The Beloved One Is Always Coveted - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

◎Girlfriend, Who Is She?◎

The night wind was cool, blowing gently and comfortably on her face. It was much better than the previous terrifying feeling of her heart nearly jumping out of her throat.

Yu Li stared out the car window, unaware of Tang Xi’s inner turmoil or where the car was headed.

Seeing traffic police performing roadside checks in the distance, she instinctively glanced at Tang Xi. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally asked.

“Do you have a driver’s license?”

Yu Li’s concern wasn’t unfounded. She knew Tang Xi wasn’t old enough and didn’t meet the legal driving age. She had heard that unlicensed driving could lead to arrest, and a criminal record would prevent her from taking civil service exams.

“No.” Tang Xi’s tone was still cold. The car accelerated, zooming past the traffic police.

Any normal person would notice something was up. The police intended to stop the car, but upon seeing the license plate, they paused, pretending not to see. After all, investigating would be futile.

Yu Li craned her neck to look back out the window. The traffic police didn’t even look over; they just… let them go.

“Stop staring. It’s not a big deal.”

Tang Xi snorted. The car slowed down again. She turned on the navigation system, crawling along the road like a tortoise.

Fortunately, it was night, and there were few cars. They only saw one occasionally.

If it were daytime, the sound of honking horns would be deafening.

“Where are we going?”

Yu Li pulled her gaze back and looked at Tang Xi.

Tang Xi changed moods quickly. Just a moment ago, her low pressure had made Yu Li afraid to breathe, but now she didn’t seem so angry. The car was driving as if they were out for a walk.

“Home, of course.”

Tang Xi didn’t look at her, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and resting the other on the window, looking quite carefree.

Yu Li didn’t entirely believe her words. She stared at the navigation. The destination was a very familiar place: her own home.

Seeing the destination, Yu Li slowly relaxed. She didn’t press Tang Xi further. She just wanted to call her mother, Yu Rong, right now.

She didn’t have her phone. She could only cautiously glance at Tang Xi, calculating how to ask.

“What are you looking at me for?”

Tang Xi seemed to be in a good mood. Even her voice wasn’t cold. Noticing Yu Li’s gaze, she kindly spoke first.

When she said that, Yu Li froze again.

She knew Tang Xi wasn’t normal. She had taken her out for a wild drive, burning with anger, and now she was driving calmly and slowly, actually taking her home. How strange.

She instinctively felt Tang Xi was brewing up something bad, planning a grand scheme. Wasn’t this the calm before the storm?

“Nothing.” She shook her head in denial, deciding the phone call could wait, and turned her head to look out the window.

Summer weather changed fast. Yesterday was a storm; today was bright sunshine. Now, the sky was filled with stars, winking down at the slow-moving car below.

She looked up slightly, seeing the stars in the sky. She felt an unexplainable sense of security.

“Girlfriend?”

A voice came from the side. She instinctively turned her head, and a kiss landed on her cheek unexpectedly.

Looking up, she met Tang Xi’s slightly teasing eyes, which were brighter than the stars in the sky.

Yu Li quickly turned away, touching her cheek, giving Tang Xi the cold shoulder.

It wasn’t affection. It couldn’t be called affection at all. Tang Xi just kissed her because she wanted to, she was her girlfriend, after all. Tang Xi straightened up, the tease in her eyes instantly disappearing.

The car had stopped on the side of the road. Yu Li checked the navigation; there was still one-third of the journey left.

She didn’t take it too seriously. After all, she had been kissed once at the Tang house, as long as it wasn’t lip-to-lip.

Her mother also kissed her cheek or sometimes her forehead when they hadn’t seen each other for a while, so this didn’t count. The time at the Tang house didn’t count either.

Both returned to their seats. The car started again, this time at a normal speed. They arrived outside the apartment complex shortly.

It was only nine o’clock, but life in the old neighborhood wasn’t vibrant at night. The plaza dance had finished at eight, leaving a group of kids wandering around, strolling from one streetlamp to the next.

Yu Li couldn’t open the car door. The passenger side was locked by Tang Xi. She turned her head to look at her, hoping she would unlock it.

“Stay and eat with me. I was busy all evening and didn’t have time to eat.” Tang Xi met Yu Li’s gaze and gestured toward the convenience store across the street.

“Instant noodles?” Yu Li choked up, surprised that a young lady would eat convenience food from a store.

Tang Xi countered, “Is there a problem?”

Yu Li had no objection. They both got out and went into the store, where Tang Xi expertly ordered a tea egg and a steamed bun from the clerk.

