Chapter 11: The Beret

"Have you made new friends again?"

The question, delivered with a languid drawl, was clearly directed at Lin Yiwei.

Ye Anning, oblivious to the nuance, replied, "Yes, I've met a new friend. Deng Xiao is truly hateful; luckily, Weiwei appeared just in time to help me, otherwise I would have been in real trouble."

Xie Bo ignored this. His dark, impenetrable eyes, which seemed to crush the very light around them, remained fixed solely on Lin Yiwei.

Feeling guilty, Lin Yiwei averted her gaze from his piercing stare and turned to Ye Anning. "Just dropping me off at the East Gate convenience store is fine. Thank you, Anning."

"Mm-hmm!" Ye Anning said to Xie Bo in the passenger seat, "The rain is too heavy, so I took the liberty of asking Weiwei to get in. Can you drop her off at the convenience store at the East Gate? She works part-time there."

Xie Bo didn't respond, only giving the driver a look. The driver started the engine and headed toward the East Gate.

Lin Yiwei felt Ye Anning talked too much, leaking her personal information by the minute.

But... never mind.

Plans never keep up with changes.

Her original intention had been to be friends with Ye Anning for a few days, and as soon as Chi Xiyu lost interest in her, she would immediately retreat. She hadn't wanted to stir up Xie Bo.

But life is full of surprises, just like this man who always intruded into her life at inexplicable moments, wreaking havoc at will. She could only navigate it with extreme caution.

Ye Anning enthusiastically added Lin Yiwei on WeChat.

She had too few friends, especially among the girls in her social circle, who, more or less because of Chi Xiyu, were unwilling to associate with her. Girls from humbler backgrounds with excellent grades were even less willing, or perhaps simply never had the opportunity, to know her. Ye Anning had no friends and deeply craved a confidante.

Lin Yiwei had bumped into her life—the very "scholarship girl" with character and academic excellence that she so envied.

"We should grab meals together often when we have the chance."

"Sure."

Lin Yiwei looked up and caught a glimpse of Xie Bo’s sharp eyes in the rearview mirror, watching her with scrutiny. She guiltily looked away, lowering her voice to talk to Ye Anning, trying to bridge the distance between them.

The driver turned a corner and stopped in front of the East Gate convenience store. Lin Yiwei opened her umbrella and stepped out, turning back to bid Ye Anning farewell.

In just a few short minutes, Ye Anning had already begun to treat her as her closest friend. She rolled down the car window and kept waving. "I'll come find you to hang out tomorrow!"

"Okay."

The black window in front did not roll down. Lin Yiwei couldn't see Xie Bo’s face, but she could vaguely sense the man's burning gaze.

As the car slowly pulled into the curtain of rain, Lin Yiwei turned and walked into the store.

Ye Anning was a girl without guile and with an endless supply of words. Xie Bo had simply asked about what happened today, and he already had a rough idea.

She was intentionally approaching her, just as she had deliberately approached Chi Xiyu.

Borrowing a skirt... Xie Bo didn't believe she was that warm-hearted.

This little fox, feigning innocence and harmlessness... he didn't know what kind of mischief she was brewing inside.

Ye Anning continued to chatter incessantly. Xie Bo frowned slightly, feeling a touch of annoyance.

He had originally noticed Ye Anning because she bore a faint, passing resemblance to Lin Yiwei. However, once the two were truly sitting together and he had a point of comparison, he only felt... profound boredom.

No one was her.

The driver steered the Rolls-Royce into the campus and stopped under Ye Anning’s dormitory building. Ye Anning looked at Xie Bo, confused. "I thought we were going to have dinner together."

"Next time."

"Ah." Ye Anning was clearly reluctant. She didn't get many chances to see Xie Bo, and it had been so hard to get him to agree today...

"Xie Bo, we clearly agreed." She frowned and pouted, unhappy.

"Something came up today. Be good, go back now."

It was rare for Xie Bo to have the patience to coax someone. Though reluctant, Ye Anning didn't dare anger him. She stepped out of the car, looking back at him with lingering affection. "Then, let's meet next time."

The Rolls-Royce roared away, leaving her behind.

...

Lin Yiwei had just changed into her convenience store uniform when she received a call from Chi Xiyu. "How is it? Did you make contact?"

"Yes, we've met."

"Did you talk about Xie Bo?"

