Chapter 238: That Scheming Girl Wants to Go Head-to-Head with Me?
It’s okay to listen to your boyfriend’s advice sometimes.
Lin Yibai thought that was reasonable. She added the idea of taking the civil service exam as one of her possible future plans.
She told herself, once everything at school is settled, then she’ll make a final decision!
The rain had been falling for quite a while. Autumn rain often lasts long. The weather started to get cooler, so Lin Yibai put on a light jacket.
She thought, “Usually at this time of year, I’d still be wearing short sleeves!”
Guys always seem to think differently. Many of them even believe they can just “tough it out” through winter without dressing warmly.
But girls are not like that. Especially a girl who’s no longer single and has someone who truly cares about her.
As soon as the weather got colder, someone was already worried about her comfort, asking if she needed warmer shoes, socks, or clothes.
Even though Lin Yibai firmly refused, Xia Changyu still wanted to help her buy those things. Since she didn’t let him, he started to focus more on her food instead.
Somehow, he learned a few “health tips for girls.” For example, he cooked bone soup and added red dates in it, saying seriously, “I heard this is really good for girls. It helps with blood and energy.”
Lin Yibai gave him a helpless look and said, “Come on, do I really look unhealthy to you? If I eat too much of this, I’ll gain weight!”
Xia Changyu shrugged and said, “I don’t mind if you do.”
She snorted, “I mind.”
Day by day, Lin Yibai suddenly realized. ‘Wait, since when did I start worrying about my figure?’
But you can’t take everything a guy says seriously. Surely no girl really believes the classic line, ‘I don’t care about your looks or your body shape, right?’
The two of them were squeezed together on a single-seat sofa in the apartment. Lin Yibai leaned sideways, her head resting on Xia Changyu’s arm.
He also enjoyed this quiet, cozy moment of being relied on. Aside from not being able to go “all the way,” everything else between them felt perfect.
With the cool autumn air outside, and their small apartment, there wasn’t much space. But when two people care about each other, is there anything more comfortable than this?
In fact, Xia Changyu had been so caught up in this peaceful life that he didn’t even feel like focusing on work anymore. All he wanted was to stay here, enjoying this gentle warmth.
Ding-ling~
Of course, something had to interrupt the peace.
Lately, the phone had been ringing a lot because of delivery calls.
Xia Changyu was a very action-oriented person. Since he had suggested that Lin Yibai take the civil service exam, he went ahead and ordered all the prep books online.
If Lin Yibai hadn’t firmly stopped him, he probably would’ve signed her up for a prep class too!
She got up to get the delivery. Sure enough, when she opened it, it was more exam prep books.
She took off the packaging and placed the books on her desk. There was already a big pile there. She never imagined that even though her college classes were almost done, she still had to study more for a new test?
Letting out a small sigh, she straightened her clothes and said, “I’m going to the teaching building at school in a bit. Want to come with me? Or are you staying here?”
In such a small space, if the person you care about isn’t there, it just feels meaningless, and kind of depressing.
Xia Changyu quickly stood up and smiled, “This apartment is at the edge of the city center area, and taking the bus to your school means riding seven or eight stops. Plus, it’s raining.”
Lin Yibai replied with a snort, “So what if it’s raining? Do you think I can’t handle it? You really think I’m that weak?”
Xia Changyu immediately acted like he was surrendering and said loudly, “No, not at all! I was just thinking, how about I walk you there?”
Lin Yibai said, “No need.”
Xia Changyu added, “Come on, give me a chance!”
Finally, Lin Yibai couldn’t help but smile. Her lips curved into a soft grin, clearly happy with how he tried to make her feel better. But she still pretended to be serious and said, “Well... since you’re being so sincere, I guess I can reluctantly give you a chance!”
Xia Changyu replied, “Thank you, my lady!”
As boyfriend and girlfriend, these playful little moments had become a natural part of their daily life.
What are normal couples supposed to be like?
She and he probably would go through the same kind of relationship process, though maybe they would miss out on a few parts, too.
At least when it comes to handling things, Lin Yibai considered herself a calm and reasonable person. Normally, she wouldn’t scream or act crazy like she had lost her mind.
