Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 20

20: Tracking

Since there was no need to go to work, Gu Xi could focus on writing. She glanced at her phone—it was almost 10 a.m., and the alarm hadn’t gone off. Checking the alarm, she muttered in confusion, “Huh, why was the time changed? System, do you know anything about this?”

Ding~ The Jinjiang System isn’t a surveillance camera!

“Alright, fine.” Gu Xi reset the alarm to 8 a.m. without thinking much of it. After washing up, she went downstairs.

Aunt Lan was mopping the floor at the time. Seeing Gu Xi come down, she asked, “It’s almost time for lunch. Would you like a simple breakfast, Gu Xi?”

Gu Xi noticed Mo Yuze sitting on the sofa, looking somewhat dejected. She shook her head. “No need, Aunt Lan. I just woke up and I’m not hungry yet. I’ll just have lunch later. By the way, are you still delivering food to Luo Ningshuang today?”

Aunt Lan smiled. “No need. Ningshuang will be back for lunch. You guys chat; I’m going upstairs to tidy up.”

“Okay.”

Gu Xi sat down next to Mo Yuze, patted her shoulder, and teased with a smile, “What’s wrong? Heartbroken? Did Lan Qingxue dump you?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? She’s the one chasing me, okay? I haven’t even agreed to anything, so how could I be heartbroken?” Mo Yuze snapped back, clearly unimpressed.

“Is that so? My bad, then.” Gu Xi was about to get up and return to her room to write when Mo Yuze grabbed her sleeve.

After a moment of hesitation, Mo Yuze’s expression showed some inner conflict. She said reluctantly, “Well, this morning, after she got a phone call, she just left without saying a word. I’m just a bit annoyed, that’s all. So rude!”

What a lame excuse. Gu Xi sat back down and smirked. “That’s a weak reason. If you don’t spill what’s really on your mind, or if you’re still planning to flit through a field of flowers without letting a single petal stick to you, I’m not wasting my time listening to your nonsense.”

“Ugh, fine, I’ll talk!” Seeing Gu Xi about to leave, Mo Yuze finally gave in.

“Go on.”

Mo Yuze organized her thoughts and said slowly, “It’s like this. Lan Qingxue is usually super clingy, right? But last night, she was acting totally out of character. She slept on the edge of the bed, practically falling off, and refused to come even a little closer to me.”

“Maybe she’s afraid she wouldn’t be able to resist jumping you?” Gu Xi thought for a moment and answered seriously.

“No way! I’m the dominant one here. I’d be the one pinning her.” Mo Yuze retorted confidently.

Gu Xi snorted. “Oh, really? Do you dare?”

“Nope.” Mo Yuze deflated instantly.

Though Gu Xi wasn’t exactly a love expert, anyone could see from Mo Yuze’s lovesick demeanor that Lan Qingxue was special to her. Perhaps that was why she hadn’t made a move on her. “You like Lan Qingxue, don’t you?”

Mo Yuze shook her head vehemently. “No way, impossible. I’ve always seen her as a friend, a good sister.”

Gu Xi thought for a moment, then gave a sly smile. “Actually, it’s easy to find out if you like her or not. Just find a chance to pin her down. If you don’t like her, you won’t feel anything.”

Mo Yuze mulled it over, thinking it made some sense but also feeling like something was off.

Gu Xi pressed further. “If you try it and realize you don’t like her, you won’t be so conflicted anymore, right? You’ll also have a solid reason to turn her down.”

Mo Yuze nodded, feeling like Gu Xi had a point. But then she remembered the morning phone call and grumbled, “That makes sense, but it seems like she’s got someone else.”

“How do you know she has someone else?”

Mo Yuze explained, “Didn’t I just say she got a call and left? It was a guy’s voice, and it sounded like they were meeting at Moyou Café. Hmph.”

“What the heck? Your girl’s about to be stolen, and you’re just sitting here wallowing in misery? Go track her down and scope out the situation!” Gu Xi slapped her thigh, exasperated, like an anxious bystander watching an oblivious emperor.

Mo Yuze felt like something was off about Gu Xi’s logic, but her mind was such a mess she couldn’t pinpoint what. Seeing Mo Yuze still frozen, Gu Xi, frustrated, pulled her up and dragged her toward the door. “I’m coming with you to spy on the enemy. Hurry up! Do you still want to pin Lan Qingxue down or not? If someone else snatches her, you’ll be left with nothing!”

That made sense. Mo Yuze perked up, grabbed Gu Xi, and started leading the way. “Why are you so slow? Hurry up!”

Gu Xi: “…”

As they stepped out the door, Mo Yuze looked around in confusion and turned back. “I forgot—I don’t have a car.”

Gu Xi was speechless but silently pulled out her phone. “I’ll call the driver to take us.”

“No way, by the time he gets here, it’ll be too late. Let’s take a taxi!” Mo Yuze dragged Gu Xi toward the community gate.

Gu Xi was getting exhausted from running. Just moments ago, Mo Yuze was moving like a turtle, and now she was sprinting like a rabbit. Dragged along, Gu Xi started to regret meddling. So much for writing time.

