Chapter 550: Ji Xiaolin: When I passed by~
"Brother Shen, do you two know each other?"
Zhou Luyao's beautiful eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Shen Anyu; she hadn't expected Shen Anyu and Ji Xiaolin to know each other.
"Yes, we encountered some things before, so you could say Ji Xiaolin and I went through some hardships together."
Shen Anyu smiled lightly, his tone casual, yet the words themselves carried a weight that immediately changed the atmosphere.
'You could say… Hardships? You call that hardship, you bastard?!' Ji Xiaolin internally snorted, a fresh wave of indignation washing over her. A furious retort nearly leaped from her lips, but she bit it back, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of anger and something far more complicated. She shot a dark glare at the handsome, smiling man beside her, cursing the scoundrel in her heart. But then, a pang of regret pierced through her anger. It was her own fault, wasn't it? She was the one who had used that memory-altering spell, clumsily trying to patch over the incident and make him believe it was all just an absurd, vivid dream. Now, her own magic was a cage of her making, leaving her unable to even call him out properly. The injustice of it all was maddening.
As a top-tier gold-digger, Zhou Luyao's senses were honed to a razor's edge. Her entire career, her very survival in the cutthroat world of the elite, depended on her ability to read subtle cues and detect threats. Her internal radar, calibrated specifically for romantic rivals, began blaring with the intensity of a city-wide alarm. The air between Shen Anyu and Ji Xiaolin was suddenly charged with a strange current, an invisible history that she was not privy to. Her gaze, sharp and suspicious, darted back and forth between the two. She analyzed the faint, lingering smile on Shen Anyu's face and the barely suppressed frustration in Ji Xiaolin's eyes. A cold dread began to pool in the pit of her stomach.
'Is it possible?' Her mind raced, connecting the dots with terrifying speed. 'Was there some… interaction between my man and my classmate? An emotional entanglement?' The word Ji Xiaolin had used earlier echoed in her memory: "scoundrel." 'Could the scoundrel she mentioned be… Shen Anyu?'
That didn't seem right. Zhou Luyao, for all her cynicism, had a fairly accurate read on Shen Anyu. She knew he wasn't a saint and suspected he had other women, but his style wasn't that of a cheap, irresponsible player. He was magnanimous, almost obscenely generous, and handled his affairs with a certain detached elegance. He wasn't the type to simply trick a woman and disappear. Still, the possibility, however small, was a venomous seed of doubt. She had to know. She had to test the waters.
With the skill of a seasoned actress, Zhou Luyao buried her suspicions deep beneath a flawless, enthusiastic smile. Her expression softened, her voice dripping with honeyed warmth as she tightened her grip on Shen Anyu's arm, linking it possessively with her own. She turned her beaming face towards Ji Xiaolin, extending an invitation that was both a friendly gesture and a carefully laid trap.
"Brother Shen," she cooed, her voice a perfect blend of sweetness and pleading, "Xiao Lin and I have been old classmates for so many years. It's been forever since we've had a chance to catch up. How about inviting her to eat with us too? Please?"
After delivering her lines, Zhou Luyao's mind went into overdrive. She didn't physically move, but her entire being was focused, keenly observing every minute reaction from Shen Anyu and Ji Xiaolin. His slightest hesitation, her faintest flicker of an eyelid—nothing would escape her notice.
Shen Anyu's expression remained placid. He simply gave a slight, noncommittal shrug, as if the suggestion was of no consequence to him.
Ji Xiaolin, on the other hand, was somewhat tempted. This was a golden opportunity. She too needed to probe, to see if she could find any cracks in Shen Anyu's facade. Did he truly, honestly believe their shared experience was nothing more than a bizarre dream? She had to know. Masking her intense curiosity behind a veil of polite reluctance, she immediately feigned a casual tone.
"That wouldn't be good, would it? You two are on a date," she said, her words light but her gaze fixed on Shen Anyu. "Wouldn't I be a third wheel? What if your boyfriend gets angry?"
A sneer flashed through Zhou Luyao's thoughts. 'Heh heh, Ji Xiaolin, you're really putting on an act. Playing hard to get, you little gold-digger! As if you don't want this.'
