Chapter 31: Blatantly Hidden Crush

Lin Yuran unbuckled her seatbelt in a flash, got out of the car, and strode toward the two figures up ahead.

“Lin Yiqun, what do you think you’re doing?”

Lin Yiqun was momentarily stunned at the sudden appearance of Lin Yuran. Her fierce tone only made it harder for him to respond.

Without hesitation, Lin Yuran reached out and tugged at the girl on his back. “Put her down,” she snapped. Then she turned her glare back on him. “What’s going on, Lin Yiqun?”

Lin Yiqun obediently let the girl down and steadied her, beginning to explain, “She got drunk at a bar. The staff called me to pick her up. A girl, drunk alone in a bar… it’s dangerous. We’re coworkers, and I live nearby, so I just…”

“So just what?” Lin Yuran, seething, punched him in the arm. “She got completely wasted, didn’t tell you her address, and since you live nearby, you figured you’d just bring her back to your place for the night?”

Lin Yiqun choked on the words ‘for the night,’ suddenly realizing how inappropriate it sounded.

Lin Yuran gave him a withering look, then glanced at the girl – Wang Xue. Sure, she dyed her hair back to black, but her tricks were as shameless as ever.

Wang Xue, feigning a drunken stupor, rested her head on Lin Yiqun’s shoulder and mumbled something incoherent.

Nice act. Lin Yuran rolled her eyes hard.

“Are you stupid, Lin Yiqun? She’s not even drunk! I saw her grinning behind your back just now in the car.”

She grabbed Wang Xue’s arm and pointed at Lin Yiqun’s supporting hand. “Let go of her. Now.”

Lin Yiqun obeyed, releasing her immediately.

“Hey, wake up.” Lin Yuran shook Wang Xue twice by the arm. “Still pretending? You’re not getting your way tonight. Either you wake up now or sleep right here.”

The disguise was ripped off so bluntly that Wang Xue couldn’t keep up the act anymore. She crouched down, buried her head in her hands, and started sobbing out of sheer embarrassment.

“Did you really have to do that, Lin Yuran? I only acted this way because I like him so much it’s driving me insane. What’s wrong with fighting for love?”

Lin Yuran nearly laughed from the absurdity. “And you think you’re the only one who’s ever been crazy about someone? No one else acts like you.” She swept a cold glance toward Chi Ye, who was leaning casually against the Cullinan, watching the whole thing like a spectator.

The words shameless woman were right at the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back, out of solidarity, perhaps.

Wang Xue stopped speaking, but the tears came harder, louder. People began to gather around.

It was humiliating. Lin Yuran wanted to leave, but not until this whole mess was resolved. The crowd grew, and some even started whispering amongst themselves, speculating.

Maybe realizing how ridiculous she looked, Wang Xue abruptly stood up, wiped her tears, pushed her way out of the crowd, hailed a passing taxi, and left. Once she was gone, the onlookers dispersed too.

Lin Yiqun stood there silently, scratching his head, unsure what to say.

Fuming, Lin Yuran rushed forward and pounded his chest. “You idiot! Someone was planning to surprise you tonight, and you had to go pull this stunt? Are you trying to kill me with rage?!”

Lin Yiqun didn’t say a word, taking the beating in silence.

Then Chi Ye’s tall figure cast a shadow over her. His voice was soft, but detached. “Still coming with me?”

Only then did Lin Yuran remember she had left Chi Ye standing off to the side all this time. He didn’t look happy, and rightfully so.

Lin Yuran immediately stopped hitting Lin Yiqun and turned to Chi Ye, apologetic. “Yes, I’m coming.”

But just as she turned to leave, Lin Yiqun grabbed her arm. “Wait. You never told me what the surprise was.”

He had the audacity to ask?

Lin Yuran scowled. “Like hell I’m telling you, you dumb dog.”

Chi Ye’s brow furrowed slightly, and without a word, he turned and walked back toward the Cullinan. Lin Yuran hurried to catch up.

When they reached the car, he suddenly stopped and looked at Lin Yuran, eyes dim. After a long pause, he gave a bitter smile and said hoarsely, “Lin Yuran, it seems like I never get you right.”

With that, he sighed, as if all the energy had been drained from him, and opened the car door for her.

“What do you mean?” Lin Yuran asked, confused.

