Huo Yao carried Shi Xi into the elevator without setting her down, asking first, “Is your foot uncomfortable?”
He had seen how rough Chi Xuan’s movements were in the video and worried her foot might have been injured from the knocking about.
Shi Xi shook her head, “Huo Yao, how did you know I was here?”
“Any little movement from you gets posted online. I happened to see it.”
“…” So many coincidences?
Shi Xi looked at him with disbelief, silently watching.
Huo Yao fell into awkward silence, staring straight ahead.
After the elevator descended several floors, he added, “This is a place Chi Xuan and the others frequent often. I just had to ask around to find out.”
Shi Xi accepted this explanation.
She praised him in an exaggerated tone, “Captain Huo, you’re amazing.”
Hearing her tone as if praising a child, Huo Yao chuckled softly.
Remembering the earlier scene, he asked, “Do you know Chi Yuan?”
During the day, he had coincidentally come across her performance video from that evening.
The boy playing piano wasn’t Chi Xuan—it should have been Chi Yuan.
“Yes.” Shi Xi nodded, “He was technically my former fiancé.”
Huo Yao: “…”
Shi Xi: “Explaining my background is a bit complicated. Actually, some online guesses are correct—I originally had the surname Lu.”
Huo Yao borrowed netizens’ words: “…Switched at birth?”
“Yes. Lin Zhen was the one who switched us. He originally wanted a son, but discovered the swapped child was also a girl. He treated that daughter poorly. When I was fifteen, he came to ask me for money. That’s when the Lu Family learned the truth, and I returned to the Lin Family.”
Shi Xi kept her eyes fixed on Huo Yao and added, “After that evening performance, I never saw Chi Yuan again. I’m not close with him.”
She had completely distanced herself from that relationship.
Huo Yao seemed not to notice her intentional explanation meant for him, instead focusing on the key point, “Why wasn’t Lin Zhen arrested back then?”
Shi Xi shook her head. She could only say the original world setting was rather unreasonable, overlooking many emotional transitions for the sake of plot progression, making everything appear abrupt.
“Today, Chen… my mother contacted me, saying the Lu Family intends to sue Lin Zhen, but he’s disappeared.”
Huo Yao stated confidently, “He can’t hide for long.”
“I hope so.” She sighed self-pityingly.
Huo Yao detected her intention to seek comfort from him.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Her twenty-two years of life truly resembled a television drama.
The first fifteen years she was treated as a treasure, then overnight her life underwent dramatic changes, falling from cloud nine into the mud.
Many people might not have had her resilience to endure until now.
Huo Yao gazed at their reflections in the elevator mirror, his eyes lingering.
He had always thought she was light, but now holding her, she seemed even more petite.
Though their reflections showed no particularly intimate gestures, somehow Huo Yao felt the surrounding air suddenly grow warmer.
As the elevator slowly descended, several people entered on the tenth floor.
Huo Yao stepped back twice to avoid them bumping into her.
Shi Xi hadn’t thought much of it until she noticed his gradually tensing arms. Even the fingers she had been holding withdrew.
Both his hands clenched into fists, his expression growing more serious and stern.
Shi Xi: “?”
This wouldn’t do.
She stroked the back of his hand twice, finally leaving her hand pressed against his without moving.
No matter what, physical contact was necessary.
Otherwise she would feel it was such a pity.
Huo Yao lowered his head, gazing at her. “You…”
But then he met her aggrieved eyes.
Huo Yao was puzzled.
What was she aggrieved about?
Was she that determined to hold his hand?
But the elevator was crowded.
Everyone was watching.
It wouldn’t look good.
The elevator was eerily quiet, extremely awkward.
The people who had just entered were clearly good friends, now silently and frantically exchanging glances.
The elevator light cast a faint cold white glow, softened by reflections in the mirrored walls.
He stood tall and powerfully built, his presence imposing. His dark eyes were like those of a raptor over snowy plains – cold and sharp, with only occasional glimpses of tenderness when he looked down.
She appeared fragile and petite, half her face buried against his chest, her pale shoulders delicate and alluring.
Her slender, jade-white hand gently pressed against his clenched fist.
The collision of initiative and restraint, softness and hardness – the sexual tension was palpable!
Who was this lucky, to witness a real couple just by riding an elevator!
When the elevator opened on the first floor, those people left.
Looking back with every step.
Huo Yao kept his eyes downcast, only unclenching his fist after the elevator doors closed. He couldn’t help asking, “What’s this fixation with holding fingers?”
In that brief moment earlier, she had gotten upset with him, stubbornly pressing against the back of his hand without letting go.
Her little movements must have been noticed by others.
Might as well have let her hold his fingers.
“Don’t stay silent.”
His voice had deepened considerably, like strong liquor that made Shi Xi feel slightly intoxicated.
She detected a hint of indulgence in his tone.
Not sure, needed to observe more.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t let me hold anything else.”
After saying this, she successfully grabbed one of his index fingers.
Huo Yao carried her out, his gaze sweeping over the finger she held as he quickly remarked, “Just like a child.”
He had already naturally assumed she needed some kind of comfort object.
Huo Yao drove Shi Xi back to school, greeted the dorm supervisor, and carried her into her dorm room.
It was a small room with a single bed on one side and a desk on the other.
She didn’t have many belongings, all neatly arranged.
Huo Yao picked up the cane from the floor and placed it beside her before saying, “I’ll take my leave now.”
Shi Xi waved her hand. “Okay, good night.”
But as Huo Yao reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back, unusually showing a slight smile.
“How did you know how many abs I have?”
Shi Xi: “…”
So he had heard what she said to Chi Xuan!
That was all nonsense she made up.
How would she know how many he had!
