Chapter 3: Withdrawal Period

In the evening, Su Andi added Lin Yiwei to a WeChat group, which had around thirty people.

Lin Yiwei didn’t pay much attention to it, grabbed her pajamas, and went to the bathroom.

Outside the door, her aunt complained about her showering for too long, wasting water and gas.

Whenever she showered for more than ten minutes, her aunt would nag, but Lin Yiwei had learned to filter out her sharp voice.

However, just as she was about to rinse the foam off her hair, the hot water ran out.

Caught off guard, Lin Yiwei was startled by the cold water.

Fortunately, in the heat of summer, taking a cold shower wasn’t a big deal.

Lin Yiwei didn’t argue with her aunt, quickly adjusted to the temperature, and rinsed off the foam.

Such days wouldn’t last long; once school started, she would move out immediately.

After blow-drying her hair, she used wet toilet paper to pick up the strands of hair on the floor to avoid another scolding.

When she came out, she glanced at her phone.

She had forgotten to turn on “Do Not Disturb,” and the screen showed dozens of messages in the group. The group, which originally had thirty people, now had only a dozen or so left.

Many boys and girls were removed from the group chat after posting their bare-faced photos.

As expected, it was a “beauty-filtered photo” group.

She scrolled up with her fingertip and saw the photos they posted.

Most of them were handsome men and beautiful women, and some of them, according to Lin Yiwei’s judgment, could score at least 85 points in looks, were also filtered out.

The group admin mentioned her and Su Andi, urging them to quickly post photos.

Lin Yiwei stood under the bathroom spotlight and took a casual picture, the light casting shadows over her eyes and nose, giving it a deadly glare.

Weifeng: “[Image]”

After she posted her photo, Su Andi immediately posted her own.

In the photo, she pouted and widened her eyes to look cute. Although she claimed it was an original camera shot, it was apparent that the skin details had undergone some subtle retouching.

Andy Su: “@Weifeng, we are sisters, we should act together!”

Insomnia: “Damn, not bad, finally saw a real beauty.”

18: “How should we address the beauty? [Sly smile]”

Andy Su: “Just call me An’an. [Cute cat]”

After she replied, the two boys stopped bubbling, obviously, their responses were only aimed at Lin Yiwei.

Lin Yiwei didn’t see the awkwardness in the group; she sat by the bay window, holding Lin Xie’s picture book, with a breeze blowing through her hair.

She missed the boy who had been her companion for many years.

Lin Xie was Lin Yiwei’s childhood companion in the orphanage, two years older than her. She always called him brother and treated him as her own sibling.

Her painting skills were also taught by the talented Lin Xie.Later, Lin Yiwei was adopted by her parents, and Lin Xie would sneak out of the orphanage from time to time to accompany her and talk to her in the neighborhood.

At that time, because of loneliness and unfamiliarity with her new home, every time Lin Xie came over, she would cry while holding onto his clothes.

As they grew older, Lin Xie finished junior high school but didn’t continue his studies. He started working early, setting up stalls to draw portraits at subway exits or tourist attractions.

After Lin Yiwei’s foster parents passed away, she was completely rejected by this family and had to live with her uncle’s family, which made life difficult for her.

So she would occasionally stay at Lin Xie’s rented house; although Lin Xie’s income was meager, he supported Lin Yiwei’s life.

She even took the initiative to change her name from the original foster family’s Chen… to Lin.

When she changed her name, Lin Xie objected, even saying he didn’t want to be her brother anymore.

Lin Yiwei felt he was just being rash; he had always been so good to her, how could he not want to be her brother?She hugged him, saying that in this world, he was her only family, and she wanted to share the same surname with him, even if they weren’t in the same household register, it didn’t matter.

Lin Xie couldn’t resist her persuasion and reluctantly agreed.

During Lin Yiwei’s sophomore year, one evening, Lin Xie suddenly told her that he was leaving for a while to make some money. He instructed Lin Yiwei not to look for him and not to call the police if she couldn’t find him, and to remember it well. When he returned, there would be enough money to send her to the Royal College of Art in the UK for better art education. They wouldn’t be poor forever.

