Chapter 557: Huh? Huh? Ji Xiaolin was shocked!
"Why are you here?" Ji Xiaolin said coolly, though her gaze couldn't help but size up Zhou Luyao, especially some red marks, which made her pretty face involuntarily flush.
Zhou Luyao's presence was an assault on Ji Xiaolin's already frayed nerves. She stood in the doorway, a sentinel guarding her own fragile composure, but her eyes betrayed her. They moved with a mind of their own, scanning Zhou Luyao from head to toe. The woman before her was a vision of relaxed, post-coital bliss. Her hair was a little messy, her lips slightly swollen, and her movements possessed a languid, satisfied grace that spoke volumes. But it was the faint, reddish marks blooming on the pale skin of her neck, partially hidden by her collar, that sent a jolt through Ji Xiaolin. Her mind, against her will, supplied vivid images of how they got there. A hot, furious blush crept up her neck, painting her cheeks a deep crimson. The air in the luxurious villa suddenly felt thick, heavy with unspoken histories from the night before.
"Xiao Lin, don't be so cold! We're old classmates and old friends. We were fine yesterday, so why are you so distant today?" Zhou Luyao twisted her slender waist, a movement that was both casual and deliberately provocative. She glided over to the plush sofa and sank into it, the expensive fabric sighing under her weight. With an air of effortless elegance, she gathered her loose, silky hair and tied it up, exposing the graceful line of her neck—and those incriminating marks. She then crossed her long legs to the side, a picture of sophisticated allure, and offered Ji Xiaolin a smile that was all lazy satisfaction. "Come on, sit."
Ji Xiaolin merely snorted, a sharp, clipped sound of disdain. A roiling bitterness churned in her gut. She couldn't pinpoint the exact source of her anger, but it was there, sharp and unpleasant. The memory of Zhou Luyao's soft cries from the other room—sounds she had tried desperately to block out—flashed in her mind's eye. 'Shameless,' she cursed inwardly, her jaw tightening. The word felt like acid on her mental tongue.
Watching the frigid mask on Ji Xiaolin's beautiful face, Zhou Luyao's own amusement only deepened. The corners of her eyes, naturally slanted and fox-like, curved into mischievous crescents. She seemed to be drawing a perverse sort of energy from Ji Xiaolin's discomfort. The corners of her exquisitely shaped mouth lifted higher, her voice laced with a teasing, silken thread.
"Xiao Lin, are you jealous?"
The question struck Ji Xiaolin like a physical blow. "I… what am I jealous of? I'm not jealous at all!" she sputtered, her reaction far too quick, far too defensive. She was like a startled black kitten, fur on end, her high ponytail even seeming to twitch with agitation. The accusation had landed with surgical precision, exposing a secret she hadn't even fully admitted to herself. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage.
"Jealous that my husband transferred a Jinxiu Mountain Villa luxury villa worth over a hundred million to me, what else could I be jealous of?" Zhou Luyao had to actively suppress a bubbling laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly. She tilted her head, feigning innocent curiosity, her eyes sparkling. "Could it be, Xiao Lin, that you're jealous of… something else?"
Ji Xiaolin was rendered speechless. The implication hung in the air between them, suffocating and obvious. Zhou Luyao wasn't just talking about the villa anymore. She was talking about the man who gave it to her. She was talking about the intimacy, the affection, the 'doting' that came with it.
"Hmph, of course I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous of anything," Ji Xiaolin finally managed, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. She lifted her chin, trying to project an aura of indifference she was far from feeling. "It's just a villa. I, Ji Xiaolin, regard money and wealth as dirt. I don't care about it at all."
"Then what about my husband's doting on me, aren't you jealous of that either?" Zhou Luyao casually twirled a strand of her dark hair around a perfectly manicured finger. Her charming, fox-like eyes narrowed, the glint in them becoming sharper, more predatory. Her smile stretched even wider, a beautiful, devastating weapon.
Every word was a perfectly aimed dart, and Ji Xiaolin felt each one pierce her paper-thin defenses. She felt like she was sitting on a bed of nails, every nerve screaming. The room felt too small, the air too thin. Her composure crumbled completely. "Wh-what does Shen Anyu have to do with me? Of course I'm not jealous!" she stammered, her voice cracking under the strain. "I'm leaving. I don't want to see you two flaunting your relationship."
"Wait, Xiao Lin, sit down first." Seeing Ji Xiaolin shoot up from her spot and make a break for the door, Zhou Luyao's playful demeanor vanished. She moved quickly, getting to her feet and catching Ji Xiaolin's arm in a surprisingly strong grip. The purpose for her visit suddenly took precedence. She gently but firmly pulled Ji Xiaolin back, guiding her to sit side-by-side on the sofa. The sudden proximity was jarring. Zhou Luyao's smile returned, but it was softer now, gentler. "Brother Shen has already left. He seems to have important business. It's just us two best friends left. Relax, let's have a little chat."
"What kind of chat?" Ji Xiaolin asked, her confusion overriding her panic for a moment. She eyed Zhou Luyao warily. They were old classmates, yes, but 'best friends' was a stretch. A massive one. Back in school, they were rivals, locked in an unspoken competition. As the two most beautiful girls in their year, they were constantly compared by meddling boys who endlessly debated who deserved the title of the school's number one campus beauty.
Ji Xiaolin, of course, couldn't have cared less about such superficial titles. Her focus was on her studies and survival. But Zhou Luyao had been different. She had taken the rivalry seriously, sparking minor spats and clearly harboring a sliver of jealousy.
