Chapter 952: Choose Your Friends Wisely

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The group of followers exchanged puzzled glances, their confusion apparent. One of them hesitated before asking, “But why would we want to play with him? Isn’t this against what you said before?”

Wang Qiang, brimming with self-assured cunning, stroked his chin as if he were hatching the master plan of the century.

“Play with him? Of course not!” he scoffed, flashing a mischievous grin that stretched across his broad face. “We’re not here to be his friends. We’re here to eat his cake. That idiot Su Li? He’s nowhere near as sharp as his siblings. If we act like we’re here to make amends and want to be friends, he’ll probably open the door with a big stupid grin. We’ll have our cake and leave. Easy.”

Hearing Wang Qiang’s twisted logic, the group of lackeys collectively nodded, their doubts dissolving. “That makes sense,” one of them chimed in. “But how are we supposed to get in? That glutton Su Li is probably too busy stuffing his face to even notice us.”

Wang Qiang’s grin widened into a sly smirk, the kind that made his round face look almost comical. His followers stifled their giggles, knowing better than to laugh at their self-proclaimed leader. “Just watch,” he said, his voice dripping with overconfidence as he swaggered to the iron gate.

He pounded on the bars loudly, calling out in an exaggeratedly friendly tone, “Su Li! Su Li! We’re your friends! We came to celebrate your birthday. It’s me, Wang Qiang, and I’ve brought lots of playmates for you. We all want to be your friends now. Come open the gate and share your cake with us!”

The other kids quickly caught on, their eyes trailing toward Su Li, who was happily playing cards with Gao Ming inside while munching on a slice of cake. They began shouting along with Wang Qiang, their voices full of false enthusiasm. “Yeah! We want to be friends with you, Su Li! Just let us in and share your cake!”

Inside, the kids were enjoying themselves, their laughter filling the air. But the commotion outside caught their attention. Heads turned toward the gate, and even some of the parents glanced over, their expressions shifting at the sight of the ragtag group of children beyond the fence.

Clad in grimy clothes, with dirt-smudged faces and even dried snot on some, the sight was enough to prompt several parents to whisk their own children further inside.

Gu Zi, deep in conversation with a few other parents, also noticed the scene at the gate. Her brows furrowed with concern.

Wang Qiang? What was he doing here? And with his gang, no less? She found it odd, given that Wang Qiang had always kept his distance from Su Li, even openly refusing to play with him.

Her worry deepened as memories surfaced—Wang Qiang wasn’t exactly the kind of friend Su Li needed.

In the original story, Su Li’s tragic fate had much to do with his poor choice of friends. Still, as much as she wanted to step in, Gu Zi held herself back. This was Su Li’s decision to make. She would only intervene if necessary.

Su Li, hearing the commotion, finally looked toward the gate. His brow creased in confusion as he recognized Wang Qiang and his posse. Why were they here?

For a moment, he hesitated before walking over, drawing closer to the gate.

Gu Zi’s heart tightened with apprehension, her fingers gripping the edge of her cup. She prayed silently that Su Li wouldn’t make the wrong choice.

Stopping just short of the gate, Su Li stood firm. His voice, usually cheerful and warm, was unusually cool as he said, “I didn’t invite you to my birthday party, and I don’t need you to play with me. I already have lots of people here celebrating with me. I don’t need you.”

Gu Zi exhaled quietly, relief washing over her. Su Li must have listened to her advice after all. Yes, Wang Qiang was not a friend worth keeping.

Wang Qiang, however, was stunned. His jaw slackened in disbelief.

Was Su Li actually rejecting him?

He tried again, his tone carrying a mix of arrogance and desperation. “Think carefully, Su Li. If you don’t take this chance to be friends with us, you’ll lose all of us. And let me remind you, the alley behind the apartment block? That’s my territory. Don’t think you’ll ever get to play there again if you don’t let us in now.”

Unfazed, Su Li responded evenly, “I don’t care. I can play just fine here in the neighborhood. I have Gao Ming, and I have plenty of classmates at school. I’ve thought it through, and I’m here to tell you—I don’t need you as friends. You can leave now.”

Su Li’s words were resolute, echoing the lessons his mother had drilled into him: never trust those who showed you hostility from the start.

Wang Qiang was precisely that kind of person—a friend in name only, one who would undoubtedly bring more harm than good. And Su Li, for all his love of making friends, was determined to follow his mother’s advice.

Wang Qiang’s face turned beet red, a mixture of humiliation and fury. His fists clenched at his sides as he spat out, “You’ll regret this, Su Li! If I ever catch you near my alley, I’ll have my grandmother and my dad kick you out so fast you won’t know what hit you!”

His lackeys, emboldened by their leader’s outburst, chimed in angrily. “Yeah! Same here! We’ll get our parents to kick you out too! It’s just cake. Who even cares? I don’t even want to eat it anymore!”

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