Chapter 24: Good Friends

Lin Yiwei wiped her body with a towel dipped in water, cleaning off the dirt she had picked up when she rolled into the flower bed earlier. She knew Xie Bo was somewhat put off by her disheveled appearance. Let him be; her leg was bandaged and medicated, so she certainly couldn't take a shower tonight and would have to make do with a simple wipe-down.

Although the Lamont Apartments were vast, the only bedroom fit for sleeping seemed to be the large master suite that belonged to him. The other rooms were functional—a gym, a game room, and even a beautiful terrace with an infinity pool. The Lamont Apartments were his private sanctuary; Xie Bo had no intention of entertaining guests here, nor had he furnished any additional bedrooms. Everything in the home was designed solely for his own use.

Lin Yiwei had occupied his room, and she had no idea where Xie Bo slept. This luxurious, sprawling apartment spanned hundreds of square meters, with many hidden doors and rooms along the walls. The spaces Lin Yiwei was permitted to enter were only those he allowed her access to. Some rooms were strictly off-limits.

There was a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror in the master bedroom, which appeared to be a new installation; she hadn't seen it last time. The mirror faced the large, dark gray, two-meter-wide bed. In terms of feng shui, a mirror facing the bed was considered highly inauspicious, but Xie Bo was unbothered by taboos.

Lin Yiwei sat on the edge of the bed, studying the mirror and her reflection within it. She had always been aware of her beauty, yet she took no pride in it. Without the protection of a home, her looks had brought her nothing but hardship and suffering. In middle school, a ringleader who disliked her appearance had subjected her to two years of bullying, and as she grew older, she had been harassed by the words and actions of that beastly stepfather... Her foster mother not only failed to protect her but even cursed her, calling her cheap to the core and claiming she looked like nothing but trouble.

Lin Yiwei had never learned how to use her beauty to her advantage in life; instead, she had tasted only the bitter fruits it brought. She had never appreciated herself, and had even... even come to hate her own reflection. Looking at the mirror and herself within it, she knew that in all likelihood, Xie Bo was watching her from behind the glass.

Driven by a strange impulse, she thought of that night of extreme indulgence and abandon—vague and hazy like a dream, mingled with the intoxicating fragrance of wild lilies. A beautiful, spring-like dream that had never happened before and never would again. Her face was pretty enough, yet she lacked sufficient sexual tension. She had no beautiful dresses, didn't know how to wear makeup, and her personality was as stubborn as a stone. Yet that night, purely by instinct, she had seen her own beauty reflected in Xie Bo’s eyes. A beauty that made her dislike herself a little less.

Sex was not about showing oneself to another, but a process of exploration and self-discovery through each other’s admiring gaze. In those pitch-black eyes of Xie Bo, she had found her own allure for the first time.

Lin Yiwei looked at the mirror and the possibilities hidden behind it, and slowly took off the long white shirt she was wearing. Although she lacked beautiful dresses, her undergarments were always a matching set. This was a small, not-so-extravagant habit Lin Yiwei had maintained since she wore her first brassiere as a young girl. Today, she wore a dark pink, leaning-towards-lavender bra, adorned with soft, intricate lace. She liked her lingerie to have a bit more color, not just limited to black and white, because her life was too monotonous. Hidden beneath her modest clothes, she needed a little bit of her own rebelliousness. Sometimes she felt that what she really needed wasn't that fleeting, intense "superb" satisfaction, but just a tiny bit of the unexpected, something to detach her from her daily life.

Lin Yiwei looked into the mirror, her hand gently stroking herself, her gaze provocative.

...

Xie Bo sat by the armchair, swirling a glass of brandy. He sipped slowly, his dark eyes calmly admiring the girl behind the dark glass. There was no doubt that she knew he was watching. Yet not only was she not bothered, she was willing to show him. This was the real her—the version of her that had been daring enough to bring him home that night and do as she pleased with him.

