Chapter 17 – The Rival’s Show of Force

Qin Muye pulled over a chair and sat down. The crisp white shirt he wore made his tall figure appear even more striking. When he wore a floral shirt, he carried a roguish air, but in white, his whole demeanor changed—there was a touch of refined elegance about him.

While he was sitting down, Song Kexia’s gaze lingered on him for two seconds, then quickly darted away before he could catch her looking.

Zhou Qi was quick-witted. The moment he saw Qin Muye arrive, he tactfully stepped aside.

Qin Muye’s eyes landed on the travel bag at her feet.
“You’re leaving?”

Song Kexia nodded. “I’ve gotten my admission notice back. There’s no way I can stay in that house any longer.”

“School hasn’t started yet. Where can you even go?”

Hearing him ask, Song Kexia secretly let out a breath of relief. She’d been worried he wouldn’t even bother to ask.

“My biological parents are in Mianhua Village. I’m planning to go find them.”

“You came to see me so I’d wish you a safe trip?”

“Of course not. I came to invite you and Master Zhou to a meal. He’s helped me so much—before I leave, I have to at least thank him properly.”

Qin Muye leaned back against the chair. “He probably doesn’t have the time. He’s got work to deal with.”

Her expression dimmed with disappointment. “That’s a pity. I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to come to the county again, so I’ll just have to owe him that meal.”

“Mianhua Village isn’t tens of thousands of miles away from the county. Why wouldn’t you be able to come?”

Song Kexia pressed her lips together, a little embarrassed. “I’ll just be arriving at my new home. Of course I’ll need to help out with the family chores. I can’t be running around too much—people will say I’m freeloading.”

Qin Muye gave her a half-smile. “You’re quite good at putting on a front.”

Her cheeks puffed up. “You’ve never had to live under someone else’s roof, so of course you don’t understand.”

“Oh? So you’ve had to live like that?”

“Ever since I learned the truth about my identity, I’ve been living under others’ charity. Otherwise, my admission notice wouldn’t have been taken from me, and I wouldn’t have been forced into blind dates. If the parents who raised me for over a decade could treat me like that, who knows what feelings my real parents—whom I’ve never even met—will have toward me.”

Inwardly, she apologized to Father and Mother Li. She hadn’t meant to speak like this, but circumstances forced her to act a little pitiful in front of Qin Muye. Surely, the Lis would understand.

The smile faded from Qin Muye’s face. He silently studied her.

She was such a delicate, fragile-looking young woman—could she really survive going to the countryside? One glance at her thin arms and legs made his heart tighten in worry.

Neither spoke until her stomach growled, shattering the quiet.

Her face flushed crimson, and she nearly wanted to dig a hole to hide in. How embarrassing!

Qin Muye noticed her ears were red too, and amusement glimmered in his eyes. He stood up. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

He’d heard it. She wanted to vanish on the spot. Sneaking a glance at him, she grabbed her travel bag to leave, but he clicked his tongue.

“Carrying it like that doesn’t tire you out? Leave it here.”

If it meant a little more time with him, she was more than happy to agree. “Okay.” She set the bag back down.

Qin Muye brought over a bicycle. “Get on.”

Sitting on the back seat, she hesitated before lightly pinching the corner of his shirt.

He turned his head slightly to look at her.

Meeting his gaze, she looked away and forced an explanation. “This way I can sit more steadily.”

He didn’t comment, just turned back and started pedaling.

At first she wouldn’t even touch him—now she was holding onto his shirt. Progress. His help hadn’t been in vain.

“Where do you want to eat?”

“I’m not familiar with the restaurants here. You decide.”

“What? You only ever studied and never came out to have fun?”

She shook her head. “When I get home, I have to help with chores. I rarely go out to play.”

His brows lifted. “Then how did you have time to go to the dance hall that day?”

“It was Lin Siming’s birthday. He invited me.”

“Seems you two were quite close.” His tone was flat, giving nothing away. She didn’t know what he meant, but she didn’t deny it.

“My foster mother and his mother were close friends, and we lived in the same residential compound. He’s about my age, so we often played together. But after he set me up, our friendship ended.”

“With that kind of scum, and you managed to be friends for so many years—what judgment is that?”

She pressed her lips together, not refuting him. If it weren’t for that dream waking her up, who knew how much longer Lin Siming would have fooled her. Her judgment in men hadn’t been great.

She glanced at Qin Muye’s broad back and pursed her lips. Even now, her taste wasn’t much better—she’d chosen such a difficult man to deal with.

When she stayed silent for a long while, he turned his head to check. Not crying.

“What, you’re mad just because I said one thing?”

“I’m not mad. I just think you’re right—every man I’ve known hasn’t been much of a good person.”

He looked away. Just how many bad men had she met to make her say something like that?

Wait—he was one of the men she knew. Did she include him in that? Thinking about that night, he realized he had gone too far. Sure, she’d initiated things at first, but later… he had lost control.

A faint heat crept up his neck. Her grip on his shirt seemed to send warmth right into his chest.

He took a deep breath to steady himself and pedaled faster. They stopped at the largest restaurant in the county.

As soon as Song Kexia hopped down, a young woman walked toward them. Spotting her, the woman froze for a moment, then quickly put on a bright smile.

“Brother Muye, it really is you! I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

He glanced at her. “You’re here with friends?”

“Yes, I came with my colleagues from the performing arts troupe.” Her eyes fell on Song Kexia. She was pretty, with skin as fair as peeled egg and delicate features. But why had she gotten off Brother Muye’s bicycle?

“Brother Muye, who is she?”

“This is Song Kexia, a friend of mine. This is Fang Rou, my neighbor’s little sister.”

Hearing the introduction, Fang Rou’s heart soured. Song Kexia was his friend, but she was just his little sister—the distance in those words was obvious.

Still, she didn’t want to leave a bad impression. She forced a smile at Song Kexia. “Comrade Song, hello. I’m Fang Rou. I live right next to Brother Muye. We grew up together.”

She deliberately emphasized grew up together. The scrutiny in her gaze made Song Kexia distinctly uncomfortable.

It was no surprise Fang Rou had gotten into the performing arts troupe—her looks were good, and years of dance training had given her a graceful air. But the way she was looking at her… felt like a challenge.