The pieces were clicking into place. She already had a strong inkling of the truth. Turning her full attention back to Shen Anyu, she deployed her ultimate weapon: the art of the coquettish plea. She leaned into him, her voice dropping to a sweet, intimate murmur meant only for him, yet loud enough for Ji Xiaolin to hear.
"Husband, please let Xiao Lin eat with us, okay? Xiao Lin and I haven't seen each other in so long." The word "husband" was a deliberate, territorial claim.
Shen Anyu watched this silent, vicious battle of wits with profound interest. The air was thick with subtext and unspoken challenges. Hearing Zhou Luyao's cloying plea, he pretended to ponder the request for a moment, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. Then, he shook his head slowly.
"That's not very good," he said, his voice firm. "You and I are on a date. It's not appropriate to have your classmate join us."
A flash of triumph ignited in Zhou Luyao's heart. 'He chose me!' But she couldn't show it. The act of the magnanimous girlfriend had to be maintained. She didn't actually want Ji Xiaolin and Shen Anyu interacting, but she had to appear selfless. "Husband, aren't you also familiar with Xiao Lin? And you even went through hardships together, remember?" she pressed, her voice laced with feigned innocence.
Ji Xiaolin's heart clenched. Her breath caught in her throat, and her beautiful eyes were fixed on Shen Anyu, desperately trying to decipher his true attitude. Was this a rejection of her? Or was he simply playing along with Zhou Luyao?
Shen Anyu's brow gradually furrowed, as if their persistence was wearing him down. He cast a glance at the pouting, cooing Zhou Luyao, then let out a theatrical sigh of defeat.
"Alright, alright," he relented, his tone one of begrudging acceptance. "Since you insist, then invite Ji Xiaolin to join us."
Having secured his "permission," Shen Anyu turned his gaze to Ji Xiaolin, his expression neutral. "Ji Xiaolin, let's have a meal together."
Zhou Luyao's eyes narrowed, her focus now entirely on her old classmate. This was the final test. If Ji Xiaolin truly had no designs on her man, she would politely decline, respecting the couple's privacy. If she accepted… then it was a declaration of war.
"Since you sincerely invited me, then I'll eat with you," Ji Xiaolin declared with a defiant sniff. She raised her elegant chin, her posture radiating a challenging pride. It was a clear acceptance of the invitation—and the unspoken duel that came with it.
Zhou Luyao's long, charming eyes instantly narrowed into dangerous slits. The smile on her face didn't falter, but it was now a predatory grin.
Afterward, the three entered a private room in the high-end restaurant. As soon as they were seated, Shen Anyu's phone conveniently rang. He excused himself to answer the call, a knowing glint in his eye as he deliberately left the two women alone, effectively setting the stage for their confrontation.
The moment the door slid shut behind him, the fragile veneer of civility shattered. Zhou Luyao leaned back in her chair, a half-smile playing on her lips. She looked at Ji Xiaolin, her eyes shifting with calculated menace, and her perfectly painted red lips parted.
"Xiao Lin, what's the name of that scoundrel who tricked you?" she asked, her voice deceptively sweet. "Tell me. Maybe my Brother Shen and I can help you teach him a lesson."
"Ah, name… a name~" Ji Xiaolin's clear, black-and-white eyes blinked rapidly. She was completely flustered, her mind racing to fabricate a plausible story. A profound sense of guilt washed over her. How could she possibly answer that question?
Zhou Luyao saw it all—the hesitation, the darting eyes, the guilty flush creeping up Ji Xiaolin's neck. In that instant, she knew. She understood everything. The once valiant, fearless Ji Xiaolin, the girl who could stare down any challenge, wouldn't be this flustered if she had nothing to hide. An icy certainty settled in Zhou Luyao's heart.
'You're not here to eat, Ji Xiaolin,' she thought with cold fury. 'You're here to steal my man, aren't you?'
Outwardly, however, Zhou Luyao's composure was a mask of stone. She tilted her head, her expression shifting to one of theatrical sympathy. "Xiao Lin, don't tell me you don't even know the name of the man who tricked you? How could you be so foolish? I can't believe it. The once formidable Ji Xiaolin, the campus legend who made all the boys fear her… actually suffered a loss and doesn't even know his name." Her voice dripped with mock pity, each word a carefully aimed dart. She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Xiao Lin, what were you tricked out of? Money, or your body?"