The corners of his mouth lifted. He watched the girl in the mirror with a hazy gaze, finished the brandy, and allowed himself to expand without restraint. He didn't touch her. He enjoyed the feeling of this restraint.

The next morning, the sunlight awakened the girl from her dreamy, indulgent sleep. Being woken by the sun was the most pleasant thing. Only, in the past, her room—the fully enclosed small room converted from a storage closet—never saw the sun.

Lin Yiwei put on her slippers and discovered a pair of crutches in the room; they must have been prepared specifically for her. Although her leg wasn't injured enough to truly require crutches, they helped her walk with minimal pressure on her ankle, which was still aching faintly. With the support of the crutches, her right leg no longer had to bear weight, and walking became much easier.

Lin Yiwei leaned on the crutches and walked out of the room, searching for Xie Bo. The place was empty and so large that she wasn't even sure he was still home. She walked to the front door and, following the method Xie Bo had used, woke the AI smart butler and asked it to open the door.

She was met with the cold, robotic voice of the smart butler: "I am sorry, your request requires higher authorization."

Lin Yiwei negotiated with the smart butler for a long time, but it kept repeating the same thing: without authorization, it would not open the door. So, Xie Bo had locked her inside the house. What was he trying to do!

Lin Yiwei pulled out her phone and called Xie Bo, demanding angrily, "You actually locked the door! What are you doing? Let me out! Xie Bo, you can't just lock me up like this; that’s illegal!"

Xie Bo listened in silence. Only after the young girl finished venting her morning grumpiness did he speak, in a lazy tone—

"Now, walk to the door and try turning the handle."

Lin Yiwei, half-believing, turned the handle downward. *Click.* The door opened.

"..."

"Idiot," he murmured with a sneer.

"I... I thought it was under smart control. I just asked 'Xiao Mei' to open the door, and she wouldn't."

"I figured you weren't used to the smart system, so I switched it to manual mode," Xie Bo scolded again. "Are you a pig?"

"Xie Bo, you're the pig!"

In the classroom, Li Du, who was sitting in on the lecture, turned his head toward Xie Bo. He didn't need to guess who he was arguing with. He had never seen him trade such childish barbs with anyone. "Do the two of you have more than ten years of combined maturity?"

Xie Bo reached out, pressed down on his head, and shoved it back around.

Lin Yiwei asked again, "Where are you?"

"In class, of course," Xie Bo said, his voice mocking. "I'm a model student who earns a scholarship every year. I never miss a class, and every professor likes me."

"You're truly excellent," she said with sarcasm.

"Thank you. You're welcome to learn from me."

"But, isn't today Saturday?"

"Public lecture."

"Oh."

Xie Bo spun his pen with his fingertips. "Yi Shiqi said your leg needs rest. Don't go wandering around. There are groceries in the fridge; you can cook for yourself."

"I don't know how to cook."

"Order takeout. The building manager will bring it up."

"I have no money."

"Then starve. I'll collect your body when I get back tonight."

"..."

"I'll be back at school later."

"My advice is that you'd better stay home and behave yourself this weekend. Don't show your face at school if you don't want Chi Xicheng to discover that the little cutie who escaped his hands that night was you."

Lin Yiwei looked at the bandage wrapped around her foot and realized the severity of the situation. No, it wasn't just Chi Xicheng; the biggest problem was Chi Xiyu, who lived across from her dorm room. She had no way to explain the leg injury to Chi Xiyu; it would arouse too much suspicion. Her ankle was gradually losing its swelling; she could walk without crutches, but not normally. Xie Bo was right; it was better to rest for two more days.

...

For a girl like Lin Yiwei, who was used to rental units, tenement buildings, and small high-rise apartments, a luxury flat like the Lamont Apartments was a top-tier, comfortable experience she had never known. She sat on the soft sofa in the living room for a while, and unable to suppress her curiosity, she began to explore.

