The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 191
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Chapter 191: Sam, you’re the only one who’s managed to change my sister
Sam left the campsite, wandering aimlessly down the road by himself.
He didn’t want to deal with those issues anymore.
The arguing back and forth had given him a headache.
Was there really any point in fighting over this? It was like two children squabbling over a toy.
But Sam wasn’t a toy. If they both wanted this ‘toy’, shouldn’t they show some sincerity in their pursuit and fight for it? Why did it all turn into threats when it came to him?
So he was just supposed to accept that, was he? That made no sense.
Without showing any backbone, was he really just a toy to them?
It might seem like a reckless move, but Sam had his reasons.
If things continued this way, any occasion involving both of them would become increasingly hostile. That wouldn’t bode well for the future, so it was essential to make them aware that he wouldn’t tolerate everything.
As for… what consequences might arise and how to deal with them later, that was a problem for another time. After all, even if he let them continue arguing, wouldn’t he be the one to clean up the mess in the end? What difference would it make?
So Sam decided to have a small outburst.
There’s a saying that goes, “Without destruction, there can be no construction.”
After walking for a while, Sam sat down on a bench by the roadside, watching the orange glow on the horizon.
It was as if the sky was about to darken.
He reflected that peace and quiet were indeed preferable.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have come out today. His days were never calm; they were filled with nothing but trouble…
“Indeed, in days filled with trouble, a moment of peace is precious, isn’t it, Sam?”
The sudden voice beside him made Sam startle, and turning his head, he saw Isabella, smiling as she spoke those words.
The setting sun illuminated her face, and her long hair cascaded down gently.
Her legs were straight and revealed delicate skin beneath the hem of her skirt.
She was also an extremely beautiful and outstanding girl… Wait a minute? Sam hadn’t spoken out loud. How did she know what he was thinking?
“Senior… how did you know?”
Isabella chuckled.
“Your expression gave you away. Actually, Sam, you’re quite easy to read, even easier than Sophie.”
“That’s not true… I almost thought you had mind-reading powers.”
“How could that be? Don’t be so tense. Can you make some room for me? You don’t dislike me, do you?”
“Of course not…”
Sam shifted slightly to make space.
Isabella then sat down beside him, comfortably leaning against the bench, seemingly gazing at the distant horizon where the fading light caused the street lamps behind them to flicker on.
It was as if a solitary stage was slowly rising just for them.
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Her legs stretched out straight and angled gracefully.
Her beautiful figure, the rise and fall of her chest, and her delicate profile were all more stunning than the evening’s lingering glow.
Sam didn’t let his gaze linger on her for too long.
“Why did you come over here?”
Isabella smiled.
“I can’t do much about the situation over there, and I was worried something might happen to you here.”
Sam replied with a smile.
“What could happen to me? It’s just the arguing that’s a bit annoying… What happened after?”
Isabella paused, recalling the events.
“Both of them didn’t look too happy. Angel stormed off, threatening to make you pay, while Sophie didn’t say anything, but she also seemed upset, and then she left. Nothing else really happened.”
This was within Sam’s expectations.
Indeed, without him there, just these people alone wouldn’t escalate the situation.
It might not be as simple as Isabella described, but Celeste, although not one to side with outsiders, would definitely not allow Angel to do anything outrageous in public. So, Sam had made the right choice.
The decision not to choose at that moment might have been the best choice after all.
“It looks like you’re quite pleased?”
Sam was taken aback. Was this another slip of his expression?
But that couldn’t be right. The effects of the Temptation Constitution should have helped him hide it, shouldn’t they?
“Pleased about what?”
Isabella smiled as she looked at Sam.
“After all, in that situation, if Sam had chosen to go back with any one of them, it seemed like it would have led to undesirable consequences. Both of their tempers are quite obvious. I didn’t expect Sam to be so brave at that moment…
But have you thought about the consequences? Although it might be better than choosing one side and having to abandon the other, the outcome is still not easy to deal with.”
Sam gave a wry smile and shook his head.