Lin Yiwei begged him tearfully not to go, but he still left.Until now, two years had passed, and… there was no news from him.

It was as if he had disappeared from this world.

Lin Yiwei had been searching for him for a long time until one day at a well-known art festival exhibition, she saw the oil painting named “Falling Stars.”

Countless specks of stars formed a vast galaxy of mottled colors.

She had seen the initial draft of this painting in Lin Xie’s picture book since she was a child.

From childhood, Lin Xie had taught her how to draw, and Lin Yiwei was very familiar with his style. Obviously, this “Falling Stars” was his work.

However, the name listed below was another girl’s—

“XI YU CHI”

Chi Xiyu.

Lin Yiwei started paying attention to this girl named Chi Xiyu, knowing that she was a student at Mora Private High School, the most prominent figure in the school.

She had excellent grades, was kind and generous, and treated people with gentleness.

She was a model student, the president of the student council, and had won many awards for her artwork, including this masterpiece, “Falling Stars,” which had won the first prize in the Saigewei competition and was her representative work.

Chi Xiyu was the only daughter of the wealthy Chi family in Qinggang City.

She also learned that Chi Xiyu planned to apply to the best university in Qinggang City—Feige University, to major in art.

The reason why Lin Yiwei decided to apply to Feige University was these paintings that clearly came from Lin Xie’s hands but were signed by Chi Xiyu.

She wanted to figure out the relationship between Chi Xiyu and Lin Xie.

Lin Yiwei touched the cross on her chest, and all the chaotic thoughts turned into longing for the man who had disappeared.If he were still here, he would definitely stop her from participating in such superficial bar social gatherings.

She opened a WeChat named “Xieyang,” which was full of her nagging messages to him over the past two years, but she hadn’t received a single reply.

Even on the night at the bar, she messaged Lin Xie saying, “I slept with a very handsome stranger.”

With such intimate messages sent, if Lin Xie still didn’t reply, there were only two possibilities—

One, he was dead.

Two, he was trapped somewhere.

Suddenly, Lin Yiwei’s WeChat vibrated.

A red dot appeared in the WeChat contact window, and she saw that someone had added her through a group chat.

The person who added her had the nickname—

Cheng.

Lin Yiwei didn’t respond, but the other party cued her in the group chat—

Cheng: “@Weifeng, I’ve added you, please accept.”

As soon as this message was sent out, the group’s joking and teasing towards Lin Yiwei all fell silent.

Outside the door came Su Andi’s excited footsteps. She pushed open the door and exclaimed to Lin Yiwei in excitement, “Damn, damn, damn! Chi Xicheng added you!”

“Who?”

“Chi Xicheng, from the Chi family, you must know! A prominent figure standing shoulder to shoulder with the Xie family! This young master has high standards! His girlfriends are all top-tier models. The leading actress in the entertainment industry, Xu Shinya, used to be his rumored ex-girlfriend. They were even photographed by paparazzi vacationing in a villa in Bali with a sea view, which made headlines.”

Facing Su Andi’s trembling voice and ecstatic expression, Lin Yiwei only responded lightly, “Oh.”

“It is said that he is extremely generous. A card casually given to his girlfriend contains a sum of money that ordinary people couldn’t spend in their lifetime! Whether it’s the entertainment industry or the modeling industry, countless women are trying to get his attention. If he chooses you… fame and fortune will come rolling in!”

Lin Yiwei didn’t care whether he was generous or not; the only thing she cared about was…

“You say he’s from the Chi family, what’s his relationship with Chi Xiyu?”

“What else could it be? Just by their names, they sound like siblings,” Su Andi explained confidently, “And they’re even twins.”

Lin Yiwei thought of those paintings signed by Chi Xiyu.

His disappearance must be related to the Chi family.

Lin Yiwei unlocked her phone screen and approved Chi Xicheng’s friend request.

Su Andi watched her approve the request, quietly chuckling to herself.What’s with the act?

