Chapter 2: Kayan Bureau

Although her skirt was still wet, Lin Yiwei dared not put on the thin racing suit.

Unless she wanted to become the headline on the Feige University BBS as soon as she stepped out of the art center.

Moreover, the ambiguous relationship between Xie Bo and Chi Xiyu, although not officially announced, was almost common knowledge.

If Lin Yiwei wanted to get close to Chi Xiyu, she had to keep a safe distance from Xie Bo.

Thinking back on that night, it still felt incredibly crazy.In her nineteen years of life, Lin Yiwei had always followed the rules.In front of her older brother, she was a gentle and obedient little sister, and in the eyes of the neighbors, she was a diligent and sensible girl.

Even in the face of her uncle and aunt’s sarcasm, she never said a word.

The sharp edges were concealed beneath her gentle exterior, and gentleness was the protective color of the weak.

Lin Yiwei knew how to protect herself.

The only time she acted impulsively and crossed the line was on the night she met Xie Bo.

In the bar that night, a singer lazily sang folk tunes.

To her left sat a couple kissing passionately, while to her right was an elegant and voluptuous woman in a v-neck sequined dress, occasionally casting flirtatious glances at Lin Yiwei.

With half a margarita in her stomach, the faint makeup couldn’t hide the flush on her cheeks, and the surrounding neon lights became blurry, making everything seem to spin and shimmer.

The feeling of being slightly tipsy was really nice.

The woman approached, holding a cocktail, trying to flirt with Lin Yiwei.

She exuded the intense fragrance of roses, which Lin Yiwei found pleasant, but she wasn’t interested in women, so she politely declined.

The woman understood, glanced at her with reluctance, and whispered softly in her ear, “Your face not only captivates men but also fascinates women. If I were you, I wouldn’t be drinking alone here late at night.”

After speaking, she gestured with her eyes for Lin Yiwei to see how many men around openly eyed her, all focusing their hunting gaze on her.

Lin Yiwei knew the woman meant well and replied, “Thank you, sister.”

The woman planted a light kiss on her cheek and gracefully left with her bag.

The feeling of being liked by a woman was a thousand times, ten thousand times better than being lusted after by men, the latter only made her nauseous.

Taking advantage of her tipsy state, Lin Yiwei sent the audio of the creepy landlord asking her to spend the night with him in exchange for half a month’s rent to the landlord’s wife.

Maybe she would be kicked out tomorrow.

There was still a month until the registration time for Feige University, and during this month, Lin Yiwei needed to find another place to stay.

A pile of life’s trivial matters, her missing brother, and constant harassment… all made Lin Yiwei feel a heavy pressure on her chest, a suffocating sensation like drowning.

She needed complete relaxation, she needed happiness, to soothe the wounds scattered throughout her real life.

Perhaps…

Men can hunt, so why can’t women?

Lin Yiwei lifted her slightly tipsy gaze and looked around, regretfully, none of the men in the bar caught her eye.

Her older brother, Lin Xie, had a cold and beautiful appearance, belonging to the rare celestial type in the mortal world.

Over the years, Lin Yiwei’s taste had been spoiled by Lin Xie; ordinary handsome men didn’t catch her interest at all.

Setting down her glass, she got off the high stool and swayed out of the bar with her bag.

As she stepped out, she stumbled, almost falling.

Someone happened to be nearby and instinctively reached out to help her.

Lin Yiwei looked up and saw a man whose features perfectly matched her aesthetic.

The neon lights made his skin pale, dressed in black, his profile was rugged and sharp, a few strands of hair falling in front of his eyes, wearing frameless glasses that reflected the moonlight, giving him a…

Refined yet gentle look.

In that instant, desire surged under the neon lights.

Alcohol emboldened her.

“I’ve had too much to drink, could you take me home?” she said bluntly. “It’s not safe for me to be alone.”

Xie Bo glanced at her.

With single eyelids and a light-colored style, the cheap letter clavicle chain accentuated her slender and delicate neck, thin arms, thin legs, and a small frame.

She had a small and rosy mole on her forehead, reminiscent of a recent popular description on the internet—pure desire.

Xie Bo lit a cigarette, and amidst the swirling smoke, he smirked slightly, flicking the ash off his neatly trimmed nails. “I have plans with friends.”

