Chapter 5

The other end suddenly fell silent. Gao Lan paused and said nothing more. Her voice instinctively softened. “Come back soon. I’ll wait for you at the entrance to the residential complex.”

Lin Fei sniffled. “Mm…”

After ending the call, she stood by the roadside and waited for a taxi. The surrounding roads were relatively remote, and at this late hour, finding a taxi was difficult. She waited for twenty minutes, but forget seeing a car—she did not even see another person.

Shangguan Xuan’s car was parked nearby. She sat inside watching Lin Fei, but the other woman completely ignored her and stubbornly refused to ask for her help.

An hour passed, yet Lin Fei remained in the same position, standing by the roadside and waiting for a taxi.

Shangguan Xuan realized that she truly must have nothing better to do. She had actually watched Lin Fei for more than an hour with remarkable patience. It was the middle of the night, and after fighting someone earlier, she was already exhausted and sleepy. All she wanted was to go home and get a good night’s sleep, but this woman simply refused to appreciate her kindness and was stubborn beyond belief.

Shangguan Xuan finally ran out of patience. She opened the car door, got out, and strode toward her.

Lin Fei noticed her from the corner of her eye and quietly composed herself.

Shangguan Xuan stopped in front of her. “Get in. Where are you going? I’ll take you.”

Lin Fei glanced at her. “There’s no need. I’ll take a taxi myself…”

Before she could finish, Shangguan Xuan interrupted, “What taxi? Are you planning to stand here all night?”

Lin Fei lowered her head and quietly said, “That’s my business…”

Shangguan Xuan sighed helplessly. “I’ve already helped you this far, so I may as well see it through to the end. Come on, I’ll take you back!”

Lin Fei said nothing.

Shangguan Xuan sighed softly. “Aren’t you afraid of running into another person like the one earlier? I’m telling you, this place is deserted. If some hooligan or rapist showed up, no one would come to save you no matter how loudly you screamed!”

Lin Fei’s body trembled faintly, and her hands tightened at her sides.

Watching her act both frightened and reluctant, Shangguan Xuan thought, Stubborn mule!

Lin Fei considered it for a long time, but she was still unwilling to accept Shangguan Xuan’s kindness. This woman was unpredictable, and the things she had done to Lin Fei before were hardly any better than what that murderer had done. Lin Fei truly could not trust her, nor could she stop herself from remaining wary of her.

Before she could refuse, however, Shangguan Xuan grabbed her hand without allowing any argument and pulled her toward the car.

“Let go of me.” Lin Fei struggled but could not break free.

By the time she came to her senses again, she had already been shoved into the back seat. Shangguan Xuan climbed in after her and casually closed the door.

Lin Fei shifted farther away from her and remained silent for a long time.

Turning toward her, Shangguan Xuan said, “Come on, lady. I saved your life, at the very least. Is this how you treat your savior?”

Lin Fei still said nothing.

Left with no choice, Shangguan Xuan asked, “Where are you going?”

Lin Fei was silent for a moment before finally answering, “Yihe Residential Complex.”

Shangguan Xuan called toward the front, “A-Cheng, drive.”

Sitting in the driver’s seat, A-Cheng started the engine.

The car fell silent once more.

The navigation system showed that the journey would read the original at bailiantales.comtake around forty minutes. Shangguan Xuan closed her eyes and leaned against the back seat, pretending to sleep. She had no idea how much time had passed when a quiet voice suddenly reached her ears.

“Thank you.”

Shangguan Xuan froze, then abruptly opened her eyes and looked at Lin Fei.

The moment Lin Fei noticed her gaze, she quickly turned her head away.

Her expression remained somewhat cold, but Shangguan Xuan felt that she no longer hated her as much as before. At the very least, she could no longer see any hostility toward her in Lin Fei’s eyes.

As the car was about to enter the residential complex, Lin Fei spotted a figure sitting beside the fountain near the entrance from a distance. Recognizing Gao Lan, she unconsciously smiled.