She didn’t care for the flattery from those rich kids in the group just now; she acted aloof, not because she was arrogant, but because they didn’t meet her standards.

And now, with Chi Xicheng’s arrival, she was exposed.

She and those gold-diggers in the group were all the same, pretending to be innocent and pure.

Hypocritical.

Su Andi naturally didn’t show these thoughts.

If she got together with Chi Xicheng, she would have more opportunities to mingle in Xie Bo’s circle.

“Sis, you better seize this opportunity! Chi Xicheng is no ordinary guy; he’s the real deal.”

Lin Yiwei didn’t respond to her sister’s words. After approving the friend request, Chi Xicheng immediately messaged her —

Cheng: “You’re very beautiful.”

Wei Feng: “Thank you, Mr. Chi. Nice to meet you. 🐱”

Cheng: “Just call me by my name. Are you a student? Or a model?”

Wei Feng: “I’m not a model.”

Cheng: “You have a great figure. Interested in entering the entertainment industry? I can help you.”

His gaze was sharp, judging her figure from a casual selfie. Obviously… experienced in appraising women.

He was trying to lure her into the dirty yet glamorous world of the entertainment industry, with clear intentions to make her dependent on him.

Few girls aspiring to enter this circle could resist his offer. But Lin Yiwei had her own agenda.

Wei Feng: “Thank you, but I don’t have plans for that at the moment.”

Cheng: “Okay, if you ever need it, feel free to contact me.”

Wei Feng: “Okay.”

Cheng: “There are several parties at the White Bay this weekend. Come to room 307, don’t get lost.”

Wei Feng: “Okay.”

The two ended their brief conversation.

The guys in the group quieted down; evidently, Chi Xicheng publicly marked her, and the other guys wouldn’t dare to pursue her anymore, lacking the courage.In high society, there were two people in Qinggang City whom one absolutely shouldn’t provoke.

One was Chi Xicheng, and the other…

The other was a hundred times more untouchable than Chi Xicheng.

Soon, Su Andi messaged her, asking if she made contact. How was the situation?

She was clearly concerned whether Lin Yiwei managed to hook this big shot.

Lin Yiwei knew Su Andi’s opinion of her and understood how others perceived her.

She wasn’t arrogant; someone like her had no right to be. She learned from a young age how to read people’s intentions, how to please them, how to navigate different personalities to survive better.

She could smile, act cute, flatter, speak appropriately to different people, and navigate the art of flattery and flattery in social situations, fully aware of her extreme beauty and how to use it.

If possible, who wouldn’t want to be clean and pure?

She didn’t have that chance.

Wei Feng: “Just got acquainted.”

Andy Su: “Looking forward to it! Sis, you must seize him! With Chi Xicheng, you won’t have to worry about tuition and living expenses for four years of college! You won’t have to work so hard to earn money! If you please him, you might even get a free house! His ex-girlfriend supposedly owned a luxury villa on Qingyu Mountain!”

Lin Yiwei put down her phone, leaned against the cold wall, tightly clutching the silver cross that Lin Xie had left her.

Behind all seemingly fair exchanges, who knew what dangers and humiliations were hidden?

.

At the DS Racing Club, a brand-new and eye-catching race car roared in.

Li Du hurried over, using a high-pressure hose to wet the body of the car and cool it down.

Through the darkened windows, a handsome couple could be faintly seen.

The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to his body like vines. As she leaned in to kiss his neck, he slightly turned his head to avoid her, revealing his perfectly sculpted face.

His thin eyelids lifted slightly, watching the water spray continuously on the car window with disdain in his eyes.

After that extreme indulgence that night, nothing else — not even the usual sights, sounds, or sensations — could pique his interest in the slightest.

This was definitely not a good sign.

For Xie Bo, anything that tempted him should be avoided.

So, in these past few days, the passenger seat had seen quite a few girls come and go.

For some reason, he just couldn’t get into it.

He pushed her away, gracefully stepping out of the car and saying to Li Du, “The engine’s carbonized. After washing it clean, bring the toolbox over.”

