Chapter 137: Stalking Part 1

Even though she had prepared herself mentally, hearing such a world-shattering statement sent Xu Yinian into a fit of violent coughing. Fearing that she might attract the attention of those outside, she pressed her hand firmly over her lips, her face flushing a deep, vivid red.

Lu Zhou had known all along that Xu Yinian would never agree to her becoming a “homewrecker.” She had made the declaration simply to put Yinian on notice. Given the supposed relationship between Xu Yinian and Qin Jiashu, Lu Zhou felt she could indulge her particular tastes by shamelessly interfering from the sidelines.

Lu Zhou let out a soft chuckle and reached out to pat the girl’s back to help her catch her breath. The touch only frightened Yinian more, causing her to scramble backward. This second shock made her cough even harder, until tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. She looked so pitifully beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

Gradually, Xu Yinian realized that Lu Zhou had no intention of exposing her fake relationship with Qin Jiashu. In fact, Lu Zhou seemed to relish the situation. A bizarre thought suddenly occurred to Yinian: when Qin Jiashu was pursuing Ji Yan, she had also been Lu Zhou’s girlfriend.

Does Lu Zhou have… that kind of fetish?

“Little rabbit, you’d better pray that Qin Jiashu can actually protect you,” Lu Zhou said, keeping her advice brief.

She had dared to snatch away the “Mad Dog’s” interests time and time again; what did she care for a fake girlfriend like Qin Jiashu? However, rather than simple coercion, Lu Zhou was more interested in the leverage Qin Jiashu held. Since Yinian was being forced to play the part of the girlfriend, Lu Zhou figured she could use that same leverage to play the part of the “third party.”

“By the way, if you change your mind, remember to tell me anytime.”

Xu Yinian splashed her face with cold water for a long time before she finally felt her skin cool down. But the moment she stepped out and met Lu Zhou’s smiling eyes, she looked away in an instant.

Just then, there was a sudden movement at the front door. Everyone’s expression shifted, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Shen Ruoshuang was back.

All those who harbored feelings for Xu Yinian shared a common understanding: the person they should fear and guard against the most was Shen Ruoshuang. It wasn’t just because she had known Yinian the longest or because their relationship was a tangled, inseparable mess—it was because of that aura. She possessed a powerful, “official partner” presence that loomed over everyone else, impossible to ignore.

In that moment, Shen Ruoshuang’s movements as she opened the door were devoid of any emotion. Her hair and the hem of her clothes brushed against the doorframe as she entered. Her gaze swept over the room before finally landing on Xu Yinian, checking her over from head to toe.

Despite their mutual animosity, the other three women remained silent, having reached a wordless agreement not to reveal a single detail of the night’s events. They were all terrified of providing this paranoid, jealous woman with any more fuel for her fire.

With the “Mad Dog” Ji Yan standing guard, Shen Ruoshuang clearly had no interest in this “group gathering.” Everyone knew that with Ji Yan’s germaphobia, she would never allow anyone else to “share” even a sliver of Xu Yinian’s attention.

However, as she walked past Yinian, Shen Ruoshuang’s footsteps suddenly faltered.

Before Xu Yinian could react, a familiar, cold fragrance enveloped her. Soft strands of hair brushed against her neck—a fuzzy, tickling sensation—as if the other woman was leaning in to sniff her hair.

Startled, Yinian’s shoulders instinctively tensed, and she turned her head away sensitively.

“Do you have any idea how obvious the scent on you is?” Shen Ruoshuang asked.

She ignored the burning glares from the other three. Without a change in her tone, she dropped that single sentence and walked straight toward her room.

Xu Yinian’s face went pale. She immediately turned her head to sniff her own hair and neck. Is it because I just showered at Shen Yi’s place? Or did Senior Sister or Shen Yi use a perfume that rubbed off on me?

In her memory, neither of them used perfume lately…

Yinian was incredibly dense; she didn’t realize that this change was precisely because of their special relationship with her. Once she confirmed it was the scent of a different brand of body wash and shampoo than her usual one, she panicked.

“It’s… it’s the hotel… shampoo…” Under the suspicious, predatory gazes of the group, Xu Yinian was forced to offer a pathetic explanation.

Shen Ruoshuang was truly a master at “killing with a borrowed knife.”

Ji Yan and Lu Zhou assumed it was part of Qin Jiashu’s arrangements. Meanwhile, Qin Jiashu was inwardly gritting her teeth, though she couldn’t show it. She actually took a shower and washed her hair at Bai Ran’s place!

It had to be admitted that when Shen Ruoshuang returned, she didn’t need to exert much effort; a single, simple sentence was enough to clear the room.

As Xu Yinian retreated to her bedroom, Ji Yan immediately turned cold and kicked the guests out. Having no further reason to stay, Qin Jiashu and Lu Zhou left together.

As the elevator doors opened, Lu Zhou let out a soft laugh.

“Where are you going, Qin Jiashu? Stop pretending. I know you live right next door. You couldn’t hide your intentions when you were asking around about Ji Yan’s apartment. I even went to the balcony just now to confirm it.”

Lu Zhou’s voice was warm and smiling, yet it carried the bite of a predator. “If Ji Yan found out you could just hop over a low wall to have an affair with Xu Yinian, do you think she’d move out, or make you ‘get lost’ first?”

Qin Jiashu, who had been about to step into the elevator, paused. Realizing there was no point in hiding it further, she turned around, crossed her arms, and faced Lu Zhou coldly.

“So? What do you want from me in exchange for not telling Ji Yan?”

“I’ve always liked talking to smart people.”

“What is the leverage you’re using to control Xu Yinian?”

Qin Jiashu rolled her eyes lazily. “Do you really think I’d tell you?”