Chapter 032: Xie Buchen, Have You Been Turning Tricks Behind My Back?

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Lin Shu wanted to leave after less than two minutes.

Ji Xing­shen did not try to keep her.

He had far too many thoughts racing through his mind now. He might not even be able to eat dinner.

The old lady took her hand and insisted that she stay for dinner, but Lin Shu pulled free and said that someone at home was waiting to eat with her.

In the past, when she lingered at Ji Xing­shen’s house, leaving had been out of the question. She would even take the initiative to help sort and wash the vegetables, staying in the kitchen with Ji Xing­shen while fantasizing about their happy life together in the future.

Please.

Even if he knew how to cook, he was not cooking for her.

Compared with leafy greens and plain rice porridge, she still preferred Aunt Zhu’s pork trotters and spring rolls.

…

When Lin Shu stepped outside, she happened to run into Ji Xiangyang, who had just returned home from work.

The man knew whom she was referring to and greeted her with a smile. “Lin Shu, here to see our little Xing­shen again?”

Lin Shu gave him a cold look.

Without saying a word, she left.

Ji Xiangyang scratched the back of his head and walked inside. He looked around. The house was empty-handed—not a single gift in sight. In the past, there would at least have been two boxes of something.

“Son, did you have a fight with Miss Lin?”

The man lowered his head as he asked.

He was deeply invested in Lin Shu and Ji Xing­shen’s “friendship.”

Ji Xing­shen called out, “Dad,” then dropped heavily onto a stool, his expression dejected. He had managed to hold himself together in front of Lin Shu, but the moment she left, he could no longer suppress the panic in his heart.

“Son! Son, what’s wrong?! Don’t scare your dad!”

…

After returning home, Lin Shu finished her homework and began writing her novel again. There was not much left before the ending. She did not know how readers would rate it once it was published, or whether the readers who had once begged for updates were still around…

Whatever. She would finish it first and worry about the rest later.

…

The next day, Ji Xing­shen did not come to school. By evening, word had spread throughout the class that he was seriously ill and receiving an IV drip in the hospital.

Huang Pingting suggested that everyone chip in to buy a gift and visit him.

Lin Shu did not want to go.

Zhou Ya contributed money, but since Lin Shu was not going, neither was she.

Evening study ended very late, and if they went to the hospital afterward, their parents would certainly be unhappy when they got home.

In the end, Lin Shu and Zhou Ya were the only two people in the entire class who did not go. Even students from other classes were saying that they wanted to visit him.

In the corridor, Huang Pingting said, “Some people are truly terrifying. When they like someone, they can’t wait to tear out their own heart and give it to them. But once they stop liking them, they won’t even visit when that person is sick. I’ve never seen anyone so cold-blooded…”

“Exactly. How many times did Ji Xing­shen tutor her before? If you converted it into tutoring fees, it would be several thousand. She doesn’t know the meaning of gratitude at all.”

“Zhou Ya is the same. Why does she insist on hanging out with her?”

“They were friends back in middle school. There’s probably no escaping her now. Poor thing. And now Lin Shu is hanging around Xie Bu­chen and the others too. Who knows—she might lead Zhou Ya astray one of these days.”

…

Lin Shu and Zhou Ya, who had not yet gone far, fell silent together.

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There were far too many things wrong with that conversation to know where to begin, but they still needed to be addressed.

First, Ji Xing­shen tutoring Lin Shu was supposed to be his way of repaying a debt, not something Lin Shu owed him.

Second, both Zhou Ya’s and Lin Shu’s grades had improved since they started spending time together. There was no basis whatsoever for calling it “falling into depravity.”

Third, they had not even gone far, and these people had already started gossiping. Did they have even the slightest bit of manners? At least wait until they were gone before talking, for goodness’ sake. ~_~

Zhou Ya said, “Lin Shu, how long are you planning to keep pretending to be poor?”

“I’m not pretending,” Lin Shu said.

She really was not pretending, but she was being excessively low-key.

“Everyone here is so snobbish,” Zhou Ya said. “They only like people who are rich or good at their studies. In their eyes, aside from Ji Xing­shen, everyone else isn’t even human. The new republic has existed for decades, and they’re still acting like servants.”

Lin Shu nearly died laughing.

When Zhou Ya got angry, that little mouth of hers was absolutely venomous.