So then... what is love?
If there’s no yelling, no drama, no emotional breakdowns. Does that mean something important is missing from the relationship?
"Whooosh..."
Is this strange weather happening all across the country?
As long as you stay indoors, it’s fine. But the moment you go outside, it starts pouring rain?
In the heavy rain, Xia Changyu opened an umbrella and walked out, saying, “Wait here for me, I’ll go bring the car over.”
Lin Yibai tried to follow him and said, “We can just go together, why make it more complicated?”
Xia Changyu suddenly looked serious and said, “I told you to wait here, so wait. My dear girlfriend... is it really that hard to just listen to me for once?”
This guy... is he addicted to playing the "bossy boyfriend" role now?
Oh well, might as well let him do it. They say giving guys some tasks to do can help boost their confidence!
While waiting...
A girl walked out from the nearby self-service convenience store. She looked like she had just graduated, quite pretty and dressed nicely.
As soon as she saw Lin Yibai, she smiled and greeted her. But her eyes were clearly following Xia Changyu’s back as he disappeared into the rain.
Then she said, “Hi! You must be the one renting unit 317, right? We live on the same floor, we even shared an elevator once!”
Lin Yibai paused for a second, then politely said, “Oh… it's you. Is there something you need?”
To be honest, places like apartments aren’t exactly where people go to make friends. The girl said her name was Zheng Siyan. She looked a little familiar, maybe they had seen each other before.
Still, it would be great if she could stop staring at my boyfriend, thank you very much.
Zheng Siyan pointed in the direction Xia Changyu had gone and asked, “Is that your boyfriend? I’ve seen him a few times, he seems really nice to you.”
Lin Yibai said, “Yes, he’s my boyfriend.”
Zheng Siyan smiled and said, “If I remember correctly, doesn’t he drive a BMW? And it’s a pretty expensive one too… I mean, how could he let you live in a place like this? He doesn’t seem short on money. If he really liked you—uh, sorry, I don’t mean anything by it, just making conversation.”
Lin Yibai narrowed her eyes. Was this what they call the harshness of the real world?
She couldn’t tell what this girl was really trying to do. Zheng Siyan acted like she was speaking out of concern, but her words were a little shady and sharp. Either way, Lin Yibai could tell, this girl wasn’t here for anything good.
Thankfully, Lin Yibai wasn’t one of those silly girls with no brain. She wasn’t going to let someone stir things up and then go yell at her boyfriend like a crazy person.
Let’s be rational here.
It seems like this girl might have a crush on Xia Changyu?
Hmph, no surprise. The guy I picked is clearly attractive, even other girls notice him wherever we go. But too bad... he's already taken. So give it up, ladies!
Maybe this also means that Xia Changyu, behind the scenes, really has been admired by many girls. But in the end, he chose Lin Yibai, whom he had worked so hard to win over.
Not long after, Xia Changyu drove the car over. That girl even waved at both of them to say goodbye.
Xia Changyu gave her a small smile.
Lin Yibai asked directly, “You two know each other well?”
Xia Changyu answered honestly, “Not at all, just bumped into her a few times at the self-service shop downstairs. We’ve talked a few times.”
Lin Yibai continued, “She told me you’re so rich, but you still let me live in a place like this. If you really loved me, you’d never let me stay somewhere like this. Honestly, I almost got mad at you. What do you think?”
Only a foolish girl would hear something suspicious and just keep it bottled up inside, like in those dramas where the heroine suffers in silence and doesn’t speak up until the final episode. Isn’t that kind of ridiculous?
A smart girl…
Just checks the facts with her boyfriend right away!
Xia Changyu was stunned, and then said, “She also told me there are lots of guys who come to see you, and she’s jealous that you have such a great social life. I always thought it was just some classmates visiting.”
Lin Yibai shook her head and said, “The only ones who know I’m living here are you, me, and the heavens. I don’t have any classmates coming over, especially not guys.”
Fact-checking is a wonderful invention, isn’t it?
Lin Yibai closed her eyes and relaxed. There was nothing more to say. As for a “third party”? That kind of thing simply didn’t exist here!
Meanwhile, Xia Changyu’s face had gone completely dark.