Chapter 4
After Lin Shuxing changed her clothes, she resumed her aloof demeanor, though her dignified tone still carried a slight nasal congestion, “Come in.”
“Alright.”
Fang Yi had changed into a white shirt from the guest room. It fit surprisingly well. The simple tailoring complemented her slender figure perfectly, making her temperament appear even more cool and detached.
When she pushed the door open, her gaze involuntarily fell on Lin Shuxing—she was wearing the same pink top from their first meeting. The soft color awakened the faded memory, making it gradually clear in her mind.
The pink color made her pale cheeks look somewhat delicate. Her hair was casually tied to the side. She was slightly turned away, glancing over her shoulder, her indifferent expression suggesting nothing was on her mind.
However, the blush on her nose and ears hadn’t completely faded, quietly revealing a corner of her hidden thoughts.
Fang Yi met her blustering eyes, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward.
Still a child.
She herself had been like this when she was young, perhaps even more arrogant, with more whites in her eyes than black. She often wore headphones and kept her hands in her pockets, as if detached from the world.
Later, someone blocked her at the school gate after class, demanding, “Why are you acting so arrogant? Who are you looking down on!”
What did she answer then? She couldn’t remember, but her attitude was certainly not as nice, nor as cute as Lin Shuxing’s.
Lin Shuxing clasped her hands together. No trace of tears could be seen on her cheeks as she said faintly, “Let’s talk.”
Fang Yi nodded, “Okay, about what?”
“Ms. Lin sent you, didn’t she?” Lin Shuxing looked up, her eyes flickering, then she gritted her teeth and added in a very low voice, “What happened just now, you are not allowed to tell anyone!”
At the age where saving face was paramount, Fang Yi finally showed a shallow smile, “Okay.”
Lin Shuxing’s gaze connected with her upturned lips, inexplicably sparking a sense of shame and annoyance, “You only know how to say ‘okay’?”
Fang Yi nodded slightly: “Hmm?”
“…”
System: 【#Super-Strong-Robotic-Vibe# My Host is a robot】
In the past, for an eldest miss like Lin Shuxing, whether others fawned over her or deliberately tested her, the conversation always had layers. No one was as dense as Fang Yi.
Even Fang Yi herself didn’t seem this annoying before. At the claw machine arcade, she was like a caring older sister, but now she wore a faint, elusive smile, almost as if deliberately trying to provoke the girl’s anger.
Yet, Fang Yi’s gaze was so frank that Lin Shuxing couldn’t find a way to pick a fight.
Lin Shuxing bit her lip, asking in a muffled voice, “So, do you accept this engagement or not?”
“Yes, I accept.”
Eyes met. The large room fell silent again.
Lin Shuxing showed no expression, merely raising her chin slightly, her face taut, “What are you thinking?”
“I must remind you that marrying into the Lin family is itself a form of constraint.”
“What do you mean, are you going to imprison me?” Fang Yi laughed, even having the presence of mind to joke, “Or does marrying in count as selling myself?”
Lin Shuxing’s bedroom maintained the Lin family’s usual austere style. Aside from the slightly depressed footprints on the velvet carpet, there were virtually no signs of daily life.
Expensive, low-key, and rigid.
The air still held a faint scent of bitter medicine, which even the elegant aromatherapy couldn’t completely mask.
“Something like that.”
Lin Shuxing’s face was pale. Her slender, upright posture inexplicably brought to mind a small white poplar in the vast desert, “If you want to refuse, it’s still not too late before the announcement.”
“I’ll give you some time to think clearly. Once the contract is finalized, you belong to me.”
She lowered her eyes, not looking directly at Fang Yi, her light tone echoing in the room.
This was somewhat different from the nominal marriage Lin Lan had described.
Fang Yi pondered her words, “Human trafficking is illegal after the founding of the nation.”
“In addition to the conditions Ms. Lin offered, I will give you three hundred thousand in pocket money every month.”
Lin Shuxing’s eyes turned, her eyelashes fluttering, “The requirement is that you cannot be ambiguous with other girls, and you cannot embarrass me. Otherwise—”
The subsequent threats were no longer important.
Three hundred thousand.
That’s three hundred thousand!
Three hundred thousand every month!
System screamed: 【I’m willing!】
System defected: 【She is willing too!】
“After the engagement, you must maintain proper boundaries when interacting with female friends!”
