Chapter 2
Lin Ye’s voice was too loud. The customers at the barbecue stall, hearing the commotion, instinctively looked towards Yu Zhao. Catching a glimpse of her beautiful, frowning face, they began to chatter, their slightly drunken banter gradually laced with vulgar remarks.
Lin Ye, overhearing this, felt a surge of embarrassed anger. He stepped forward and grabbed Yu Zhao. “Did you spend all your family’s money on expensive cosmetics? Is that why you’re so desperate for cash? Working in a place crawling with men this late at night—are you planning to sell yourself in a bar after graduation?”
Even with her aloof personality, Yu Zhao’s face chilled at these words. She didn’t budge an inch, her tall figure radiating a frigid aura. “I earn my rightful wages through labor. How I spend my money is none of your business.”
Lin Ye retorted angrily, “How is it none of my business? You spend money so lavishly, how will I… how will any man be able to afford you in the future?!”
His voice noticeably dropped in volume as he uttered the latter half of the sentence, a hint of insecurity creeping in.
Because with Yu Zhao’s face and figure, there were plenty of rich second-generation heirs willing to be her sugar daddies.
As far as he knew, Bo Chi’s older brother, Bo Ji, had originally intended to pursue Yu Zhao. However, because his spoiled little sister threw a tantrum at home, the siscon decisively gave up on Yu Zhao and turned his attention to other readily available men and women.
Lin Ye had been smitten with Yu Zhao since the moment he entered school. Since he came from a poor background, he was particularly resentful of wealthy people pursuing Yu Zhao and of her extravagant spending habits, worrying that even if she married him, she wouldn’t know how to be frugal.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to say such things directly. He thought he would first spout some nonsense to win Yu Zhao over, and then tame and train her later. “If you were a bit more restrained with your spending and stopped comparing yourself to rich heiresses like Bo Chi, I’d be willing to be your sug— to provide for you. You’re so beautiful; wouldn’t it be more comfortable staying home, doing laundry, cooking, and attending to your man? Why bother working like a man? It’s tiring and hard, isn’t it?”
—In the original plot, the self-pitying school beauty was moved by these words. She believed her delicate hands should be well-maintained, occasionally baking pastries or arranging flowers, and shouldn’t be toiling amongst these rough men.
Therefore, as soon as the male lead spoke, she was irresistibly swayed, immediately resigning from her part-time job and shyly returning with him to his rented apartment.
After the honeymoon period ended, the school beauty discovered that the male lead didn’t have the means to support her at all. He couldn’t even afford decent cigarettes, let alone spend money on a woman.
Feeling deceived, the school beauty initially wanted to escape. However, around that time, hints of a married teacher and a naive heiress appeared around the male lead. She didn’t understand why these women would be involved with a poor guy like him and worried that if she left, all her previous efforts would be in vain.
Hesitant and conflicted, she was gradually tamed by Lin Ye, abandoning all thoughts of escape and focusing solely on competing for his favor with the other women.
This distorted mindset remained unshaken until her death. Therefore, Yu Zhao, having replaced her, also inherited the mission derived from her lifelong yearning: to become Lin Ye’s official girlfriend.
Bo Chi and Yu Zhao had known each other for years in the real world. While she didn’t believe Yu Zhao would fall for someone like Lin Ye, she still took precautions. Clicking in her delicate high heels, wearing pretentious dark sunglasses, and dressed in a figure-hugging, knee-length dress, she approached the confronting duo. With a curve of her red lips, she declared, “Relying on a man is the most unreliable thing you can do. He might be able to provide for you now, but he can just as easily abandon you without hesitation. When that happens, with no job and no savings, what will you rely on to survive?”
Lin Ye was momentarily stunned by Bo Chi’s appearance, then hastily tried to pledge his loyalty.
Bo Chi didn’t give him the chance, continuing coolly, “Besides…where do you get the money to support a woman? From that faded, washed-out shirt you’re wearing? Or from those stinky socks you wear without washing?”
Lin Ye’s face immediately turned green. His mouth opened and closed several times before he finally exploded in anger, “You’re only interested in money! You’re materialistic, greedy, and vain—”
“I am gold myself; why would I need to worship it?” Bo Chi lazily twirled a strand of hair around her finger, laughing. “If you keep babbling, I’ll have my bodyguards come chat with you.”
Lin Ye glanced at the tall, sturdy bodyguards in the distance, glaring with wide eyes. He muttered a curse under his breath and turned to leave without hesitation.
Satisfied, Bo Chi turned to Yu Zhao, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, staring fixedly at her. With an air of condescension, she said, “Alright, go back to work. With me around, neither anyone else nor Lin Ye will have a chance to bully you.”
Yu Zhao’s eyelashes fluttered. Seeing the beautiful heiress turn to leave, she suddenly reached out and grasped her soft, delicate hand, asking softly, “Why are you helping me?”
—Could this be a new form of bullying?
Bo Chi froze, then reacted after a moment, quickly pulling her slightly cool hand away. “Who’s helping you? I’m telling you to stay away from Lin Ye!”
“If I ever see you flirting with him again…” Bo Chi struggled to find a suitably threatening phrase. “I’ll replace the honey with bitter melon and make you drink a whole cup of bitter melon juice!”
Yu Zhao curled her fingers, suppressing the urge to smile. In a serious tone, she said, “I’m allergic to bitter melon.”
Bo Chi was stunned. She had never heard of Yu Zhao having such an allergy.
After a moment of bewilderment, she frowned and reluctantly conceded, “Then I’ll switch to celery juice—you hate celery the most, right?”
“…Yes.” Yu Zhao raised an eyebrow, then immediately asked, “But how did you know?”
Bo Chi didn’t miss a beat, her face betraying no hint of guilt. “To deal with an enemy, one must know oneself and one’s opponent to achieve a hundred victories in a hundred battles!”
Yu Zhao hummed thoughtfully.
Whenever she made this expression, Bo Chi felt a flicker of guilt. Even after transmigrating, her instinctive reactions remained. This made her uncomfortable, and her eyes darted around, seeking an escape. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
“Wait, I have another question.” Yu Zhao stopped her, her icy voice strangely tinged with a hint of amusement. “You usually dine at upscale restaurants or at home. Why did you go out of your way to come here tonight?”
Bo Chi instinctively tried to shift the blame, “Lin Ye, he…”
Unlike her usual passivity, Yu Zhao forcefully interrupted, “He usually goes back to the dormitory with his classmates. He only came here on a whim. You’re not going to tell me you anticipated even his thoughts, are you?”
Bo Chi was dumbfounded. Her red lips parted slightly, making her delicate face appear both pitiful and bewildered.
Yu Zhao felt an inexplicable tickle in her heart and had to exert considerable effort to tear her gaze away.
Bo Chi hadn’t given an answer, but Yu Zhao already had one in her mind. —The other girl was clearly paying close attention to her to know that she hated celery, had recently found a job, and would be working tonight.
But what was Bo Chi’s reason for paying such close attention to her?
Because of Lin Ye?
Recalling Bo Chi’s arrogant, princess-like demeanor while confronting Lin Ye, Yu Zhao silently dismissed that idea.
Since it wasn’t because of Lin Ye, it could only be because of her.
But why had she changed after initially targeting her at every opportunity?
Yu Zhao cast her mind back, recalling that this harassment had begun simply because Lin Ye picked up her pen, and she had politely thanked him and taken it back. The subsequent incidents were similar; Lin Ye initiated the interaction, and she responded formally—Hmm? Could the problem lie in her responses?
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