“Let nature take its course, I guess. I don’t know. It’s not like I made a choice; there was no other way at the time. I couldn’t just stand by and watch them argue forever, sigh.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself… After all, you have quite the experience dealing with an Heiress, right?”
“At this point, don’t make jokes at my expense with such pointless words…” Sam sighed.
But Isabella looked at him: “Of course, I’m not making fun of you. I’ve always thought Sam was smart, it’s just the philandering that’s a bit off-putting. But I must admit, you’ve handled things pretty well. Even though Angel seems more hot-tempered, there’s something Sam needs to be careful about.”
“What’s that?”
“A girl like Sophie, if she ever falls for a guy, what she fears the most… is being hurt again.”
Sam fell silent.
He understood this principle, of course. Everyone had seen the changes in Sophie; it hadn’t been easy for her to get to this point today. And Sam’s actions… would they make her build up her defenses again? Perhaps even more strongly than before.
Sam’s mind was a bit of a mess.
“I don’t know… It seems I can’t manage these things right now.”
Isabella smiled.
“You’re a very special person, special in that no matter how disheartened your tone is, you always manage to handle things well. So I believe in Sam.”
Isabella’s smile was healing, radiating a warm glow in the dimming sunset. This was how a senior should be.
However, Sam suddenly remembered something else.
“By the way, today’s comic convention was for fundraising… Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”
Isabella blinked.
“Why should I have said it beforehand? Isn’t it better this way? After all, we achieved our goal in the end.”
Sam thought for a moment and said, “If you had explained the nature of the event earlier, it would have been easier for us to cooperate, right? It wouldn’t have been so much trouble.”
Isabella shook her head, standing up to greet the last rays of the sunset with her beautiful figure.
She looked up at the distant sky.
“Because I didn’t want you to feel that this was about your moral standards, and to coerce you into participating with moral blackmail. This way, you could enjoy the event, and that’s what gives it real meaning.”
Watching her peaceful expression as she spoke, Sam couldn’t quite identify his own feelings.
Until Isabella lowered her head and leaned in close to Sam’s face.
Her beautiful eyes met Sam’s.
“What’s the matter, Sam? Did you fall for me because of what I said?”
Sam smiled and shook his head.
“It’s not that exaggerated, but I’m starting to think that you, senior, are a very magical person.”
“Really? That’s a pity. I thought the heartfelt words I spoke would make Sam fall for me instantly.”
“Just now you called me a philanderer, and now you want me to fall for you?”
Sam couldn’t figure out what she was thinking, this contradictory psychology.
But Isabella just shook her head.
“It may seem that way, but you need to know something. We girls always say we hate scumbags, but when we really meet a charming scumbag, most of us fall for him because there’s an innate maternal instinct. This maternal instinct can turn into something else. Simply put, they all believe that this charming scumbag will settle down because of them, that they can be his final destination.”
“There’s such a theory?”
“Of course, that’s why I say you don’t understand girls.”
“Well, I admit it now.”
“Alright then.”
Isabella reached out and affectionately ruffled Sam’s hair, her gesture doting, much like an older sister.
“Time to pack up your feelings and head home. There’s a lot waiting for you to handle. Just take a break for today~”
“I got it.”
Sam also stood up.
The two said their goodbyes before the sky was completely shrouded in darkness.
They waved at each other.
Parting ways on the long street.
Sam walked home slowly.
He pondered over some ethereal matters that seemed meaningless, at least for the moment.
After getting home, he remembered Isabella’s words about Sophie…
Sam hesitated for a moment but decided to call her anyway.
The call didn’t go through, so Sam dialed again.
Finally, on the second attempt, the call was answered.
The moment Sam connected, he suddenly realized he didn’t know what to say.
And the person on the other end didn’t speak either. The silent call, the quiet night—it was so still he couldn’t even hear breathing.
But the call was indeed continuing…
What should he say?
It was as if a lethal air had clogged his mouth, his usual smooth talk now seemingly useless.
He wanted to joke around calmly as before, to be playful and light-hearted, but even the act of opening his mouth felt difficult.
