In the afternoon, Lin Ziyan returned to school with red-rimmed eyes.
She found a shop by the roadside and ate something casually, not eating at home.
Thankfully, she still had some leftover money on her phone, enough to afford lunch, but for a student with no income, this was the last of her funds.
In the classroom, she seemed like an outsider.
No one came to her, and she didn’t approach anyone else. She just sat there in a daze.
She also thought: even though Liu Yinuo told her not to see Ye Xingmian, could she find out Liu Yinuo’s address and go to her house on her own?
Although it felt like asking for humiliation, she still had so much she wanted to say to Ye Xingmian.
After all, if she went to find her in person, Ye Xingmian couldn’t possibly turn her away, could she?
When had she become so pathetic?
She couldn’t figure it out either.
Class after class passed, time slowly slipped by, and the sun shifted from the center of the sky toward the west. Dusk dyed the campus in a layer of golden hue.
School was over. Liu Yinuo slung her schoolbag over her shoulder alone and prepared to go home.
But when she reached the school gate, she saw someone she didn’t want to see.
Qin Haiyue…
Her pupils contracted.
Coincidentally, not only had she noticed the other girl, but the other girl had clearly seen her too.
Qin Haiyue squinted, gave her a sinister smile, and waved.
Was she telling her to come over?
She didn’t want to go, but did she have another choice?
Gritting her teeth, she finally walked up to Qin Haiyue.
“Is there something you want?”
She forced herself to stay calm.
“Heh, something? Of course, something. Remember what I said this morning?”
“You lied to me, so you have to face the consequences.”
“Playing tough? Aiya, aiya, Lin Ziyan~ You don’t want your parents to lose their jobs and your whole family to sleep on the streets, do you?”
“You know, if I’m the one who personally fires them, the outcome won’t be the same as an ordinary firing. Guess whether I’ll go out of my way to contact other companies and make sure they never find work again?”
This was a blatant threat.
But Lin Ziyan had no way to counter it. She gritted her teeth.
“What do you want?”
“What? Hah, you make me sound like some heinous demon. What do you think I’ll do to you? Sell you to a brothel? Force you to take nude photos?”
“Heh, even though I know those channels, don’t worry—I won’t do those things to you.”
The things she mentioned weren’t completely impossible.
After all, those kinds of underworld industries weren’t rare in this world.
Loan sharks, capital, black market, violent gangs…
In the hidden corners of this world, such things were never lacking.
And faced with someone from a wealthy family like Qin Haiyue, Lin Ziyan didn’t doubt that she had connections in those circles.
In front of those people, she was truly like an ant, easily crushed.
“…Go ahead and say it.”
Qin Haiyue raised an eyebrow and looked her over from head to toe.
“It’s obvious you two aren’t blood-related. You’re way uglier than your ‘brother.’”
Lin Ziyan silently clenched her fists.
“What? Mad? Is that all the tolerance you have?”
“No… not at all.”
Lin Ziyan loosened her fists calmly.
“What I want you to do is simple. I’ve already found out where Ye Xingmian is, but some bastard keeps blocking me, so I can’t meet your brother. Also, even if that bastard isn’t around, I can’t get your brother to come out. I need your help to lure her out.”
“…Are you even afraid of the teacher?”
“Afraid of the teacher? As if! I just don’t want the hassle.”
“…Why are you asking so many questions?”
Lin Ziyan bit her lip.
She didn’t want to do this job. Not at all.
“…I understand.”
Acting as Qin Haiyue’s lackey, tricking the person she liked into coming out, and watching her get bullied by that girl.
Just thinking about it drove her crazy.
But did she have the right to refuse?
She didn’t!
And because of that, she felt pain.
It felt like a car was running over her heart again and again, agonizing enough to drive her insane.
But Lin Ziyan had already made up her mind to protect Ye Xingmian.
At the very least, she didn’t want to cause her trouble or create problems.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”
Qin Haiyue squinted, still looking relaxed.
“Okay, go ahead~”
Walking alone on the road, Lin Ziyan had already made up her mind.
A very bad idea.
On the other side, right after sending Lin Ziyan off, Qin Haiyue received a phone call.
The moment she unlocked her screen, an expression of disgust appeared on her face.
Even so, she answered the call.
A calm voice immediately came from the other end.
“Qin Haiyue, I’m already waiting for you at your home. Today I’ve arranged a dinner party for you. I heard from your mother that she missed your birthday, so I want to make it up to you.”
Qin Haiyue frowned and let out a cold laugh.
“Ha, are you really treating me as a friend? That concerned about me?”
“I’ve come to your house so many times, and we have business cooperation. After all this back and forth, we’ve naturally grown familiar.”
“Cut it out! I’ll be straightforward: get out of my house and never come back! That would be the best gift for me!”
“Fine, I won’t come tomorrow. I’m just curious—why haven’t I seen your lover around lately?”
“None of your business!”
With a sharp click, she hung up. Annoyed, Qin Haiyue sat back in the car and dialed the driver’s number.
“Have you finished shopping? Hurry up and get back. We’re going home!”
The driver, wearing sunglasses, opened the car door while holding his phone, the call screen still lit.
“Miss, I’ve already arrived.”
“Xiao Guan?”
Qin Haiyue frowned.
“Why are you back so fast?”
“There’s a convenience store nearby. I didn’t go far. Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss.”
“Hmph, let’s go.”
Qin Haiyue suddenly felt something was off.
Had he overheard her conversation with Lin Ziyan and Luo Xi just now?
But she quickly shook her head.
Even if he did, so what?
It had nothing to do with him anyway. He could listen all he wanted.
Besides, he was just a driver. What use would eavesdropping be?
With that thought, she didn’t dwell on it and let the car drive toward her home.
The city night was exceptionally quiet.
Outside the window stood towering skyscrapers, scattered lights fading into the darkness like stars reflected in black water.
Tonight’s dinner was prepared by Ye Xingmian.
When Liu Fu and Liu Mu, exhausted from the day, came home and saw a large table of dishes, they were pleasantly surprised.
“Did Little Ye make all this? Nuonuo, why didn’t you help her? Making her do all the work!”
“No… that… Yinuo did help me. More than half of these dishes are thanks to her…”
To keep Liu Mu from scolding Liu Yinuo further, Ye Xingmian deliberately exaggerated Liu Yinuo’s contribution.
“Child, don’t always think of others and forget yourself!”
“Stop chatting. Xingmian, eat quickly. We have tutoring after dinner.”
Liu Yinuo wore an indifferent, unapproachable expression.
“Oh… yes! Okay!”
A rare smile appeared on Ye Xingmian’s face. She carefully observed everyone gathered around the dining table, and a sense of unprecedented accomplishment surged in her heart.
On this cold night, she felt warmth.
A warmth she had never experienced before.
Sometimes she would fantasize: if only she could always live in a family like this, how wonderful would that be?
Just like the mother in her dreams, this thought occasionally became her wish, a longing for the future.
She looked forward to making it come true someday.
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