Chapter 99: Heartbreak

“She ran off the moment she said she would—she really does act fast, doesn’t she?”
“Are you serious? Just because of Third Brother, you’re this scared?”
This morning, when he heard she’d left the capital, Bai Xu had indeed panicked for a moment.
Even though he quickly found out where she was headed, he still couldn’t put his mind at ease.
He was here for the drama, true, but this was not the outcome he wanted.
“It’s no fun if you just run away, Lin Xi.”
He was just short of calling her a coward outright.
Lin Xi rolled over, glancing at her phone on the other pillow, her face exasperated.
“I’m not running away, I’m working.”
“Tsk.” Bai Xu was displeased. “I’ve told you already, we’re the same kind of people. Why keep up the pretense with me? Do you really think I don’t know your true purpose?”
“If Young Master Bai is so all-knowing, why bother calling me at all? Just wanted to get scolded?”
Lin Xi was in a mediocre mood, and her tone towards him was even less polite. “If that’s what you want, just say so. No need to waste our time beating around the bush.”
“Judging by your tone, things didn’t go so well last night, huh?”
Bai Xu had indeed called to get scolded. Soon enough, his voice returned to its usual irritating drawl. “So, did Third Brother say something to upset you? Come on, tell me. It’ll make my day.”
Lin Xi sent a couple of polite curses his way.
Bai Xu just chuckled. To him, her insults were like a gentle scratch—utterly harmless, and oddly comforting.
He was a bit of a pervert; Lin Xi had known that from the start. “From today on, don’t let me hear you bring this up again. Otherwise, we’re done being friends.”
He was about to retort when Lin Xi cut in coldly, “Bai Xu, I’m serious.”
At that, Bai Xu could roughly guess what had happened last night.
Whether he took her words to heart, Lin Xi didn’t ask. She went on, “I let you get away with plenty, but not this. Not this time.”
Last time, when he’d tricked her into that dinner party and made a fool of her, she hadn’t even been truly angry.
Sure, he was a bit unhinged and had done plenty of outrageous things, but they were all within bounds she could tolerate.
He’d never crossed the line.
But this time, Lin Xi meant business.
She was clear: if Bai Xu ever dared to harp on this again—whether with her, with Qin Yu, or with anyone connected to them—if he tried to sow discord, she would cut him off, no exceptions.
And that wasn’t an empty threat.
“I thought only Third Brother could get you this angry.”

“…” Lin Xi frowned, hesitated, but couldn’t hold back. “You saw him?”
Last night, when Qin Yu left her place, she hadn’t checked the time.
The air had been so heavy, she’d steeled herself for a hard fight, but in the end, she’d retreated halfway—once again, she’d run away.
“A coward once more,” she thought.
“Third Brother, I’m not feeling well. I’m going to rest. Please close the door on your way out.” She’d said that, retreated to her bedroom, locked the door, and refused any further communication.
He hadn’t tried to stop her, nor had he said another word.
She had no idea when he’d left; the master bedroom was soundproof, and though it was perfectly quiet, she hadn’t heard a thing from outside.
When she got up in the morning, he was long gone from the living room.
The beads on the floor and the tea set on the table had been cleared away—everything was spotless, just as it had been before he arrived, with no trace of him left.
So she didn’t know what time Qin Yu had left, nor whether Bai Xu had seen him last night or today, nor what mood he’d been in.
But judging by last night, his mood couldn’t have been good.
Understandable—someone like him, being rejected so bluntly by her, was bound to be angry. If it had been anyone else, she probably wouldn’t have had the chance to run at all.
She’d truly offended him this time.
Only she could barely manage to stay afloat.
“Yeah, I saw him. Not long after Third Brother left your place last night, I ran into him. Not just me—Cheng Si was there too.”
“Mm.”
She acknowledged it but didn’t probe.
But Bai Xu knew what she was thinking and obligingly continued, “Let me tell you, Third Brother was in even worse shape than you last night.”
“How to put it…”
He paused, searching for the right words.
Lin Xi had a hunch nothing good would come out of his mouth and instinctively tried to stop him, but it was too late. Her tongue could never keep up with Bai Xu’s flighty mind.
He didn’t hesitate or think twice—whatever came to mind, he blurted out.
“Heartbroken? Yeah, that’s it—heartbroken. Like he just lost his first love.”
Lin Xi: “……”
“If you can’t speak properly, just don’t speak at all.”
Bai Xu raised an eyebrow, then spat, “Fine, I take back that last part.”

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xi, enduring her headache, picked up her phone from the pillow, switched off the speaker, and pressed it to her ear. “Honestly, I don’t even want to scold you anymore.”
“I’ve already taken it back.”
“Aren’t you being childish?”
After a moment’s silence, Bai Xu seemed to think of a brilliant idea. “How about this: tomorrow morning, I’ll head straight to Baiyun Temple.”
“Hm?” Lin Xi didn’t get it—what new nonsense was he up to now?
“I’ll have a good talk with the Revered One and ask him to give you some of my lifespan. Lin Xi, you’ll live a hundred years.”
His tone was solemn, each word earnest—not a trace of jest.
Lin Xi choked, clutching her phone as her forehead throbbed.
This time, she was truly at a loss for words. “No need for that. Just try acting normal for once.”
“Didn’t you go back to the compound last night? So how did you see Third Brother and Cheng Si again?”
She hurried to change the topic.
“Cheng Si called and asked me to come out. Don’t mention it, tsk.” He sounded a bit aggrieved, dragging out his lazy drawl as he tallied Cheng Si’s “crimes.”
“In the middle of the night, Cheng Si must’ve been out of his mind. He calls me over, then for no reason at all, I get punched.”
“...Cheng Si hit you?” That didn’t sound right.
If Cheng Si had hit Bai Xu, the two would have been at each other’s throats, and she would’ve heard about it by now.
It could only have been Qin Yu.
Thinking back to how yesterday’s mess had all started with Bai Xu, Lin Xi figured he’d earned that punch.
“Here’s something amusing—today at noon, Song Ning came to the compound.”
Lin Xi said nothing.
“But she didn’t get in. She stood at the gate for a while before being chased off by the guards.”
“Oh.”
“That’s all the reaction I get?” Bai Xu was dissatisfied. “Fine, let me give you something even juicier to cheer you up.”
“Third Brother’s digging into the Song family’s background. Not long ago, there were already rumors that Song Ning’s father took bribes. Tsk, looks like he won’t be able to get away this time.”
(End of this chapter)