Chapter 121: You’re Sick Part 1

The doorbell stopped ringing the moment Shen Ruoshuang finished her sentence.

A second later, the door swung wide open.

It turned out the ringing had been a mere courtesy; the visitor was well-prepared and already knew the passcode to the lock.

A shock of familiar, fiery red hair reflected in Xu Yinian’s completely stunned eyes.

…Lu Zhou.

Why—why was she here?

Xu Yinian remembered the last time they had met at the mixer. Lu Zhou had dropped her facade halfway through, making no effort to hide her interest in “stealing” someone else’s love.

Xu Yinian’s panic was visible to the naked eye. Overwhelmed, she instinctively turned her head to find Ji Yan.

Ji Yan’s expression had already darkened into a mask of gloom as she abruptly cut the video call. Her cold, damp eyes glared at the uninvited guest, the veins at her temples throbbing. Finally, she spat out a few choice words:

“…Are you out of your mind?”

Ji Yan couldn’t be bothered to deal with anyone else. If she didn’t open the door, it wasn’t like the others could fly inside and snatch Xu Yinian away. But the person who showed up just happened to be Lu Zhou—the one person who knew her passcode.

“I know exactly what you were thinking when you messaged me earlier. You sent me away to stall that woman, and this is how you repay me?”

Lu Zhou had rushed over straight from the hospital, and the scent of disinfectant hadn’t even dissipated yet. The calm curve of her lips only made her look more like a smiling tiger, hiding a blade behind her grin.

Her gaze drifted between the two of them, eventually settling into a sticky, suggestive stare that scanned Xu Yinian from head to toe. She ignored Ji Yan, who looked ready to snap like a rabid dog, and instead directed an increasingly warm and patient smile at the shrinking Xu Yinian.

“It was a private deal. She’s the one who plotted against me first.”

“Little White Rabbit, if you keep looking at me like I’m a villain, I might not be able to resist actually becoming one.”

Li-Little… White Rabbit?

Realizing the nickname was meant for her, Xu Yinian felt a crimson flush crawl across her cheeks. She lowered her head, trying to bury herself in her own collar.

Lu Zhou’s smiling eyes flicked back to Ji Yan. “For example, I could give Shen Ruoshuang this address. Or better yet, I could play lookout for her at the door.”

The threat was clear: Since I’m here, I get a seat at the table. Otherwise, I’ll just flip the table over so no one gets to eat.

Ji Yan gritted her teeth. The words “I dare you to try” were on the tip of her tongue, but she ultimately swallowed them.

“Excellent.”

As a childhood friend, Lu Zhou knew exactly which strings to pull and where the “Mad Dog’s” bottom line was. She didn’t stand on ceremony, stepping directly into the apartment with a punchable, triumphant grin. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

The way Ji Yan treated Lu Zhou was worlds apart from how she treated Xu Yinian. She wasn’t about to give a rival who had forced her way in any modicum of respect. Lu Zhou didn’t mind; she seemed used to it. Since there were no guest slippers for her, she simply walked across the floor barefoot.

Sensing Lu Zhou’s leisurely, watchful gaze and feeling the stifling atmosphere of Ji Yan’s germaphobic home, Xu Yinian didn’t dare move. She sat stiffly, trying her best to feign composure.

“Little White Rabbit, I’m curious. Why are you at A-Yan’s place at this hour? You don’t look like you were forced.”

Lu Zhou’s gaze turned meaningful. “Why do I get the feeling… that you were caught doing something behind her back?”

She really knew how to pick at a wound.

Xu Yinian’s thin shoulders trembled with guilt. Her pale, delicate neck was painfully bright under the light.

“I hit the mark, didn’t I? What happened? Did you cheat on her right to her face?”

Lu Zhou’s voice was teasing, clearly intended as a reckless joke. But to Xu Yinian, it was like a needle hitting a nerve. A wave of overwhelming shame washed over her.

After all, the reason she hadn’t been able to refuse Ji Yan and ended up here was partly due to her heavy guilt over the previous night. But at the core of it, she was simply too weak. She lacked the standing and the courage to resist.

Whenever someone stood before her, she easily succumbed to their threats and inducements.

Trapped between Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan, she had secretly tried to shift the blame for her shame onto those two and their ridiculous behavior. It wasn’t until the “fickle playgirl” Lu Zhou brought it up that she was forced to face it.

In the eyes of others, how shameless must she seem…?

Xu Yinian was used to taking the blame for everything. She completely forgot that she never wanted to be entangled with these darlings of fortune in the first place, yet she was being forced to endure their whims.

She wore her heart on her sleeve; every frown and smile unknowingly pulled at the heartstrings of those around her.

Seeing her sudden dejection, Lu Zhou blinked, instantly regretting her words. She suddenly felt a bit at a loss.

Even Ji Yan’s retort died in her throat.

The two women, who had been at each other’s throats seconds ago, reached a tacit truce the moment they realized they needed to coax the girl.

“…Ji Yan, it’s one thing for you to have that stupid germaphobia, but do you have to be so petty? What’s the big deal if she touches something? You’re acting like she actually cheated on you. Look how much you’ve scared the Little White Rabbit.”

Ji Yan: “…?”

She ground her back teeth, barely suppressing the urge to scream.

“Besides, it’s not like you’re her girlfriend, so why are you so obsessed? From where I’m standing, it looks like you used some excuse to trick her into coming here for your own selfish gain.”

“Can you shut up? Say one more word and get the hell out of my house.”

Ji Yan was at her limit. If her dark, brooding eyes could turn into blades, Lu Zhou would have been sliced a hundred times over.

In the face of this clumsy, roundabout attempt to comfort her, Xu Yinian instinctively hid her emotions. She looked up, catching their concerned gazes, and managed a faint, forced smile.

Even such a tiny, fragile smile caused a strange, swelling ache in the hearts of the two women.