Accidentally Pursued The Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 18
Xie Qiaoyu had changed her clothes, which was why Shen Mian didn’t recognize her immediately. After observing Xie Qiaoyu’s every move and confirming that the person meeting Lu Jingchen was Xie Qiaoyu, Shen Mian froze in place.
Upon hearing that Xie Qiaoyu was going to be Lu Jingchen’s private doctor, Shen Mian mentally reviewed the novel’s plot again and understood the reason Xie Qiaoyu agreed to Lu Jingchen’s proposal.
It was because of the Xie family, but more accurately, it was for Xie Qiaoyu herself.
The book stated that the day after Xie Qiaoyu moved out of the Xie family, Xie Zhi showed up at her door and told her:
“Xie Qiaoyu, you think moving out of the Xie family is enough? Don’t forget, you’re still on Dad’s household registration book, right there on the page before mine.”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m here to help you today. As your good brother, I know you want to remove your page from the household register, but Dad won’t give you the book, right?”
“Brother can help you with this. The condition is simple. In a month, there’s an investment fair, you know about it? If you help your brother get Lu Jingchen’s tender document, I’ll help you move your household registration. You know, even though Dad won’t agree to remove your registration, I can easily get the household register and quietly move you out.”
“As expected of my good sister, your brother awaits your good news.”
Xie Qiaoyu agreed to Xie Zhi, and at the same time, she agreed to Lu Jingchen, who also approached her. After signing the contract, she successfully moved into Lu Jingchen’s house.
During her half-month stay at Lu Jingchen’s home, Xie Qiaoyu took half a month to make Lu Jingchen fall in love with her. Similarly, and logically, Xie Qiaoyu secretly peeked at the prices written in Lu Jingchen’s tender document.
At the appointed time with Xie Zhi, Xie Qiaoyu gave him the document. Xie Zhi, in turn, also removed Xie Qiaoyu from Xie Yangzheng’s household register.
During the investment fair, Xie Zhi, knowing that Xie Qiaoyu was with Lu Jingchen, came up with a plan. He sat next to Lu Jingchen and told him about Xie Qiaoyu secretly looking at the tender document, aiming to make the two break up.
Initially, Lu Jingchen didn’t believe it, but upon hearing the Xie family’s bid, which was announced first, Lu Jingchen believed Xie Zhi was telling the truth.
However, the price Xie Qiaoyu gave the Xie family was 100,000 less than what was written in his tender document.
Xie Qiaoyu had given the Xie family a fake tender document.
The investment fair ended. Lu Jingchen, feeling betrayed, wanted to confront Xie Qiaoyu for an explanation, but upon returning home, he found that Xie Qiaoyu had already moved out.
She had vanished without a trace.
“…”
And now, there was only half a month until the investment fair described in the book.
This meant the plot had begun.
Meeting Lu Jingchen and Xie Qiaoyu at the restaurant was something she hadn’t experienced in her previous life, because after Shen Xiu returned from filming, she had gone out to party with friends; there was no such warm and romantic thing as a sibling gathering.
Shen Mian paused for a moment before stepping towards Xie Qiaoyu.
She had to stop Xie Qiaoyu.
Because in that half-month, not only did Lu Jingchen fall in love with Xie Qiaoyu, but Xie Qiaoyu also fell in love with Lu Jingchen. However, this was only discovered when Xie Qiaoyu saw Lu Jingchen again after she had left.
Although Shen Mian had planted the idea in Xie Qiaoyu’s mind that Lu Jingchen had issues and a fiancée, Shen Mian couldn’t guarantee that Xie Qiaoyu, even knowing all this, wouldn’t still fall in love with Lu Jingchen, controlled by the novel’s character setting.
Who knew that as she approached, she would hear Lu Jingchen threatening Xie Qiaoyu? Shen Mian endured her physical discomfort and blurted out a retort.
Because she was too close to Lu Jingchen, Shen Mian’s body’s abnormality caused her to immediately grab Xie Qiaoyu’s hand after speaking.
The moment she heard Shen Mian’s voice, Xie Qiaoyu retracted the cold light in her eyes, replaced by a gentleness contrary to her coolness.
What Shen Mian didn’t notice was that as she placed her hand over Xie Qiaoyu’s, Xie Qiaoyu gripped her hand in return.
