you asking for trouble? You said it wasn't hard, but you were able to hide it for so many years. You're really something."

Aria's eyelashes trembled.

In fact, she also thought she was quite amazing to have persisted for so long.

"Okay, let's eat something." Aria handed the small desserts she bought to Maya Brooks and ordered two cups of cappuccino.

"You have the nerve to talk about me. What about you and your little PE monitor?"

The girl who had been full of spirit just now suddenly wilted and didn't say anything. She took a couple of bites of the small cake with a fork.

"Why mention him? It's a bad omen."

Aria looked at her, frowned slightly, and after a while, tentatively asked, "Didn't you go to see him today?"

"He's busy researching an academic project with the senior in his laboratory. He doesn't have any free time to waste with me."

After a long silence, Maya Brooks said casually.

Aria wanted to say something, opened her mouth, and then gave up.

She didn't understand much about relationships, and she didn't have the right to comment on others' feelings. Not everyone was like Ryder.

After being silent for a while, she finally just squeezed Maya Brooks' hand.

"Maya, you should cut your losses in time."

"You've been chasing after him for long enough."

For someone who wasn't worth it, it was time to try and let go.

The little PE monitor knew exactly how Maya Brooks felt about him. He neither refused her nor gave a clear indication of his feelings, and he accepted all her kindness. It would be okay if there was no one else around him.

But even Aria had heard that the rumors about him and the senior in the laboratory were getting more and more intense.

He didn't pay any attention to it and didn't even give Maya Brooks an explanation.

What was the point of it all?

He was just taking advantage of the girl's unwavering enthusiasm and perseverance over the years.

Such a person wasn't worth it.

"Let me... hold on a little longer?" Maya Brooks smiled easily and said in an indifferent tone, "Maybe I'll lose my feelings for him soon."

The two best friends hadn't had such a leisurely time to talk heart-to-heart for a long time. Aria stayed with Maya Brooks for the whole afternoon and didn't return to the dormitory until after dinner.

There was snow on the road that hadn't been shoveled away yet.

Aria was very careful on the way back, but when she passed a downhill section, she still accidentally slipped. As her body tilted, she subconsciously closed her eyes, but the expected pain didn't come.

Her waist was tightly held, and a warm and familiar embrace surrounded her. Aria's nose was bumped, and it immediately felt sore.

"Can't you be more careful when you walk?"

She raised her head with tears in her almond-shaped eyes and met the boy's dark eyes, which still had a trace of worry and tension that hadn't completely dissipated.

He looked at her angrily.

Aria sniffled her sore nose, reached out, and hugged Ryder's waist. A smile appeared on her face, and she said softly,

"Darling Rye, I missed you so much."

They hadn't seen each other all day.

Ryder: "..."

The anger that had been building up in him suddenly dissipated.

The little girl even rubbed her face against his chest. She was so obedient that Ryder licked his lips. Not only could he not be angry, but he couldn't even say a harsh word.

After a long while, he said angrily, "Don't act cute with me. It won't work."

"......"

Aria, whose little thoughts had been seen through, froze and looked at him silently.

Ryder held the little girl's waist to help her stand up straight, took her hand, and gently pulled her into his arms. He held her hand tightly and protected her as they walked. Then he chuckled, "Are you afraid that if you fall and get hurt, you'll cry?"

"No, I'm not." Aria retorted in a low voice.

No one knew that since her mother passed away, the delicate and a little girl who loves to cry would never cry in front of others again.

Even Mr. Winslow had never seen Aria cry.

Only Ryder had seen her shed so many tears.

Happy tears and sad tears.

In the world, only love and a cough couldn't be hidden. But Aria thought that in front of the person she loved, tears couldn't be hidden either.

She could hold back her tears in front of her father, but she always failed in front of Ryder.

As soon as he showed a little tenderness, her grievances would rush out uncontrollably.

Aria said, "I won't cry."

"Ooh." Ryder smiled and pinched her neck. As he expected, the little girl shrank her neck, and he let out a low laugh. "Yes, you won't cry."

He drooped his eyelids and asked lazily, "Did you have a heart-to-heart talk with your best friend?"

"... Yeah."

"How much badmouthing about me did you do?"

"I didn't say anything bad." Aria thought that Ryder was a thousand times better than the little PE monitor and was extremely happy.

"I only praised you."

Ryder smiled and rubbed her head.

"It doesn't matter if you did. Tell me about it. I'll correct my mistakes if there are any and keep improving if there aren't."

Aria lowered her head.

Her small and fair chin was buried in the collar of her cotton coat, covering most of her face. Then, her cheeks blushed slightly.

"Really, there wasn't any."

Just as they reached the entrance of Apartment Building No. 7 and hadn't said goodbye yet, they met Sophie and the others who were coming downstairs together.

Olivia had sharp eyes and saw them first. Aria was quietly being held by the boy when they heard an "ouch".

Aria subconsciously turned her head to look.

Sophie deliberately covered her eyes but left a big gap. "Tsk tsk tsk. Look, who is this? So embarrassing!"

"Under the bright sun and clear sky, you two are actually showing public displays of affection?!"

Ryder raised his eyebrows.

To be honest, he had asked Aria to bring food to her roommates a few times, but this was the first time he had met them face to face.

Among the people around the little girl, besides Maya Brooks, he only recognized Sydney and could barely remember what she looked like.

—Because she had kissed his girl before he did.

Aria was so embarrassed that she hid behind Ryder and poked her head out. "Stop talking, will you?"

"Yeah, yeah," Oli, who was often the most difficult to deal with, said understandingly. "Okay, okay. Stop talking. Aria is so embarrassed that she's hiding behind her boyfriend."

Aria: "..."

"Hahaha, our Ri-Ri baby has such a handsome boyfriend like the president. Of course, she'll be shy when we catch them like this—"