If you asked her opinion, Fu Yuchen—who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and sailed smoothly through life—clearly embodied the archetype of an arrogant and self-assured domineering CEO.
As for Xia Bai, though her life had been swapped and she grew up in a poor family, making her kind-hearted yet sensitive with a somewhat soft personality, she still possessed her own sense of dignity.
With two such contrasting personalities interacting, how easily would misunderstandings arise between them in the future?
Damn it—no, I mean, what was the great author thinking by creating such a Female lead and Male Lead?
Could it be that the plot relies entirely on conflicts and friction between them to move forward?
No wonder some melodramatic romance novels could stretch for hundreds of chapters over trivial matters between the main couple.
Su Lingyu couldn’t let such a thing happen in the novel she was in!
So, she needed to create opportunities for the Male Lead and Female lead, actively promoting the development of their relationship!
And eliminate all those messy side CPs…
Wait, wasn’t that the Male lead second, Lu Jiuyan, in the garden?
“General Manager Lu, why haven’t you left yet?”
Su Lingyu walked over, the words swirling in her mind slipping out without thought.
“You… want me to leave?”
Lu Jiuyan turned around, raising an eyebrow.
“No, no, don’t misunderstand. I just thought that as the general manager of a major company, busy with countless responsibilities, you’d usually be more occupied with work.”
“Not really.”
“Huh?”
Even a casual compliment didn’t work?
“Do you really see me as someone so obsessed with work?”
“Um…”
To be honest, not really.
After all, she wasn’t very familiar with him. She simply didn’t want him lingering around the Female lead, denying him any chance to get entangled with her.
“Are you and Xia Bai close?”
“!!!”
So he’s already starting to ask me about the Female lead?
As expected, this guy had ulterior motives for sticking around!
“What’s with that expression?”
Lu Jiuyan watched as her eyes widened roundly.
It was kind of cute, like a little hamster—if you ignored the hostility in them.
“Our relationship is just… average.”
So, don’t even think about getting any information about Xia Bai from me!
“Average, huh.”
Lu Jiuyan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.
In his view, Su Lingyu was good-looking, had a nice figure, and her personality wasn’t unpleasant, but beyond that, there wasn’t anything particularly special about her.
So why was it that Xia Bai could affect him, while she could neutralize that influence?
“It really is just average.”
Su Lingyu pouted. She was telling the truth—not long ago, she and Xia Bai had been at odds like fire and water, so naturally, they weren’t on good terms now.
“You…”
Lu Jiuyan looked at her, hesitating to speak.
“Me, what?”
“Never mind. I’ll head back to the company. You… stay here and keep her company.”
After a few seconds of contemplation, Lu Jiuyan decided to keep the matter to himself.
His recent unusual behavior felt bizarre and strange. What if neither of them felt the same way? Asking rashly might only cause unnecessary trouble.
Su Lingyu watched Lu Jiuyan’s retreating figure. Honestly, if there were no Male Lead, the Male lead second wouldn’t be a bad choice!
Too many novels had left her feeling unresolved and regretful over the second male lead.
But in this world, there were no “ifs.”
Fourth floor of the hospital, Psychology Department.
Su Lingyu sat outside the door, idly scrolling through her phone.
When she saw Xia Bai push the door open and come out, her face clearly not looking well, she quickly put away her phone and asked, “How did it go? What did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said it will take time.”
“That’s true. Treating psychological issues requires you to open up under the doctor’s guidance, and that takes a process. It’s not like a regular illness where you just take some medicine and get better.”
“Yeah, this time, I really want to thank you.”
Xia Bai stopped walking and pressed the elevator’s down button.
“Didn’t you thank me last time?”
Su Lingyu smiled, initially planning to say, “Actually, I did some pretty harsh things to you before, and I feel quite bad about it,” to clear the air between them.
But then she thought, she had finally managed to earn some goodwill points and didn’t want to remind Xia Bai of the things the original host had done to her, which might affect their current relationship.
What if this sentence diluted Xia Bai’s goodwill toward her?
Besides, the past wasn’t important—what mattered was the future!
So, the words on the tip of her tongue changed to: “Next time, I’ll come with you again.”
“No need.”
“Why not?”
“I think seeing a psychologist is too expensive.”
Xia Bai unconsciously pressed her thumb against her index finger.
Earlier inside, she had asked the doctor about the fees. To her surprise, the cost of a single consultation was almost equivalent to a month’s salary for her.
“Didn’t Fu Yuchen give you the money?”
That was Su Lingyu’s first reaction.
The Male Lead clearly knew about Xia Bai’s poor financial situation—surely he wouldn’t overlook something like this?
“He did.”
“Well, then, it’s settled.”
“Huh?”
“What I mean is, you’re a company employee. If an employee gets injured at work, legally, it’s considered a work-related injury. Since it’s work-related, the boss should cover the treatment costs. You shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket.”
Xia Bai looked at Su Lingyu. She didn’t seem to be mocking or looking down on her for having no money.
On the contrary, she seemed to be seriously… educating her?
But—
“This illness isn’t something I developed after joining the company.”
“True, but it recurred because of certain issues at the company.”
The elevator arrived, and Su Lingyu led her inside, continuing, “If you hadn’t been locked in the restroom, you wouldn’t be in this state now, right?”
“I guess… you’re right.”
“See? So just listen to me and focus on getting better.”
If Fu Yuchen really hadn’t given enough money, she could always cover it herself!
“But President Fu…”
“President Fu isn’t that stingy. Think about it—he personally brought you to the hospital, paid your medical bills, and even found you a doctor. His intentions are pretty clear.”
“Alright.”
Su Lingyu wasn’t sure if Xia Bai had picked up on the subtext in her words.
As the elevator was about to reach the first floor, she said, “Let me drive you back later.”
“After finishing the procedures, I can just take the bus back.”
“I’m not comfortable with you taking the bus in your condition. Let me drive you back.”
Seeing Su Lingyu’s insistence, Xia Bai didn’t have the heart to refuse again.
After everything was settled, Xia Bai stood by the parking lot, watching as Su Lingyu slowly drove out in a BMW. A hint of envy flickered in her eyes.
They were both fresh graduates, both interns, yet Su Lingyu was already driving a luxury car.
Meanwhile, she was still living in a shabby rented apartment…
“What are you spacing out for? Get in the car!”
Su Lingyu pulled the car over in front of Xia Bai.
“Oh, alright.”