She Gives Too Much (GL) - Chapter 17

The phone on the dining table vibrated incessantly.

Li Zhi glanced at it but ignored it.

She and Li Qing were half-siblings. Their mother had passed away early, and Li Zhi had been raised by their grandfather as his heir.

Over the years, her relationship with her stepmother, Aunt Chen, had been cordial enough—neither hostile nor particularly close. They gathered for meals during holidays and festivals, but that was about the extent of their connection.

Li Zhi’s temperament was detached and aloof, and she seemed to maintain the same distance with everyone.

In contrast, Li Qing was a natural chatterbox, becoming even more talkative the closer he felt to someone.

Years of experience had taught Li Zhi that Li Qing wouldn’t act like a fool if she ignored him.

“Sister, sister, sister, do you think I should pursue her?”

No, you shouldn’t.

“She’s so beautiful. I really like her!”

No, you don’t.

“Sis, do you think pretty girls get a lot of admirers?”

No, they don’t.

Li Zhi opened her laptop to work. Her hand froze mid-air as she saw the next message.

Surely… not.

They had agreed on three rules: no cheating during the contract period.

Chen Xi might be a bit flirty around her, but her character was definitely solid.

Then her phone buzzed again—

“Holy shit! Some bold guy just went up and asked for her number!”

“In public! With everyone watching! Asking for her number first? That’s so ungentlemanly!”

Li Zhi’s breath hitched, her heart feeling like it had been yanked upward by those words.

Her hand, which had been reaching for the mouse, inexplicably veered toward her phone instead.

Did she give it to him?

Li Zhi unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone, watching Li Qing’s sudden silence on the other end. The minutes stretched out like an eternity.

After three minutes of no reply, Li Zhi was already considering making a video call.

For the first time, this older sister realized just how much her younger brother meant to her.

“Nope, didn’t get it.”

Li Qing finally replied.

“Hehe, Senior Sister said it’s awkward since we’re not in the same major, hahahaha.”

He was practically bursting with smugness.

Li Zhi let out a soft sigh of relief, belatedly realizing how tense her back had been.

Her reaction seemed even more intense than Li Qing’s.

At least he had used the time to pick up his military training uniform, while she had just stared at her phone, doing nothing but waiting for three or four minutes.

“Sis, I just got my military training uniform. Wanna see if it’s the same style as yours from back then?”

“There’s a stray cat on campus, super cute! I really like it.”

“I might still be in military training on your birthday, so I won’t be able to come home. Remember to treat yourself to some cake!”

Li Zhi, annoyed by Li Qing’s incessant chatter, was about to block him when she saw his last message.

After a moment of silence, she replied:

“Focus on military training.”

With those four terse words, Li Zhi turned her attention back to work.

As for Li Qing’s claim that he liked Chen Xi and wanted to pursue her, Li Zhi dismissed it entirely. He was just a flash in the pan; even a stray cat could distract him. His “affection” for Chen Xi was likely just superficial admiration for her looks.

Li Zhi’s assessment proved spot-on. An hour earlier, Li Qing had been declaring his intention to chase Chen Xi. Now, after standing at attention for half an hour, all he wanted was to collapse.

Today’s session wasn’t formal military training; the instructor was merely conducting a “warm-up” exercise.

In middle and high school, the first taste of military training might have seemed novel, filling students with energy. By college, however, fatigue had set in, and most approached it with indifference. Now, as graduate students, they wanted to scream: Why do we still have to do this even in grad school?!

It was the same mental journey as realizing you couldn’t escape calculus even in college: shock, despair, grudging acceptance, and finally, gritting your teeth and pushing through with tears in your eyes.

Yet Chen Xi felt none of this suffering.

Standing under the shade of a tree, Chen Xi held up her parasol, her eyes curving into crescents as she watched the freshmen under the setting sun.

Her gaze was warm and affectionate.

One word filled her mind:

Bliss~

Yan Tuo stood lazily beside her, yawning and looking listless.

