Can You Come to My Place Tonight?

Fu Liangxia really did feel like trouble was falling from the sky while she was just walking down the road.

It had originally been a matter between Su Xingshu and Cheng Xingzhou, with no connection to her at all, but Su Xingshu had to barge in and stir things up. Now, practically the whole world knew that two of the lofty F4 had fought over her.

Fu Liangxia: ...

She was speechless.

Fortunately, the one who spoke up was Su Xingshu, known for his romantic escapades, so it wasn't too surprising that he'd be jealous over a woman. As for why Student Council President Cheng was involved, although everyone was puzzled, they instinctively didn't jump to romantic conclusions.

—After all, that was the ever-unsentimental President Cheng.

So Fu Liangxia thought it unlikely that anyone would be foolish enough to come looking for trouble with her.

But just as she was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard a lowered voice from the woods on one side: "Why did you fight earlier?"

The tone was lazy and somewhat familiar, until she turned and saw a tuft of pink hair peeking through the trees.

Bai Yan, or Bai Xin?

From the tone, Fu Liangxia leaned toward the latter.

The person being questioned was half-hidden behind a tree, only a distinguished nose and a narrow frame of glasses visible—who else could it be but Cheng Xingzhou?

Seeing that he didn't respond for a long time, Bai Xin stared at him for a moment, then said leisurely, "Xingzhou, with your skills, it wouldn't be hard to keep him at a distance. You lost your composure."

Fu Liangxia felt Bai Xin's words were oddly suggestive, as if Cheng Xingzhou had deliberately taken the opportunity to get into a fight with Su Xingshu.

Not only did she pick up on that implication, but Cheng Xingzhou also understood the unspoken meaning instantly.

He furrowed his brow slightly, his face expressionless, and said flatly, "No, my shoulder was injured. I didn't react in time."

He glossed over why he had fought back afterward, only explaining why he hadn't blocked Su Xingshu's attack.

Hearing this, Bai Xin was indeed distracted.

"He hit you again?"

The boy's voice carried a hint of suppressed anger. He reached out and tugged at Cheng Xingzhou's sleeve, seeing the dark red bruises covering the arm with visible veins. His expression darkened. "Is your father still like this—venting his frustrations on you whenever things don't go his way? What was it this time?"

Cheng Xingzhou pulled his arm back from Bai Xin's grasp, still looking indifferent. "There's a new round of political elections coming up. He's afraid he'll lose the competition, so he wants me to win over Councilman Cui's daughter."

"..." Bai Xin took a moment to process the meaning of "win over," his pupils trembling. "How could he? Councilman Cui is almost sixty; even his youngest daughter wouldn't be under thirty-something. You could call her aunt."

Cheng Xingzhou: "Thirty-seven."

Cheng Xingzhou: "It's not about age. Even if she were seventeen, I wouldn't. Why should I deceive someone I don't like? I'm not Su Xingshu."

He even took a jab at Su Xingshu, seemingly using this to emphasize that their differences had been long-standing, and today's fight wasn't about anything else.

Whether Bai Xin believed that was another matter.

"And then he hit you?" Bai Xin thought something like that alone shouldn't be so severe.

Then he heard the other say in an extremely calm, almost matter-of-fact tone, "I told him if he wanted to go, he could go himself."

Bai Xin: "..."

No wonder.

Fu Liangxia, eavesdropping: "..."

That mouth of yours is really venomous.

So he'd been going easy on her all this time. With Cheng Xingzhou's masterful skills at provoking people, if he used them on her, he'd probably have cured her chronic low blood pressure in no time.

After saying this, the two left, as if they'd only stood there so that Fu Liangxia, who happened to pass by, could get a juicy piece of gossip.

And indeed, it was explosive—the seemingly aloof Student Council President was being pressured by his father to do such things in private... No wonder he'd been so stressed that he'd been caught smoking in the storage room before.

Poor Fu Liangxia, who had just overheard such a big secret, was in a daze, sitting in the library but still lost in the scandals of the wealthy.

Seriously, do rich people play like this?

However, as if her mind were playing tricks on her, when she pulled a book from the shelf, she met an eye through the gap.

The eyes were clear, with long lashes slightly lowered, and a signature pink wolf-cut hair.

It was one of the Bai twins.

But when they didn't speak, it was hard for most people to tell them apart.

Fu Liangxia didn't say anything, just nodded as a greeting.

Unexpectedly, the other not only nodded back but also pulled out the book next to the one she had. Fu Liangxia glanced at the section—competition category—and guessed it was Bai Xin, the one with remarkable academic achievements in the original book.

"Bai Xin, did you also sign up for the math competition?" Fu Liangxia thought for a moment, considering he was someone she needed to win over, so she decided to initiate conversation.

To her surprise, upon being called by name, he paused, his eyes showing clear confusion, as if silently asking how she knew.

So easy to read.

Fu Liangxia pointed to the book in his hand and smiled lightly. "Pretty obvious."

Bai Xin looked through the gap and saw her smiling eyes, clear and bright, with his own face clearly reflected in her pupils like a clean spring.

He was momentarily stunned, a thought flashing through his mind as if an elusive inspiration was about to break through the surface.