Lin Yiwei took this as a rejection and didn’t feel embarrassed.If it didn’t work out, then so be it. They wouldn’t meet again anyway.

She turned to leave.

But the man didn’t let go of her—

“However, they wouldn’t mind waiting a bit longer.”

Lin Yiwei hailed a cab, and Xie Bo got in.

Her rental was located in a high-rise apartment building, on the forty-sixth floor, with various businesses such as nail salons, script murder rooms, studios, sauna massage parlors, etc., mingling together, and during rush hours, waiting for an elevator could take half an hour or more.

Even late at night, the elevator was still crowded. Lin Yiwei held onto Xie Bo’s sleeve as if afraid he would run away.

There were women with heavy makeup in the elevator, their smoky eyes fixed on Xie Bo, then glanced at Lin Yiwei with envy.

Arriving at the floor, Lin Yiwei pulled Xie Bo out of the elevator, through the narrow and dimly lit corridor, to the front of her door.

“Thank you for taking me home.”

“Are you sober now?”

“Not yet, are you drunk?”

“I haven’t had a drink.”

“Oh, that’s… better.”

Lin Yiwei subtly approached him.

He had a faint cedarwood scent on him, with a hint of coldness that kept people at bay.

Lin Yiwei leaned in and took a deep sniff at his neck. After the initial scent dissipated… it was gentle and pure, not chilly.

The girl hesitated for a few seconds, seeing no resistance from him, she tiptoed and her soft lips brushed against his thin ones.Seeing no reaction from him, she boldly took hold and awkwardly kissed him.Opening her eyes, Lin Yiwei saw his eyes deepen slightly but he didn’t make any further moves.Such a obedient boy.

Lin Yiwei licked her lips, then kissed him again.

Once wasn’t enough, she kissed him repeatedly, sucking on his lips clumsily like tasting candy.

And he… never made any further moves.

This made her feel that the man in front of her lacked experience and could be easily controlled.

Finally, she hooked her finger on his collar and led the gentle and obedient boy into her own home.

Actually, in the bar lobby, Xie Bo had already noticed Lin Yiwei.

She sat alone at the bar, sipping her drink, rejecting four or five men, and… one woman.

Her slightly tipsy appearance was extremely beautiful, attracting the attention of many men as soon as she entered, including Xie Bo, who wasn’t in a good mood tonight.

Xie Bo sneered, thinking that a girl like this dared to come to the bar alone to get drunk, so defenseless, unaware of how badly she could fall into a man’s hands.

But when she actually stumbled and fell, several men wanted to take advantage of the situation, his body made a choice before them, stepping forward to catch her.

The girl leaned softly against him, “seeking help” from him.

If Xie Bo were in a better mood, he might have teased her.Unfortunately, he was in a terrible mood tonight.

Being informed by Xie Sizhuo about the “marriage alliance,” he “gladly” accepted, promising to seize the opportunity.

After enduring for so long, with Xie Group’s vast empire, Xie Bo wanted more than just a share.

Wearing the mask for so long, he almost forgot his true self.

He was feeling a bit restless.

He didn’t want to go home, but he also didn’t want to bother with this girl drinking alone.

Glancing back at the bar, several men had already followed them out, pretending to be nonchalant as he assessed them.

Clearly, they were all eyeing the “fat” opportunity in his hands, hoping to have a “good meal.”

With wolves circling, if he let go of her now, probably one of the men would step forward to take over.

Xie Bo would also get to see this foolish beauty get a harsh fall from society, ending up in a miserable state.

But thoughts aside, his body acted in the opposite way.

He didn’t call for the driver to come, instead, hailed a taxi on the roadside and sent her home.

When she kissed him at the door, Xie Bo finally understood that excellent hunters always appear in the guise of prey.

Did she think she was very clever, very cunning, able to control everything?

He felt like laughing a bit.

Her kiss was clumsy, and he guessed it was her first time kissing a man.

Xie Bo didn’t move, watching to see what else she could do.

As it turned out, she really didn’t know what to do. When he explored with his tongue, she leaned back in surprise.

Xie Bo cradled the back of her head and deepened the kiss.Breathing irregularly.

Even though he had never kissed any girl before, a man didn’t need any experience in this regard… it was instinctual.

