Chapter 1217: Tang Xue Is Selling Counterfeits
Gu Zi didnât even bother to sugarcoat it. Her brows furrowed as she said bluntly, âThis isnât even a legitimate product from that brand. This is dangerousâit could really hurt someone.â
Chen Xi, who had been studying the hand cream in his palm like heâd discovered some rare artisanal find, blinked in surprise. He had assumed, rather naively, that Gu Zi was simply enamored with the scent or texture. He was even planning to support Tang Xueâs little business venture by buying a few more tubes for Gu Zi. So when she dropped that comment out of nowhere, he practically choked on his thoughts.
âWaitâwhat? What do you mean?â he asked, alarmed. âWhoâs hurting people?â
Gu Zi took the hand cream from him, held it up between them, and said with a calm, clear-eyed certainty, âThe people selling counterfeits. This isnât authentic. Iâve used this brand for years. I can tell the difference instantly. I wasnât planning to say anything, but now that I know, I have to. Chen Xi, you absolutely cannot help Tang Xue with this.â
This wasnât about any personal vendetta. It wasnât even about Tang Xue, really. Gu Zi was thinking of the unsuspecting girls out thereâtrusting, hopeful buyers who might spend their hard-earned money on imported skincare, only to smear this knockoff on their skin and end up worse than before. She couldnât stand by and pretend she hadnât seen it.
Chen Xiâs face went pale. The shock in his eyes was unmissable. âTang Xueâs selling fake products?â His voice rose. âIs she that desperate for money? How could she stoop so low? Thatâs⊠thatâs just wrong.â
He was genuinely rattled. For a timeâtoo long, in retrospectâChen Xi had carried a torch for Tang Xue. He had seen her through rose-colored lenses: kind, sweet, almost virtuous. The kind of girl one might dream of protecting. Now, all those illusions shattered, he was left with a bad taste in his mouth and a gnawing sense of betrayal. He might have moved on, but stillâthis?
Gu Zi, watching his reaction, chose her words carefully. She wasnât here to slam the gavel and deliver judgment, not just yet. âIâm not saying she knows the products are fake,â she said. âBut the truth is, they are. At the very least, someone should tell her. If she doesnât know, she deserves to. If she does know⊠well, then she really needs to stop. Selling fakes only ends up hurting othersâand herself.â
Chen Xi hesitated. âTo be honest⊠I havenât really spoken to her. After I saw her with some other guy, I just gave up. I donât even want to get involved anymore. But she keeps coming to me. Still⊠this kind of thing? Iâd rather not be dragged into it.â
He looked tired. Not just physically tired, but tired of the drama that seemed to follow Tang Xue wherever she went. She wasnât the girl he remembered. These days, she wore heavy makeup, curled and dyed her hair into unrecognizable shapes, and spent her free time with people he wouldnât even trust to hold a wallet. Back in high school, heâd helped her out countless times. He had nothing left to give.
And frankly, he was sick of people assuming he still liked herâthat they were meant to be. That tired gossip had been echoing through the hallways for too long. Tang Xue was an adult now. Whatever choices she made were her own responsibility. The last thing he wanted was for his concern to be mistaken as lingering feelings.
Normally, Gu Zi wouldâve let it go. She wasnât one to push where she wasnât wanted. But not this time. Not when people could get hurt. âIâm not asking you to lecture her,â she said gently. âJust tell her the truth. Let her decide what to do with it. And think of it this wayâonce she knows youâre aware of it, she probably wonât come asking to borrow money again.â
Chen Xi gave her a long look, finally nodding. âAlright. Iâll tell her. Hopefully, she makes the right choice.â
The next day, after class, Chen Xi approached Tang Xue. Her expression lit up immediately, as if sheâd been waiting for this momentâas if she thought he was there to make up with her. But her anticipation quickly turned to confusion as Chen Xi launched into a surprisingly calm yet firm monologue.
âTang Xue,â he said, âthis isnât a game. Selling counterfeits is serious. That hand cream? Itâs not real. Donât buy from that supplier again. Whoever gave you that sourceâtheyâre bad news. You shouldnât associate with people like that.â
He didnât wait for her reply. In fact, he was practically halfway down the corridor before she could even sputter a response. He didnât want to deal with her theatrics, or worse, give anyone more reasons to speculate about the nature of their relationship. He just wanted outâclean and simple.
Tang Xue stood there, frozen. Her manicured nails dug deep into her palms, leaving half-moons in her skin. So it was Gu Zi. Just like Li Juan, always sticking their noses where they didnât belong. Li Juan refused to lend her moneyâfine, whatever. But Gu Zi had gone a step further. Sheâd badmouthed her to Chen Xi. Outrageous.
Fuming, Tang Xue stormed out of the school gates and hopped onto the next bus. She didnât care how long the ride tookâshe was going to Gu Ziâs place, and she was going to give her a piece of her mind.
When the doorbell rang, Gu Zi wasnât expecting company. And when she opened the door and saw Tang Xue, all fury and indignation standing on her doorstep, she blinked in surprise.
Oh no. This⊠was not going to be pleasant.
She had miscalculated.
Sheâd thought, foolishly, that with her staying home these days, Tang Xue would either let it go or stew privately. That even if she didnât take the warning to heart, the worst that would happen was a bit of gossip behind her back. But clearly, she had underestimated how far Tang Xue was willing to go when she felt cornered.
And now here she was, glaring, breathing fire, standing right outside Gu Ziâs door.
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