Chapter 256: Why Is This Love Rival So Annoying?
Doing one good deed a day.
Lin Yibai felt that today’s good deed was done.
Not only did she stop her classmates from being tricked, but she also helped protect the money of some citizens.
Me? I’m a model citizen.
Lin Yibai originally planned to go straight back to her apartment. She sent a message to Zhou Ling and the others.
“I’m already done talking with the police. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to the apartment first.”
Ding-dong~
Soon, Zhou Ling replied, “Wait a minute! Baiyi, you helped us so much today. We talked about it and decided that no matter what, we must thank you properly!”
Lin Yibai replied politely, “No need.”
Zhou Ling insisted, “This is our way of showing thanks. Please, Baiyi, don’t say no, okay?”
Lin Yibai: “!!”
Sigh, fine! It’s just a meal anyway.
They were all classmates, not like Xia Changyu, who took her to some expensive restaurant. Lin Yibai thought the school cafeteria was perfectly fine. She even treated herself to a big chicken drumstick.
A group of girls chatting non-stop made the place feel lively. But sadly, Lin Yibai didn’t have much in common with them.
One moment they were talking about finding jobs, and the next they were already discussing TV dramas. Lin Yibai honestly had no idea how that happened!
Unlike the girls who ate slowly, Lin Yibai finished her food quickly. Then she stood up and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head off now!”
Zhou Ling: “Huh? Oh… alright then!”
There really wasn’t much to talk about between her and the others, so Lin Yibai went back to her apartment by herself.
That day, Xia Changyu came home very late.
The noodles Lin Yibai had made for him were already cold. It wasn’t until 7 or 8 p.m. that Xia Changyu finally returned, dragging his tired body in and collapsing onto the sofa.
Lin Yibai went to reheat the noodles. As she did, she asked curiously, “What happened? Was there a problem at your office?”
Xia Changyu sighed softly and said, sounding a bit annoyed, “It’s nothing major. It’s just that my old man found out I’m graduating soon, and he keeps asking me to go home and start working for the family business.”
Lin Yibai brought the hot noodles over and placed them on the table in front of the sofa.
She said, “But don’t you have to take over the family business eventually anyway?”
Xia Changyu shook his head and gave a helpless smile.
“Yeah, but it’s too early now. My dad’s only in his forties. If I go back and start working under him now, I’ll be stuck doing that for twenty years until he retires. Isn’t that dumb?”
What really bothered him was the feeling of being tied down. It’s normal for family to expect you to help with the business, but the idea of being managed and told what to do for another 10 or 20 years after becoming an adult? That was frustrating.
After hearing this, Lin Yibai couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re just like a crown prince under a long-living emperor. By the time the old emperor dies and you finally take the throne, you’ll be old too. Hee hee!”
Xia Changyu completely agreed, “Exactly. It’s so annoying.”
Then Lin Yibai became a little curious and asked, “By the way, what kind of person is uncle? Is it because he has a bad temper that you don’t want to go back?”
Xia Changyu took a few bites of the noodles. They looked plain, but eating them made him feel warm inside. He slurped a little more before speaking,
“My dad? He’s actually okay. He’s the typical career man. When he was younger, he was always out doing business. I basically grew up with my mom. Wherever she had performances, I followed.”
Lin Yibai said, “Oh, really?”
Xia Changyu continued, “Later on, when my dad’s business became stable and our family had more money, my mom didn’t have to go perform all the time to make money anymore. But by then, I had already grown up, taken the college entrance exams, and gone to university. My dad started feeling like he owed something to me and my mom. So now, he’s always urging me to come home and take over the company, like it’s a way of showing love, something he’s in a rush to give me and show me.”
Lin Yibai thought for a moment and said, “Then your dad doesn’t sound like a bad person. He’s probably just one of those dads who doesn’t know how to express emotions well, so he shows it in this kind of way.”
Xia Changyu finished the noodles in his bowl and happily went to get another big bowl. While eating, he gave a bitter laugh and said, “Actually, I shouldn't have burdened you with these troubles. I've made a fool of myself, sorry to bother you.”
What? What did this guy just say?
If Xia Changyu had said something else, Lin Yibai might’ve just ignored it. But, did you hear what he just said?
Excuse me? What does he mean by “shouldn’t have burdened me with these troubles”?
Lin Yibai pulled up a chair and sat down right across from him. Then she stared at him. Hard.
It didn’t take long for Xia Changyu to feel something was off. He suddenly didn’t even dare take another bite of noodles. He swallowed nervously and asked carefully,
“B-Baiyi? What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I make you upset? Did I say something wrong?”
Lin Yibai gave a cold “hmph” and said, “Yes, you said something very wrong.”
Xia Changyu scratched his head. “I… don’t really get it.”
Lin Yibai pouted and said, “Let me ask you, why do you think you shouldn’t talk to me about your worries? Do you think I’m someone unimportant in your life, that you don’t need to share your feelings with me, but you can go tell some other girl instead? Is that it?”
Xia Changyu immediately sat up straight like a soldier, raised his hand as if swearing to the sky, and said,
“Baiyi, please listen to me! It’s not like that at all, I swear! I just—well, I… I only meant…”
Before he could finish, Lin Yibai said for him, “I know what you meant, okay? I’m not the type to get mad for no reason. But Changyu, you have to understand. Right now, we’re in a relationship, got it?”
Xia Changyu: “Uh!”
Lin Yibai continued, “We may not have been together for long, and maybe I can’t do everything perfectly for you. But if it's about sharing your burdens and finding comfort, I am your girlfriend, the one you worked so hard to win over. My ears are always open for you, and my shoulders are always here for you to lean on.”
Xia Changyu’s face finally showed a big, silly smile he just couldn’t hide anymore.
“Ahaha… Baiyi, you… I—!!”
Lin Yibai looked up at him seriously and said, “You dummy. How little do you think of the girlfriend you finally managed to get after trying so hard? Really… you’ve hurt my pride! You’re gonna make me so mad.”
Xia Changyu couldn’t hold back anymore. He quickly walked over to Lin Yibai and hugged her tight. The goofy grin on his face said it all.
The more time he spent with her, the more he liked her, so much it was almost too much.
While hugging her, he happily said, “I know, I know… I just know that my Baiyi is the best girl in the whole world.”
Lin Yibai’s ears turned bright red, and she looked away, her voice a little higher than usual. “A-As long as you know! Hmph!”
Xia Changyu added, “Baiyi, you’re really amazing.”
Flustered, Lin Yibai gave him a weak push, her cheeks glowing pink. “H-Hey! That’s enough with the compliments, seriously! D-Don’t just say embarrassing stuff like that out of nowhere!”
But Xia Changyu just hugged her tighter and said, “I’m just getting started! Even if I praise you 10,000 times, it’s still not enough.”
Her face turned even redder as she squirmed in his hold. “T-Too much! Let go already, dummy! Ughhh!”
Someone explain this to me, what is this clingy love rival... no, not a rival anymore, he’s my boyfriend! What kind of boyfriend acts like this?!
He sticks to me like glue and just won’t come off!
So annoying... so warm... so—ugh! I’m not smiling, okay?! Definitely not!!