The young lady was indeed very familiar with convenience stores, even paying expertly.

Yu Li pointed a finger at Tang Xi and whispered to her not to eat the steamed bun, as it was leftover from the morning.

Tang Xi didn’t listen, merely taking the plastic bag expressionlessly, then asking Yu Li what she wanted to eat.

Yu Li shook her head. She had no money and didn’t want to borrow from Tang Xi. Besides, she had food at home.

Tang Xi nodded. They left the convenience store just like that.

Yu Li quietly followed Tang Xi. The car was parked nearby. Occasionally, passersby would glance at it.

At that moment, she remembered what her mother’s colleagues had said: Miss Xi, though she seemed to have a bad temper, wasn’t a bad person.

She had spoken politely to the store clerk just now. She just wasn’t smiling.

Then why did she treat her like that in the beginning?

Taking photos of her birthmark wasn’t enough. Later, she was pressed down in the equipment room, and her clothes were lifted she took pictures then, too.

And later, the music room, and even in a private place like the Tang family home, she was touched and fondled.

Was it because Tang Nianyi was special to her? Or was it something else? Did she intentionally want to do that? Did she target her because she seemed easy to bully?

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice when the person in front of her stopped, crashing right into her.

Tang Xi was fine, still standing still. The one who crashed into her stumbled back several steps.

A gust of night wind blew over, rustling the leaves. Yu Li looked up. The first thing she saw wasn’t the stationary Tang Xi, but the girl standing under the utility pole across the street.

The wind lifted both their hair the bold red and the quiet black sparing no one.

The scene Yu Li least wanted to see had appeared.

She met Qi Xue’s dark, deep eyes, where emotions churned a volcano covered in ice and snow was beginning to melt.

Qi Xue seemed to have a lot to say, but the only words that truly came out were: “Xiao Li, why are you coming back so late?”

She selectively ignored Tang Xi.

Yu Li lowered her head, the area where she was touched heating up again, filled with shame.

“I was held up by something.” She replied to Qi Xue glumly, being secretive about Tang Xi’s presence.

“Your friend?”

Tang Xi, however, refused to be left out of the interaction. Her sharp gaze swept over Qi Xue. Declaring her ownership, she reached out to take Yu Li’s hand, her voice carrying a hint of intimacy.

She had a bet with Jian Mingyue for a villa. If it turned out Yu Li already had a girlfriend at home, that wouldn’t look good.

Yu Li immediately tried to pull away, but she was the girlfriend Tang Xi had agreed to. How could she break free? Her hand was enclosed, waving openly in front of Qi Xue, making the other girl’s face darken.

“Don’t do that…” Yu Li used her other hand to push Tang Xi, unwilling to admit their relationship.

Seeing her reluctance, Qi Xue quickly walked over, intending to help Yu Li, but was stopped by a light statement from Tang Xi.

“Girlfriend, who is she?”

The dim streetlights silently witnessed this moment of quiet commotion.

The environment was dead silent, making Tang Xi’s voice exceptionally clear, like a sudden clap of thunder that stunned both Yu Li and Qi Xue.

Yu Li hadn’t thought Tang Xi would be so blatant about it, right in front of Qi Xue.

Since they established this relationship, Tang Xi no longer called her Jiejie, but “girlfriend.” Yu Li hadn’t stopped her then, and now this was the result.

She didn’t even dare to look at Qi Xue, feeling she had deeply disappointed her.

The neighborhood had been quiet lately, with little gossip. Now, her situation had become a topic of widespread discussion. She had heard enough of the rumors about her being kept or something similar.

People who knew nothing would come and sermonize her about being a good person and not taking shortcuts.

Now, this essentially confirmed the gossip to Qi Xue.

“Qi Xue,”

She wanted to reach out with her other hand to pull Qi Xue. She wanted to explain, but what was there to explain? Being Tang Xi’s girlfriend was her own choice. The Tang family was not something the two of them could fight against. Telling Qi Xue would only drag her into the mess.

Tang Xi had killed someone; they simply couldn’t win.

She looked up at Qi Xue, opened her lips, but the words failed her again.

Qi Xue’s brow furrowed tightly. Her eyes were fixed on Yu Li. She reached out and firmly grasped Yu Li’s hand, her face full of disbelief: “Did she force you?”

Tang Xi scoffed. She glanced at Qi Xue and said, “This… friend. What do you mean by that? We’re in a lawful society. Could I force her to be my girlfriend?”

She was still holding Yu Li’s hand, a legitimate girlfriend, a title claimed by her own means. Now, in front of the two girls, she looked like an evil villain, tearing apart a loving couple.

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