Breeze: "Xie Bo, can I use your oven to bake small cakes?"
Thin: "Whatever, but clean up afterward."
Breeze: "Xie Bo, can I play your VR console?"
Thin: "Whatever."
Breeze: "What’s behind the hidden door? Can I take a look?"
Thin: "Any room that isn't locked is fine."
Breeze: "What’s in the locked rooms? Are you hiding gold bars? Can I steal them?"
Thin: "If you can manage to steal them, they’re yours."
Breeze: "Really? Then I’m going to go look for the keys."
Thin: "Find the key to my heart, and never mind the gold bars—the man himself is yours."
Breeze: ...
Breeze: "I've been gagging for ten minutes, believe it or not."
Thin: "Carrying my cub?"
Breeze: "Carrying your [Pig Head]."
Thin: "[Pig Head][Pig Head][Pig Head]"
Breeze: "Aren't you in class? Aren't you a model student? You're replying to me in seconds."
Thin: "Then please stop bothering me."
Breeze: "Who is bothering whom!"

Lin Yiwei put down her phone, infuriated by him. Yet, looking back at the chat history, she and Xie Bo really had endless things to say. She wasn't an outgoing or bubbly person; other than her brother, she had never been this close with anyone. Lin Yiwei attributed it to the fact that Xie Bo was simply too annoying.

At lunchtime, the building manager knocked on the door, saying Mr. Xie had ordered a meal for her. Soon, Lin Yiwei saw several men in white chef uniforms walk in and prepare a live, energetic Boston lobster for her on the oversized island. She suddenly remembered a passing comment she had made in Lukang Town about never having eaten a Boston lobster. In truth, many times when she spoke to Xie Bo, she was half-joking. Xie Bo had actually taken her seriously.

Breeze: "Oh my god! [Photo][Photo]"
Thin: "Have them prepare the seafood sauce for you."
Breeze: "Don't be too good to me, or I won't have the heart to scold you anymore."
Thin: "Cheap bones."
Breeze: "Who are you calling cheap bones?"
Thin: "Do you think I'll fall for that? [Smile]"

All morning, Li Du watched as Xie Bo alternated between reading and looking at his phone. Sometimes, even before a message arrived, he would periodically check his phone just to keep the screen on, waiting. It was a bit too obsessive.

"Boss Xie, do you really like her?"

Xie Bo suppressed the involuntary lift of his lips and said dismissively, "Is that possible? She’s stupid and stubborn, doesn't wear makeup, and her clothes are ugly. What part of her is worth liking? I’d like a pig before I’d like her."

"..."

There was no need to explain so much; it sounded quite defensive.

After lunch, Lin Yiwei received a call from Ye Anning: "Weiwei, how are you now? Are you okay? I’ve had someone ask around; Chi Xicheng still thinks it was me who escaped from them. I heard you fell from the second floor yesterday, and I was worried sick! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a sprained leg. How about you?"

"I went straight home last night. I told my father, and he was furious. He told me not to have any more contact with Xie Bo... or the Chi family."

"Then you..."

"Of course I listened to my father. Last night’s events scared me so much I didn't sleep all night. I really... I don't want to get involved in their business ever again. I didn't get the boyfriend, and I ended up getting myself into trouble—it really wasn't worth it."

Ye Anning was truly innocent, like a blank sheet of paper never stained by dye. She had parents who loved and cared for her, and she had grown up in a warm, sheltered environment; she would never take a wrong step. Lin Yiwei could only envy her.

"It’s good that you think that way."

"By the way, where are you? I want to see you and make sure you're okay."

Lin Yiwei knew it was Ye Anning who had called Xie Bo, and she understood that hiding it from her was pointless. She simply said, "I'm at the Lamont Apartments."

On the other end of the line, Ye Anning hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "Can we meet? I want to have a real talk about this."

"I suppose so, but I can't go very far."

"Then I'll come downstairs to your place!"

