Chapter 142: A little match, how ridiculous!

Shen Xiyan sprinted all the way, following Su Jin’s instructions, and only stopped after darting around several corners.

Su Jin looked at him, full of [heartache]: “…Slow down when you breathe! Don’t choke.”

“Why don’t you try running that far?”

Shen Xiyan’s face was twisted, panting for breath.

If she hadn’t pulled out her phone to watch the footage she’d just recorded, he might’ve really believed her.

“Luckily I recorded a video. Tomorrow I’ll secretly give it to him—when we go to court, we’ll get a bigger cut. Sis, aren’t I always one step ahead?”

Shen Xiyan glanced at her, stunned: “…Yes.”

Once out of the school district, the streets were still quite lively.

The midsummer breeze made the plane tree leaves sway gently.

From time to time, a leaf would drift down slowly to the sidewalk, and passersby would occasionally give him strange looks, as if he were a dead dog.

“But can you wait for me to catch my breath first? I’m dying here.”

“Who told you to smash their window? Serves you right!”

“I call it ‘acting on behalf of the heavens’.”

So dramatic. It was all too easy to see the depths of human nature.

They lived there and knew the neighbors’ schedules better than anyone. Who’d have thought someone would be around so late? If he didn’t expose them, Shen Xiyan would feel guilty.

Did the honest guy eat your rice?

Should honest people have guns pointed at them?

It’s one thing if the kid isn’t yours, but to joke about making another one?

“Clearly, we’re both in this together, don’t take all the credit! Without me poking the camera, we’d both have been caught.”

Honest people might not call the police, but wouldn’t the cheating couple want revenge?

“Why does the wolf have to be surrounded and…?”

Su Jin’s face turned dark immediately: “Get lost! You should’ve smashed the door… When the glass broke, I was scared to death.”

“Thud” and “crash” are not the same at all, especially at night.

“What if smashing the door didn’t wake them?” Shen Xiyan said, “Only he deserved the window smashed. If it weren’t for the circumstances, I’d have thrown a rock straight at him.”

As for the broken window and whether it’d be hot tonight… Shen Xiyan couldn’t care less.

He probably wouldn’t sleep tonight, either. One window for one truth—Shen Xiyan felt justified.

“So what about these clothes?”

“Just toss them. There’s usually some homeless folks under the bridge.”

No way they could give them back to the police, right?

Su Jin fanned him with her hand. Shen Xiyan lifted his chin, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the wind sweeping the heat from his skin.

“…I really thought I was going to die in the middle. My lungs were about to explode. See, it’s not always good for girls to be tall. Sometimes you gotta be small and cute.”

“Get lost! I didn’t grow tall for you. They say you are what you eat—how about I treat you to some late-night Beef Offal?”

Shen Xiyan waved his hand. “You are what you eat” didn’t apply here.

“Where are you staying tonight? Going home?”

“No need, my place is just upstairs.” Su Jin pointed at the “brand-new” apartment before them, her tone a little smug: “Bought it outright!”

“You can buy a house as a minor?”

“With Song Wan, I borrowed her name. Once I turn eighteen, I’ll transfer it.”

“You girls are pretty bold.”

Su Jin shrugged, thinking: It’s not like Song Wan would scam her out of a whole apartment.

“Alright then, you go up. I’ll head home—”

“Hey!” Su Jin called out to stop him, pointing, “Why not come up and have some water before you go?”

“No need, I’ll just buy a bottle up ahead.”

“I’ve got ice-cold mung bean soup~~”

Su Jin’s pretty hair was damp with sweat, clinging to her pale face in strands like water weeds.

Her white T-shirt was also soaked, turning semi-transparent, tightly hugging her shoulders and chest…blurring the line between her skin and the world, highlighting every delicate, soft curve.

It sparked a fierce urge to protect her.

Shen Xiyan licked his lips. “Guess I’ll have a bowl before I go.”

But the moment he stepped into the elevator, Shen Xiyan regretted it, feeling inexplicably awkward.

It felt like he was being picked up by some playboy, heading upstairs for a one-night stand.

Aren’t all men like this?

Su Jin had no clue what was running through Shen Xiyan’s mind. As the elevator shot up, she joked, “You’re the first one to come here.”

“???”

Shen Xiyan’s thoughts went wild, clinging to a bit of hope. “Not even Song Wan?”

Su Jin shot back, “Why would she come to my place?”

“Heh, ‘Tonight, my humble home opens its doors for you…’ Ouch!”

Su Jin kicked him—damn, that hurt!

Sure enough, some poems and idioms just can’t be thrown around Su Jin.

We’re both old foxes, why act out Strange Tales?

Lin Ci was way more fun; you could make dirty jokes all you wanted, and she wouldn’t even get it, giving you that glorious feeling of intellectual superiority.

The elevator doors opened. Su Jin took out her keys to unlock the door.

A faint, unique fragrance filled the apartment. He couldn’t tell if it was perfume or just the scent of a woman.

The black-white-gray modern decor had none of the girly pinks or fancy ornaments—simple, clean, tidy, but a bit lacking in warmth.

Wind surged in from the open window, making the curtains billow, and sharpening the sense of loneliness that hovered in the air.

“Got slippers?”

“In the shoe cabinet…”

“Why are they all new?”

“No one’s been here before, of course they’re new. Take whichever pair you like.”

“No shoe covers? I’m not coming again anyway—feels like a waste to open a new pair.”

