Lin Huai looked at Wei Qimian and suddenly broke into a smile. He said, “Just like that? You think one simple sentence of apology will do?”
Wei Qimian was embarrassed as she replied, “I know that with regard to that incident, I’ve wronged you. Why not you tell me? What can I do to make you feel better? Do you want to beat me up?”
“Hey, I’m a gentleman. How could I lay hands on a young and beautiful girl like you?
Lin Huai knew the right way to go. He knew that sweet talk was the way to Wei Qimian’s heart. She snorted softly and said, “So, what are you planning to do to me?”
“Let me think about it.” Although Lin Huai already had an idea, he feigned a look of deep thought. He then walked over to Wei Qimian and inched close to her.
Wei Qimian was alarmed. She asked with uneasiness, “What…what are you trying to do?”
Lin Huai inched closer and pointed at his face, saying, “Kiss me.”
“What? Ah?”
“Like I said, kiss me. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll have to think of something else…” Before Lin Huai could complete his sentence, he felt a warm and moist lip peck him on the face. He turned to look at Wei Qimian. Wei Qimian blushed and she shyly avoided his gaze, murmuring, “Fine, it’s just a kiss.”
Lin Huai laughed, saying, “Just a kiss? Then kiss me again!”
“No more kisses!” Wei Qimian blushed. She lightly punched Lin Huai in the chest and whispered in a coy voice, “You’re too much!”
Lin Huai laughed loudly at the flushed look on Wei Qimian’s face. The grudge he held was long gone. In its place was happiness and love.
Wei Qimian snorted softly. “Won’t Li Qianqian be furious that you are flirting with me?”
“Ah?” Lin Huai was stunned. His heart skipped a beat and roughly guessed the source of the problem. However, he feigned oblivion and asked, “Who is Li Qianqian?”
“Playing dumb with me, I see, Mister Bodyguard Lin,” Wei Qimian said with a spurious smile. “Take a seat, let’s talk about it.”
“Okay.” Lin Huai was like a guilty primary school kid. He sat back down.
Wei Qimian said, “Did you think that I wouldn’t recognize this car to be Li Qianqian’s? I was in shock and didn’t pay much attention to it at first. However, as I got out of the car just now, I managed to take a look at the number plate, and I immediately recognized it. I’ve seen her drive that car before.”
Lin Huai smiled bitterly. “Then, why did you call me Mister Bodyguard Lin?”
“I’ve had my suspicions for a long time. Your performance has been above average. Although we connected well and became natural friends, we progressed far too quickly. Also, we coincidently share the same desk and you have always been protecting me. I used to suspect you were my father’s security hire, but I wasn’t sure. Furthermore, I knew that you will never admit it. My suspicions were confirmed today with Li Qianqian’s car. If you weren’t hired by my father, why would Li Qianqian lend you her car?”
Lin Huai heaved a sigh of relief yet he couldn’t help but feel a little gloomy. He was relieved because Wei Qimian thought he had Li Qianqian’s car because they both worked for Wei Sihai. He was gloomy because of the slip up leading to his exposure. Now, things could no longer stay a secret.
Lin Huai offered her a downcasted smile and said, “So what now? Are you going to kick me out of the college?”
“I do not have that ability,” Wei Qimian said. “I don’t own the school even if my dad is the biggest shareholder of the college. If he decided that you were going to continue your education here, how could I ask you to leave? Furthermore, if I chased you away, he would only hire another bodyguard. What if I don’t like the next bodyguard?”
Lin Huai was moved. Laughing, he asked, “Does that mean that you like me?”
“I…” Wei Qimian rolled her eyes. She groaned quietly. “I don’t hate you, that’s all.”
“Oh, oh. No wonder they say girls will never express their true feelings.” Lin Huai sighed and said, “Look at how angry you were just now when you realized that the car I drove was Li Qianqian’s car.”
Wei Qimian blushed and subconsciously touched her cheeks. She asked, “Was I angry just now?”
“Yes!” Lin Huai could not help but laugh at Wei Qimian’s cute expression.
She rolled her eyes at Lin Huai again, as she had multiple times tonight. However, that only served as motivation for Lin Huai to tease her further. In the case of a beautiful goddess as she was, even the rolling of eyes was seductive.
Wei Qimian had the vibe of an angel from heaven. Even Lin Huai who’s seen plenty of beautiful women in his life could not stop his heart from palpitating. Whenever he saw her, his heart skipped a beat in a way that he had never experienced before.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Wei Qimian touched her face and said in a different voice, “Come in!”
A waitress opened the door. In her hands was a tray with three bowls of mala soup. She placed the bowls of mala soup on the table, glanced at Lin Huai, then at the blushing Wei Qimian. Then, she couldn’t help but chuckle and ask, “Oh right, the other girl, has she left already?”
“Yup, she’s gone.”
“Oh, then you have an extra bowl of mala soup.”
Lin Huai laughed cheekily. “We will share the third bowl. She’ll have half and I’ll have the other half.”
The waitress acknowledged with a slight hum. Then, she left with a chuckle.
Wei Qimian glanced angrily at Lin Huai, saying, “Don’t talk nonsense. Nobody wants to share a bowl of soup with you.”
“Why not?” Lin Huai had on a confused expression. “Why so shy? Did you think we’ll be feeding each other? One mouthful for you, one mouthful for me.”