“Nothing,” Chi Ye gave a tired laugh, his tone resigned, as though he’d finally given up. He tilted his head slightly to signal her to get in.

Lin Yuran bit her lip and slid into the passenger seat.

Chi Ye closed the door behind her. Through the dark tinted window, he stared at her profile for a moment. His Adam’s apple bobbed subtly as he whispered, “So… this is what your jealousy looks like.”

He pressed his lips into a line, lowered his gaze to hide the disappointment in his eyes, and walked around to the driver’s side. Once inside, Chi Ye didn’t start the car right away. He stared coldly past Lin Yuran’s shoulder, eyes fixed on Lin Yiqun still lingering outside.

The air inside the car grew tense.

Lin Yuran blinked at him, not understanding.

Finally, Chi Ye asked, “Lin Yuran, just one question. What exactly is your relationship with Lin Yiqun?”

It was then she realized she’d never properly explained it to him. She’d always thought it wasn’t her place, or not necessary. And maybe it still wasn’t.

But this time, she wanted to explain. Especially after the scene earlier, it was easy to get the wrong idea.

“Lin Yiqun and I are childhood friends. We grew up together, so we’re just used to looking out for each other,” Lin Yuran said quietly. “That girl was clearly trying to trap him, and I didn’t want him to fall for it, so…”

Chi Ye scoffed. “A grown man… what’s there to fall for?”

Lin Yuran bit her lip. “Why can’t a man be taken advantage of?”

“Fine,” Chi Ye sighed. “If things change between you two, give me a heads-up.”

Lin Yuran understood what he meant all too clearly. She opened her mouth to explain further, but Chi Ye’s phone rang abruptly, cutting her off. He answered, listened for a few seconds, and said, “Alright, I’ll be there in a bit.”

He hung up without another word, glanced out the window, then slammed on the gas. The car tore off into the night like a shadow slicing through the city.

Whatever Lin Yuran had meant to say was no longer the right thing to say.

She wasn’t good at meddling in others’ business, and Lin Yiqun and Su Yirou weren’t at a stage where things could be made public yet. So she simply stayed quiet.

When she got home, Lin Yuran rode the wave of inspiration from earlier and painted deep into the night.

The next morning, she had planned to sleep in, but remembering her trip to the arena with Chi Ye, she got up early and took her time doing her makeup.

As usual, he was waiting for her at the neighborhood gate, leaning against his car.

He wore the same tailored black suit as the day before. His Windsor-knotted tie was perfectly neat, but it couldn’t hide his casual nonchalance. A faint weariness hung over his brows, not fatigue, exactly, but a kind of decadent charm.

Lin Yuran walked over, eyeing the dark circles under his eyes. “Did you not sleep well?”

Chi Ye shook his head slightly. He didn’t look like he was in a good mood today, and he didn’t seem interested in talking. Lin Yuran wisely didn’t push.

Only after getting into the passenger seat did she realize it wasn’t the same car as yesterday. Still a Rolls-Royce, the Spirit of Ecstasy emblem gleamed on the hood, but the interior was totally different.

A ridiculous thought flickered through her mind. She dismissed it as too far-fetched and moved on.

That day, Zhang Kun and Ye Shaowen came to watch the match too.

Seeing Chi Ye, Zhang Kun grinned. “Chi Ye, you’re a legend. You got that drunk yesterday, and still managed to drag yourself out of bed today?”

Hearing this, Lin Yuran turned to glance at Chi Ye. And felt a sudden pang of guilt.

Chi Ye looked back at her but didn’t say a word. His mood was so obvious that even Zhang Kun dropped the teasing.

The competition had morning and afternoon sessions. After watching the Lone Wolf team’s match, Lin Yuran planned to return to the base to sketch out the inspiration she’d just captured.

Chi Ye said he needed a nap at the office and offered to drop her off.

Once in the car, Lin Yuran couldn’t help but ask, “Why the car change, Chi Ye?”

Chi Ye lazily replied, “Needed a mood shift.”

That answer lifted something heavy from her chest. She caught his words and added, “Mood shift’s fine, but how come your mood still seems off? Shouldn’t you be shifting into something better?”

Chi Ye turned to look at her. “Lin Nuotao, are you trying to cheer me up?”