What should he say…
Until finally, a familiar voice came from the other end.
“If there’s nothing, I’m going to hang up.”
“Wait.”
Sam spoke up after all.
“Uh, you got home okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Everything went smoothly on the way?”
“Yeah.”
It seemed that no matter what he asked, he would only get such responses.
It was as if they had returned to the state when Sam first met her—aloof and rational, not wasting words if it wasn’t necessary.
“Uh… okay then, if there’s nothing else.”
At this rate, Sam truly didn’t know what to say.
Perhaps there was nothing to say over the phone. Indeed, without seeing a face, without seeing expressions, what was there to say over the phone?
Especially since Sam himself didn’t know what he actually wanted to say.
Apologizing to Sophie seemed unnecessary. After all, it wasn’t his fault to begin with. Even though he was the one who ended up getting angry, he wasn’t the instigator.
Why should he be the one to shoulder everything? Was it really taken for granted that it was all his fault?
That didn’t make sense.
“Then I’m hanging up.”
“Beep beep beep.”
Sophie decisively ended the call.
Sam shook his head as he looked at his phone.
There was nothing he could do. Even if Sophie put her guard up again, reverting to her old ways, treating him like she did everyone else… it seemed there was no remedy.
Although it might be a bit regrettable—after all, everyone wants to be that special someone to another—but one can’t be too greedy.
It just meant that their encounter was nothing more than a fleeting connection, with no other possibilities.
If this attitude persisted…
Their relationship would only grow more distant.
Sam took a shower and was just taking a big gulp of cola when his phone started to ring.
He was taken aback, not expecting Sophie to be the one calling him.
What did this mean?
Had she cooled off?
Or was she so upset that she had to call and give him a piece of her mind?
Sam hesitated for a moment but answered the call, figuring that unlike Angel, Sophie was unlikely to have such a bad habit.
“Hello?”
Sam asked tentatively.
Then a completely different voice came through.
“Hey, Sam, it’s Sophia.”
The change in voice was so natural that Sam immediately knew it wasn’t a pretense.
“Why are you calling me?”
“Hehe, I heard about what happened today. It seemed like you and my sister weren’t having a pleasant chat, huh?”
“…I wouldn’t say it was unpleasant, it’s more like we didn’t really chat at all.”
Sam spoke on his end.
Sophie just said yeah on the phone. Could this even be called a conversation?
“My sister, she’s just like that… You should know, Sam.”
Sam gazed out at the starry night sky.
“I know, but it doesn’t make sense for me to bear all this. I just want to live a peaceful life.”
Sophia’s voice was soft on the other end of the line.
“I understand how you feel… But if my sister was really that angry, if she really blamed everything on you as you said, why would she still answer your calls?”
Right.
Blocking Sam’s number would be more in line with her character.
“But… answering the call didn’t make any difference, did it?”
“But you didn’t know what to say either, right? So I think… maybe neither of you could find a way to back down, which is why I wanted to tell you some things while my sister is resting.”
“What things?”
Find a way to back down?
That seemed like an apt description.
The situation between them was just that awkward.
Sophia lowered her voice, speaking softly.
“My sister and I… we never really received any love growing up. Our father was a gambler. Not only did he drink and gamble away everything we had, but he even tried to sell us and our mother to pay off his debts. Our mother didn’t want to endure that humiliation, she wanted to take us with her and jump off a building… But in the end, we survived, and she left this world. Since then, we’ve had to rely on government aid to get by.”
The story was told simply.
But it sent shivers down Sam’s spine.
He had suspected that Sophie’s tough exterior hid some painful stories, but he never imagined it would be something like this.
A simple description, yet it was a hellish experience for the two girls.
Sam couldn’t fathom how she could recount such events in such an understated manner.
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea… This is heartbreaking to hear. I can’t even begin to imagine what you both went through.”
Sophia chuckled softly on the other end of the phone. “It’s okay, really. You don’t need to find the right words to comfort us. We’ve come to terms with our fate and don’t harbor any resentment.
