Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 269 - 267: Dad, I’m Sorry, I’ll Be Home Late

Chapter 269: Chapter 267: Dad, I’m Sorry, I’ll Be Home Late

The amorous atmosphere in the car thickened. Si Wen rolled her eyes and looked out the window. "Ah, spring has arrived. The trees are budding, and look, even the flowerbeds by the road are bursting with life."

Lin Xi pouted and complained, "Xue Yang, Si Wen said I have spring fever."

Si Wen’s eyes shot wide open as she turned back to Lin Xi. "Hey! Don’t you dare tell Xue Yang what I said."

"Why can’t I?" Lin Xi blinked her large eyes, not quite understanding.

"We’re best friends! The things we talk about are our little secrets. You can’t tell outsiders."

Lin Xi tilted her head. "Private topics shouldn’t be shared with others?"

"Exactly."

Lin Xi thought for a moment before saying, "But Xue Yang isn’t an outsider."

"..."

Xue Yang agreed. "Right. Xiao Xi, you should probably talk with Si Wen a little less from now on."

"Okay. She’s a bad influence."

"Exactly. If you get bored, stop tutoring her. I’ll get you a cat to pet instead. Just don’t let *her* come over."

Upon hearing that Xue Yang would get a cat but wouldn’t let her visit, Si Wen blew up.

"Xue Yang, if you dare keep me from seeing the cat, I’ll fight you to the death!"

"I knew it. You were the one who wanted a cat, so you put Lin Xi up to telling me."

So that’s why Lin Xi suddenly said she wanted a cat. It was all Si Wen’s doing. She never would have thought of it on her own. This Si Wen is a dangerous influence.

Si Wen immediately sat back in her seat. "I was just trying to create a conversation starter for you two! You should be thanking me."

"We have even more to talk about when you’re not around, so we don’t need you manufacturing topics for us."

"Oh, come on, getting a cat isn’t a big deal. Just get one."

"No."

"Xue Yang, don’t push me. If you back me into a corner, I’ll do something crazy."

"Go on. Show me. What happens when you’re backed into a corner?"

Si Wen choked for a moment before retorting, "If you push me too far, I’ll stop talking to Lin Xi at school!"

"If you stop talking to her, she might just become the top scorer in the national college entrance exams. So please, by all means, don’t talk to her."

And he wasn’t even kidding; it wasn’t impossible. Lin Xi’s academic performance was truly terrifying. It wasn’t that Si Wen would mind Lin Xi becoming the top scorer or anything, but if that happened, she’d go insane. Si Wen didn’t have many friends at school she could actually talk to. The only person she really got along with was Lin Xi. The others were fine to hang out with occasionally, but if she had to be with them every day, Si Wen suspected she might catch a case of the stupids.

Since force wasn’t working, Si Wen tried a softer approach. "Xue Yang, I’m begging you! Please just get one!"

"If you want one, get it yourself."

"I can’t keep one, that’s why I’m asking you!"

"You can’t keep one, so you want me to get one? What kind of logic is that?"

Lin Xi explained from the side, "Si Wen’s mom is allergic to animal fur, so they can’t have small pets at home."

"She could just keep one somewhere else on her own."

"That’s what I told her, but she insists on you getting one. If you don’t want to, then don’t."

"Do you want one?"

"If we could, it would be nice to have one. But you can’t give the cat any of the love you give me."

Xue Yang chuckled lightly. "Don’t worry, you’re my one and only little kitten. No person or thing could ever take your place."

"So, does that mean you’ll get a cat?" Si Wen’s head popped up from between the front seats.

Xue Yang glanced at her and said sharply, "Sit properly. There’s a traffic camera."

"Oh." Si Wen pouted and sank back into her seat. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

At 9:38 p.m., the Audi pulled to a slow stop downstairs from Xue Yang’s apartment.

The rain had stopped by then. Three people climbed out of the car. One of the girls held a large bouquet of gardenias. After getting out of the driver’s seat, the boy walked over to her side. He took the flowers from her, and his other hand naturally found hers as they walked toward the apartment building. The other girl walked behind them. She feigned unhappiness, but her cheerful steps betrayed her good mood.

Soon, the lights on the eighth floor came on, casting a clear glow through the window. The tender shoots by the road seemed greener, as if they would burst from their buds at any second.

"Where’s my chicken leg?" Si Wen yelled the moment she stepped inside, her nose twitching like a dog’s as she sniffed the air.

Xue Yang shot her a disdainful look. "Anyone who knows you knows you’re just a glutton. But anyone who doesn’t might think your family can’t afford meat."

"You guys know what the school cafeteria is like. The food is disgusting and has no flavor. Is it any wonder I’m craving meat after half a month of that?"

"Is the cafeteria at a prestigious school just as bad as any other?"

"That’s not important! The important thing is, where’s my chicken leg?" Si Wen couldn’t stop talking about the chicken leg.

Xue Yang couldn’t help but laugh at her. "It’s in the fridge. You two hang out in the living room for a bit while I heat it up. You can’t eat it cold."

For once, Si Wen actually offered to help. "We’ll help."

"No need. You just got back from school, go rest."

"Alright then."

Si Wen settled back onto the couch, picked up Lin Xi’s phone, and opened King’s Game to log in. She hadn’t brought her own phone, so she had to use Lin Xi’s.

Just as Xue Yang finished washing the rice and putting it in the cooker, he saw Lin Xi come into the kitchen.

"Why did you come in?"

Lin Xi stood to the side and giggled. "I wanted to watch you."

Xue Yang smiled faintly and let her watch. After pressing the start button on the rice cooker, he began to wash the vegetables.

Lin Xi stood behind him, taking in a scene she had dreamt of every night. Now, it was finally real. How could she possibly miss it?

"Cui Hao brought these," Xue Yang said. "He wanted you to try them."

"I remember Cui Hao. He’s your best friend."

"Yeah, you’ve met him before."

"It was at the old house. He came looking for you, but you happened to be out. I was the one who opened the door."

"You have a good memory."

These things hadn’t actually happened that long ago, yet they already felt like a distant memory.

"Lin Xi, your phone is ringing!" Si Wen’s voice suddenly called out while they were chatting.

"Go answer it."

"Okay."

Xue Yang put the salt-baked chicken, braised duck, and braised goose into the steamer. Next, he washed the specialty meats Cui Hao had brought—cured pork and sausage. He sliced them and tossed them into a hot wok to stir-fry with some garlic shoots.

Lin Xi picked up her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and saw it was her dad. She looked up at Si Wen.

"Don’t look at me. It’s not *my* dad calling, so I can’t answer it for you."

Lin Xi pursed her lips, pressed the answer button, and walked into one of the bedrooms.

"Xiao Xi," Lin Zhenhai’s stern voice came through the phone.

Lin Xi flinched slightly. "Dad."

"You’re not coming home tonight?"

"I..."

"Xiao Xi, your recent behavior has been one disappointment after another."

"Dad, I’m sorry. I’ll be home later."

"Fine."

With that, Lin Zhenhai hung up.