“If that’s how you want to take it.” Lin Yuran bit her lip, then added, “Mostly, I just don’t want your mood to mess with my creative energy.”

Chi Ye chuckled. “Say one more thing to cheer me up, and I’ll be happy.”

…This is getting weirdly flirty. Lin Yuran muttered, then cleared her throat. “Nope. That’s all.”

Chi Ye laughed again.

— — — 

The third day of the National Day holiday.

Lin Yuran left the house right on schedule. At the gate, Security Officer Xiao Liu waved her down. “Your boyfriend sure is loaded, switching luxury cars like outfits.”

She followed his gaze.

Chi Ye stood cool and aloof on the other side of the road, next to a sleek, all-black supercar with a carbon-fiber body. The car’s razor-sharp lines and glossy piano-black finish were both wild and refined, a masterpiece on wheels.

Together, man and machine drew every eye on the street. Passersby stopped in their tracks, whipping out their phones to capture the top-tier ride, and maybe him, too.

Another car swap?

The first time, maybe the original was borrowed. But now, two swaps in two days?

Her words from two days ago, ‘I thought I’d never ride in a car like this in my life.’ replayed in her mind. That ridiculous thought returned.

She shook it off, deciding to observe a bit longer.

Lin Yuran walked up and looked openly at the car’s lines. “Chi Ye, this car is wild. What is it?”

Chi Ye raised a brow, smirking, and opened the door for her. “Look it up yourself.”

Unbothered, Lin Yuran snapped a photo and climbed into the passenger seat. She didn’t actually plan to search. She sent the photo to Xu Jianwei on WeChat: 【What car is this?】

Half a second later: 【Bugatti La Voiture Noire.】

Then another message popped up with a ding: 【There’s only one in the world. Super expensive. Close to two hundred million RMB. Where did you even see it?!】

Lin Yuran was stunned. The Bugatti growled to life, its roar splitting the sky.

Snapping out of it, she texted: 【Saw it parked on the street.】

Xu Jianwei: 【It’s so rare! Get more pics!】

Lin Yuran: 【Too late. It’s gone.】

Xu Jianwei: 【Was the owner hot?】

Lin Yuran looked at Chi Ye: 【Hot. But sis, remember, you have a boyfriend. Rein it in.】

Xu Jianwei replied with a ‘speechless’ meme.

That day’s match wasn’t critical, so Lin Yuran headed to the base to work on her sketches. Chi Ye picked her up again afterward. At her building, she told him, “I won’t be going tomorrow. I’ve got plans to visit an art exhibit with a friend.”

Chi Ye paused. “Ye Hui’s exhibit?”

Lin Yuran nodded. “Yeah.”

After a beat of silence, he tapped the steering wheel twice. “With whom?”

“Lin Yiqun.”

The corners of Chi Ye’s mouth twitched into something almost like a smirk, though his eyes didn’t smile. He frowned faintly. “You patched things up with him already?”

Lin Yuran blinked. “I wasn’t even mad at him to begin with.”

Chi Ye’s gaze sharpened. “Lin Yuran, is there really no one else? You’re willing to settle for this kind of treatment?”

“I’m not settling,” Lin Yuran replied instinctively. Then remembering the other night, she added, “Chi Ye, Lin Yiqun and I aren’t like that.”

He gave a slow, dragged-out ‘Oh,’ and said nothing more.

Lin Yuran reached for her seatbelt, sensing his sour mood. Just before stepping out, she turned back. “Don’t go getting drunk again, okay?”

Chi Ye blinked, then chuckled. “Lin Nuotao, what makes you think I was going to get drunk?”

Realizing how odd her comment sounded, Lin Yuran panicked. “Ah… no reason! Just talking nonsense.”

She fumbled to open the door and escape, but Chi Ye caught her sleeve. He leaned in, gazing into her eyes, half-smiling. “So you care?”

“N-no, not at all!”

He smirked. “Then why would you say that?”

He was so close she could feel the heat of his breath. The scent of his soap, a crisp, woody aroma, tickled her nerves.

Lin Yuran’s face flushed. “No reason.” She yanked her sleeve free. “My mouth slipped… I mean my brain slipped!” She bolted out of the car.

Chi Ye stared at his empty hand and murmured under his breath, “Little fox… can I still have hope for you?”