Chapter 10: A New Friend

"Give me back my hat." Those were the first words out of Lin Yiwei's mouth the moment she saw him.

Xie Bo couldn't care less about her pathetic hat. He dragged her to the secluded garden behind the Life Sciences building. Her wrist was throbbing from his grip, and the more she struggled, the tighter the man held her.

"Xie Bo, what are you doing? You're hurting me!"

Her skin was fair; even the slightest force left distinct red marks. Xie Bo had discovered this fact that night. That was precisely why he enjoyed using force on her, leaving marks that belonged only to him.

"Why were you with Chi Xiyu?" His tone carried a note of interrogation, and his eyes lacked their usual casual ease. "What is your motive?"

Lin Yiwei finally managed to break free from his restraint. She lowered her gaze, rubbing the red marks on her wrist, and said aggrievedly, "I have no motive. I just happened to help her, so we got to know each other. I thought... if I became friends with her, maybe her brother would tone it down a bit."

Xie Bo observed the girl before him, whose acting skills rivaled those of an A-list star. Her eyes were like those of a small animal—innocent yet laced with a sliver of cunning—peering at him secretly to see if he believed her. She was nothing more than a little fox wrapped in rabbit fur.

"It had better be as you say."

"It really is!"

Xie Bo looked at her. "Yi-yi, you can do whatever you want when it comes to me. But I have one bottom line: don't you dare cross it."

"What is it?"

"Keep your hands off Chi Xiyu."

Hearing him say this, Lin Yiwei recalled the gossip Xu Qianxi had shared earlier... about his relationship with Chi Xiyu.

"Are you afraid I'll hurt her?" Lin Yiwei stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and stood on her tiptoes to whisper gently into his ear, "Or are you afraid she'll find out about our relationship?"

Xie Bo felt the girl's eager attempt at a counterattack. The little rabbit had finally revealed her fox tail; she was silently searching for his weakness.

"Chi Xiyu and I are bound together in prosperity and ruin," Xie Bo said, lowering his eyes to gaze at the red cinnabar mark in the center of her forehead. "I will not tolerate anything that damages my interests."

"I heard you have an engagement?"

"Not yet, but in the future... there might be one."

Currently, the Xie and Chi families only had a tacit understanding; nothing was truly set in stone, so strictly speaking, Chi Xiyu was not yet his fiancée.

"Then are you two boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Lin Yiwei asked him.

He gave a cold, sharp laugh, as if he found her naivety quite adorable.

"Yi-yi, don't you understand? For two people destined to be tied together for a lifetime, wouldn't it be incredibly boring to be bound together during the only carefree time of bachelorhood before the engagement?"

As he finished speaking, his sexy Adam's apple bobbed slightly. After taking a sip of his milk tea, he shoved the cup back into her hands. His thin lips were slightly damp, and he leaned in close to hers. Lin Yiwei instinctively leaned back, but he held her head in place. He didn't kiss her; he merely brushed her lips gently against his own damp ones. "Yi-yi, the time we can spend together happily is very short."

...

After he left, Lin Yiwei finished the remaining milk tea and tossed the empty bottle away without a second thought. She would never stay with him. Once she found her brother, she would pull herself out of this mess and stop interfering in the love games of these wealthy young masters and socialites. She and Lin Xie would never be separated again.

However, Chi Xiyu was clearly not as carefree as Xie Bo. The person who falls in love first, no matter how they play their cards, is always the loser. Xie Bo played around heartlessly, but Chi Xiyu genuinely loved her fickle, cold-blooded fiancé. After their candlelight dinner that night, she remained visibly cheerful for a long time.

The girls in their social circle had all seen how Xie Bo treated Chi Xiyu; he treated her like a princess. He was gentle and attentive—he would offer her his jacket when she was cold, shield the car door with his hand when she got in, and protect her reputation in public, such as the warning he gave to Deng Xiao during the art seminar...

All of this was enough to make a girl immersed in romantic fantasies... completely lose her head. Therefore, even though the passenger seat of Xie Bo's car was always occupied by different girls, Chi Xiyu could tolerate it. Because she knew that the person who would walk down the aisle with Xie Bo in the future would not be any of them.

This stable mindset remained intact until the appearance of one particular girl.

"I heard Xie Bo took her for a joyride, and a month ago, someone saw them drinking at a tea shop off-campus."

Xu Qianxi, who was always the first to grasp all the news, reported to Chi Xiyu under the shade of the trees during a military training break. "I heard Ye Anning even gave Xie Bo a Patek Philippe watch, but that watch is now being worn by Li Du. It’s hilarious! If that’s not desperate, what is?"

Chi Xiyu couldn't laugh. She could dismiss the others, but Ye Anning... she was one of the few "competitors" that Chi Xiyu actually took seriously. While the Ye family was not a three-generation financial dynasty like the Chi family, with deep roots and sprawling influence in Qinggang City, they had risen quickly and developed at lightning speed, essentially becoming the new elite of the city's upper class.