Compared to Yan Tuo, Chen Xi was clearly more popular with the freshmen.

In the short time it took to distribute the military training uniforms, several classes of students—both boys and girls—had already asked for her contact information.

By nightfall, every freshman at C University would likely know that the university’s “face” lived up to her reputation.

Yan Tuo, on the other hand, stood there languidly, half-closing her eyes against the sun, showing no interest in acknowledging them.

“Did Xiao Xiao go to work again?” Chen Xi asked curiously, noticing Yan Tuo pull out her phone as if replying to a message.

“No, she has classes this afternoon.”

Among the three roommates, Xiao Xiao’s family had the most modest means.

“Qian Qian, the bag I promised you last time has arrived.” Yan Tuo opened a photo and glanced sideways at her. “You’re going to love it.”

The last time Xiao Xiao couldn’t get out of work, Chen Xi had covered her shift at the Li Family. Yan Tuo had secretly messaged Chen Xi, promising her a bag if she agreed to help.

The mention of the bag instantly reminded Chen Xi.

Her eyes lit up even brighter than usual as she asked eagerly, “Which one?”

“Your daddy’s classic model.”

“They were out of stock before, but it finally arrived,” Yan Tuo said, handing her phone to Chen Xi. “It should be delivered tomorrow morning.”

With her hands tucked in her pockets, Chen Xi clicked her tongue. “Dad wouldn’t even splurge like this on Xiao Xiao. You should be grateful.”

Chen Xi’s gaze remained fixed on the dark green Kelly bag displayed on the phone screen, unable to tear herself away. She hadn’t even registered what Yan Tuo had said.

She covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes shining brightly. “I’ve been craving this bag for ages!”

Tears of emotion nearly spilled from her mouth.

Chen Xi blinked, giving Yan Tuo a deliberately sentimental look. “Don’t worry. When you’re old and alone, I’ll never let you go hungry as long as I have a bite to eat.”

Yan Tuo rolled her eyes dramatically and snatched back her phone.

Of course she knew Chen Xi had been coveting this bag. That’s why she’d gone to the trouble of getting it for her.

Yan Tuo couldn’t help but laugh at Chen Xi’s pathetic, starstruck reaction to the bag, yet she also found it irritating.

“If only Xiao Xiao had as little integrity as you,” Yan Tuo sighed.

After all, not every rich woman could afford to keep a young mistress.

Chen Xi glanced at her. “Sometimes things don’t work out because of money. You need to look for the problem within yourself.”

Like… her… capabilities.

She and the Young Miss had clicked instantly.

Their first meeting had been like dry wood meeting fire—pure, explosive passion.

Yan Tuo had been trying for a month or two without success. How could she blame the money? It was clearly her own inadequacy.

“…This bag probably isn’t meant for you. Just wait for the next one,” Yan Tuo said coolly.

Chen Xi immediately retorted, “Who says it’s not meant for me? My connection with every bag is destined from a past life!”

Yan Tuo didn’t bother arguing.

The two stayed with the freshmen until evening self-study ended before returning to their dorm.

“I’m sleeping in tomorrow morning. I’ll go in the evening,” Yan Tuo told Chen Xi. “Then you can come back.”

Even if Chen Xi had nothing else to do, she would still wake up early to bring the bag home, so she readily agreed.

Before going to bed, Chen Xi sent Li Zhi another message: “Remember to drink hot water.”

After waiting half an hour for a reply while wearing a face mask, Chen Xi realized Li Zhi was busy and put her phone down to sleep.

The next day, around ten in the morning, Yan Tuo called Chen Xi, half-asleep, to tell her the bag had arrived.

It was a classic Kelly bag from Hermès, a gift from her “daddy” (sugar daddy).

Priced in the six figures, the bag might as well have been made of *RMB bills. [The renminbi (RMB) is the official currency of China]

Chen Xi couldn’t stop admiring it.

After receiving the bag, Chen Xi couldn’t resist rushing back to the dorm at noon to check herself out in the mirror. Her eyes sparkled like stars. “Isn’t it gorgeous? Isn’t it?”