“I only gave him my brother’s old clothes because he had nothing to wear,” Lin Shu said. “Who knew I’d end up creating a young master? If anyone’s to blame, it’s not me. I was just doing a good deed. Ji Xing­shen has a mouth—if he didn’t like everyone treating him as a rich young heir, why didn’t he explain?”

“Just Lin Zhou’s clothes?!” Zhou Ya immediately became furious at the mention of it.

Those had been Lin Zhou’s clothes!

She could recognize them even if they had been burned to ashes. And now they had ended up on Ji Xing­shen, fitting him so perfectly. Did he even deserve them?

Forget it.

She could not say that last part to Lin Shu.

Zhou Ya launched into a full-blown rap.

She told Lin Shu that her new phone had barely reached her hands before Ji Xing­shen’s phone broke. Then there had been his schoolbag and his shoes. All of them seemed remarkably considerate, somehow knowing exactly when to break…

But whenever it was something that could not break, yet he wanted—like a tablet—he would say things such as, “The screen on my phone is too small for online classes. My eyes get so dry I can barely keep them open.”

And on and on…

He thought he had put on a convincing act, but Zhou Ya could only roll her eyes.

Only Lin Shu could be as gullible as the silly daughter of a wealthy landlord.

Lin Shu’s face flushed as Zhou Ya went on scolding her.

Her best friend continued to berate her all the way to the point where they parted ways.

…

Lin Shu kicked pebbles along the sidewalk, growing angrier the more she thought about it.

She had no sympathy whatsoever for Ji Xing­shen, who had apparently become so frightened by her words that he had fallen ill. Instead, she was furious at herself, cataloging every one of her past exploits as a fool who had been taken advantage of. For no reason at all, she suddenly stamped her foot and punched herself twice.

The screech of abruptly applied brakes rang out.

It was rather piercing.

Lin Shu turned her head and fixed her blazing gaze on Xie Bu­chen.

“Were you following me?”

She had not seen him in a long time.

She had assumed that after the matter with Fang Chao was over, he had stopped working as a bodyguard. She had not expected him to take up stalking instead.

Caught red-handed, Xie Bu­chen stopped bothering to hide. He rode his bicycle over and asked why she had suddenly started punching herself when everything had been fine.

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Lin Shu curled her lip. “Am I not allowed to aspire to be Tarzan?”

Xie Bu­chen lowered his head and laughed.

He really did love making fun of her.

Stupid dog.

Lin Shu’s steps grew lighter, and so did her mood. The road, which had seemed rather long, soon came to an end.

Lin Shu gave a pebble a sudden, forceful kick.

Xie Bu­chen asked, “Are you free sometime this week?”

Hm?

Lin Shu blinked and pretended not to care. “…Yes. Why?”

“Want to go sing?”

Her heart lit up at once, but she quickly said, “My allowance was borrowed by my brother. I’m broke.”

Xie Bu­chen gave a hum, shook his head, and smiled. “Your brother is only looking out for you.”

“What are you thinking? I’m charging him interest. Otherwise, who would lend him money? If he dares not to pay me back, I’ll report him to Mom.”

Xie Bu­chen brought his bicycle to a stop.

He pushed one foot forward and used the other to hold the front wheel in place, nudging it backward.

He used to be able to balance perfectly still, like an old monk in meditation. Now, however, the bicycle wobbled a little.

Lin Shu lowered her head and noticed that something was wrong with his foot. Beneath his trouser leg was a horrifying spread of bruises.

It felt as though thunder had struck the crown of her head.

That was not an exaggeration. She meant it literally.

Thunder! Had! Struck! Her! Head!

“Has this day finally come?” Lin Shu murmured in a daze, her eyes wide.

Xie Bu­chen leaned toward her and asked from across the strip of greenery, “My treat. Want to go?”

“Your treat?”

“Mm.”

He sounded a little embarrassed, his voice low, sincere, and gentle. “You paid for our tickets when we went to the amusement park last time, and you even bought me ice cream. I should at least return the favor once.”

A karaoke bar. He was paying. The bruises on his body. That handsome face and sexy body so beloved by aunts and uncles everywhere.

Something like that really was…

Lin Shu felt as though her heart were splitting apart. Staring sadly at the bruises on his foot, she asked, “Xie Bu­chen, where did you get the money? Did you secretly become a male escort?”

…

…

…

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