...

Therefore, Ye Anning was different from the birds and bees Xie Bo had played with and discarded before. At least, in Chi Xiyu's eyes, she was a presence that could directly threaten the marriage alliance between the Chi and Xie families. Chi Xiyu had been feeling a sense of crisis lately.

Seeing Lin Yiwei carrying her oversized water bottle toward the pantry, Chi Xiyu quickly beckoned her over: "Weiwei, come here."

Lin Yiwei thought Chi Xiyu was going to roast her cup for being tacky again and tell her to change it. This oversized water bottle was also given to her by Lin Xie, who told her to drink more water. So, whether she was at school or working, Lin Yiwei always carried this extra-large, crossbody thermos. She always remembered Lin Xie's instruction: "Yi-yi, you have to drink more water to grow up beautiful."

She took a big gulp, tightened the lid, and trotted over to Chi Xiyu.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something I need your help with."

Chi Xiyu gestured to Xu Qianxi, who swiped open her phone and handed over a photo of Ye Anning. "Do you know her?"

Lin Yiwei saw the girl in the photo, also wearing a camouflage military training uniform. She stood in the front row, her skin fair and tender, with an oval face, slightly upturned eyes, and two fluffy braided pigtails hanging by her ears. She looked exceptionally pure and beautiful.

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

"Her name is Ye Anning, from the Business School. Her family is pretty well-off; her dad is in finance, a new elite in the city."

Xu Qianxi looked at the photo, then at Lin Yiwei, and suddenly said, "Xixi, don't you think Lin Yiwei looks a bit like her?"

Chi Xiyu snatched the phone, looked at the girl in the photo, and then at Lin Yiwei in front of her. They did look alike—the same pitiful features paired with upturned fox eyes, both pure and seductive. In particular, they both had braided pigtails, making them look like sisters. However, upon closer inspection, Lin Yiwei's face was ultimately fresher, and the red cinnabar mark between her brows added a unique touch.

"Hilarious. Lin Yiwei, you aren't secretly the illegitimate daughter of Ye Anning's dad, are you?"

Lin Yiwei replied with a forced smile, "If I had a dad like that, I'd wake up from my dreams laughing."

"Alright." Chi Xiyu cut off the girls' banter and said to Lin Yiwei, "I want you to get close to Ye Anning, become her friend, keep an eye on her for me, and report her progress with Xie Bo at any time."

"..." A double agent?

Lin Yiwei didn't want to do this, but then she realized this was a golden opportunity to gain more of Chi Xiyu's trust.

Chi Xiyu didn't care about Lin Yiwei's willingness at all and continued on her own: "I want to know if they've slept together. And, I want to know why Xie Bo has kept her by his side for so long. What exactly is so special about her?"

"How long have they been together?" Lin Yiwei couldn't help but ask.

"As far as I know," Xu Qianxi immediately showed off her intelligence-gathering skills to Chi Xiyu, "it's been over twenty days."

Lin Yiwei thought about what happened that night; it was mid-August, and over a month had passed since then.

"Twenty days, is that considered a long time?"

"Of course!" Xu Qianxi quickly added, "The girls who chased Xie Bo before... at most two weeks, and he’d be bored. He’s a very picky person, you know, and he pays great attention to detail. I remember the last one, I think it was because he couldn't stand the brand of cigarettes she smoked. Later, even when she tried to win him back, she couldn't even get a glimpse of him..."

"You talk too much." Chi Xiyu didn't want to hear about the flowers and weeds around Xie Bo.

Xu Qianxi immediately and tactfully changed the subject, asking Lin Yiwei: "So, can you handle what Xixi asked?"

Seeing her hesitate, Chi Xiyu walked over and took her hand: "Weiwei, I know you put all your heart into your studies and part-time jobs and don't really like doing things like this. But I really want to know about Ye Anning and Xie Bo. Can you help me? Please."

"How long do I need to stay by her side?" she asked Chi Xiyu.

"As long as Xie Bo gets bored of her and stops seeing her, your task will be done." Seeing her tone soften, Chi Xiyu promised repeatedly, "Don't worry, it won't be long. Xie Bo never stays with girls for a long time."

*Since you know that, why are you so bothered?*

Lin Yiwei almost blurted that out, but fortunately, she restrained herself. Yes, in front of Chi Xiyu, every word she spoke needed careful consideration.

"Alright, I'll try, but I can't guarantee success." After all, she wasn't sure what kind of person Ye Anning was.

"Don't worry, you definitely can!" Chi Xiyu gripped the back of her hand tightly, encouraging her. "I believe in you!"

Lin Yiwei looked up and caught the radiant, spring-water-like smile on her face. She knew that Chi Xiyu must be thinking that if she couldn't even handle this small task, she had no right to stay by her side. Chi Xiyu had a motive for being friends with her—besides satisfying her own sense of superiority, she needed someone to do the things she found inconvenient. The dirty work, the unpleasant business... there was no room for pickiness.

...