This was the first time Shangguan Xuan had seen her smile. Her smile was beautiful. Her almond-shaped eyes curved gently, and the corners of her lips formed a faint arc. It was like a morning breeze—fresh and soft, carrying a rich fragrance.

Shangguan Xuan stared at her in a daze. She did not come back to her senses until A-Cheng stepped on the brakes and the momentum made her body lean slightly forward.

A-Cheng got out, walked around the car, and opened the door for Lin Fei. Lin Fei stepped out.

When Gao Lan saw Lin Fei, she hurried forward to meet her, only to notice that the car looked somewhat familiar. She could not remember where she had seen it until Shangguan Xuan lowered the window and their eyes met. Her temper immediately flared.

“You little bitch! Why are you here too?”

Shangguan Xuan replied calmly, “I brought Lin Fei back.”

Gao Lan scowled. “You brought her back? What are you plotting?” As she spoke, she pulled Lin Fei in front of her and examined her from head to toe. When she discovered a large bruise on Lin Fei’s arm and an abrasion on her cheekbone, she immediately exploded and demanded, “What happened to you? Did she do this?”

Before Lin Fei could explain, Gao Lan suddenly reached for Shangguan Xuan’s face and shouted, “You bitch! I’ll fight you!”

Startled, Shangguan Xuan hurriedly pulled her head back inside and closed the window.

As the window slowly rose, Gao Lan had no choice but to withdraw her hand. She then pounded forcefully on the glass. “Come out if you’ve got the guts! I’ll take you on myself!”

Lin Fei stepped forward to restrain her but was shoved away.

Looking at Gao Lan, who resembled a raging shrew outside the car, Shangguan Xuan curled her lips and told A-Cheng to drive away.

The car sped off in a cloud of dust. Gao Lan stumbled and was nearly dragged along by the vehicle, making her curse Shangguan Xuan several more times.

Only after Gao Lan had cursed to her satisfaction did Lin Fei say, “She didn’t do it!”

Gao Lan stared at her. “Huh? Then what happened to you?”

Lin Fei told her what had happened that evening. Gao Lan grew even more astonished, her jaw nearly dropping. “Seriously? She was actually that kindhearted? She would’ve loved nothing more than to see that man kill you.”

Lin Fei shook her head. “I don’t know either. I only feel that she changed a lot today… She’s different from before.”

Gao Lan waved dismissively as she walked into the residential complex. “Oh, please. A leopard can’t change its spots. People like them are best at putting on an act. Who knows? Maybe she’s digging another pit and waiting for you to jump into it yourself.”

Lin Fei pursed her lips and said nothing more.

The elevator traveled all the way to the sixth floor. As Gao Lan took out her keys, she deliberately turned toward Lin Fei and lowered her voice. “My parents are asleep. Keep your voice down and don’t wake them, or they’ll start nagging again.”

Lin Fei replied, “Mm.”

After turning on the lights, Gao Lan casually tossed her keys onto the sofa and poured Lin Fei a glass of water. “Why don’t you sleep with me tonight? The guest room is a little messy, and I haven’t cleaned it up yet.”

Lin Fei nodded, accepted the glass, and took a sip of water.

Gao Lan asked again, “Are you hungry? I think there’s still some food in the refrigerator. I’ll get it for you.”

Lin Fei stopped her. “I’ve already eaten.”

Gao Lan said, “Then use the bathroom in my room to take a shower. We’ll make do for tonight, and tomorrow I’ll clean up the guest room for you. You can stay here for the time being and decide what to do after you find a job.”

Lin Fei replied, “I’ll only stay here for one night. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Gao Lan looked surprised. “Why?”

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Fei said, “I don’t want to drag you into this.”

Gao Lan’s father, Gao Sheng, worked as a department supervisor at an equipment company owned by the Ye family. It was not a particularly high-ranking position, but it was a secure job. A few days ago, Gao Sheng had nearly lost it because of Lin Fei. Gao Lan’s mother was in poor health and could only remain at home as a full-time housewife. If Gao Sheng lost his job as well, it would be extremely difficult for the family to continue living in S City on the meager salary Gao Lan earned as a recent graduate.