Lin Shuxing narrowed her eyes, like a vigilant cheetah, “I don’t want to smell any perfume on you—especially not other women’s.”
“You cannot approach me without my permission, and you cannot enter my bedroom casually.”
“You must clean your hands before holding my hand, and you must wear a mask in public places.”
“You must remember my birthday and preferences, and you are not allowed to eat durian before seeing me…”
Wow, three hundred rules.
Fang Yi patiently waited for the girl’s “Star Rules” to finish, then raised her hand, “I have a question.”
Lin Shuxing: “What?”
“Why was the fiancé changed to me?”
Lin Lan’s answer did not necessarily represent Lin Shuxing’s answer.
After a brief silence, Lin Shuxing furrowed her eyebrows, “Do you need a reason?”
“I hate Li Sinian. She pines for a deceased first love abroad, yet she still flirts with others domestically. She pretends to be deeply devoted. It’s ridiculous.”
“The Li family proposed the cancellation first, but I was the one who dumped her!” She pouted unhappily.
Li Sinian was Lin Shuxing’s original fiancé, the only daughter of the Li family for three generations, and in some ways, the favored child of this world’s fate.
Fang Yi nodded, then asked, “So, did you choose me yourself later? Was it voluntary?”
“…”
Lin Shuxing pursed her lips slightly, turning her head away unnaturally, pretending to be nonchalant as she fiddled with her fingers: “I drew lots.”
“Drew lots?”
“A diviner’s spiritual lots.”
A diviner again. Who exactly is this person?
“Be careful not to be deceived.”
Fang Yi reminded her seriously. She didn’t entirely believe in these things. After thinking for a moment, she solemnly added, “Times are progressing. Anything that goes against your will is fraud. This kind of thing isn’t popular anymore. If there are any hidden circumstances, you must tell me. I will help you.”
She spoke earnestly, making it hard to believe that her own grandmother was a famous shaman in the surrounding villages.
Yu Jiufeng—skilled in appeasing the wrongfully dead, retrieving souls, casting curses, and reading feng shui—was proficient in everything. The old villagers all said she was blessed by the Phoenix God, and even evil spirits gave her a wide berth.
When Fang Yi was little, she was naive, and the world of her previous life wasn’t technologically advanced, so she foolishly believed it was true, truly seeing her grandmother as a guardian deity who held up a piece of the sky in the chaotic and turbulent small village.
Later, when she passed the exam and left the small town, the teacher with the ruler wrote physics formulas and chemical reactions on the blackboard with chalk. Fang Yi suddenly remembered, Oh, Grandma used to mix things into the talisman water, too.
To put it nicely, it was using science as a sharp sword to defeat all demons and monsters.
To put it harshly, it was deception. That ‘divine’ part was probably just the ‘divine’ of being mysterious.
However, her grandmother, upon hearing the lofty insights of her smart granddaughter who had studied all the way to the highest educational institution, only gave her an eye-roll:
“Ignorance is bliss—you don’t know a damn thing.”
Fang Yi sat upright, her straight back coupled with her meticulous appearance, like an educated youth giving a public lecture.
Lin Shuxing secretly glanced at the woman from the corner of her eye, fiddling with her slender fingers, and whispered, “You should be the one who is careful.”
Her dark eyelashes concealed the coolness in the girl’s eyes. She had never even made a wish to the ethereal, let alone believed in such childish tricks.
That day, the diviner placed a bucket of slips with the names and horoscopes of the candidates into a bamboo tube. She had already tampered with it before the draw.
“Since you’ve decided, sign the agreement before you leave.”
Lin Shuxing tucked her hair behind her ear, opened the bottom drawer, and slowly took out a contract, returning to the dignified tone unique to those in power, “I won’t treat you unfairly.”
“Okay, I’ll ask my lawyer friend to look it over before signing. No rush.”
Fang Yi played with her phone. Just as she sent a few messages, she suddenly sensed a dangerous gaze, but when she looked up, she only saw Lin Shuxing’s sulky profile.
The girl let out a soft groan from her nose, “Is it Lawyer He? You two have such a good relationship. An agreement like this really does need a careful look.”
“Yes,” Fang Yi nodded, then belatedly looked up and asked strangely, “How did you know? Do you know each other?”
She hadn’t mentioned the lawyer’s last name.
