Chapter 77: Quite the Capability Part 1

There was no doubt about it: every word spoken by Lu Zhou and Ji Yan had reached Shen Ruoshuang’s ears through the walkie-talkie. Xu Yinian could even hear a distinct, cold scoff from the other end.

She was fuming at Lu Zhou for stirring the pot, but she didn’t dare utter a word of protest. After all, what was the relationship between Lu Zhou and Ji Yan? They were close friends, and Lu Zhou would obviously side with her own circle. More importantly, Lu Zhou was supposed to be interested in Shen Ruoshuang…!

At that thought, Xu Yinian bit her lip and stole a glance at Lu Zhou with wet, shimmering eyes.

To her horror, her gaze collided directly with Lu Zhou’s. The pitiful sense of grievance in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by the sheer panic of being caught red-handed. Flustered and ashamed, she quickly looked away.

What she didn’t realize was that Lu Zhou’s gaze had been drifting toward her involuntarily for some time now. Even now, having been discovered, a flash of unease and fluster crossed Lu Zhou’s eyes.

However, seeing that Xu Yinian was even more afraid than she was, Lu Zhou’s heart settled. A playful, amused smile tugged at her lips as she recalled the girl’s “kicked puppy” expression.

Those almond eyes, no matter what emotion they held, were always captivatingly luminous. Within that dull, introverted disguise lay a vivid, soul-stirring essence that Lu Zhou had worked hard to capture. Every frown and smile possessed an unconscious allure.

Once someone got a taste, they would crave it to their very marrow, treasuring it like a rare jewel.

This was the first time Lu Zhou had truly met Xu Yinian, yet she finally understood why the others treated the girl like a fragile treasure—too precious to drop, too delicate to let melt away.

Before their accidental intimacy in the closet, Lu Zhou had been adamant about not falling into such a trap. But the “slap to the face” had come swiftly. The mere sensation of those soft knees tightening around her waist had sparked a primal surge of desire. Now, with Ji Yan and Shen Ruoshuang taking turns “checking in” on them, the thrill only grew more addictive.

Unlike other players, Lu Zhou wasn’t someone who indulged in mindless debauchery. In fact, most of the time, she dated solely because she was a “dog for beauty,” keeping beautiful women by her side like ornamental vases to be admired.

She lacked a possessive streak; she was open and indulgent with her girlfriends, or rather… they were expendable. She never truly gave them her heart. Even when she was with Qin Jiashu, the two had never progressed beyond the superficial.

But things had reached this point, and Lu Zhou was ready to accept her fate. She was a healthy adult, not a celibate monk. There was no reason to play hard-to-get after tasting something so sweet. She craved Xu Yinian’s body, and she wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Lu Zhou’s moral compass was already skewed—if it weren’t, she wouldn’t have schemed to turn her friend’s suitor into her own girlfriend back then. Currently, she was “single,” and since Ji Yan hadn’t officially claimed Xu Yinian yet, Lu Zhou naturally felt the urge to pry the corner of that wall.

Even as she harbored these designs, she maintained a perfectly normal facade in front of her best friend. She would simply continue using Shen Ruoshuang as her shield, just like before.

Lu Zhou felt perfectly justified in calling both of them over; she wasn’t about to let either of them have their way.

Xu Yinian had no understanding of the schemes these “old foxes” were playing. She still believed Lu Zhou was interested in Shen Ruoshuang. Despite the rising sense of crisis, she remained lost in her own confusion, unable to pinpoint the source of her distress.

Since Ji Yan was already on the same floor, her arrival was much swifter than Shen Ruoshuang’s.

Xu Yinian had just stepped out of the storage closet when she collided head-first into someone’s arms in the dim light. It was Ji Yan.

Before Xu Yinian could scream, Ji Yan anticipated it and covered her lips. Her other hand wove through the hair at the back of Yinian’s head, her palm pressing firmly against her skull.

Her voice was low, carrying a teasing lilt. “Addicted to throwing yourself into my arms, are we?”

Xu Yinian’s brain felt like it had exploded. Her fingers tightened convulsively around the walkie-talkie, and she tried to hide it behind her back in a panic.

Shen Ruoshuang was still listening…

With just that one sentence, Shen Ruoshuang would know exactly what was happening. It was just like those ambiguous remarks Lu Zhou had made earlier. Shen Ruoshuang hadn’t just understood them; she had demanded an explanation.

Xu Yinian didn’t know why she felt this desperate urge to hide. But the moment she heard that cold, obsessive voice, she felt an involuntary sense of guilt.

Guilt over having excessive contact with someone else?

A cold sweat broke out across her back as a sudden realization hit her. In the original story—and in reality—both Ji Yan and Lu Zhou were supposed to be Shen Ruoshuang’s devoted admirers.

And now, her “admirers” were becoming physically intimate with her due to one accident after another. What was this? No wonder she felt so flustered.

Yes, that has to be it, she told herself, forcing her racing heart to calm down.

Lu Zhou strolled out of the room just in time to hear the “throwing yourself into my arms” comment. She watched as Xu Yinian—who had just “accidentally” fallen onto her moments ago—now “accidentally” dove into her friend’s embrace.

Ji Yan’s germaphobia was legendary; everyone knew about it. Who would dare throw themselves at her? Yet, not only did Ji Yan refuse to let go, her fingers were now lingering in the girl’s hair, stroking it with possessive ease.

Heh, so you’re not disgusted now? Talk about a double standard!

Lu Zhou felt a surge of irritation as she remembered all the times Ji Yan had acted repulsed by others. Then, a thought occurred to her. According to that “Mad Dog’s” logic, Ji Yan never touched anything someone else had handled.

Didn’t that mean Xu Yinian was “tainted” because Lu Zhou had just touched her?

A sense of vengeful satisfaction bubbled up within her. You’ve been lawless for so long, yet you finally tripped over a woman.

“Xu Yinian, is Shen Ruoshuang’s walkie-talkie still connected?” Lu Zhou asked, feigning surprise even though she could clearly see the indicator light flickering.

Xu Yinian froze, her eyes dropping as she bit her lip.

As expected, Ji Yan looked over Xu Yinian’s shoulder as if discovering something new, her gaze fixating on the device clutched in the girl’s hand. “Shen Ruoshuang is listening?”

Faced with those unreadable words, Xu Yinian gave a stiff nod. She was certain Shen Ruoshuang was listening; when Ji Yan had made that comment about her throwing herself into her arms, she had heard a strange noise from the speaker. It sounded like a warning, or perhaps the precursor to a storm.