At the café downstairs, Ye Anning met Lin Yiwei. She was wearing Xie Bo’s oversized gray hoodie and sweatpants. The clothes were far too big for her petite frame, giving her a cool, laid-back aesthetic. Seeing the crutches Lin Yiwei had set aside, Ye Anning felt overwhelming guilt. If she hadn't appeared in time last night, if she hadn't swapped clothes with her to draw everyone away... the consequences were too terrible to imagine.

"I heard you jumped from the building. Did you hurt your leg? Is it serious? How are you now?"

"Just a sprained ankle, nothing major."

"Last night... why did you help me? Aren't you friends with Chi Xiyu?" Her eyes were red.

"Actually, it wasn't just to help you." Lin Yiwei didn't want her to feel too guilty; she had never liked being the object of others' gratitude—it made her very uncomfortable. "It was my own internal struggle."

"I really don't understand you."

"It's okay; I'm not important."

"Then what is going on with you and Xie Bo? Why would he bring you back to the Lamont Apartments?"

Lin Yiwei could tell that Ye Anning’s tone was no longer accusatory; she was simply curious and wanted an answer. She remained silent, saying nothing.

"Chi Xiyu is already like this, yet you still won't tell me the truth?" Ye Anning looked at her urgently. "I know you aren't the kind of person I once thought you were. If you were, you wouldn't have risked your life to save me."

"Do you really need to know the truth?" Lin Yiwei picked up her teacup, moistening her dry lips. "Just pretend last night never happened. We can cut ties as we should, and we won't have any intersection in the future. As for Xie Bo, if you want to pursue him, go ahead; if not, then don't. That has nothing to do with me..."

"Weiwei, you might think I'm stupid, but I trust my judgment of people. I became your friend not because you were plotting to get close to me or curry favor, but because I believe you are a good girl worth knowing, and your heart holds many beautiful things."

"I'm not..." Lin Yiwei’s hands clenched tightly. "Ye Anning, I'm not."

Ye Anning grabbed her hand. "Weiwei, tell me the truth. I can help you, as long as you give me a little bit of trust."

Trust...

For so many years, other than Lin Xie, she had never trusted anyone. What a luxury trust was.

"Yi-yi, you have to look toward the distance." Lin Xie’s gentle voice echoed in her ears. He wanted her to believe that there was still beautiful scenery in this world, so she wouldn't fall into the mire and trap herself in a self-made prison.

She raised her eyes and looked at the girl in front of her, who was frowning with a sincere expression.

"You really are willing to help me?"

"You saved my life yesterday! Please, what could be more important than that?"

Finally, Lin Yiwei decided to gamble this once, because she needed Ye Anning’s help. Fighting this battle alone was simply too difficult. She told Ye Anning everything without reservation, including how she had deliberately approached Chi Xiyu to investigate the whereabouts of her brother. As long as Ye Anning was willing to help, the current stalemate would be resolved.

After hearing Lin Yiwei’s account, especially the truth about Lin Xie, Ye Anning fell into deep thought. Lin Yiwei watched her nervously. If she lost this gamble, she would lose everything.

Time passed second by second. Ye Anning’s brows relaxed and then tightened, seemingly struggling with something. Lin Yiwei felt like a traveler on a cliff’s edge, hanging by a thread, feeling the wind howling in her ears, her heart pounding wildly...

A moment later, Ye Anning said, "I didn't expect things to be this complicated. I'm a bit scared, and I don't really want to get into trouble. But they bullied me yesterday, and I'm not someone to be trifled with either. Lin Yiwei, I will help you investigate your brother’s case to the end."

Her hand suddenly relaxed.

"Thank you..." Lin Yiwei took another sip of tea, keeping her voice as calm as possible.

"Good friends don't need to be so polite."

"Good friends..."

"A prickly girl like you probably has never had a real friend, right? What a coincidence—me neither." Ye Anning reached out and held her slightly sweaty hand. "I think we’re going to get along just fine."