Even as Shen Mian responded to Lu Jingchen, Xie Qiaoyu’s thumb was still rubbing the back of Shen Mian’s hand.
During their eye contact with Lu Jingchen, Shen Mian lost the battle as she couldn’t resist looking down at Xie Qiaoyu because her hand felt itchy.
Shen Mian whispered, “Sister Qiaoyu.” Her tone carried a hint of unwillingness and pleading.
Unwillingness because she was the first to look away in that gaze, and pleading for Xie Qiaoyu to stop tickling her.
Xie Qiaoyu understood. She stopped her playful thumb and replied, “My apologies.”
Lu Jingchen observed their small interaction, taking it all in.
He felt more confused about Shen Mian. He could sense that Shen Mian’s attitude towards him was not like before.
He didn’t know since when, but Shen Mian would tightly follow him whenever she saw him, constantly calling him “Brother” in a sweet, high-pitched voice.
Several times, he had seen the anger in Shen Zhixing’s eyes when Shen Mian called him ‘Brother Jingchen’. And Shen Zhixing’s reaction was what Lu Jingchen wanted to see, so Lu Jingchen had never refused Shen Mian calling him brother.
Lu Jingchen swirled the red wine glass in his hand, chuckled softly, and asked, “Why don’t you call me brother anymore?”
Shen Mian looked at Lu Jingchen, her mind filled with her experiences in prison in her previous life. Suppressing the disgust and hatred in her heart, Shen Mian asked, “I only have two brothers, and they both have the surname Shen. May I ask which one you are?”
Lu Jingchen frowned, then his brow arched. He said coldly, “Haven’t seen you in a few days, you’ve grown up.” *She’s even talking back now. I wonder how the Shen family spoiled her.*
*But we just met at the bar yesterday,* Shen Mian gritted her teeth and smiled. “You’ve also gotten much older.”
The moment Shen Mian’s words faded, Xie Qiaoyu appropriately let out a laugh.
The coldness in Lu Jingchen’s eyes deepened upon hearing Xie Qiaoyu’s laughter.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Young Master Lu. How about I propose a toast to you?”
Shen Mian asked a waiter for an empty wine glass, then naturally picked up the red wine bottle standing on the table and poured herself a glass.
When the liquid flowed down the glass, filling it halfway, Shen Mian raised her glass towards Lu Jingchen and said, “To you.”
Shen Xiu’s voice suddenly rang out from behind, “Xiao Mian? What are you standing here for? Brother’s almost here.”
And Shen Mian seemed startled by the sudden voice. The hand holding the wine glass trembled, and the grape-red liquid flew out of the glass, spilling onto Lu Jingchen’s shirt.
Lu Jingchen’s pristine white shirt was stained with several drops of red in the middle.
Upon seeing the abrupt color on Lu Jingchen’s shirt, Shen Mian quickly changed the joyful expression in her eyes.
She did it on purpose.
Since Lu Jingchen was threatening Xie Qiaoyu for no reason, Shen Mian had no choice but to ‘tease’ him a little with this method.
Because they were around a corner, Shen Xiu didn’t see Lu Jingchen and Xie Qiaoyu, only Shen Mian standing by the table.
When Shen Xiu walked up to Shen Mian, he finally noticed Xie Qiaoyu and Lu Jingchen.
Shen Xiu first saw Xie Qiaoyu holding Shen Mian’s hand. “Teacher Xie?”
Then Shen Xiu looked across to Xie Qiaoyu’s opposite seat and saw Lu Jingchen, exclaiming in surprise, “Oh, Young Master Lu is here too?”
“So the client Teacher Xie mentioned was Young Master Lu?” Shen Xiu clicked his tongue, quickly noticing Lu Jingchen’s livid face, the stains on his clothes, and the wine glass in Shen Mian’s hand.
He could figure out what had happened just by looking.
Shen Xiu took a step forward, shielding Shen Mian behind him. As he did so, he smoothly took the wine glass from Shen Mian’s hand. After drinking it all, he said to Lu Jingchen, “But Young Master Lu, what’s with your clothes? Doing business with our Teacher Xie dressed like this? Isn’t that a bit disrespectful?”
Lu Jingchen looked at Shen Mian, then at the wine glass in Shen Xiu’s hand.
