What to do if you become the female lead's best friend?

Chapter 37

"What do you want me to see?" Jing Hao asked as he hugged his beloved woman from behind, gently kissing her loose, flowing hair. The soothing fragrance gave his weary heart a moment of peace.

In the half a year they had been together, their hearts had never been as close as they were today.

Cheng Xin had this kind of magic, making him willingly dive headfirst into the net she wove, even though he knew they were not a good match.

The body in his arms was stiff, and a sense of foreboding surged within Jing Hao. He lifted his head from where it was buried in Cheng Xin's neck and glanced at the image on the phone screen. A chill ran down his spine.

On the glowing screen, a young man and woman stood side by side. The man was handsome, the woman beautiful, and their behavior was intimate.

It was clear they were in a jewelry store, picking out accessories. At the counter, the woman tightly held onto the man's arm, smiling radiantly, with unmistakable love in her eyes.

Jing Hao snatched the phone away and quickly tried to delete the photo. But as soon as he deleted one, another appeared.

In this new picture, they had changed positions. The man, usually so reserved, had a slight smile on his face as he fastened a necklace around the woman’s neck.

What stood out the most were the matching rings on their middle fingers. In the jewelry store’s soft lighting, they sparkled brilliantly, the dazzling shine piercing Cheng Xin’s eyes even through the screen.

Cheng Xin remained motionless as Jing Hao took her phone away. Her hand still held the position of holding the phone, her face blank with shock.

“Who is she?” she asked.

Her voice was so faint it seemed like the wind could carry it away.

“Xin Xin, this is a misunderstanding, let me explain…” Jing Hao, after his initial panic, quickly tried to calm down. He turned her around, trying to find the right words.

But when she turned to face him, the words caught in his throat.

Large tears streamed down Cheng Xin’s face like broken beads. Her once bright and cheerful eyes were now filled with a sorrow so deep that Jing Hao couldn’t bear to look into them.

“This is what you meant when you said you were willing to wait for me to grow and stand by your side?” Cheng Xin asked, staring at the man before her. How could she not recognize the person in the photo? She just wanted to fool herself into thinking the picture was fake.

But Jing Hao didn’t even give her that chance.

Just a moment ago, they were pouring their hearts out to each other, promising to face life’s challenges together. The next moment, it was like a slap in the face, harsh and loud.

If the photo showed just the surface of their relationship, then how far had they gone behind the scenes? Had they already taken things further?

Cheng Xin was on the verge of breaking down.

But when truly heartbroken, all her emotions surged at once, and she found herself forgetting to argue or question him. Her tone was as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

Of course, that calm was belied by the tears streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry, this is my fault,” Jing Hao apologized quickly, “but you need to calm down and listen to my explanation. I had my reasons for doing this.” Right now, the most important thing was to soothe Cheng Xin. Facing her tears, especially when he was the cause, tore at his heart.