“Okay.”The young man in overalls continued to wash the car with a high-pressure water gun, occasionally glancing at the couple.

The girl was evidently pathologically obsessed with Xie Bo. After getting out of the car, she quickly stuck by his side and said with a relieved tone, “Just now… I was really scared! My heart was beating so fast.”

“How fast?” Xie Bo grabbed a high stool, sat down, lit a cigarette, and looked rebellious.

“Do you want to feel it?” She said, then guided his hands to her heaving chest.

The next moment, Xie Bo grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him.Feeling the pressure on her wrist, the girl screamed, “Xie Bo, it hurts!”

He leaned close to her ear and said coldly, “Don’t tell me what to do. Don’t try to be so forward with me when I don’t want to touch you.”

The girl immediately realized she had crossed a line.He detested overly aggressive touches.

He liked to be in control.

But the girl couldn’t help herself; she was so infatuated with him, it was like an addiction.

She walked over and presented him with a carefully chosen Patek Philippe watch, saying, “I’ve picked this for you after a long time. See if you like this style.”

Xie Bo casually glanced at it — exquisite vintage craftsmanship on the dial, with a cold diamond embedded in the center.

He took the watch box and lightly tapped her forehead, saying, “Thanks.”

The girl was sweetened by this gesture, feeling bubbles of pink rising in her heart.

However, apart from that, there was no other response.

Though she felt unsatisfied, she also sensed that his mood wasn’t good today, so she tactfully said, “Xie Bo, I’ll leave now, but I’ll come find you again.”

Xie Bo pinched the watch between two fingers and waved his hand.After she left, he casually threw the watch and its box into the trash bin.

“Damn it!”

Li Du pounced over like a cat, retrieving the expensive top-tier watch from a pile of waste paper. “Boss Bo, just give it to me!”

Xie Bo lazily ignored him, biting on a screwdriver as he slid under the car.

Li Du slipped the watch onto his own wrist, squatting down and watching Xie Bo, who was fixing the wiring underneath the chassis. “It’s incredible, really. People like Chi Xicheng are in love, giving away luxury cars and mansions. And here you are, girls always flocking to you, showering you with gifts. Last month, a girl even gave you a Mercedes V9 sports car.”

“Piece of junk,” Xie Bo commented mercilessly as he prodded at the wiring under the car with an electric pen. “Some parts aren’t bad, though.”

“What a damn bastard.”

That flashy supercar, dismantled by this guy until only the engine remained, broke Li Du’s heart, but Xie Bo didn’t even bat an eye.

As a bastard like him, his romantic luck was unparalleled.

From elementary school to university, Xie Bo was surrounded by admirers and attention, fostering his arrogance and pride.

This world truly wasn’t fair.”

Oh, Boss Bo, about the gathering on Friday, are you going?” A man’s long legs emerged from underneath the various colored modified supercars. The engine oil dirtied his pants, which were no less than a five-figure limited edition fashion item, but he didn’t care.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Xie Bo emerged from under the car, a few strands of hair slightly damp on his forehead. “It’s a good opportunity to test drive.”

“I meant the post-race gathering, hosted by the Yunhui Group,” Li Du said, pulling out his phone and opening the WeChat group. “There’s a bunch of beautiful women confirmed.”

“Isn’t Yunhui Group Chi Xicheng’s lapdog?” Xie Bo tossed his gloves onto the table, twisted open a bottle of mineral water. “Chi Xicheng is selecting a concubine, and I’m supposed to go and be a judge for him?”

Li Du chuckled, “If you go, it’ll be clear who the protagonist is.”

“Let whoever wants to be the protagonist be the protagonist.”

Xie Bo couldn’t be bothered with such gatherings.Li Du handed his phone to Xie Bo, “Don’t say that, there’s actually a beauty, but unfortunately, Chi Xicheng has already claimed her. Do you want to see her photo?”

A slender figure flashed through Xie Bo’s mind involuntaril..

He looked away, disinterested in whatever beauty was presented to him.

“Not interested.”