Chapter 16: One Condition
Wang Shanshan sighed at the “boy’s” words.
“You’re still so petty. So we can’t even be friends anymore?”
Lin Xiaoxiao paused, scoffing lightly.
“We could, but there’s no need.”
She turned to leave. Though she felt no attachment to this woman, being around her was uncomfortable.
Wang Shanshan, seeing this, finally showed her true colors.
“Lin Xiaoxiao, you’ve been getting close to Zhou Yang lately, haven’t you?”
Lin Xiaoxiao stopped, thinking about how she had indeed seen Zhou Yang a lot recently—living under the same roof, they crossed paths going to and from school.
Tilting her head, she asked, “And?”
Wang Shanshan hesitated, then gritted her teeth.
“He’s my boyfriend. You should keep your distance.”
With that, she turned and left, leaving Lin Xiaoxiao dumbfounded.
“Wait, what are you talking about? That’s ridiculous!”
Lin Xiaoxiao was genuinely confused. She’d only gotten slightly closer to Zhou Yang—barely even friends. What was the problem?
Then it hit her, and she laughed in exasperation. Did Wang Shanshan think she was trying to steal her boyfriend?
First off, Lin Xiaoxiao didn’t see herself as a woman, and at school, everyone thought she was a guy!
Love really made people stupid. Wang Shanshan was a prime example, absurdly thinking something could happen between her and Zhou Yang…
Lin Xiaoxiao quickly dismissed Wang Shanshan’s words as nonsense. She had no intention of seeking out Zhou Yang anyway.
But that afternoon, as she packed to head back—needing to buy groceries and cook—she was stopped by Zhou Yang before she could leave the school gate.
She sighed, exasperated. She really didn’t want to get tangled up with this guy!
“What do you want?”
Zhou Yang grinned cheekily.
“Hey, Lin Xiaoxiao, you free right now?”
She raised an eyebrow and walked off without hesitation.
“Busy. I’ve got to cook and clean at your place. Swamped.”
Zhou Yang hurriedly blocked her.
“That’s nothing! So you’re free, right? Help me out with something?”
Lin Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes, suspicious.
“With what? If it’s anything shady, I can’t help. Go ask your dad.”
Zhou Yang looked guilty but patted his chest.
“No way, just a small favor.”
She let out an “oh” and said, “Then I’m not helping.”
Even if it wasn’t illegal, it was bound to be trouble. She hated trouble.
Zhou Yang, faced with her blunt refusal, felt helpless. He couldn’t force her.
But as he started thinking of other options, Lin Xiaoxiao turned back.
“Actually, I could help… if you agree to one condition.”
Zhou Yang’s eyes lit up, nodding eagerly.
“Deal!”
She blinked, puzzled.
“You’re not gonna ask what the condition is?”
He waved it off.
“Don’t worry, as long as it’s not unreasonable, I can handle it.”
Lin Xiaoxiao’s lips twitched. This guy was too confident…
Her sudden change of heart wasn’t random—it was that damn system again!
Just seconds ago:
[Ding! As a vengeful bad woman, it’s only natural to get back at the jerk who stole your girlfriend. Daily Task for a Scheming Woman (3): Within three hours, call Zhou Yang “son” and get a response.]
[Reward: Snow-white skin (host will never tan and will maintain soft, fair skin).]
[Penalty: Excessive body hair (reference: chimpanzee).]
Lin Xiaoxiao was quite pleased with this task. What’s more fun for a guy than making someone call you “dad”?
Plus, she didn’t want to turn into a chimpanzee, so she agreed to Zhou Yang’s request.
“Spill it. What do you need?”
Zhou Yang, unsure why she’d changed her mind, didn’t dwell on it and grabbed her hand, pulling her along.
“No time—let’s talk while we walk.”
Caught off guard, Lin Xiaoxiao yanked her hand free.
“I can walk myself. Just lead the way.”
Zhou Yang paused, a strange feeling hitting him. Her hand was so soft…
As they walked, he explained. Lin Xiaoxiao learned why he needed her: a fight.
Days ago, Zhou Yang met a woman who couldn’t speak due to vocal cord damage but ran a flower shop.
While racing, he’d accidentally smashed her potted flowers. Feeling guilty, he started helping out at her shop.
There, he noticed some punks harassing her. Today, he wanted Lin Xiaoxiao’s help to teach them a lesson.
Lin Xiaoxiao was speechless.
“Why not call the cops? Or drop your dad’s name—would those punks still dare mess around?”
Zhou Yang shook his head.
“Cops won’t help. The harassment isn’t bad enough—they’d just get a warning and come back.”
“We need to use their language: beat them into submission.”
“As for my dad… I never mention him outside. He barely cares about me, so I don’t want to bother him.”
Lin Xiaoxiao was stunned, then sighed.
“Your life’s the kind people envy, you know. Your dad’s busy—maybe you should cut him some slack. He might not be as indifferent as you think.”
Zhou Yang shook his head stubbornly.
“If he cared, would he have skipped every parent-teacher meeting? Besides money, he’s given me nothing.”
She couldn’t argue. Zhou Ting did seem too hands-off with him.
But wasn’t this guy just flexing? His complaints still screamed privilege—she’d never even had money…
“If it’s a fight, why not bring more people? You’re not expecting just us two to take on a gang, are you?”
Zhou Yang led her to an old street, pointing to an alley.
“Nope, you’ll see when we get there.”