Wei Qimian stomped her foot. She was beautiful to begin with. On top of her flushed face, she was more charming than roses. She looked so adorable stomping her feet that even the hardest ice cube in the world would melt. Lin Huai did not have a heart of ice and he was stunned. He froze and looked absentmindedly at Wei Qimian.
Wei Qimian picked her up chopsticks, lowered her head, and whispered, “I am going to eat my mala soup. I don’t care about you.”
Lin Huai laughed, saying, “Alright, let’s eat the noodles.”
He let out a sigh while eating the noodles. What is wrong with me? Every time I see Wei Qimian, I can’t control myself and end up staring at her absentmindedly. I cannot keep from falling for her. I would tease her mercilessly and enjoy seeing her angry.
Have I fallen for her? But… there are rules. Before the mission ends, I am not allowed to have any relationships with her. Sigh, looks like I have to rein myself in.
Lin Huai finished his mala noodles first. He lifted the third bowl of mala soup to split into halves. He moved the half full bowl toward Wei Qimian and finished the other half himself.
Watching Wei Qimian enjoy her noodles, Lin Huai suddenly asked, “About that, you are using the chopsticks I gave you. They have my saliva on it. Would that be considered indirect kissing?”
“You… annoying bugger. Flirting with me again!”
Lin Huai burst out laughing, as he thought, “Damn it, I couldn’t help but tease her again! I really cannot control myself!”
Wei Qimian stared angrily at Lin Huai and continued eating her mala soup. She gritted her teeth and ate viciously as if it wasn’t noodles she was eating but Lin Huai himself.
Lin Huai put his chopsticks down. Since Wei Qimian was too full to eat anymore, she put her chopsticks down too. Lin Huai wiped his lips and asked, “If I had not driven Li Qianqian’s car today, would you be so sure that I’m a bodyguard?”
“I always suspected but wasn’t sure,” Wei Qimian said. “If not for her car, I would not have confronted you so confidently.”
“Alright.” Lin Huai gave a bitter smile. “I was careless today. Sigh, why do I always slip up in front of you? Could it be that love made me an idiot, just like in the stories?”
“That statement was meant to describe girls!” Wei Qimian looked at Lin Huai. “Come to think of it, if my dad knew that you were taking advantage of me while under his payroll, would he kick you out?”
Lin Huai’s eyes widened. He bent her words and said, “Hey, it’s just a misunderstanding. You have the privilege of enjoying a handsome guy everyday and I don’t even charge you. How is that me taking advantage of you?”
“You… you are so shameless.”
Wei Qimian and Lin Huai joked and chatted for a while. Suddenly, she thought of the way things were with Niu Haijiao, and at once, her mood turned dark. She sighed. “Jiaojiao and I used to be quite close. I don’t know if I handled things right. Should I have been more merciful?”
Lin Huai did not expect Wei Qimian to think that her actions were harsh. He could not help but shake his head at her kindless. He offered her a bitter smile. “Were you merciless? You gave her a way out of the situation. At least you did not ruin her reputation and only request that she change college. If things were reversed, do you think she would have offered you the same courtesy?”
“She… might. After all, I believe she would want to protect my reputation,” said Wei Qimian. “We were tight.”
Lin Huai sighed. “Female benevolence.” He felt helpless. “I have always been a good judge of character. If someone like Niu Haijiao could betray you, don’t you think it might happen again? However, everything is fine since she’s transferring to another college. We won’t cross paths anymore. In conclusion, people like her don’t have principles. She might have sounded wronged because of her poor family background. However, those were not acceptable reasons. She was simply looking for an excuse for her greed!”
Wei Qimian’s eyes turned red as she sighed. “No matter what, I still feel bad.”
Lin Huai smiled bitterly. “Girls are conditioned to be compassionate like that. Let’s go, I will send you home. Have a good rest. I know you feel guilty about forcing her to transfer out. However, despite her mistakes, you gave her a second chance and did not embarrass her in public. Shouldn’t she be appreciative of you?”
“Well… who knows?” Wei Qimian smiled. “Nonetheless, thank you for all you have done today.”
“You’re welcome.”
Out of the blue, Wei Qimian’s phone rang. She took it out, glanced at the caller’s ID, and immediately picked up. Wei Sihai’s voice travelled through the speaker, saying, “Mianmian, are you okay?”
“Don’t worry, I am okay,” Wei Qimian replied. “Fortunately, my classmate came just in time and saved me. I am with him at the moment. Oh by the way, the classmate’s name is Lin Huai…”
“Oh, oh, that’s good!” Wei Sihai coughed. Then, he asked in a stern voice, “What actually happened today? I was only vaguely informed.”
“Let me update you when I get back, it’s quite complicated. My classmate will send me home.”
“Okay. It eases my worry that your classmate is sending you home…”
Wei Qimian hung up and stared cheekily at Lin Huai. She said, “See, I gave you a lot of credit. With regards to you being a bodyguard, that will stay a secret. As long as we keep quiet, my father would be none the wiser. You should lay low at college too. I do not wish to be the centre of attention.”
“I understand. Let me send you home now.” Lin Huai smiled.
In the meantime, Niu Haijiao sat on the steps of Jiangxi Dam in Tongcheng City. Her body bent forward as she scolded through her sobs. “Xuan Yuzhai, Xuan Yuzhai, you bastard! Why did you rat me out? Why did this happen to me? Why was I the one to be chased out of college? What did I do wrong? All I wanted was to earn a little bit of money…”