Chapter 19: Is It Because She's Less Attractive Than You?
The security guard uncle spoke with a face full of righteous intent, “Go ahead then. I hope you can find the truth soon and clear your name.”
“Thank you, Uncle. We’ll head inside now,” Lu Yiqi said, pulling Xie Xu along.
Xie Xu was a bit reluctant, and when Lu Yiqi tugged, he didn’t move. So she gave another, harder pull, and this time, Xie Xu followed her in.
“I could’ve handled this myself. Why are you smiling at him like that?”
“With your attitude, there’s no way you could’ve solved it. And I wasn’t groveling. That was simply the fastest, most direct way to get things done.”
“Nonsense. I say it wasn’t, so it wasn’t.” Besides, that smile was blindingly irritating.
“……”
Fine, have it your way.
They arrived at the surveillance monitors, and Xie Xu pulled up yesterday morning’s footage.
When the scene of Xia Jing’an confessing to Xie Xu appeared, Xie Xu gave Lu Yiqi a look. Lu Yiqi understood and opened the video on the forum from her phone.
Lu Yiqi compared the angles, realizing it really did look like it was shot from her perspective. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her tone full of frustration. “What do I do? It seems impossible to explain myself now. Ugh, why did I have to stand right under the surveillance camera at that moment!”
“Don’t panic,” he said calmly. “Keep watching. Maybe we’ll spot whoever recorded the video.”
“Okay.”
They watched for several more minutes. By then, classes had already started, and the place was deserted.
Lu Yiqi lowered her eyes. At the moment, there was no evidence in her favor, and she was afraid Xie Xu might not believe her. “Xie Xu, do you believe me?”
Perhaps she herself didn’t realize it, but her voice carried a trembling note.
Xie Xu noticed, but he never knew how to comfort a girl. Even when he spoke, it was with his usual sharp tongue. “Pig, of course it wasn’t you. You might be a bit slow and silly, but not so foolish as to do something that hurts yourself almost as much as it hurts others. Filming under the surveillance camera and then posting it online? Anyone with half a brain could trace it back to you. Besides, what would you gain from putting a video of her being rejected online? That she’s uglier than you?”
“……”
Was he insulting her or scolding her?
Still, while Xie Xu’s words weren’t pleasant, she couldn’t deny that it made her feel calmer, as if she’d taken a reassuring pill. She wasn’t nearly as panicked as before.
And when she recalled his last sentence, Lu Yiqi couldn’t help but smile.
Hearing Xie Xu say she looked better than Xia Jing’an—it made her a little happy…
After finishing with the surveillance footage, the two prepared to go home.
On the way home.
Xie Xu thought back to what he’d said in the guardroom and regretted it. His words had been a bit harsh, no wonder Lu Yiqi was worried he wouldn’t believe her.
Xie Xu pressed his lips together, conflicted for a while before finally speaking, “The person who filmed the video is pretty clever—knew to avoid the camera after recording. But don’t worry too much. I told you to trust Master Xu, so trust me. Just wait for good news from Master Xu, got it?”
Lu Yiqi was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously. “Mm!”
……
That night, Xie Xu sat alone at the edge of his bed, the question Chen Ziyi had asked Lu Yiqi earlier that afternoon echoing in his mind.
“When did you and Xie Xu become so close?”
He happened to overhear this, his hand paused as he packed his bag, quietly waiting for Lu Yiqi’s answer. Yet she hemmed and hawed for ages, unable to give a reply.
Was their relationship really so shameful?