Chapter 396

Talia was stunned, and once she processed what had happened, she quickly retorted, "Melina! You would sever ties with me over such a trivial matter?" Melina no longer said anything and opened the door to leave. Some individuals expressed their goodwill toward the weak on minor matters. Yet, when true understanding emerged, they could discover fundamentally incompatible values, rendering communication impossible. Melina never wasted energy on matters that couldn't be changed. Since they were not on the same path, there was no reason to expend more effort. She left without looking back. This left Talia in a daze. She couldn't grasp where things had gone awry. Hadn't she treated Melina well enough? Since the beginning of the semester, she had shown Melina much kindness, taking her around the campus so she could familiarize herself, accompanying her to the cafeteria, and even going so far as to pile their plates with pasta to shield her from others' judgment. Hadn't she done enough? Why did it lead to a severed friendship over such a small issue? It was merely passing a message and facilitating a connection that would cause Melina no loss. Was it truly worth ending their friendship? Talia couldn't help but feel aggrieved. ... Melina stepped out of the dormitory with a heavy heart and took out her phone. The phone screen was shattered, and it had turned completely black. It wouldn't even turn on. "Melina! Are you slacking off while we're all busy? Did you dash to the dorm for a break?" Lyla's loud voice rang out. Melina looked up, her big eyes glistening. Upon meeting Melina's gaze, Lyla felt her resolve soften significantly. "Well, you know, if you're just taking a breather, it's really not a big deal. We're almost done with everything." Given how adorable Melina was, Lyla thought, What was wrong with taking a little break? Melina looked up at Lyla, raising her phone, and pitifully said, "Lyla, someone broke my phone." At that moment, Lyla suddenly understood the plight of those devoted fathers. With such a soft and delicate demeanor, who on earth could have smashed her phone? Lyla's tone shifted to a gentler one. "It's all right; if it's broken, so be it. I'll buy you a new one. Don't worry. My family owns a digital mall. We have internal pricing—it won't cost much." Those truly familiar with Melina understood that she was quite frugal. This wasn't about whether she had married Andrew. It was simply her nature not to waste money. Melina shook her head. This was the phone Andrew had given her, and she only wanted it. Seeing that Melina refused, Lyla scratched her head and said, "How about this? I'll find someone to fix it for you. It's just a drop. It should only be the screen that's damaged. Just get a screen replacement, and it'll work fine again." "Really?" "Absolutely! When have I ever lied to you? Just pass me your phone. I'll call my friend to pick it up from the school entrance. He'll fix it in no time." Melina eagerly handed her phone to Lyla, her eyes sparkling. "Lyla, thank you!" Lyla couldn't help but smile as she feigned seriousness. "We're friends! You don't have to be so polite!" At that moment, Lyla had completely forgotten that her initial friendship with Melina had been due to her fighting prowess. Who would've gotten into a fight with such a cutie?