Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love

Her distinct fragrance spread through the air.

Lin Xi was incredibly nervous. Si Wen had told her to be bold.

But... Xue Yang is so tall and big, how can I possibly force myself on him? Should I pretend to be sick? Fake a fall so he has to carry me to bed, then pounce on him!

Lin Xi’s eyes brightened. That seemed like a viable option.

But... just thinking about it makes me so embarrassed. What if I really do it? Will Xue Yang think I’m indecent?

Actually, Xue Yang wasn’t having an easy time either. You could say he was in the same boat as Lin Xi. Having such a beautiful girlfriend right in front of him, sharing a bed with her every night, yet being unable to do anything... one can only imagine how torturous that felt.

After her hair was dry, Xue Yang turned off the hairdryer. "Let’s get to bed. We have to go shopping tomorrow, and you girls probably need a lot of time for that."

His gentle voice came from above her head.

Lin Xi nodded lightly. She stood up, then suddenly her foot twisted under her. With a cry of "Ah!", she began to fall to the side. The corner of the table was right there. If she hit it, her face would be scarred.

I was trying to fake a fall, not actually get hurt! It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!

Lin Xi closed her eyes in despair.

Just as she was about to hit the ground, Xue Yang reacted in a flash. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling them both down sideways. To protect Lin Xi from injury, he deliberately cushioned the fall with his own body. In the process, the nightgown draped over Lin Xi’s shoulders inevitably slid off, exposing her perfect form. And so, the sight that presented itself before his eyes was... all of her.

Their eyes met, and they both froze. An electric, ambiguous atmosphere sizzled in the air around them.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP.

The sound of their hearts pounding violently filled the space between them. The feeling was both tense and thrilling.

After snapping back to his senses, Xue Yang abruptly turned his head away. "You... put your clothes back on," he muttered. Where Lin Xi couldn’t see, his fist was clenched so tightly that the veins bulged.

The pink hue on Lin Xi’s cheeks faded as her face stiffened, a hurt expression spreading across her features. "Xue Yang, do you not like me anymore?"

"What are you talking about? How could I possibly not like you?" He was absolutely crazy about her.

"Then why won’t you..." Large teardrops rolled down her lovely face, dripping onto Xue Yang’s chest. Each drop felt like a scalding brand, pushing him to the brink of losing control.

"It’s nothing like that. It’s late, you should get some sleep," he said, still holding himself back with great effort.

"I won’t. Not unless you kiss me." Lin Xi tilted her face up slightly, as if waiting for him to make the next move.

Looking at the woman he loved so deeply, how could Xue Yang not be moved? It was precisely because he was so moved that he didn’t dare get too close. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself. He hadn’t expected her to misunderstand.

Then again, her confusion was understandable, wasn’t it?

Xue Yang sat up and carefully helped her pull her nightgown back into place. "Be good now, don’t make a fuss. I’m really tired."

If one listened closely, they could hear a slight tremor in his voice.

Lin Xi fell silent. Although she felt wronged, she didn’t push him any further when he said he was tired. She could see that he truly was exhausted. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his complexion was wan from fatigue.

Am I being too thoughtless? I know he’s overwhelmed with the new store opening and preparing for two gaming competitions, yet here I am, thinking only about romance. And he even took the time to help me with my novel’s outline tonight.

"I’m going to sleep," Lin Xi said, lying down with her back to Xue Yang. It was the first time since they got together that she had slept facing away from him.

Xue Yang opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, said nothing.

Who says I don’t want her? It’s just... we still haven’t taken the most important step. I hope that after I meet her father... Maybe after we get back to Yancheng this time, I should take the initiative and pay him a visit. Otherwise... this little girl is going to be impossible to placate.

「The next day」

Xue Yang went to work as usual.

After getting ready, Zhong Hailan kept urging Xue Yuanqing to hurry. "Old man, are you ready yet?"

"Almost, almost! Why do you keep rushing me?"

When Xue Yuanqing finally emerged, fully dressed, he saw only Zhong Hailan waiting. "Where’s Xiao Xi?"

"Oh, she’s not down yet."

"See? You were rushing me nonstop, and Xiao Xi isn’t even down yet. Now that I’m ready, we still have to wait."

"This way, we can leave the moment Xiao Xi comes down."

Just as she said that, Lin Xi descended the stairs. Today, she had put on light makeup. She wore a white dress and carried a brand-new Xiang Naier mini bag. On her slender, beautiful feet was a pair of black princess-style shoes. She looked like a princess who had stepped right out of a fairy tale. Simply precious.

Coming before Zhong Hailan and Xue Yuanqing, Lin Xi said obediently, "Uncle, Auntie, I’m ready."

"Good. Then let’s go."

They drove the new electric car today. Lin Xi sat in the back, with Xue Yuanqing driving and Zhong Hailan in the passenger seat. The three of them went out shopping like a family.

Strolling around with such a beautiful ’daughter’, Xue Yuanqing and Zhong Hailan found themselves drawing an unaccustomed amount of attention, and they both felt a little embarrassed.

"Look, that girl is gorgeous! Is she a celebrity?"

"I’ve seen my share of celebrities, and I don’t recognize her. She’s probably not one, unless she’s a newcomer who isn’t famous yet. With looks like that, though, it’s only a matter of time."

"I really want to get a picture with her."

"I’d rather get her number."

All the girls wanted to take a photo with Lin Xi, and all the boys wanted her contact information. But, without exception, no one dared to take a step forward. The girl was simply too dazzling, making everyone feel unworthy of approaching her.

"Old man, we’d better keep a close eye on Xiao Xi. We can’t let someone snatch her away," Zhong Hailan worried.

Xue Yuanqing looked left and right, suddenly feeling like everyone was a potential kidnapper. "Don’t worry, I’m watching."

"Maybe we should ask Xiao Yang to hire a bodyguard to protect Xiao Xi."

"I think you have a point."

Zhong Hailan wasted no time calling Xue Yang. "You little punk, you’d better hire a bodyguard, and fast. I feel like it’s not safe taking her out."

Xue Yang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Mom, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"It is not. Are you going to hire one or not? If your future wife goes missing, then you’ll really have something to cry about."

"I know, Mom. You guys have fun shopping. I’ll look into it."

After hanging up, Xue Yang mulled over what Zhong Hailan had said. It was true that it was too dangerous for Lin Xi to be walking around without any protection.

If something were to happen...

With this in mind, Xue Yang asked Wu Xiaoya to come into his office.