After receiving the task, Lin Yiwei quickly researched information on Ye Anning, just as she had once investigated Chi Xiyu. She understood why Chi Xiyu was so bothered by her. Ye Anning's family background was indeed quite good; her father was a rising star in Qinggang City, and his business had grown rapidly. Two months ago, the company went public and expanded quickly.

Aside from her background, Ye Anning's appearance was definitely goddess-tier. Looking at the photos, Lin Yiwei and Ye Anning looked very similar, but seeing them in person... they were even more alike. Especially their height and build; the only difference was that Ye Anning was fuller, while Lin Yiwei looked thinner and more delicate.

Ye Anning's pursuit of Xie Bo was also very direct and open. She carefully prepared all sorts of gifts for him, from expensive watches and belts to exquisite handmade ceramic cups. Xie Bo accepted them all without hesitation, but what he did with them after receiving them was anyone's guess. For instance, that Patek Philippe was now clearly being worn on the wrist of his friend, Li Du, and many people were laughing at her behind her back...

This didn't stop Ye Anning's obsession with Xie Bo. In this regard, she and Chi Xiyu were two of a kind: they could both selectively ignore the man's obvious "scum" behavior. Lin Yiwei asked herself, and she knew she could never do that. If her boyfriend were like that... she would take a knife to his hands. Of course, she would never date such a piece-of-trash boyfriend in the first place.

Sometimes, Lin Yiwei couldn't help but wonder if bad men were just more charming. There were so many good boys at school, yet the girls were only obsessed with Xie Bo. Aside from being handsome, what was there worth liking? A rotten personality, unfaithful, and an illegitimate son who wasn't highly valued—you could tell just by his name.

Of course, this was a world that judged by appearance, and Xie Bo's handsomeness was not just ordinary. Even a girl like Lin Yiwei, who had high standards and even higher requirements for boys, felt the urge to sleep with him the moment she saw his face.

*Yeah, aside from being handsome, he's truly worthless.*

...

After observing Ye Anning for a few days, on a rainy afternoon in a milk tea shop, Lin Yiwei noticed Ye Anning getting entangled with Deng Xiao. Deng Xiao was a notorious playboy in Qinggang City. His family background couldn't compare to Xie Bo's, or even to Chi Xicheng's, but he was more vulgar and shameless than either of them. She didn't know if he had some special fetish, but he particularly coveted the women around Xie Bo. He had flirted with Chi Xiyu in the past, and now he had his eyes on Ye Anning, who had been in contact with Xie Bo for a while, constantly popping up to make his presence known and telling lewd jokes.

Lin Yiwei had bumped into them several times. It was clear that Ye Anning was sick of him; he was like a piece of sticky plaster, yet she could do nothing about this little hooligan.

After finally shaking off Deng Xiao, Ye Anning went to the restroom to tidy up and touch up her makeup. When she came out and reached for the milk tea she had left on the shelf, intending to take a sip, Lin Yiwei walked over, snatched the cup, and tossed it into the trash can. The move was so swift that even Ye Anning didn't react in time.

"You..."

"Don't drink it." Lin Yiwei looked at Deng Xiao, who was leaning against the wall not far away, joking around with his friends. "Never drink any beverage once it's left your sight."

Ye Anning reacted instantly, her face turning pale. Not far away, Deng Xiao cast a glance in her direction, intentionally or not, which made her skin crawl.

"Thank you, really," she whispered to Lin Yiwei. "Otherwise, I would've been done for today."

"I'm not sure, really. I just saw him acting suspiciously when he walked over, and I was worried he put something in your drink. Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

"No, no, better safe than sorry." Ye Anning extended her hand. "I'm Ye Anning."

"Lin Yiwei."

"That's a lovely name."

"Thank you, yours too."

Ye Anning and Lin Yiwei walked out together. The rain outside seemed to have gotten heavier, drumming densely against the umbrella canopy under the eaves of the shop, sounding like chaotic drumbeats. Seeing Lin Yiwei pull an umbrella from her schoolbag, Ye Anning asked, "Where are you going?"

"The convenience store at the East Gate."

"Are you going to buy something? There are convenience stores around here; no need to go all the way to the East Gate, the rain is too heavy."

Lin Yiwei smiled. "No, I have a part-time job there."

"Oh." Ye Anning glanced down at the slightly worn-out white sneakers on Lin Yiwei's feet. She could tell that she was a top student who had been admitted to Figger University with high scores, and her family wasn't well-off. She felt a sudden surge of affection for her.

A black Rolls-Royce pulled up outside the tea shop. Ye Anning smiled at Lin Yiwei. "I'll give you a ride. It's not far anyway, and in this heavy rain, your clothes will get soaked even with an umbrella."

"Then thank you."

The driver opened the door for the two girls with an umbrella. The moment Lin Yiwei got into the car, she regretted it. Looking into the rearview mirror, she saw the flirtatious, peach-blossom eyes of Xie Bo in the passenger seat, appraising her with a playful look—

"Making new friends again?"