Ji Xiaolin felt a wave of depression. Overwhelmed by the pointed questions, she didn't think too much and bit her lip, muttering defensively, "No money was taken."
"Then it was your body?" Zhou Luyao's eyes widened with a flicker of genuine surprise. If it really was Shen Anyu, that didn't sound like his method. He was more about seduction and mutual consent, not outright trickery.
"Not exactly." Ji Xiaolin felt even more despondent. The more she thought about it, the more complicated it became. Could she really blame Shen Anyu for what happened? It was the fault of the Wan Fa Sect's accursed trial, a bizarre coincidence of opportunity and fate. But he didn't remember any of it. Should she try to re-cast the spell, this time to make him recall everything? The thought was tempting but terrifying.
Upon hearing this vague denial, Zhou Luyao was thrown into confusion. 'Not exactly?' What did that even mean? Could her guess be wrong? Was it possible that Ji Xiaolin really had no connection with her man, and this was all just a massive, unfortunate misunderstanding?
Just as Zhou Luyao was about to launch another volley of probing questions, the sound of footsteps approached the door.
Instantly, both women straightened their backs, their expressions snapping back to a neutral, composed state in perfect, unspoken unison. The battlefield was cleared in a heartbeat.
Shen Anyu walked over with a smile, inwardly entertained by the sight of the two women sitting stiffly with such serious expressions. He had seen their far less serious sides, and the contrast was delightful. He picked up the ornate menu, his gaze sweeping over them.
"Haven't you ordered yet? What do you like to eat?"
"Whatever, I'm just a guest." When she said the word "guest," Ji Xiaolin deliberately emphasized her tone, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shen Anyu, searching for any sign of deception. A new suspicion was taking root in her mind: Did Shen Anyu truly believe her flimsy explanation about the dream? At the time, she hadn't wanted to harm him or cause any lasting side effects, so the spell she cast was purposefully weak, designed only to gently confuse his short-term memories. When he woke up, she had simply told him it was a dream, and he had accepted it.
But now, looking back, the more Ji Xiaolin thought about it, the more glaring the flaws in her plan seemed. She just said it was a dream, and a man like Shen Anyu… actually believed it without question? It was too easy. Far too easy.
Young Master Shen's acting, she realized, was flawless. It wasn't fake; it was on a level beyond any Grand Slam Best Actor. He was utterly calm and composed, even offering her a slight nod and a gentle smile that revealed nothing.
Ji Xiaolin: "..." She felt a chill run down her spine.
Zhou Luyao's eyes flickered, quickly reassessing the situation. She covered her mouth with a light, melodious chuckle, turning a beaming smile on Shen Anyu. "Brother Shen, you order the dishes. Yaoyao isn't picky at all. I like everything Brother Shen orders."
Ji Xiaolin shot her a sideways glance. 'What a gold-digger.' As a classmate for many years, she knew for a fact that Zhou Luyao was incredibly picky about food. Yet here she was, acting as obedient and docile as a kitten in front of Shen Anyu. Was this scoundrel really that captivating?
However, as she watched Shen Anyu carefully instructing the waiter, his brow furrowed in concentration as he seriously ordered the dishes, Ji Xiaolin felt a familiar sense of imbalance churn within her.
'Speaking of which… this guy Shen Anyu… no, this scoundrel… he is indeed tall, handsome, and very good-looking,' she mumbled to herself, her gaze softening slightly as she took in his profile. 'His family background is prominent, and he's actually quite gentle and considerate when he wants to be. If it were me… no, no, no! I don't want him! I just want justice! Yes, that's it. Justice!'
Ji Xiaolin repeated the word in her mind, as if the sheer force of will could make her believe it.
From across the table, Shen Anyu looked up, his lips twitching with an amused expression as he watched her silent, internal struggle.
[Ding! Detected +3 favorability from Destined Heroine Ji Xiaolin! Plundered +9000 destiny value!]
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