Xie Bo hadn’t expected this.

As they went upstairs, Xie Bo’s mind was filled with thoughts of how to mock her later, preferably making her cry.

He really wanted to see her look disappointed, just like when she had rejected others with her disdainful and arrogant gaze.

But unexpectedly, the girl’s slender fingers hooked onto his shirt collar, warm breath brushing against his neck, “Do you want to come in and sit for a while?”

The urgent breath carried a seductive scent, an irresistible invitation.

Who would refuse?

Xie Bo was lured in by her.

That night, it felt surreal and confusing.

It wasn’t Lin Yiwei’s first time; her first belonged to herself.

At the age of sixteen, out of curiosity, she explored and discovered a surprising secret.

Since then, Lin Yiwei always dreamt of herself lying in a damp cave covered with moss, her breath filled with the sharp scent of decomposition.

She continued to explore in this mysterious cave, which belonged only to her.

All of this happened after Lin Xie left, her older brother’s departure taking away all the innocence of her teenage years.

During these years of searching for her brother, she forced herself to grow up and experienced the hardships of the adult world.

As someone always coveted by others, that night was the first time she actively hunted.

And the person she chose was satisfactory to her. Regardless of height or appearance, he met her aesthetic standards and completely satisfied some of her fantasies.

That boy… was genuinely obedient and steady, completely passive, allowing her to do as she pleased, to take what she wanted.

He was completely led by her; he only looked at her with those bewitching, slightly intoxicated peach blossom eyes, seeming to assess and appreciate her.

Every cell in Lin Yiwei’s body reached its peak state; she had no time to care about the boy’s gaze upon her.If she had noticed, perhaps… she wouldn’t have thought of this boy as some obedient good boy.

His endurance and self-control were astonishing. That night of passionate indulgence, soulful detachment, time lost its meaning, she didn’t know how long it lasted…

As if it never ended….

That night, Lin Yiwei experienced the beauty of being with someone for the first time.

Being alone felt like floating on an endless sea, drifting with the currents like driftwood.

But with two people, they had each other to lean on.

So in excitement, Lin Yiwei would tightly hold onto his neck, trembling with effort.

She tried to grasp onto something.

After it ended, Xie Bo didn’t stay overnight.

This made Lin Yiwei feel particularly good; it would be strange to share a bed with someone she didn’t know well.

Lin Yiwei didn’t know if he came back to find her later because the next day she moved out of the apartment and went back to her uncle and aunt’s house.

Seeing her carrying her luggage, her aunt couldn’t help but make some sarcastic remarks.

“The other day, you thought you had wings and wanted to fly solo. Now you can’t make it and want to come back.”

“This place isn’t a refugee camp. If you come back, you have to pay rent to me!”

Lin Yiwei said solemnly, “I’ll eat outside.”

“Then you still have to pay rent.”

She carried her luggage back to her room, only to find that it had been converted into her aunt’s yoga room, with no bed, just a turquoise yoga mat on the floor, and a phone holder lying on the ground.

Her aunt followed up, not letting go, “I’m talking to you! How should we calculate the rent when you come back!”

Unable to bear it anymore, Lin Yiwei said, “This house belongs to my parents. You’ve been living here for over ten years. You’re asking me for rent?”

“Laughable, your parents… They’re your parents? They adopted you. You’re not even our family member. Otherwise, why did your mother leave the house to your uncle in her will and didn’t leave anything to you?”

Indeed, Lin Yiwei was adopted. Her mother was unable to conceive, dreaming of having her own child, so she adopted her.

When she was adopted, she was already sensible, plus there was no blood relationship, so the parent-child relationship was always very weak.

Later, her parents died in an accident, and after the incident, the house went to her uncle and aunt.

According to her aunt, Lin Yiwei wasn’t a member of the family at all, let alone having the right to inherit this house. At that time, Lin Yiwei was too young and couldn’t argue with her uncle and aunt about anything.

And she also needed guardianship, so as a compromise, her uncle and aunt moved into this house and promised to take care of her until she turned eighteen.

Although she lived in her own house, Lin Yiwei tasted the bitterness of being a guest under someone else’s roof.

Over time, she became thicker-skinned, able to tolerate her aunt’s complaints and accusations, trying to avoid erupting into a war, damaging her current interests as much as possible.