What I want to tell Sam is that it’s always been my sister who bravely protected us. She’s incredibly strong. Sure, she’s cried and had her hysterical moments, but she still managed to stand up against what life threw at us.
She studied hard, determined to change our destiny. She comes off as cold to everyone, even refusing to make friends, because she feels that if she can’t trust the people closest to her, then those social interactions are just superficial and unnecessary.”
“I know her way of thinking might seem extreme, but I can’t change it now, at least… not immediately. And Sam, you’re the only one who’s managed to change my sister.”
“Have I? I’m not so sure…”
“Of course, she’s never talked this much to any guy before, let alone call one at night. I think… maybe for the first time, she’s felt warmth and something special from someone, and sensed no ulterior motives. So if there’s anyone in the world who could pull my sister out of her skepticism and her fortress of self-defense, it’s definitely Sam.”
Sam felt his cheeks redden at the praise.
He wasn’t a savior… nor did he want to hear these stories.
What if he couldn’t help but feel pity for Sophie every time he saw her? That would take the fun out of everything.
Yet, their plight was indeed heart-wrenching.
A girl having to emerge from such a tragic past, to live on with strength, to study hard, to strive for a change in her destiny.
It was unimaginable.
No wonder she had such disdain for girls like Angel…
Because Angel had the kind of life others could only dream of, always acting so entitled and above everyone else, completely oblivious to the tragedies that fill most people’s lives.
“Don’t say that… I’m just trying to fulfill my duty as a friend,” Sam replied.
The thought of her background made Sam hesitate to delve deeper. Joking aside, he could help, sympathize, and understand her. But to develop a deeper emotional connection with a girl like that? No one could predict the consequences.
What Sam feared more was that if he followed his original strategy, he’d be setting up a large and dangerous harem.
How many female leads could accept that? Not to mention a girl like Sophie—wouldn’t she tear him to pieces?
To finally trust someone, only to discover that the outcome is so… The thought of such a disparity was enough to cause a profound change in a person’s nature.
“Let’s just say you two are friends for now, but why did my sister act that way earlier? I can take a guess… but no guarantees I’m completely right.”
“Alright, alright, no need to be so mysterious,” Sam said, his head starting to ache.
“Because she’s never felt love, she needs a more special kind of love. Whether it’s familial, platonic, or romantic. Maybe… what my sister wants is to be chosen unwaveringly, to be the object of absolute favoritism. To have someone who, even when faced with great external forces, would still walk towards her and embrace her…”
That thought echoed in Sam’s mind for a long time.
Who doesn’t yearn for such love?
Whether from friends, family, or a lover.
Everyone wants to be chosen and treated that way.
So in that situation, Sophie probably hoped even more that Sam would ‘walk her home’ as if it were a test to see if he could be that special person destined to enter her heart.
Sam let out a wry smile, realizing that today’s choices had probably disappointed Sophie.
He definitely wasn’t that person right now.
This is tough… What should he do tomorrow? What will happen when they meet again?
Lost in thought, the phone call hadn’t ended long before his mobile rang again.
This time it was… Angel.
What’s meant to come will always find its way.
“Hello?”
Sam answered the call.
Angel’s indifferent voice came through quickly.
“Aren’t you going to say something?”
“…Say what?”
Sam was taken aback.
“You snapped at me this afternoon and then expected me to call you first, and now you’re playing dumb. Sam, I could make you wish you were dead right now.”
“…No, no, no. I apologize, okay? I’m sorry about this afternoon. I was just really annoyed, and it made my head all fuzzy.”
There was no way around it.
With a girl like Angel, and given that they had already had a substantial sexual relationship, not apologizing just wouldn’t do.
Treating her the way he did Sophie would be suicidal.
And then her voice came through quickly again.
“Apologies should be made in person to show sincerity, right?”
“Fine, I’ll get a cab and come to you.”
Sam sighed, but then he didn’t expect her to say.
“No need. I’m heading out now. When I call you next, you better come downstairs.”
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