Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Final Confrontation

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Final Confrontation

So Lila Yu had been in love with Aaron King all along, and everything she did to Lydia Moore was because of him. Suddenly, Lydia felt a pang of sympathy for her. "I have something to say to her, can you please let her go?" Lydia asked, her voice soft but insistent. Aaron King's grip on her shoulder tightened, but after a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly waved his hand, signaling the two boys to release Lila Yu.

"Thank you!" Lydia smiled gratefully and slowly approached Lila Yu, intending to untie her hands. But as she drew near, Lila Yu reacted violently, stumbling backward and shouting, "Get away from me! Stop pretending to be so nice!" Her entire body shook uncontrollably at Lydia's approach.

"If I were pretending, I wouldn't have bothered doing anything for you in the first place," Lydia replied calmly, her smile as light as smoke. "I just want to tell you that I understand what it's like to love someone so much that you're willing to do anything for them. But you're going about it the wrong way. Some things are meant to be yours, and some things aren't worth obsessing over. When you love someone, you can fight for them, you can wait for them, you can give to them silently, but you can't force them. The most important thing you can do is to work on yourself, to become the best version of yourself so that they can see your true beauty."

With gentle hands, Lydia began untying the ropes around Lila Yu's wrists and wiped the grime from her face. Lila Yu stared at her in shock, forgetting to resist.

She always knew how to touch others with her sincere and kind heart, making people like her without even realizing it. Aaron King's eyes filled with a soft tenderness as he watched.

Outside the VIP room, the students couldn't see exactly what was happening inside, but the sight of Lydia wiping away Lila Yu's tears moved them deeply. The sunlight streamed through the glass windows, and the soft music played in the background. In that moment, they seemed to witness the purest and kindest angel, with wings as white as snow, so beautiful, so beautiful.

When the news of Aaron King and Lydia Moore's relationship spread, the entire Sakura Academy was thrown into an unprecedented state of shock. No one could believe that the fairy tale of a sparrow turning into a phoenix had actually happened to an unremarkable ugly duckling. Meanwhile, those students who had been involved in tormenting Lydia Moore were now filled with fear, dreading the possibility of Aaron King's terrifying retribution. But the next day, a video titled "Angel Cinderella" appeared on the Sakura Academy's online forum. The footage showed Lydia gently untying Lila Yu's bonds and wiping the dirt from her face, her eyes clear and free from any trace of pretense.

It was only then that everyone realized that Lydia Moore was, in fact, a genuinely kind-hearted person. Moreover, according to reliable sources, it was at Lydia's strong request that Aaron King agreed to spare those who had tormented her. Aaron King had a reputation for never backing down once he had made up his mind, but now, for Lydia Moore, he had broken that pattern. He must really be in love with her.

After that day, the situation changed completely. The students who had once been hostile toward Lydia began to greet her warmly and engage her in conversation, genuinely treating her as a friend. And Lydia continued to be as sincere as ever with everyone around her. Photos of Aaron King and Lydia Moore often appeared on the Sakura Academy website, in magazines, and on bulletin boards, and she was soon voted the "Most Beloved Angel Cinderella" and "The Girl Who Truly Complements Aaron King." Lydia's sincerity and kindness won over everyone.

Within a week, she had become a role model for the entire school. Students began to shed their innate arrogance and started to approach those around them with genuine care and attention, creating a harmonious atmosphere on campus. Meanwhile, Aaron King's special treatment of Lydia made the other girls incredibly envious. In the past, when Aaron King dated someone, it was always the girl who waited for him, who catered to him. But with Lydia, he seemed to have let go of his lofty, princely attitude and the airs of a young master. He actively sought her out, doted on her, played and laughed with her like any boy deeply in love, sometimes even daydreaming and grinning to himself, showing a childlike side of his nature.

However, some couldn't help but wonder why Julian Reed, who had once appeared like a knight to protect Lydia when she was the school's public enemy, had suddenly disappeared from her side. Had he ever truly liked her?

The early winter sky was a striking blue, the air crisp and fresh. A white contrail stretched quietly across the horizon, pure and clean. The yellowed grass on Sakura's campus lay peacefully under the clear sunlight, serene and calm.

Perched casually in a tree, a boy dressed in white held up his phone to the sky, capturing the contrail as it froze on his screen, eternal. Slowly lowering his arm, Julian Reed smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in his expression.

Two months ago, right here, he had been moved by her music for the first time, a memory that still played vividly in his mind. Back then, she had played the violin with such spirit, her eyes clear and bright, and he had been unconsciously drawn to her. But now, everything had quietly changed—the seasons, the scenery, and many things between them had shifted without him even realizing it.

Every day, he heard countless people talk about how happy she and Aaron King were, how well they suited each other. It made him both relieved and sad. He knew he should be happy for her, after all, the person she loved was Aaron King. In the promotional photos for the "Gentle Breeze" perfume, the way she looked at Aaron spoke of deep affection, as if all the happiness and beauty in the world existed only for him. She must truly love him; that's why her emotions came through so naturally and genuinely.

The day he found out that Aaron King wanted to completely isolate Lydia Moore because she had missed the audition, Julian had sensed that Aaron might also have feelings for her. So, he had gone to find him, to clear up the misunderstanding, but also to give himself one last chance. If Aaron King was unmoved, then he would be there for Lydia, doing everything in his power to make her happy. But a girl like Lydia, destined to shine so brightly, was not someone Aaron King would ever give up on. The very next day, news of their relationship spread through the school, their love story painted like a fairy tale of happiness.

Perhaps it was time for him to let go. What he needed to do now was to silently bless her, to help her hold on to this happiness, to be a warm shoulder for her to lean on when she was sad.

The wind tousled Julian Reed's soft black hair, carrying the scent of pine. He gently closed his phone, glancing down at the sheet music on his lap, though only he knew that just before he closed it, the screen had displayed the name "Lydia Moore." The wind swirled around him, leaving behind a faintly sorrowful silence.

Not far from where he sat, beneath a plane tree, Elena Rivers quietly watched his back. She knew that, except for Lydia Moore, he would never turn around for anyone else, so she didn't bother to hide the deep love in her eyes. He was mourning for Lydia, but he didn't know that someone was mourning for him.

The first time Elena had seen Julian Reed was four years ago at the Aidenberg International Youth Music Competition. She had been representing her school, but had accidentally lost her number tag in the dressing room. According to the rules, without the number tag, she would be disqualified from the competition. When she anxiously asked the other contestants if they had seen her tag, they all ignored her, eager to have one less strong competitor.