Luckily, their neighborhood was in a bustling area, so getting a taxi was easy. Gu Xi let out a sigh of relief, only to burst into tears when they reached their destination.

“You didn’t bring money?” Gu Xi wailed.

“Come on, I got kicked out of my house and my cards were frozen. Where would I get money?” Mo Yuze shrugged, looking shamelessly unbothered.

“Hey, you two girls look all cute and innocent, but you’re not trying to skip out on the fare, are you?” the driver said.

“Alright, alright, I’ll pay!” Gu Xi, not wanting to argue with Mo Yuze, pulled out her phone. “I don’t have cash, but I’ll pay with my phone, okay?”

After paying, the driver grumbled, “So slow, wasting my time.” Gu Xi was ready to strangle Mo Yuze. Her money! She should’ve just called the driver.

“Chill, don’t look so miserable over a hundred bucks. I’ll pay you back a hundredfold later, okay?” Mo Yuze said, rolling her eyes. Luo Ningshuang was so rich, yet Gu Xi was this stingy. What a perfect match.

Gu Xi calmed herself down. The money was already spent, no use getting mad now. But she wasn’t letting Mo Yuze off easily. “For a rich girl like you, a hundredfold is too little. I went out of my way to help you pin Lan Qingxue. A thousandfold, at least.”

“No problem. A thousandfold is just 100,000. Let’s go inside already,” Mo Yuze agreed without hesitation, making Gu Xi feel like she’d aimed too low. She recalled something Luo Ningshuang once said that hit home—she really lacked ambition. Tears welled up.

Just as they were about to enter, Mo Yuze suddenly veered off, dragging Gu Xi toward a clothing store. “No, we can’t go in like this. I need a disguise.”

Wait, what? A disguise? You don’t even have money! But soon…

When they emerged from the store, Mo Yuze was decked out head to toe, wrapped up so tightly she looked a bit unhinged in the scorching heat.

“Wah, my money! I’m down to a thousand now. You better pay me back two million!” Gu Xi glared at Mo Yuze’s ridiculous getup, fuming.

“Fine, fine, two million, no problem. Let’s go—the guy’s already there!” Mo Yuze was swelteringly uncomfortable but dragged Gu Xi into the café. Thankfully, the air conditioning made it bearable.

Thanks to Mo Yuze’s antics, they looked suspiciously sneaky. Gu Xi felt like she was losing face.

Too late for regrets now.

When Mo Yuze spotted Lan Qingxue, she pulled Gu Xi to a nearby table.

The guy was sunny and handsome, giving Gu Xi a good first impression. He was cheerful, chatting and laughing with Lan Qingxue, occasionally teasing her playfully. They looked like a couple who’d been together for years.

“Damn it, she’s got someone else and still tried to flirt with me? Ugh…” Mo Yuze muttered curses, growing more aggrieved. This was exactly why she didn’t want to fall in love. She shouldn’t have come.

Gu Xi, listening to her endless muttering, didn’t know how to comfort her. Seeing tears in Mo Yuze’s eyes, she braced herself and said, “Why don’t you just go confront her? Sitting here crying won’t help!”

“No way. Why should I? She’s the one chasing me, saying she likes me. Why should I be the one chasing her? Worst case, I’ll hit the bar tonight and find a hotter girl.” Mo Yuze decided this plan was solid. It’d help her forget her troubles and tick off Lan Qingxue.

“But… do you have money?”

Mo Yuze: “…” Nope.

So frustrating! Mo Yuze was about to ask Gu Xi for a loan when Gu Xi cut her off. “Don’t even think about it. You’ve already borrowed from me twice and haven’t paid me back. You’ve got no credit with me. Pay me back first, then we’ll talk.”

Mo Yuze: “…”

Broke as she was, Mo Yuze was no better than a dead fish. So, she just flopped onto the table, playing dead.

“Excuse me, would you two like to order anything?” A waiter, noticing the sneaky duo sitting without ordering, cautiously approached.

Gu Xi: “…” No money, no order.

Mo Yuze, still slumped over, weakly raised two fingers and sighed, “Two coffees, thanks.”

“No, two glasses of water, please. Water’s free, right?” Gu Xi interrupted, shamelessly addressing the waiter. Her face and ears burned, but for the sake of saving money, she powered through.

“It’s free. Please wait a moment,” the waiter replied.

Gu Xi nudged the defeated Mo Yuze, who didn’t react. Noticing Lan Qingxue getting up to leave, she hurriedly said, “Qingxue’s about to go. Seize the chance, follow her, and get answers!”

“Not… going.”

Seeing Mo Yuze give up, Gu Xi’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Oh, my eyes! They’re having a goodbye kiss!”

As expected, Mo Yuze slammed the table in fury, startling the waiter who was bringing their water. The tray slipped, and the glasses shattered.

Gu Xi: “…” Great, more money to pay. She apologized to the waiter and paid for the broken glasses.

Lan Qingxue, hearing the commotion, looked over and said coldly, “Mo Yuze.”

Mo Yuze froze, realizing there was no kiss—Gu Xi had tricked her.

You sneaky Gu Xi, setting me up like that… I’m not paying you back, hmph!