That dynamic had only shifted when Zhou Luyao, driven by her competitive nature, had started paying closer attention to Ji Xiaolin, even digging into her family background. When she learned that Ji Xiaolin's father had abandoned his wife and daughter, and that her mother had passed away from illness not long after, Zhou Luyao's attitude had changed completely. Pity and sympathy had replaced jealousy. She'd stopped the petty squabbles, and their relationship had thawed into a cordial, if distant, friendship.
But no matter what, they had never been close enough to be called best friends.
After graduation, their lives had diverged, and they contacted each other even less. A deep curiosity began to bloom in Ji Xiaolin's heart. What could Zhou Luyao possibly want to tell her with such a mysterious and serious air?
The news that Shen Anyu had already left was a profound relief. A wave of it washed over Ji Xiaolin, loosening the tight knot of anxiety in her stomach. She wouldn't have to face him, wouldn't have to navigate the impossibly awkward atmosphere his presence would create.
Zhou Luyao looked at Ji Xiaolin, her expression now completely devoid of teasing or playfulness. Her gaze was direct, earnest, and deeply serious. She spoke softly, her voice barely a whisper, "Xiao Lin, you must have guessed it too. I'm not Brother Shen's official girlfriend, and it's impossible for me to marry into the Shen family in the future. I'm just a kept woman he supports."
Ji Xiaolin stared at Zhou Luyao, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was the last thing she had expected. All morning, Zhou Luyao had been a walking, talking embodiment of victory, flaunting her new status, her new home, and her relationship with Shen Anyu. She had systematically dismantled Ji Xiaolin's defenses, pushing her to the brink of an emotional collapse. And now, this. A confession of such brutal honesty, delivered without a hint of shame.
Meeting Ji Xiaolin's stunned and disbelieving gaze, Zhou Luyao's beautiful face bloomed with a look of genuine happiness and sweet contentment. A gentle, warm light softened her eyes. "There's nothing unspeakable about this. I don't know how many girls envy me. Brother Shen also dotes on me very much; he's considerate and gentle."
Ji Xiaolin was silent upon hearing this. She couldn't argue. What Zhou Luyao said was the obvious truth. In this city, in this world, countless women would kill for her position. A luxurious villa worth over a hundred million, given away without a second thought. And the man providing it all wasn't some pot-bellied, balding old tycoon, but Shen Anyu—young, devastatingly handsome, and powerful beyond measure.
Though such material things held little sway over Ji Xiaolin, she wasn't naive. She knew this was a dream package that few people, man or woman, could ever refuse.
She looked at Zhou Luyao, her eyes a swirl of complicated emotions. "Luyao," she began, her voice soft, "do you plan to live like this your whole life?"
"Mm," Zhou Luyao hummed in affirmation, her nod firm and resolute. "As long as Brother Shen doesn't abandon me, then I'll be his kept woman forever."
"No regrets?"
"Regrets?" Hearing Ji Xiaolin's question, Zhou Luyao smiled softly, a peculiar glint shimmering in the depths of her eyes. "Xiao Lin, do you know that a few days ago, when Brother Shen and I went for hotpot, the hotpot restaurant owner's daughter accidentally tripped and spilled the scalding hotpot broth towards us? The entire pot of boiling, crimson oil was about to hit me. But Brother Shen… he moved without thinking. He directly shielded me. What kind of person is he, and what kind of person am I, Zhou Luyao? One is a noble living among the clouds, a man whose time is worth more than gold. The other is a poor girl from the bottom, with nothing to her name. Yet he protected me like that, taking the burn for me."
She paused, her gaze distant as she relived the moment. "At that moment, I thought, even without the money, even without the villa, I, Zhou Luyao, would be willing to be with him for life!"
Ji Xiaolin watched the obvious happiness and tenderness wash over Zhou Luyao's face, and the emotions in her own heart grew even more tangled and complex. A heavy silence fell between them. After a long moment, she decided she couldn't stay. She couldn't listen to any more. She had no right to destroy her old classmate's happiness, no matter how unconventional it was. As for those feelings, those confusing, painful feelings inside her... she would just have to let them be. She would bury them deep, deep in her heart and never let them see the light of day.
Only, why did her heart ache so much? It was a physical pain, a dull throb in the center of her chest.
Ji Xiaolin pursed her lips, her teeth gritting together with resolve. She stood up, ready to open the door and leave this place behind for good.
"Oh, Xiao Lin, you're in such a hurry! I haven't finished speaking yet!" Zhou Luyao watched Ji Xiaolin silently get up and leave, a helpless, bitter smile touching her lips. She quickly reached out and pulled Ji Xiaolin back again, her grip insistent.
Fearing Ji Xiaolin would bolt again, Zhou Luyao no longer procrastinated. She looked intently at Ji Xiaolin, her eyes locking onto hers with an unnerving intensity, and said, "Xiao Lin, I need you to stay and help me."
"Eh? Eh?" Ji Xiaolin was full of questions, her mind reeling. Help Zhou Luyao? Help her with what? What could she possibly do?
Zhou Luyao said with a smile, a brilliant, conspiratorial expression dawning on her face: "We're old classmates, good best friends. Best friends united, their strength can cut through metal. If we best friends join forces, we'll definitely be able to keep Brother Shen's heart."
"What?!" Ji Xiaolin was shocked. She never expected Zhou Luyao to say something like that to her
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]