Lin Yiwei didn’t want to argue with her aunt anymore. She took away the yoga mat in the room and brought out her folding bed, laying down a thin mattress.

There was no mattress; she had to make do with sleeping on it for now.

She really hoped that one day she could live in a comfortable and spacious room, with a soft big bed of her own.

Her aunt’s grumbling voice didn’t stop until her cousin, Su Andi, returned home from her piano lesson in the evening.

Su Andi was probably the only person in this family who welcomed Lin Yiwei. When she heard that her sister had come back, she hurried into her room and showed her the new pink diamond hairpin and bracelet she had bought.

Seeing Lin Yiwei’s weary look, sitting alone on the wire bed, sketching with a pencil, she guessed that her mother had just reprimanded her—

“Sister, don’t blame my mom. My mom’s mouth is harsh, but she has a good heart.”

Everyone has their own stance and perspective on the world. In Su Andi’s eyes, her own mother was undoubtedly perfect. But in Lin Yiwei’s eyes, her uncle and aunt were not good people. The only person in this world who brought brightness to her life was her brother, Lin Xie. Lin Yiwei didn’t particularly like Su Andi, but she didn’t dislike her either. She was just a slightly silly and naive little girl, and Lin Yiwei was somewhat friendly towards her.

“Sister, can I sleep with you tonight?”

Lin Yiwei tapped on the hard bed with the pencil tip. “Do you want to sleep here with me?”

“Um.” Su Andi looked at her bed, “Forget it, I’m not used to sleeping on a hard bed, but you can come to my room to sleep.”

“I’m not used to sleeping in other people’s beds.” Moreover, Lin Yiwei had trouble sleeping, tossing and turning until late at night. Having someone next to her would only make it harder for her to fall asleep.

“By the way, sister, when are you going to report to Feige University?”

“It should be next week.”

“Good, then we’ll go report together!” Su Andi hugged her arm, “Although we didn’t go to the same high school, it’s great that we’ll be attending the same university.”

Su Andi attended the best private high school in Qinggang City, an international aristocratic school. Children from ordinary families couldn’t get into this school. In recent years, her uncle had made some money from running projects and had some connections, so he pulled a lot of strings to get Su Andi admitted.

“Oh right, sister, any news from Brother Lin Xie?”

Lin Yiwei’s pen paused for a moment. She didn’t elaborate, “There’s a little clue.”

The clue… was at Feige University, on a girl named Chi Xiyu. She had to find a way to get close to that girl. If necessary, she would have to become friends with her.

“Oh, sister! There’s a mountain biking race this weekend, will you accompany me to watch?” Seeing that she didn’t want to say more, Su Andi changed the subject.

“A race?”

“Mhm! It’s the one I’ve been telling you about, the guy I liked in high school is the top contender for the championship. I want to go see his race!”

Lin Yiwei often heard Su Andi talk about that boy, Xie… Xie what was it, oh, Xie Bo. From Su Andi’s mouth, she learned that this man came from the prestigious Xie family in Qinggang City. She also knew that he was carefree and indulgent, never lacking in admirers. So for three years of high school, Lin Yiwei watched as Su Andi went through the joys and sorrows of youth, filling three large volumes of bitter diaries. But Xie Bo, he didn’t even know Su Andi.

“You have no idea how hard he is to pursue! After finally getting a chance to get close, sister, will you please come with me? I’m begging you.”

“Go by yourself, why do I have to come with you?” If it were Lin Yiwei, the person she liked would definitely pursue her actively, not dragging things out and being wishy-washy… either do it or don’t.

“The main thing is…” Su Andi hesitated and revealed her own little plan, “After the race, they’re having a bar gathering, and I heard that this gathering… is exclusive.”

Although Su Andi was confident in her appearance, she was well aware of how picky those rich young masters could be. But if Lin Yiwei was there… no matter what exclusive gathering it was, she could just waltz right in! By then, she could also bring Lin Yiwei along.

Lin Yiwei wasn’t too keen on going, but Su Andi immediately promised that if she went with her, she would ask her mom to waive Lin Yiwei’s rent. Although it was quite practical, Lin Yiwei needed money. She needed to save every penny. She agreed to Su Andi’s request.