Chapter 62: Chapter Sixty-Two: Besties

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Lin Yu stiffly nodded and pretended the earlier conversation never happened—she was asking to be humiliated if she kept on the topic. She quickly gave her besties a look. She’d given them a chance by inviting the guys out; the rest was up to them. There truly wasn’t much else she could do for them, and she didn’t want to ruin things with Xi Cheng. Their relationship wasn’t set in stone yet, so she had to avoid any complications.

Lin Yu quickly calmed down. She immediately led the conversation and didn’t allow her best friends to speak much. She didn’t want them to provoke the guys any further.

Shi Nian, Ye Kun, and Liang Han knew to quit while they were ahead. Lin Yu was Xi Cheng’s fiancée, after all. Drinking became their best shield against talking to the girls in this situation, and it wasn’t long before they all had a little too much to drink.

It wasn’t until they were about to leave that Lin Yu asked Shi Nian to send Gu

Man home after Gu Man’s constant hints. Ye Kun leaned on Shi Nian’s shoulder and gave the girls a drunken smile. He slurred, “No can do, ladies. Shi Nian…

has to send me home… We live close to each other… he can drop me off on the way… you guys live out of the way.”

Liang Han also hurriedly stated, “I’m with them. I’ll be spending the night at Ye

Kun’s place. My mother will whoop my       if I head home in this state!”

Lin Yu felt a little humiliated by the men’s uncharitable rejections. Xi Cheng, however, just casually replied, “They’re our guests, so naturally, we’ll be the ones to send them home. I’ve already called my chauffeur to come over. The three of you can get lost!”

“Sir, yes, sir!” So saying, Liang Han dragged Ye Kun and Shi Nian along with him as he walked away on unsteady feet.

When Shi Nian returned home, he felt a little dizzy. He didn’t drink often, but he could hold his liquor. However, he only drank when he was in the mood. Seeing Xi Cheng so depressed had them all feeling down tonight. He didn’t deserve to be tied to a loveless marriage and everyone felt sorry for him.

He rushed to the kitchen to get some water; he was very thirsty. The small light above the kitchen stove was lit, and a pot of tea was placed on the tea table in clear sight.

Shi Nian reached out and touched the teapot; it was perfectly warm. He poured a cup of tea, took a sip, and recognized it as the hangover tea that Yun Nan had brewed for him before.

Shi Nian’s dizziness cleared straight away. He downed the tea in one gulp, and a smile appeared on his lips. ‘ Yun Nan is really thoughtful. How could there be such a kind snail girl? he thought.

Xi Cheng fell asleep in the passenger seat. Gu Man let out a disdainful snort at him, and Shi Gao gently held Lin Yu’s hands.

Lin Yu changed the topic and asked, “Gu Man, do you like Shi Nian?”

Gu Man blushed and turned to face the window without saying anything. Shi Gao said, “Shi Nian is a very handsome man, and he comes from such an influential background; it’s no wonder our Gu Man has a crush on him. Speaking of which, he’s quite outstanding, so why doesn’t he have a girlfriend?”

Lin Yu told them, “The Shi family is different from the others. They don’t care about family status; they marry for love. Shi Nian’s parents, grandparents, his elder brother—Shi Ke—and his wife—Xiang Yang—are all adoring couples. However, Shi Nian’s elders had arranged a marriage for him; he had to marry his childhood friend from the Yun family, but he did nothing. He never gave any indication of liking that girl, nor were there rumors of him getting together with anyone. The matter was left hanging until now. He’s almost thirty and still single.”

“So, I take it he doesn’t like that childhood friend of his?” Gu Man asked

“That’s probably the case, but you heard what he said back there; he has a crush on someone now,” Lin Yu gently reminded her. She could tell that Shi Nian wasn’t interested in Gu Man, and she didn’t want Gu Man’s feelings to cause conflict between the two. More importantly, she didn’t want this to impact her.

Gu Man unconcernedly stated, “So? He’s not married, so he’s on the market.”

And then, she remembered Xi Cheng, and added, “He has to at least be engaged for me to consider him taken.”

It would have been better if she didn’t add that last comment; it only made it worse. Shi Gao sought to change the topic and remarked, “It’s rare for wealthy families to marry for love. They usually prioritize social status, don’t they? The Shi family is quite lucky—they all fell in love with people of equal social caste.” Lin Yu thought about it for a moment. “That’s true,” she agreed. “They are indeed very lucky, come to think of it.”

“Are Shi Nian’s big brother and his wife—I ‘ Shi Gao paused. “Are they happy together?”

Lin Yu nodded affirmatively. “Shi Ke has always had an independent streak. He chose to study in a military school and became an officer after he graduated. His wife followed him into the military. She’s also a slightly famous jewelry designer.”

“Do they have kids?” Shi Gao asked.

Lin Yu shook her head no. Although she didn’t know why Shi Gao was asking for these details, she still frankly answered, “I met them during the Spring Festival last year. Shi Ke said he didn’t want to have children just yet; he’d like to spend more alone time with his wife. I can tell that he loves her very much. She’s a lucky woman; I envy her so much.”

“There’s no need to envy her! You’re not doing so bad yourself! You finally got what you wanted. You only need to learn how to manage your husband in the future,” Gu Man smilingly assured Lin Yu and pinched her cheek.

Xi Cheng—who appeared to be sleeping soundly in the front seat—twitched his lips..