Chapter 92: An Unsettling Date

After being roughly kicked into the car, Ye Xingmian’s head was still a bit dazed. But since it was Qin Haiyue, nothing she did was surprising. She quickly regained her composure and silently adjusted her seating position.

After that, Qin Haiyue followed her into the cabin and closed the door behind her.

“What about the clothes I gave you? Why did you come out in a dress?”

The cold questioning left the girl unsure of how to respond. After thinking for a long time, she finally came up with an answer.

“I was in too much of a hurry when I left, and I didn’t have time to change…”

“Hmm? Didn’t you say you were going out to buy things? Where are the things you bought?”

***

“Ha, also, where did this dress come from?”

The girl opened her mouth, the pressure in her heart soaring, but she didn’t know how to answer. She could only remain silent, harboring her anxiety.

“Don’t tell me that Liu Yinuo gave it to you,” Qin Haiyue sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“No… No… It was my sister…”

“Your sister? That girl named Lin?”

Qin Haiyue arched an eyebrow, slightly surprised. This was the first time she had paid any attention to the existence of the person who was nominally Ye Xingmian’s younger sister.

“Yes…” The girl nodded gently.

“Oh, so she knows about you turning into a girl?” It was almost funny to her. In her eyes, that Lin Ziyan was an existence that posed no threat at all, so naturally, she didn’t need to care.

After all, their entire family’s income was held in her hands.

The girl nodded wordlessly again, confirming her guess.

“Oh, then she’s actually quite thoughtful. Not bad.”

It saved her the trouble of changing Ye Xingmian’s clothes herself. She had to admit that although the clothes looked a bit old, that Lin girl had decent taste. It suited her preferences.

She had originally thought about checking the girl’s phone, but after thinking about it, she gave up. It didn’t matter even if she added other people. Their so-called relationship as lovers was just for show; it wasn’t real. She didn’t have any feelings for the Ye Xingmian beside her, but putting on an act was still necessary. It helped with her initial plan, even though she was already starting to lose her patience.

Without asking if Ye Xingmian was cold, she sent a text message to the driver she had just dismissed, waiting for his return.

“Where are we going?”

In the silence of the wait, the girl beside her suddenly spoke up, sounding a bit uneasy.

“On a date.”

Qin Haiyue gave a cold answer that even she couldn’t help but find amusing.

The girl didn’t speak, seemingly acquiescing to her answer. To be honest, this was actually a plan Qin Haiyue had made yesterday. Back then, she was still thinking about getting closer to Ye Xingmian, but now, she felt a bit muddled about her own thoughts.

But regardless, she was already tired of trying to increase Ye Xingmian’s favorability. She just wasn’t sure exactly what to do yet.

Faced with Qin Haiyue’s answer, Ye Xingmian was momentarily at a loss. Whose date involved treating their partner so roughly? Not to mention, this somewhat deformed relationship was forced into existence by Qin Haiyue in the first place. But what could she say? In a situation where their strengths were completely unequal, her thoughts were essentially insignificant.

Neither of them said another word until the driver opened the door to the driver’s seat, put on his headphones, and asked without looking back, “Miss, are we still going to that place?”

Qin Haiyue nodded.

“Alright, sit tight, you two.”

The car started, and the *roar* of the engine sounded, driving the beast to speed down the road. The scenery along the roadside receded rapidly—the slightly empty streets near the end of the year, the closed shops, and the low-rise commercial buildings with a bit of a desolate atmosphere. A few stray dogs were fighting for food, and black rodents ran past a pile of trash.

The girl couldn’t help but curl up her body, her expression becoming more and more lonely. Her persistence up to this point had been strongly shaken. She had to start thinking about what was actually the right thing to do. ‘How should I act to reach a good ending?’

She knew she was stupid and had no ambitions. Her only dream was to reunite with her mother. But she had never thought about life after that.

How should she make a living? How should she handle the relationships around her? Did she really have to go far away and abandon everything?

But she felt a faint sense of reluctance.

It wasn’t for the cold Lin family, and it certainly wasn’t for the expensive gifts Qin Haiyue gave her. It was only for that girl who had extended a helping hand and shown her kindness in her most desperate moment.

Ye Xingmian called her Class Monitor, but she didn’t actually want to stop there. If possible, she also wanted to continue accepting her kindness and experience those warm, healing moments.

But she was truly too humble and too weak. If she was unwilling to give up, then the best outcome would be for Liu Yinuo to develop feelings for her and be willing to accept her. At that time, she could become a dependent of Liu Yinuo and be a carefree, loved, pampered little wife. That kind of ending might be the best for her.

After all, as she had just thought, she was stupid and had no abilities.

‘But if one day Liu Yinuo grows tired of me, and I become a complete burden, or if the love is no longer there, what then?’ Relationships that weren’t maintained by stable external factors often couldn’t withstand the ravages of time. Just as people grew old and things faded away, everything would eventually stop being the way it used to be.

So she felt lost and overwhelmed. Recalling Liu Yinuo’s words, she deeply realized that there were only two paths left before her.

As for where fate would push her? There was no way to know.

***

Meteor Pavilion was a prestigious luxury restaurant in the city. It was also an “internet famous” spot that attracted many wealthy couples. Qin Haiyue had taken a liking to the atmosphere here, so she decided to bring the girl to join in the fun.

Although the price of every dish here was almost equivalent to the minimum wage of this city for one month, money was not an issue for her. She had specifically chosen this place earlier to try and bridge the gap with Ye Xingmian.

Holding the girl’s hand, she sat down at the previously reserved spot. Not far away, a dedicated band was playing elegant music. A small artificial fountain flowed in the center of the hall, and the gurgling water reflected the pink lights, looking like carefully crafted love flowing through the room.

Ye Xingmian scanned her surroundings, feeling a deep sense of embarrassment and unease.

Every symbol around her reminded her at all times that she did not belong here. If it weren’t for Qin Haiyue, she would never have entered this place in her entire life.

In this elegant and noble restaurant, her inferiority complex appeared both pathetic and wretched.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

As the waiter brought out the first portion of food, Qin Haiyue spoke with a smile, whether intentionally or not.

Her gaze lowered slightly. Although the girl was clumsy, she knew how she should answer at this moment.

“I like it.”