Gao Lan had already helped her enough. Lin Fei did not want to cause her any more trouble. She cherished her friendship with Gao Lan deeply.

Gao Lan said, “What do you mean, drag me into this? You’ve already lost your job. Where else can you go? Other than me, who can you rely on now?”

Lin Fei placed the glass back on the coffee table. “Stop talking about it. In any case, I’m not staying.”

With that, she turned and went into the bedroom.

Gao Lan watched her thin yet stubborn figure retreat and sighed softly.

Lin Fei had only just removed the jacket when she heard a phone notification. She took out her own phone and looked at it, only to find that its battery had died and it had turned off.

The sound had only rung once, like a message notification, and it had come from inside the jacket.

Confused, Lin Fei unzipped the pocket of the leather jacket. There was a phone inside, its screen illuminated with a news alert.

It was a report about the serial murder case being solved. The person who had assisted the police in capturing the killer was an unidentified woman.

Lin Fei stared blankly at the dimly glowing screen for a long time, until it automatically went dark.

What stunned her was not the news report, but the phone’s lock screen. It displayed a photograph of a man and a woman together. The woman was Shangguan Xuan, and the man was Ye Shen. They were nestled closely against each other and appeared extremely intimate.

Shangguan Xuan’s eyes curved with happiness as she smiled. Her every look and gesture resembled those of a blissful woman deeply in love. Ye Shen’s expression, however, was rather indifferent. He stared at the camera without any expression, and upon closer inspection, his thick brows even appeared slightly furrowed.

Judging from the photograph, Ye Shen did not seem to love Shangguan Xuan, while Shangguan Xuan clearly loved him deeply. The tenderness that naturally appeared in someone’s eyes when they loved another person was extremely difficult to conceal.

Lin Fei could see that undisguised affection in Shangguan Xuan’s eyes.

She stared at the phone’s pitch-black screen, lost in thought for Read on BaiLianTales a long time, until she heard footsteps approaching.

Calmly, she slipped the phone back into the jacket pocket, neatly folded the jacket, placed it to one side, and entered the bathroom.

Gao Lan entered the room and searched through the wardrobe for a while. She found a new set of pajamas and placed it nearby for Lin Fei.

Late that night, Lin Fei lay in bed, but her thoughts involuntarily returned to Shangguan Xuan—that arrogant and difficult woman she could not understand.

And what had happened in the police car…

Lin Fei unconsciously raised a hand and touched her lips, irritation gradually creeping across her brow.

In the stillness of the night, she suddenly grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head. Before long, she fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Lin Fei borrowed some money from Gao Lan and left the Gao residence. No matter how Gao Lan tried to persuade her, she refused to stay. Unable to change her mind, Gao Lan finally gave up and merely told her to let her know once she found a job.

Over the course of the day, Lin Fei was rejected everywhere she went. None of the well-known corporations—or even the obscure, third-rate companies—were willing to hire her. She understood the reason perfectly well. Other than Hong’an, not a single company in S City dared openly oppose the Ye family.

Lin Fei wandered aimlessly along the street and eventually found herself on a pedestrian overpass. She rested both hands on the railing and looked down at the endless stream of traffic below. Two clear trails of tears silently slipped from the corners of her eyes.

Ever since childhood, she had endured countless hardships to escape the orphanage. After finally graduating from university, she had found a job she loved, and everything ​unauthorized copy​had been developing in the direction she wanted. Yet at precisely that moment, she had encountered Ye Shen.

A single casual remark from him was enough to change her entire life.

A phone rang again. Lin Fei felt around in her pocket and discovered that it was the phone Shangguan Xuan had left with her the previous night.

The caller ID displayed A-Cheng’s name. Without thinking, she answered the call.

A woman’s voice came through the receiver, lilting, melodious, and extremely pleasant to hear.

“Lin Fei, where are you?”