Lawyer He, He Shuanghua, had the legend of being the undefeated queen at a top law firm.
Fang Yi still remembered the first time she met He Shuanghua.
He Shuanghua had just graduated, wearing an immaculate white shirt, constantly studying case files, looking extremely green.
But her glasses reflected a light—a sharp, undeniable light.
She would confront the court for a poor, unknown stranger, and risk traveling hundreds of miles to solve cold cases in rural towns for the sake of justice.
Yet, such a magnificent, frosty lawyer was also a love-struck fool, strung along by a mysterious eldest miss for three or four years. They didn’t even have a single photo together, and she was close to quitting her job to become a canary secretary for that flirtatious lady.
She was the mandatory mission target Fang Yi was bound to in order to pay off her point debt. Her wishes were always related to romance, something Fang Yi was completely clueless about.
It was the kind of situation where He Shuanghua would pity herself and say, “I feel so sorry for the rose who is troubled by love. My first love is gone, and I can’t sleep at night. I can’t resolve my own heartache either.”
The rose was her pet name for that eldest miss.
Fang Yi completely misunderstood her, but still seriously suggested, “That’s so sad. Take some sleeping pills.”
This drastically different mode of interaction somehow developed into a friendship. They each spoke their own mind, creating a kind of beautiful, nonsensical harmony. Occasionally, they could persuade each other a little, which was unexpectedly harmonious.
“Something like that,” Lin Shuxing said flatly, “She once sued the Lin family. She has some skill.”
“Quite a coincidence.”
Lin Shuxing looked up: “Yes, that was the first time the Lin family’s legal team lost.”
So that was the kind of coincidence.
Fang Yi touched her nose, somewhat curious, “What was the case?”
Before Lin Shuxing could answer, Fang Yi’s phone screen lit up first.
[He Shuanghua]: Don’t sign.
[He Shuanghua]: Don’t agree.
Two consecutive ‘don’ts.’ Fang Yi’s finger paused. Just as she opened the input method, a call came through from the other side.
Lin Shuxing rested one hand on the bed, lifting her eyes to stare at Fang Yi with a cold smile, “You two really are close.”
“Hello? Are you still at the Lin family’s place?” The woman’s clear, cold voice penetrated the receiver, “I have something to tell you.”
Fang Yi subconsciously glanced at Lin Shuxing, “Mm.”
“I’m coming to pick you up now. Send me the address. Tell the Lin family you need to consider it and that I will act as your full agent.”
“Okay.”
The bedroom was quiet. Even a drop of water could create a ripple. The woman’s voice was exceptionally clear in the empty silence.
Fang Yi stood up: “I’m sorry—”
Lin Shuxing closed her eyes, sinking heavily into the soft bolster. A cold voice spilled from her lips: “You don’t need to consider the agreement.”
Her brows furrowed, and her voice gradually lowered, “I have cleanliness issues. I can’t tolerate emotional entanglements—didn’t I just tell you?”
Fang Yi’s hand, holding her crossbody bag, paused. She was bewildered by the girl’s sudden anger, “We aren’t in that kind of relationship. She has a partner. She’s just my lawyer.”
She paused, her gaze involuntarily drifting to Lin Shuxing’s slightly red ear tips, and she softened her tone: “I haven’t refused the marriage alliance. It’s just that an agreement like this needs to be handled carefully. It’s not directed at you. I…”
Before Fang Yi could finish, Lin Shuxing had already buried her face in the pillow. The woman’s voice became completely muffled, turning into a buzzing sound.
Her fair hand lifted, waving impatiently twice like an orchestra conductor, signaling a “Get Lost” symphony.
She, the dignified Lin Shuxing, actively chose her, offered generous terms, and even, unprecedentedly, allowed her into her private space.
And what was the result? She still needed to “consider” it?!
For eighteen years, she had been an object of admiration and flattery—but now she hit a wall with Fang Yi, this annoying person.
The more she thought about it, the heavier the stuffiness in her chest became. The girl pouted, and the emotions accumulating in her amber eyes deepened.
Time ticked by, second by second. The room was so quiet that one could hear the air flowing at a steady pace.
She waited for a long time but didn’t see the woman yield. Vaguely thinking she had left, she finally stopped suppressing her pent-up emotions, suddenly sat up with a powerful surge, and angrily shouted, “Fang Yi, how dare you!”