Xiao Xiao circled around her, showering her with compliments:

“Qian Qian looks beautiful no matter what! This bag perfectly matches your style. You look even better with it than a celebrity!”

Chen Xi had striking features and fair skin, making dark colors particularly flattering on her.

Deep reds and rich greens, for example.

Yan Tuo leaned against Xiao Xiao’s wardrobe, legs crossed, teasing Chen Xi about her vanity but secretly agreeing that the bag suited her perfectly.

After admiring Chen Xi, Yan Tuo’s gaze shifted to Xiao Xiao.

The naturally curly-haired girl wore her hair in pigtails, her bright, clear eyes radiating genuine admiration for Chen Xi.

She truly thought Chen Xi was beautiful.

Xiao Xiao was different from everyone else.

If any other roommates had to deal with Chen Xi and Xiao Xiao, they’d likely be driven mad by Chen Xi’s laziness and Chen Xi’s narcissism. But Xiao Xiao was different.

She was like a pool of clear water, so pure that no amount of filth could tarnish her. Instead, the impurities would settle to the bottom, leaving her even more pristine.

“Xiao Xiao, do you like this kind of bag?” Yan Tuo asked casually.

Xiao Xiao shook her head. “I’m not really into bags, but I love seeing Qian Qian wear them.”

Chen Xi, ever the narcissist, changed into an autumn coat to match her bag, interjecting, “I think Xiao Xiao’s right.”

She lightly tapped Xiao Xiao’s forehead with her index finger. “If you have something to say, you should say it.”

Yan Tuo rolled her eyes again.

That afternoon, Chen Xi went to watch the freshmen’s military training, carrying her new bag.

With the bag slung over her shoulder, Chen Xi felt like the path beneath her feet had transformed into a long red carpet.

She loved being the center of attention and didn’t mind being admired as the most dazzling girl around.

She greeted every gaze with a gentle smile, even when politely declining requests for her contact information with a soft shake of her head.

Chen Xi was simply too radiant.

So radiant that jealousy inevitably followed.

“Have you had hot water today?”

Li Zhi stared at Chen Xi’s unwavering message:

“Yes.”

“Wow, you’re being so obedient today!”

Chen Xi, on the other end of the phone, seemed completely unfazed.

Li Zhi switched back to her QQ account to watch the video Li Qing had sent her.

It was nearly twenty minutes long.

The video opened with the sound of wind. The evening sky in C City looked gloomy as the wind picked up.

[It feels like it’s going to rain. If it rains, we won’t have to do military training!]

[Wow, that would be amazing!]

Li Qing’s face came into view. [We just finished dinner and are resting now. We still have training tonight. Ugh, this is rough.]

It was an ordinary vlog-style recording until, two minutes later, a distant argument suddenly erupted.

The camera spun wildly as Li Qing, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, stood up.

He walked toward the commotion, asking, [What’s going on?]

The camera panned to the distance, where a crowd had already gathered.

[Senior Yan seems to have gotten into a fight with the team leader from the next class.]

Li Qing gasped. [Wow, that’s intense! What happened?]

Everyone knew how laid-back Yan Tuo was. How could someone like her get into a fight?

[That senior sister! That girl, was saying nasty things about Senior Qianqian. Senior Yan just happened to overhear her.]

Li Zhi switched back to her chat with Chen Xi.

“Is there a reward?”

Li Zhi’s lashes lowered as her fingers traced the edge of her phone.

Chen Xi replied almost immediately:

“What kind of reward do you want? A kiss? /kiss”

Li Zhi smiled, a faint, wistful smile.

She gazed at Chen Xi’s profile picture—those familiar, fiery lips—and felt a bittersweet ache in her heart, like swallowing an unripe plum that slowly fermented within her.

Remembering the latter half of the video, Li Zhi asked:

“Chen Xi, do you miss me?”

Support She Gives Too Much (GL)