Chapter 18
Ye Qiao was naturally disgusted by Li Yun’s malicious chit-chat.
“Li Yun, I almost died yesterday. Do I really have to cover myself in those layers of uniform, all for his sake?”
“That’s not what I meant! Qiao Qiao, what is wrong with you? Have… Have the Lu brothers done anything to you? We are the only ones here, so you don’t have to be afraid. Be honest with me, I will surely help you through this,” Li Yun said while grasping Ye Qiao by her wrist. Her voice became softer as if she was trying to prevent being eavesdropped.
“Li Yun, what do you mean? I don’t quite understand,” Ye Qiao continued to play dumb.
Like in a game of cat-and-mouse, the cat always catches nothing in the beginning, so the fun continues. Ye Qiao knew that very well, so it was not time to shed off all pretenses of cordiality just yet. Acts of revenge always required good timing.
“Qiao Qiao, what I meant is that, have they assaulted you in any way?” Li Yun whispered in her ear.
“Li Yun, is that what you wish to see? Me being assaulted?” Ye Qiao responded with biting sarcasm. She still recalled the night when Li Yun drugged her. Thinking back, she was actually glad that it was him who showed up that night.
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Nevertheless, she still had not figured out why Lu Beixiao would suddenly show up in the bar that night. Could it be that he had fallen for her before she even realized it?
“Qiao Qiao, what a terrible misunderstanding! That is clearly not what I meant. I was worried about you, you dumb girl!”
“Li Yun, I owe Brother Beixiao a big favor for saving my life yesterday. If he hadn’t, your best friend would be long dead by now. Nothing bad happened. You should stop overthinking,” Ye Qiao answered in a stern manner. Not too far away, a few boys could be seen playing basketball on the court.
Meanwhile, Li Yun was puzzled by Ye Qiao’s sudden change of behavior. Knowing her, she should have taken the opportunity to make a fuss out of the situation.
It was baffling to Li Yun how much Ye Qiao had changed.
“Qiao Qiao, Shen Xichuan was badly hurt. The doctor says that his fracture requires three months to recover fully. His parents are intimidated by the Lu family, so they dare not get back at them for their son’s injury. Oh, poor Xichuan, he has to suffer such an injustice. What he did was all for you. He’s so heartbroken that he hasn’t even eaten anything all day. Maybe you can drop by his house for a visit tomorrow?”
Terrible cheaters!
That was all Ye Qiao could think of at that moment.
“I’m busy. I’ll be going back to my hometown in Northern Jiangsu soon.” Ye Qiao then walked away, leaving Li Yun behind.
Shen Xichuan used to be the only person that she cared about; she had prioritized him at all costs. She had not even returned home to visit her foster parents despite learning that her foster dad was ill. Her adoptive mother told her that her foster father grew ill after he tried to save money by seeing an unqualified doctor.
While leaving, Ye Qiao did not go through the basketball court but decided to skirt it. A ball, however, came bouncing toward her when she was about to go round the corner. Luckily, she was able to move swiftly away to avoid getting hit.
Even at night, she could still see the silhouette of the boys walking towards her against the light; she knew for sure that they must be friends of Lu Beichi.
Lu Beichi was Lu Beixiao’s cousin, the son of Lu Beixiao’s youngest uncle. In Ye Qiao’s past life, he ventured to the south and started his own business. It went well at first, but one careless investment mistake dissipated his fortune into thin air.
“Hey, it is Ye Qiao!” Cheng Dafei was the one who broke the silence. The lights around the basketball court were as bright as daylight, so it was easy to see their reaction.
Under the light, the group of boys could not keep their eyes off the girl who was as graceful as a swan. In fact, the frivolous, fun-loving boys were all a little too excited to have her company.
None of them had ever thought that the ugly duckling from the Ye family would one day transform into an elegant swan.
Quickly, the boys circled her to stop her from leaving. But all that came to Ye Qiao’s mind was that they stank with perspiration.
Lu Beichi went to pick up the ball and spun it on his finger to portray an air of coolness. Meanwhile, the other boys stood with their arms folded while having their eyes locked on her.
Despite their intimidating stance, Ye Qiao was not afraid of them at all. Courageously, she looked at their faces, one by one.