Talk about him? She had even ridden in the car Xie Bo used to pick her up.

But Lin Yiwei didn't tell Chi Xiyu these things. She didn't want to tell her everything truthfully. For one, it would be too unfair to Ye Anning; for another, Chi Xiyu might not necessarily thank her if she knew everything. She might even fly into a rage and lash out...

She only said what she knew the other wanted to hear.

"She is pursuing Xie Bo, but they are a long way from being in a relationship. They aren't actually together."

On the other end of the line, Chi Xiyu’s tone was pleased. "I knew it... So, have they done anything intimate? Have they slept together?"

"I don't know about that, but they shouldn't have."

"Really?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it doesn't feel like it." Lin Yiwei spoke a mix of truth and lies. "She shows a pursuit-like attitude toward Xie Bo, but their interactions aren't intimate."

"Then I’ll have to trouble you to stay by her side for a while! You must find this out; it’s very important to me!"

"I'll try my best."

Having received the answers she wanted, Chi Xiyu was satisfied. She offered many comforting words and asked what brand she liked best, saying she wanted to send a gift.

Lin Yiwei politely declined, saying it was a small matter.

Hearing the mechanical "Welcome" greeting at the door, she hurriedly said goodbye, put down her phone, and began to work.

On a rainy day, there were few customers in the store. A man walked over and picked up a box of condoms from the shelf next to the checkout counter. "Could you introduce these?"

Lin Yiwei saw the black snake tattoo on his wrist, its body twisted in an 'S' shape, flicking its tongue realistically.

"What's there to introduce? Look for yourself." She didn't give Xie Bo any pleasantries.

"I don't understand, which is why I'm asking you." Xie Bo feigned innocence. "Is this your professional attitude?"

Lin Yiwei took the one from Xie Bo's hand, looked at it, and said, "This one is ultra-thin and sensation-free, suitable for those who seek high sensitivity."

"How about this one?" He handed her another.

Lin Yiwei glanced at it impatiently. "Spiral texture, suitable for men who seek longevity and don't mind low sensitivity. Is there anything else you want to know?"

She was already extremely impatient.

She knew he was teasing and provoking her, yet she couldn't afford to get angry. The man enjoyed watching her get flustered, like a puffy little kitten.

"I want to know, which one do you like?"

Lin Yiwei rolled her eyes at him, picked up the ultra-thin box, and tossed it toward him.

Xie Bo stubbornly bought the spiral-textured one, put it in his bag, and smiled. "But you have requirements for duration; I don't mind using the low-sensitivity one."

"Xie Bo, what happened that night will not happen again!"

"I don't think so."

Xie Bo paid the bill, but didn't leave in a hurry. He braced his hands on the counter and sat facing her. "Yiyi, be honest. Do you have a certain habit?"

"What habit?"

"You always like to play with the women around me."

Lin Yiwei turned her head away, not answering.

He vaulted over the counter, picked the girl up, sat her on the counter, and forced his knee between her legs.

"Xie Bo!"

His rough fingertips rubbed the delicate, smooth skin of her neck. "When I ask a question, you answer. Do you understand?"

She pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

"Yiyi, you should fear me just as much as you fear Chi Xicheng. Or have I been too gentle with you, causing some kind of misunderstanding that makes you think you can walk all over me?"

The man's lips curled into a smile, but there was no warmth in his dark, deep eyes; they held a dangerous, aggressive edge.

Right...

She had almost forgotten that this man was Xie Bo.

Chi Xicheng probably had to give him a wide berth, let alone her.

"It was Chi Xiyu who asked me to approach Ye Anning. She wants to know about what’s going on between you and her, to have me keep an eye on you two," Lin Yiwei confessed.

Telling these things to Xie Bo directly didn't matter; in any case, Xie Bo wouldn't go and confront Chi Xiyu.

Xie Bo sneered. "She tells you to do something and you do it, but when I want to do something, you refuse?"

He leaned close to her ear, his hot, damp breath brushing against her, making her tremble.

She was extremely sensitive.

"I need female friends," Lin Yiwei lied. "Chi Xiyu can protect me in many situations."

Xie Bo shrugged, accepting the explanation.

"What does she want to know?"

"She wants to know if you've slept together."

A frivolous smile bloomed on Xie Bo’s lips. "I’ve only slept with one woman, and I only