“How about I just go barefoot?”

“Stinky feet! Try it and see what happens!”

Shen Xiyan could only follow her lead.

He stepped into the living room and was surprised at how big it was.

“Apartments can be this big?”

“I bought the whole floor and knocked it through.” Su Jin turned on the air conditioning.

Shen Xiyan made a sound like he’d never seen the world, walking over to close the window.

Right outside was the Bund and the river view. Passenger and cargo ships drifted by, their wakes slowly fanning out behind them.

On both banks of the Huangpu River, skyscrapers rose one after another, radiating modern prosperity. To the left, you could see the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Such pricey land, and Su Jin had bought the entire floor?

Qin Sheng might be a rich second generation, but this was a true little rich lady!

“Damn, writing novels makes this much money?!”

“…Sold a few copyrights. My ultimate goal is to win the Tang and Top Prize in my lifetime, but I doubt it’ll happen.”

Su Jin stood under the air conditioner, breathing contentedly.

The AC saved my life.

If Shen Xiyan weren’t here, she’d be showering already. There’s no happiness like washing off sweat right after you get home—wait too long and it’s just not as satisfying.

“…How many books?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Noth—… Nothing…”

Copyrights.

A few.

Shen Xiyan’s admiration for Su Jin only deepened.

This big shot was even more impressive than expected. He wanted to ask what pen name she used.

Chen, Ji, Tang, Hong, Dou?

“So you live here alone most of the time?”

“Yeah.”

“No wonder it’s so ‘tidy’.”

Of course, “tidy” here wasn’t a compliment.

He couldn’t even find tissues on the coffee table—just a TV remote and a tablet. Everywhere else was as clean and smooth as Su Jin’s own face.

“Where’s the mung bean soup?”

“Wait here.”

Shen Xiyan strolled around, realizing just how narrow his own perspective was. “Is it safe for you living alone in a place this big? Aren’t you afraid of nightmares at night?”

In his mind, rich people all lived in villas.

But buying out a whole floor like this was no cheaper than a villa and even easier to manage—definitely suited to someone like Su Jin.

“Check out what I keep under my coffee table.”

…A… nail gun?

Su Jin did a cute little machine-gun pose: “If anyone dares come in, I’ll go dudu dudu dudu!”

“I wanted to buy a crossbow, but it’s not allowed online. Tried finding one privately, but it’s a hassle. The nail gun’s great—fully automatic, too.”

…Can you not say terrifying stuff like that so seriously?

“What’s so scary about it?”

Su Jin raised her brows. “A girl living alone needs to protect herself. I have cameras inside and out—if anyone dares break in, I’ll use ‘justifiable defense’!”

“…Is that how justifiable defense works?”

“Shen Xiyan.”

“Mm?”

Su Jin suddenly squinted and grinned, looking truly happy: “Stay away from Qin Sheng or I’ll take that video and edit it to say you were stalking me with bad intentions.”

“???”

Seeing Shen Xiyan’s stunned, incredulous stare, Su Jin sighed, “Just kidding.”

Shen Xiyan looked pained, forcing a laugh: “You didn’t look like you were joking just now.”

“Oh, come on! How could I?”

Su Jin sashayed back to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of crimson mung bean soup. “Young master, come, take your medicine.”

“???”

Shen Xiyan gulped it down in one go, wiped his mouth, and declared grandly, “Another bowl!”

Su Jin rolled her eyes and took the empty bowl back.

“You made this yourself?”

“Only know how to make simple stuff—mung bean soup, rice porridge. As long as there’s no oil or knives involved, cleaning up’s not a pain. Otherwise, it’s all takeout.”

“Then why such a big kitchen?”

“I’ll use it someday, when I find a boyfriend who can cook.”

“Oh right! Let me send you some money so you can get a ride home later.”

“No need.”

“Take it! Or I really will edit that video to frame you!”

Hearing Su Jin’s threat, Shen Xiyan felt warm inside.

Before leaving, he looked at her with a straight face. “I have a secret to tell you.”

“What?”

Su Jin noticed Shen Xiyan’s eyes darting around.

“Your chest is flat.”

“Get lost!”

Shen Xiyan slipped away in a flash.

He’d wanted to say it downstairs, but hadn’t found the chance—and he hadn’t dared.

Su Jin was actually a hidden rich girl, and at her age, she had a runway-flat chest.

“Hmph! Not flat in front but perky in back, a little A-cup—what a joke…” After stepping out, Shen Xiyan shook his head, laughing.

So it’s all fake in there!

Too much—what kind of high schooler schemes like this?

In the elevator, the motion-sensor lights in the hallway turned off. Only then did Shen Xiyan notice the door had somehow reopened. A beam of light spilled from inside, illuminating him.

Like a demon-revealing mirror, it left him with nowhere to hide.

Shen Xiyan froze.

Wait! Didn’t I just close the door?

A sharp glint flashed in Su Jin’s eyes.

With the light behind her, Shen Xiyan couldn’t see Su Jin’s face, but he knew his own expression was lit up for her to see, so he had to keep it together, pretend to be calm.

“Why’re you out here?”

“To listen to your couplets… Not flat in front but perky in back, a little A-cup, what a joke—bravo! What’s your follow-up?”

“!!!”

Shen Xiyan wanted to explain, but the elevator doors slowly closed, the last thing he saw was Su Jin’s stormy face.

Oh no! I’m done for!