Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love

In Xue Yang’s office, Lin Xi was still carefully examining the jar of pickles from Li You.

How exactly am I supposed to eat this? It looks quite appetizing.

"If you’re curious, just open it and have a look," Xue Yang encouraged.

Encouraged by him, Lin Xi picked up the jar and tried to open it, only to find she couldn’t. She used all her might, but the lid wouldn’t budge.

"Xue Yang, I can’t open it. You do it."

She looked at him so pitifully that it was impossible to refuse. In fact, Xue Yang would have helped her even if she hadn’t asked. He had only held back because she hadn’t turned to him immediately, and he was curious to see if she could manage on her own.

Xue Yang took the jar and opened it with an effortless twist.

A rich aroma immediately filled the air—spicy, salty, and fragrant. The smell alone was enough to make one’s mouth water.

Lin Xi blinked her beautiful eyes. "Xue Yang, it looks like you can eat this directly. Should I try some?"

"Yes, this kind can be eaten as is."

This kind of pickled vegetable was like a prepared dish, so it was perfectly normal that it could be eaten directly.

"I thought it was supposed to be a condiment or something. Why didn’t you tell me? Li You must have been laughing at me in her head."

Xue Yang gently rubbed her forehead. "Silly girl, it can be used as a condiment too. It just depends on how you like to eat it."

"That’s versatile. That young woman is quite thoughtful. Xue Yang, did you talk to her like that on purpose?"

Xue Yang raised an eyebrow, pleased the little one had caught on.

"She’s been the one cleaning my office lately."

"Is she a cleaner?" Lin Xi asked.

"No."

"So, she came here specifically just to clean your office."

Xue Yang seemed pleased with her deduction. "Go on."

"Her cleaning your office... it can’t just be to thank you, right? She likes you."

Just now, she said this was all her family had, so she gave Xue Yang the best thing she could offer.

"Not too slow on the uptake. You figured it out."

Lin Xi pouted. "I’m not slow, I’m very smart, okay? The way you handled that, she’ll probably go out of her way to avoid you from now on."

The thought made Lin Xi want to laugh.

Who rejects someone like that? It’s not like he was afraid of giving her a complex. But this was good, too. It saved me the trouble.

"My clever Miss Lin Xi, what did you buy while you were out today? How did you finish shopping so quickly?"

"I bought tons of clothes! Some for you, some for your mom and dad, and some for my dad..." Lin Xi happily listed her haul from the day.

"Oh? Sounds like you had a successful trip."

"Of course," Lin Xi said proudly.

"Did my parents come over too?" Xue Yang asked.

"Your parents took the things to the new house. They said they needed to buy some other stuff, and since it’s quite far, they were worried you’d be hungry. So, they dropped me off first to bring you lunch. Oh, right, the food!"

Lin Xi quickly tried to get up to grab the bag, but a warm hand wrapped around her waist, holding her in place.

Her pretty face flushed a deep crimson. "Let me go! How embarrassing would it be if someone saw us?"

"You’re my girlfriend. What does it matter if someone sees?"

"Come on, you already scared off your last admirer. You can let me go now, right?"

"If more people see us, then fewer people will get ideas about me, won’t they?"

"You have a point... But I can’t just come and sit on your lap every day, can I?"

"It’s not out of the question."

Lin Xi’s pretty brows furrowed. "In that case, I might as well just tie you to my side. That way, no one will get any ideas."

Lin Xi was joking, but Xue Yang actually seemed to consider it. "That’s not a bad idea."

"I’m not going to bicker with you anymore. Hurry up and eat before your food gets cold."

Lin Xi finally managed to get off Xue Yang’s lap, unpacking the meal and setting it on the table. Once he finished eating, she settled on the sofa, took out her drawing pad, and started working on her comic.

The comic was already being released. As expected, the first Chapter became immensely popular the moment it was updated. The number of fans clamoring for more updates had reached an astonishing tens of thousands. This was only the first Chapter. As long as the artist didn’t change, its success was practically guaranteed. It might even become more popular than the novel.

As she was drawing, her phone rang. It was Si Wen.

"Xiao Xi, have you finished today’s comic pages yet?"

"Not yet. Why? What’s up?"

"Do you have any new ones? The wait is agonizing. I’m looking for a shortcut."

Nowadays, aside from work, Si Wen’s only hobby was following Lin Xi’s novel. The novel’s updates were infrequent, so she had placed all her hope on the comic adaptation. As it turned out, the comic updates were just as slow, making the wait excruciating.

Lin Xi sent her the finished drafts she had and took the opportunity to tell her what had happened earlier.

"Si Wen, you won’t believe it. I went to Xue Yang’s office today and found him in there with another girl."

"See? I told you girls would be throwing themselves at him. You need to lock that down!"

"Hey, let me finish!"

Si Wen crossed her legs and replied, "Go on."

"Well, Xue Yang drove her off."

"It wasn’t that simple, was it? Something else must have happened."

Si Wen knew Lin Xi too well. If he had merely sent the girl away, Lin Xi wouldn’t have bothered to call and tell her about it.

"So, this is what happened..."

Lin Xi recounted the entire incident to Si Wen from start to finish.

Si Wen uncrossed her legs. "That guy is slick. He even maneuvered it so you were the one accepting her gesture. I bet the girl cried, right? Let’s see if she dares try to steal someone else’s man again."

"Is that really ’stealing someone’s man’?"

"My dear young miss, if that’s not trying to steal someone’s man, then what is? I’m telling you, don’t be so naive."

"Oh." Lin Xi felt like she was beginning to understand.

...

「Lin Corporation Building, Yancheng.」

「Eight o’clock in the evening.」

The entire building was still brightly lit.

Jiawen Li knocked and entered.

"Chairman, your plane ticket to Hui City is booked. It departs at eight tomorrow morning, and you should land around eleven."

Lin Zhenhai, who was reviewing contracts that needed signing, responded with a simple, "Mm." He said nothing more.

Jiawen Li was about to leave when she paused. "Chairman, I heard that Miss Lin Xi is in Hui City."

And from what I know, she’s been there for quite some time now.

Without looking up from his documents, Lin Zhenhai said, "I’m going for work."

"Yes, sir."

With that, Jiawen Li knew better than to say anything else.

What is the Chairman planning? This project in Hui City clearly doesn’t require his personal attention. Yet, he’s still going.