Shen Xiu pretended not to notice Lu Jingchen’s implied gaze, licked his upper lip with the tip of his tongue, and evaluated with narrowed eyes, “This wine is quite good. Young Master Lu should drink more.” As he spoke, the smile in Shen Xiu’s eyes didn’t reach them.
Shen Xiu sighed. “If it weren’t for our sibling gathering, I would definitely have a drink with Young Master Lu. It’s truly a pity.”
Shen Xiu put down the wine glass, the bottom of the glass hitting the table with a crisp clink, indicating how much force the person placing it had used. “Well then, Young Master Lu, Teacher Xie, I’ll take my little sister and leave first. After all, our eldest brother will be here soon.”
Shen Xiu immediately pulled Shen Mian and turned to walk towards their table.
Xie Qiaoyu glanced at Lu Jingchen’s stern face, also smiling without warmth in her eyes. “My apologies, Mr. Lu. This is where we’ll stop for today. I’ll be leaving now.”
Before Lu Jingchen could nod, Xie Qiaoyu picked up her bag and walked out. However, after only a few steps, she saw Shen Mian waiting for her in the distance.
Xie Qiaoyu walked to Shen Mian’s side, raised her hand to smooth Shen Mian’s right-side hair, and asked softly, “Why are you waiting here?”
“I wanted to see if Sister Qiaoyu would leave.” Shen Mian was afraid she hadn’t successfully caused enough trouble and hadn’t interrupted Xie Qiaoyu and Lu Jingchen’s ‘date’.
“Now that you’ve seen, hurry and find your brother.”
“What about you?” Shen Mian asked.
“Me?” Xie Qiaoyu chuckled. “Home.”
Shen Mian, thinking that Xie Qiaoyu might have fallen for her brother, suddenly had a flash of inspiration to play matchmaker. She quickly grabbed Xie Qiaoyu’s wrist and said anxiously, “Don’t go home! Come eat with us!”
“You’re having a family gathering; I shouldn’t intrude.” Despite Shen Mian’s enthusiastic invitation, Xie Qiaoyu couldn’t refuse outright. She only said, “How about I just go and say hello to the two of them?”
“That’s great!” Shen Mian nodded. As long as Xie Qiaoyu could see Shen Zhixing, that was enough. Matters of the heart would take their natural course; she just had to subtly set them up.
As Shen Mian led Xie Qiaoyu towards their table, they happened to meet Shen Zhixing, who had just arrived.
Afraid of disturbing others in the aisle, Shen Mian waved at Shen Zhixing and called out softly, “Brother.”
Shen Zhixing nodded at Shen Mian, then said to Xie Qiaoyu, “Miss Xie.”
Shen Mian smiled upon hearing Shen Zhixing’s words. Her brother usually wouldn’t easily greet girls, so the fact that he proactively greeted Xie Qiaoyu made Shen Mian think there was a good chance.
“You’re already so familiar, why are you still calling her Miss Xie? Calling her Qiaoyu is much better,” Shen Mian said, then turned to ask Xie Qiaoyu, “Don’t you agree, Sister Qiaoyu?”
Shen Xiu: “No manners.”
Shen Zhixing ignored Shen Mian and looked at Xie Qiaoyu, asking, “Miss Xie, why are you here?”
Xie Qiaoyu: “Dining with a client.”
Shen Zhixing: “Finished eating?”
Xie Qiaoyu: “Yes.”
Shen Mian: “Didn’t eat.”
Shen Zhixing: “?”
Shen Mian: “I saw it; Sister Qiaoyu’s plate was clean. She definitely didn’t eat anything. Brother, how about we invite Sister Qiaoyu to eat with us?”
Shen Zhixing nodded in agreement, while Shen Xiu remained silent.
Shen Mian looked at Shen Xiu, not understanding how the person who had just been so clever in helping her retort against Lu Jingchen now lacked any perception. “Second Brother, did your gentlemanly demeanor run away?”
Shen Xiu: “I was just wondering if you had asked Teacher Xie’s opinion.”
Shen Xiu had overheard Shen Mian’s conversation with Xie Qiaoyu just now. Xie Qiaoyu clearly understood more than her naive sister, knowing that it wouldn’t be appropriate for an outsider to join a family gathering.
Xie Qiaoyu smiled faintly. “I just came to say hello. I’m preparing to leave now.”