Watching her ears turn bright red, Huo Yao continued asking, “Have you seen his?”
He realized this topic had crossed serious boundaries, but still couldn’t stop himself from asking.
Shi Xi: “…”
The way he asked made her afraid to answer.
She pressed her lips together, remaining silent, her cheeks flushed and eyes glistening.
Today’s bandeau dress added an indescribable allure to her appearance, both innocent and seductive.
She finally admitted honestly, “I’ve seen his.”
Then added, “I was just saying random things earlier.”
Huo Yao: “Hmm.”
Seeing his expression remain unchanged, Shi Xi breathed a slight sigh of relief.
The next moment he told her, “I have eight. Now you know.”
Shi Xi’s gaze dropped downward, her head leaning forward. “…I want to see.”
She genuinely meant it.
Huo Yao: “…”
He couldn’t help laughing, pushing her head away. “You don’t want to.”
Shi Xi: “Just one look.”
Huo Yao: “Not allowed.”
Shi Xi: “Please.”
Huo Yao: “Don’t beg.”
Shi Xi: “Huo Yao~”
Huo Yao: “Go to sleep.”
She had no idea how ambiguous her request sounded.
Her demeanor was so natural, as if she were merely begging him for some toy.
But Huo Yao couldn’t maintain such nonchalance.
He stumbled back to his car in a daze.
Catching his reflection in the mirror, he saw the upturned corners of his lips and the uncontrollable smile shimmering in his eyes.
When he glanced toward the dormitory building nearby, his gaze gradually darkened.
Shi Xi took another shower and lay back in bed. Before closing her eyes to sleep, she murmured to the System, “…How is this any different from being in a relationship?”
The System replied, “The shard is older and has more to consider.”
Shi Xi: “…”
She wasn’t particularly interested in hearing such analysis.
She quite enjoyed being close with Huo Yao.
Shi Xi stayed on campus until Friday, when early in the morning she was summoned by her academic advisor.
The Municipal Public Security Bureau had contacted the university, specifically commending Shi Xi for assisting the Criminal Investigation Division in solving a case, subtly attributing the credit to her.
Upon receiving the news, the university found it almost unbelievable.
When they learned she had also been targeted by the perpetrator and nearly met with an accident, they were utterly horrified.
In everyday life, most people are far removed from bloodshed and violence, never imagining that a murder case could occur so close to them.
That same day, the university issued a commendation notice.
Seeing the name “Lin Shi Xi,” people weren’t sure whether to scoff or question it first.
Logically, a notice jointly issued by the university and the police department couldn’t possibly be fake.
Was Lin Shi Xi some kind of time management master?
Amid such a hectic graduation season, she had dated several boyfriends, earned enough money to fix her face, flawlessly completed her thesis defense, and still found time to work on facial reconstruction—even helping solve a criminal case?
Not even a female protagonist in a novel would dare have such a plot!
But soon, someone provided an explanation—
[Lin Shi Xi’s graduation thesis was on the study of AI face-swap technology. She even used her own face-swapping livestreams as experiments, recording the data in her paper… Using AI to reconstruct faces is also her expertise. She previously participated in competitions, and if not for her health condition, she could have gone much further.]
Shi Xi’s college entrance exam scores were also dug up.
They were high enough to get into the capital’s top university, yet in reality, she ended up at a local second-tier college.
There had to be something fishy about that!
“It was Chen Xi who changed it. She didn’t want me to go too far away and was afraid I’d spend money recklessly. But I only found out later that the university offered a 100,000-yuan scholarship.”
That afternoon, when Bai Fan came to pick up Shi Xi for band practice, she told him this.
After hearing her out, Bai Fan asked, “Who is Chen Xi?”
“My birth mother.”
“You have a mother who isn’t ‘birth’?”
“…Do you realize you’re twisting the knife in my heart?”
“Oh, so it’s true what they say online—you’re the fake heiress who got kicked out?”
“…” Shi Xi didn’t want to talk anymore.
Bai Fan mentioned that their band needed a female lead singer for the graduation party.
After she refused, he sarcastically accused her of being a liar who played with his feelings.
She eventually agreed.
Today was for rehearsal.
As soon as she opened the door, Shi Xi was met with several youthful, vibrant faces.
“Hello, senior!”
Their voices were loud, too.
Shi Xi blinked. “Hello.”
In the original host’s memories, it had been a long time since she’d been greeted with such enthusiasm.
Bai Fan had already walked over to his guitar. Seeing her still standing there dazed, he tilted his chin and asked, “Can you read sheet music?”
Shi Xi chuckled softly. Wasn’t he asking a question he already knew the answer to?
Bai Fan coolly averted his gaze. “Hurry up. After rehearsal, I still have to go drive for my side job.”
Shi Xi: “…”
He’s really pushing himself.
Two hours later, the rehearsal ended.
As Bai Fan was leaving the school, he received a transfer from Shi Xi—sixty thousand yuan.
He slammed on the bicycle brakes, his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly.
Is she insane?
Doesn’t she need surgery?
What the hell is a few thousand bucks worth?
Truth be told, he still had over a million in spending money in his bank account. The only reason he took on part-time jobs was to prove he wasn’t dependent on his family!
Lin Shi Xi: I have enough for my surgery. I’m returning the money you transferred to me earlier.
Bai Fan typed furiously: What I gave you is yours to keep.
Then he refunded the money.
Lin Shi Xi: Then don’t overwork yourself.
Bai Fan stared at the screen for a while. As he put away his phone, he muttered under his breath, “Here she goes again, messing with my resolve…”
He knew she didn’t have feelings for him.
He wasn’t the type to cling desperately.
Even though he truly cared about her, he wouldn’t allow himself to lose composure.