On one side of the bookshelf was the coffee area, buzzing with voices, while between the shelves nearby, it seemed only the two of them remained, as if there were a sense of fate that separated them from space and time.

Countless thoughts rushed through Bai Xin's mind, but they all converged into one—

He wanted to paint her.

It had been a long time since he'd felt such an impulse. It was hard to say what exactly moved him at that moment—perhaps her overly clean eyes, or the way she'd called his name without hesitation when she looked up.

Bai Xin felt his heart beating faster than it ever had.

It was a tremor, not about romance, but the instinctive reaction of an artist facing their muse.

He wanted to paint her right now.

...

Fu Liangxia suddenly received a prompt: [Bai Xin's Affinity Points +3]. Before she could react to what she'd done, the boy who had come around from the other side of the bookshelf startled her.

So fast.

"A thousand euros an hour. Can you come to my place tonight?" he asked.

Fu Liangxia: "..."

Bai Kewei, who had just passed by after getting a book from another section: "?!?!"

"What do you want to take her to do?!" Bai Kewei dashed over and stood in front of Fu Liangxia, shielding her. "You look decent, but I didn't expect you to be such a vile person!"

Scolded abruptly, Bai Xin was startled for a moment, then realized he'd spoken too hastily and had completely overlooked the ambiguity in his words.

Bai Xin quietly pressed his forehead, looking a bit helpless, and explained, "It's not what you think. Just a purely innocent business arrangement."

"?!"

Bai Kewei was dumbfounded.

What did he mean by a purely innocent business arrangement? Was that something you could say? A business arrangement, going to his home at night—and still innocent?

He must be trying to deceive her naive friend.

"Don't believe his nonsense." Bai Kewei turned around and said seriously, like a mother worried her daughter would be deceived by a wild man. "Men are all no good."

Bai Xin, whose explanation only made things worse: "..."

Meanwhile, Fu Liangxia, who understood what Bai Xin meant and was watching the misunderstanding grow, could barely hold back her laughter.

Fu Liangxia: "Okay."

Hearing her friend agree readily, Bai Kewei let out a slight sigh of relief, a sense of pride and shallow worry welling up. Fortunately, she had happened to pass by and heard; otherwise, with Fu Liangxia's innocence and kindness, who knew how she'd be tricked by these rich young masters! They were all shrewd, every word a trap, and even using money as bait!

A thousand euros an hour—even she would swallow hard at that, but that kind of thing... absolutely not.

She hadn't expected the Bai twins, who seemed to have an artistic temperament, to act so recklessly. Bai Kewei's originally favorable impression of them instantly plummeted.

But at least Fu Liangxia hadn't agreed...

"I was planning to go to the Fu residence tonight. If I go to your place, I'll need to tell Fu Haoyao. The compensation..."

Fu Liangxia didn't say yes or no; after all, any part-time job was the same, but she needed compensation, and preferably, he'd handle Fu Haoyao as well.

Bai Xin didn't blink. "I'll compensate you. I'll explain it to Fu Haoyao too."

Once the urge to paint seized his mind, he had no capacity for further thought.

Inspiration was fleeting. He was sure Fu the second would understand.

Worst case, he'd buy him the latest gaming console. After all, Fu the second might look arrogant, but he was actually easy to please.

Bai Kewei felt her brain had short-circuited. She sensed Fu Liangxia didn't seem like she was refusing, more like she was dissatisfied with the price?

Impossible. She didn't believe it.

If she had to describe Bai Kewei's state, saying the sky had fallen wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Her gaze at Bai Xin gradually turned dangerous. Bai Kewei clenched her fists—it must be him seducing her.

The rich are all no good!

Bai Kewei turned around, took Fu Liangxia's hand, and said with concern, "Xia, are you short on money lately? How about using mine first? I've saved up over two thousand from working, and I have it on me..."

Fu Liangxia hadn't expected such a reaction. Bai Kewei, who was struggling herself, took the initiative to offer a loan at the mere possibility she needed money.

Her heart warmed.

She blinked and squeezed back. "Don't worry, it's not what you think. I'm just going to be a model."

Bai Kewei was stunned. "Model?"

"Yeah, a painting model." Bai Xin seemed to finally step out of his own world, looking as if he'd been insulted, and said flatly, "Prostitution is illegal. Your thoughts are dangerous."

Just as he finished speaking with righteous indignation, his phone buzzed with a reply from Fu Haoyao to the message he'd sent earlier.

Bai Xin: [Borrowing Fu Liangxia for a night. Send me a link to any game console you like. Thanks.]

Fu Haoyao: [?]

Fu Haoyao: [What the hell did you say? Say it again??]

Fu Haoyao: [Don't make me beat you up in the happiest place on earth, Bai Xin.]

Was he speaking human? What did he mean by "borrowing Fu Liangxia for a night"? What "night"? How "borrow"?

Had Bai Xin gone wild from spending too much time in Europe and picked up some bad habits from there? If so, he wouldn't mind helping the Bai family discipline him and knock some sense into him.

Just as Fu Haoyao was grinding his teeth, the other finally replied slowly: [Model. I got inspired. She's already agreed. Asking for your opinion.]

Fu Haoyao: "..." Couldn't he speak properly.

Fu Haoyao: [(Link to the latest holographic gaming console)]