I Am More Paranoid Than the Villain – Chapter 141

It’s an Extra Chapter

Yin and Xia Chapter 2

Consider this ring a gift for you.

After getting to know her for a while, Yin Ruxu realized something about Xia Ke. For a wealthy heiress, she had a certain naivete, a simplicity that came from being not familiar with the world’s affairs¹.

She was brave and confident, kind and warm. Her smile was so pure and genuine, like a little sun, that it made being around her incredibly comfortable.

“Ah Xu, that Shao Qi from our class is so cold and aloof. I really don’t get why so many people like him,” Xia Ke said, sitting on her bed with a shrug, looking utterly confused.

She finished with a happy laugh. “My dad really missed the mark this time.”

“You really don’t like Shao Qi?” Yin Ruxu asked cautiously.

Xia Ke shook her head without hesitation. She pulled her phone from her bag, gave it a little shake, and said, “I’m calling my dad.”

Yin Ruxu nodded.

The call connected almost instantly. “Dad,” Xia Ke said, her voice triumphant, “I don’t like Shao Qi. I’m not agreeing to this marriage.”

“Fine, it’s up to you,” Father Xia replied without a moment’s hesitation. “Does that mean you’re coming home now?”

“I’m studying abroad for a whole semester,” Xia Ke said, glancing over at Yin Ruxu. “And my roommate is great. No one’s giving me any trouble.”

“Alright, I get it. I’ll take good care of myself…”

A flicker of envy appeared in Yin Ruxu’s eyes as she listened to the sweet, wheedling tone in Xia Ke’s voice.

After Xia Ke hung up, Yin Ruxu smiled softly. “You and your dad are so close. It’s obvious he dotes on you.”

“I’m the only girl in the family. My dad has let me have my way my whole life, and my three brothers spoil me rotten, too,” Xia Ke said happily, her eyebrows arching. “I’ll introduce you to them later.”

“I’d like that,” Yin Ruxu replied with a polite nod, though she didn’t really take the offer to heart.

“We’re both free this afternoon, no classes. Let’s go shopping!” Xia Ke stood up excitedly, flinging open her closet. “Ah Xu, what do you think I should wear?”

Her closet was a wall of high-end luxury brands. The purses hanging on the side and the shoes lined up on the floor were all from famous designers.

Yin Ruxu stared, utterly astonished. A bitter feeling of inferiority began to well up inside her.

The clothes and accessories she wore were designer labels too, but next to Xia Ke’s collection, they felt like cheap imitations.

“Ah Xu, what do you think of this one?” Xia Ke asked, picking up the newest model of a designer handbag and twirling it on her arm.

“It’s lovely. It goes perfectly with that pale yellow dress you’re wearing,” Yin Ruxu said, forcing a light smile to push down her own insecurity.

“This one it is, then!” Xia Ke declared cheerfully, and started transferring her things into the new purse.

Standing beside her, Yin Ruxu quietly shifted her hand to cover the logo on her own purse.

“Ah Xu, if you like any of these, feel free to borrow one,” Xia Ke said with genuine sincerity.

“No, thank you,” Yin Ruxu said, shaking her head slightly as she forced herself to look away.

“Ah Xu, don’t be like that. We’re good friends! You can use anything of mine. Not just the bags and clothes—my makeup, too,” Xia Ke insisted, gently pushing Yin Ruxu in front of the open closet. “Go on, pick something you like.”

A jolt went through Yin Ruxu. She was filled with a simultaneous rush of longing and apprehension.

She loved designer brands. She yearned for a life of wealth and extravagance.

If anyone else had made such an offer, even if it were dripping with condescension, she would have accepted in a heartbeat. But faced with Xia Ke’s genuine sincerity, her own heart felt strangely unsettled.

“How about this pink dress and this matching bag?” Xia Ke said, smiling as she pulled them out and presented them to Yin Ruxu. “I’ve never even worn them, so they’re brand new.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Yin Ruxu said, shaking her head quickly and taking a step back. “Your things are too valuable. You should use them yourself. I have clothes.”

“What’s there to be polite about?” Xia Ke laughed, giving Yin Ruxu a gentle push toward the bathroom. “I’ll leave them on the counter for you. Come on out when you’re ready.”

With that, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Yin Ruxu stood alone in the bathroom, her mind a complete blank.

The very things she would exhaust all the heart’s machinery² to get were now being handed to her, just like that.

She stood there for a moment before picking up the handbag, a delighted smile finally breaking across her face.

She couldn’t help but sling it over her shoulder, turning this way and that in front of the mirror.

“Ah Xu, are you ready?” Xia Ke called out.

“Almost!” Yin Ruxu called back. She quickly changed into the dress and touched up her makeup.

She practiced a soft, obedient smile in the mirror, but a cunning light glinted deep within her gentle-looking eyes.

When Yin Ruxu emerged, Xia Ke’s eyes lit up. “Ah Xu, you look gorgeous!”

“Thank you.” Yin Ruxu pressed her lips into a small smile, then walked over and linked her arm through Xia Ke’s. Her voice was soft and natural. “So, Xiao Ke, where are we off to?”

Xia Ke seemed to zone out for a second, a faint blush creeping across her fair cheeks.

She gave a shy little smile, sneaking a peek at Yin Ruxu from the corner of her eye.

“Xiao Ke, is something wrong?” Yin Ruxu asked, looking up at her. Her expression was one of heavenly truth, brilliant and romantic³.