The plush toy Fang Yi was holding out was still suspended in mid-air. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.
Lin Shuxing’s gaze fell on the familiar plush little bear. The flame in her eyes suddenly weakened a few degrees.
That was the one she gave her.
The girl pursed her lips, pretending to be indifferent as she glanced at Fang Yi, her tone deliberately cold: “When did you get it back?”
“While you were changing clothes just now.”
Lin Shuxing blinked, her voice light, like a cat tentatively extending its paw: “Are you going to give it back to me?”
“No. You seemed not to hear me just now. I wanted to poke you. But… I didn’t wash my hands or disinfect them, so I tried to make it call you.”
“They disinfected and wiped this just now.”
Fang Yi finished her explanation and quickly retracted her hand, hanging the little bear back on her bag, cautious as if protecting some rare treasure.
“The agreement is very important. I’ve suffered losses on this before, so I have to be careful. I hope you understand.”
“I will have the lawyer draft a new contract based on our demands. I can’t agree to overly detailed clauses because I might forget them. I’ll try my best to comply.”
“Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about me causing any scandals that would embarrass you. I have no plans for any romantic relationships until my goal is achieved.”
“I don’t like people.”
Fang Yi lowered her head and rubbed her nose, avoiding Lin Shuxing’s lingering gaze. She handed over her phone, “Let’s exchange contact information. You can find me if you need anything later.”
Lin Shuxing took the phone, her fingertips touching the rough casing. She glanced at the screen—
Several scratches were clearly visible on the screen, and various small red dots were practically overflowing, enough to drive someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder crazy.
Lin Shuxing’s gaze dropped, and she subtly pursed her lips.
When Fang Yi took her phone back, she saw that Lin Shuxing had already added a contact note: AAA Fiancée.
The chat history was empty. Lin Shuxing was the first to send an emoji, adopting an adult tone: Hope our cooperation goes smoothly.
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just to remind you of our marriage alliance.”
Marriage alliance, it sounded very commercial.
“Okay, Fiancée.” Fang Yi agreed, and casually pinned her contact to the top among the complicated messages.
The small red dot of unread messages was like a red carpet. The cat avatar frame leaped up to the top layer, looking down upon all beings.
Lin Shuxing took in Fang Yi’s actions from the corner of her eye. The curve of her lips deepened, and she leaned back into the bolster in a good mood, sinking in softly like a cat.
Fang Yi interpreted a sense of satisfaction from her expression, which somewhat resembled her profile picture of a black-faced coal-mining cat.
Black-faced eldest miss, bad temper, but fluffy.
The room was still dark. The heavy curtains blocked the sunlight. Only a floor lamp by the bed emitted a warm, faint glow. Many medicine bottles were neatly arranged on the table, and steam rose from a thermos cup.
When the girl quietly lowered her eyes, she looked like a fragile blue-and-white porcelain doll, exceptionally obedient, making it hard to associate her with the word “villainess.”
Fang Yi’s gaze swept over the foreign medicines, suddenly recalling Lin Lan’s words.
What if that man was only pretending to take pictures and left no evidence?
What if this wasn’t the Lin family, there were no cameras everywhere, if Lin Shuxing didn’t have anything nearby to use as a weapon, if that man had violently attacked her…
Hitting him once was too easy for him. She wondered how the Lin family would handle it.
Fang Yi thought for a moment and tapped on her advisor’s lotus avatar.
Taking action was indeed risky. The academic approach should be used.
The System, infatuated, withdrew its gaze from Lin Shuxing’s face, sighing dramatically. It quietly dimmed the light a little, peering around: 【Sigh, thinking that she won’t live long, I feel so sorry.】
Fang Yi’s typing hand paused: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t speak at all.
He Shuanghua arrived quickly. A low-key light-purple sports car slowly drove into the garden. The butler had specifically instructed that this car, coming to pick up the eldest miss’s fiancée, could drive into the inner ring.
On the second-floor French window.
After Fang Yi left, a beam of light was pulled open in the deep blue curtains. The girl stood quietly by the window, barefoot, her obscure gaze silently watching their backs disappear among the flowers, melting into the deep green in the distance.
A murmur spilled from her lips, indistinct, yet the last two syllables were bitten down hard, like soft candy being carefully chewed between the lips and teeth, emitting a kind of hidden, bloody sweetness.
“…Mine.”