“It’s nothing,” Xia Ke said, quickly shaking her head and staring straight ahead.

The two of them hailed a cab and headed to the biggest mall downtown.

They shopped for the entire afternoon, but Xia Ke didn’t find anything she liked, so she left empty-handed.

As they were leaving through the ground floor, Yin Ruxu’s eyes landed on the jewelry section. “Let’s go look over there,” she suggested quietly.

Xia Ke nodded.

Yin Ruxu stopped at a counter and pointed to a platinum ring. “Could I please see this one?”

“Of course.” The clerk took out the ring and launched into an enthusiastic sales pitch.

Yin Ruxu tried it on. When she heard the price, her expression turned troubled.

She slipped the ring off her finger. “Thank you, but never mind.”

“If you like it, just keep it. It’s my treat.” Xia Ke reached out to stop her, pulling a card from her purse and handing it to the clerk. “We’ll take it.”

“Of course,” the clerk replied, accepting the card with a smile.

“Xiao Ke, I…” Yin Ruxu hurriedly set the ring down, looking flustered as she tried to intervene.

But before she could finish, the transaction was already complete.

Xia Ke put her card away.

She took the ring box from the clerk and smiled. “We’ve known each other for a bit, and I completely forgot to get you something when we first met. This isn’t even that expensive, so think of it as a belated first meeting gift⁴.”

“Thank you.” Yin Ruxu lowered her head, her heart swelling with joy as she clutched the small box.

Xia Ke glanced down. Seeing the pure joy on that innocent face, she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction.

With the ring purchased, the two of them headed for the exit.

Just as Xia Ke was about to hail a cab, her phone rang.

She answered it, her expression instantly turning cold. “Fine. I get it. I’m on my way now.”

“Xiao Ke, what’s wrong?” Yin Ruxu asked quietly, then quickly added, “I’m just asking. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“One of my uncles wants me to have dinner,” Xia Ke explained, her eyes full of apology. “Let me get a car for you so you can head back.”

“You should go. A friend of mine is actually nearby, so I think I’ll go see her,” Yin Ruxu said, waving gently.

“What friend?” Xia Ke asked instantly.

Yin Ruxu just smiled without answering and waved. “I’m heading out.”

And with that, she turned and started walking down the street.

Xia Ke remained standing there, a sudden, uncomfortable feeling settling in her stomach.

She frowned, then got into a taxi.

Walking down the street, Yin Ruxu made no move to find the friend she’d mentioned. Instead, she took the ring box from her purse, opened it, and slowly slid the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand.

She held up her hand, admiring the diamond as it caught the light.

“Yin Ruxu? What are you doing here?” A woman’s teasing voice came from nearby. “I heard you were single again. We haven’t seen you out at all.”

The woman’s eyes then fell to Yin Ruxu’s hand, and her expression shifted to one of knowing amusement. “See? I knew you wouldn’t be bored for long. That ring looks expensive. Who bought it for you?”

At her words, Yin Ruxu immediately dropped her hand to her side.

She curled her fingers into a fist, hiding the ring from view. “My roommate gave it to me.”

“Your roommate?” The woman roared with laughter, her face etched with disbelief. “Let me see it.”

She reached out to grab Yin Ruxu’s hand.

Yin Ruxu sidestepped her, pulling her hand back.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t we always share?” the woman demanded, her expression turning sour. “I’ve shared plenty of my good fortune with you before.”

“It’s just a stupid ring! Why are you being so secretive about it?” she said, her voice rising with irritation.

Yin Ruxu bit her lip, her eyes clouding with a complex emotion.

After a moment of silence, she tucked her hand behind her back. “I’m sorry. This one is special.”

“Special?” The woman arched an eyebrow, a mocking smile spreading across her lips. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for this gold master⁵?”

“I have not,” Yin Ruxu retorted instantly. She froze for a second, then continued in a softer tone, “She’s my roommate. Not a gold master.”

“Well, your roommate sounds like a real fool,” the woman sneered, her laughter growing. “If she’s that gullible, why don’t you introduce her to me?”

“She’s just a naive girl,” Yin Ruxu said, the refusal coming out automatically.

“The more naive, the better. And I don’t mind that she’s a woman,” the woman said with a confident smirk.

Yin Ruxu froze. It took a long moment for the woman’s meaning to sink in.

“A woman… with another woman? How is that possible?” she asked, her tone a mixture of disbelief and bewilderment.

“Why not?” The woman arched an eyebrow, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Women’s bodies are soft and smell good. And they’re easy to coax.”

Hearing the conversation turn so explicit, Yin Ruxu’s eyes flickered. She gave a light laugh. “It’s getting late. I need to get back to campus.”

Before the woman could reply, Yin Ruxu had already flagged down a cab.

She jumped in and gave the driver the address for the university.

Back in her dorm room, Yin Ruxu stared at the ring, and her heart began to beat inexplicably faster.

She took the ring off and placed it carefully back in its box.

After a moment of thought, she pulled out her phone. Biting her lip, she typed into the search bar: ‘relationships between women’.

Yin Ruxu’s eyes widened as she stared at the dense walls of text that filled the screen.

She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth as a blush crept up her neck and flooded her face.

More than an hour had passed by the time she finally looked up from the screen.

Yin Ruxu took a deep breath.

A fresh wave of heat washed over her face as she thought about what she had just read.

She looked over at Xia Ke’s empty bed, her gaze turning deep and unreadable.

After a moment, as if she’d finally come to a decision, a delighted smile spread across her lips.

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