Chapter 119: How Did You Make Lin You Fall for You?

"What could you possibly have to talk to Yan about? Are you here to gloat about stealing her man?"

Xia Yan felt a wave of nausea at her words. Zhu Yan had never spoken like this from the beginning until now. "Teacher Yuan, what do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean? Hmph, haven't I made myself clear enough?" Yuan Xiangqin shed her previous dejected air and grabbed Zhu Yan’s hand. "Yan, don't worry. As long as I'm here today, I won't let you be taken advantage of!"

Zhu Yan gave Xia Yan an apologetic smile. "Xia Yan, Xiangqin has been kicked out of her home and is in a bad mood right now. Please don't take it to heart."

Yuan Xiangqin looked at Zhu Yan in disbelief. "Yan, why are you apologizing to her? She’s the one who snatched your man!"

What she didn't know was that Zhu Yan and Xia Yan had already opened up to each other on several occasions, and their relationship could now be said to be even closer than the one between her and Zhu Yan.

"My business with Lin You is a closed chapter, Xiangqin."

Zhu Yan turned to look at Yuan Xiangqin, her tone devoid of the lingering regret it once held, replaced instead by firm resolve.

Her words left Yuan Xiangqin in utter shock. She knew better than anyone the depth of Zhu Yan's feelings for Lin You. How could it be a closed chapter after just a few days of her being away? What on earth had she missed?

"But... did this woman get hold of some dirt on you and threaten you?"

"Yuan Xiangqin, don't project your own sleazy nature onto everyone else. I haven't even settled the score with you for spreading those rumors about me and Zhang Jun at the station yet."

Xia Yan had initially felt some sympathy for Yuan Xiangqin—having been deceived by Zhang Jun, divorced, and then kicked out by her family—but now she understood the truth of the saying: there is always something detestable about a pathetic person. It fit Yuan Xiangqin perfectly at this moment.

Zhu Yan frowned upon hearing this.

The rumors between Xia Yan and Zhang Jun had been circulating at the station for quite some time. She had spent a while wondering who might have started them, but it never occurred to her that it was Yuan Xiangqin.

"I..."

Yuan Xiangqin’s expression shifted, and she quickly turned to look at the frowning Zhu Yan. "Yan, I was trying to help you! If this woman's reputation were ruined, wouldn't you be able to be with Lin You?"

"Ha! Yuan Xiangqin, you keep saying you're helping Zhu Yan. If you had done this at school, I might have understood it as you venting on her behalf, but this business with Zhang Jun? I suspect you were just venting for yourself."

Xia Yan looked at her coldly. "You keep mentioning Lin You in every other sentence; someone who didn't know better might think you had designs on him yourself."

As if her tail had been stepped on, Yuan Xiangqin jumped up and pointed a finger at Xia Yan's nose. "You, you wench, talk absolute nonsense!"

Xia Yan had indeed hit the nail on the head. The first time Yuan Xiangqin accompanied Zhu Yan to meet Lin You, she had been taken with him herself, but unfortunately, she had already registered her marriage to Li Yong by then.

Xia Yan saw a flash of surprise in the depths of Yuan Xiangqin's eyes. This woman’s twisted motives were no less than Zhang Jun’s. She had just said it offhandedly, but the way she reacted now made it seem like she really did have those thoughts. No wonder they ended up together.

"Teacher Yuan, why are you so agitated? Did I say something wrong? Can you honestly say you weren't doing it for yourself regarding the Zhang Jun incident?"

"I did it for Yan!"

Yuan Xiangqin was shrewd; if she admitted it was for herself, her plan to seek refuge with Zhu Yan would be completely ruined.

Xia Yan hadn't expected Yuan Xiangqin to be so stubborn, but she trusted that Zhu Yan had already made her own judgment.

Xia Yan: ...

For someone like Yuan Xiangqin, Xia Yan knew that saying more was a waste of breath. She pulled Zhu Yan aside. "Zhu Yan, I have some things I’d like to talk to you about."

"Alright, let's go outside."

Zhu Yan felt deeply disappointed in Yuan Xiangqin. She had genuinely treated her as a friend, but the other woman... As she left, she didn't look at Yuan Xiangqin again.

Once outside, the two walked side by side.

After a long while, Zhu Yan finally spoke: "I'm sorry. I didn't know she would do something like that."

"You don't need to apologize to me. You haven't done anything wrong."

Xia Yan turned her head to look at her with a smile, spreading her hands. "Besides, I wasn't planning on pursuing this matter further anyway, or I wouldn't have called you out."

Zhu Yan’s brows finally relaxed, a trace of a smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Xia Yan glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby, then draped an arm over Zhu Yan’s shoulder. "Guess why I came today?"

"It wouldn't be about Wang Baoguo, would it?"

Seeing the smile on Xia Yan’s face, how could Zhu Yan not guess? Wang Baoguo had just been snubbed by her, and Xia Yan had shown up immediately after. Given his relationship with Lin You, he must have gone to her.

Xia Yan chuckled. "It’s so comfortable talking to a smart person."

Zhu Yan rolled her eyes at her. "Don't be glib. Let me tell you, I have no affection for Wang Baoguo. That guy is just too annoying. You wouldn't believe it—he’s faked being sick five times already. Lin You is also something else; couldn't he give him more work to do? It would keep him from being so idle."

"He’s only faking illness to see you more often."

"Don't say that. I don't have that much time for him. Between my own family matters and his pestering, it just makes me find him even more irritating."

Xia Yan nodded. Regardless of who was in Zhu Yan’s position, no one would be in the mood for romance right now.

However, she had caught onto a specific word in Zhu Yan’s speech: "irritating." She hadn't used other words like "dislike" or "loathe."

That was her biggest gain for the day.

Xia Yan teased, "Alright, I'll go educate Baoguo and tell him not to 'fall ill' for a while."

"That would be for the best," Zhu Yan said, smiling.

"And what do you plan to do about the arrangements your family has made? Are you just going to keep hiding?"

Zhu Yan looked up at the distant snow-capped mountains. "What else can I do besides hide? I've already made up my mind. If they force me into an engagement, I'll run away to a place where they can't find me."

Xia Yan pulled her closer, comforting her. "Don't worry, there will always be a way. And I believe your parents aren't the type of people to be completely unreasonable."

"I hope so."

The smile on Zhu Yan’s face was somewhat bitter. Perhaps not wanting to continue the topic, she asked, "By the way, I heard Lin You’s parents and sister have arrived?"

Xia Yan nodded. "Yes, Lin Ling came to join the army, and Lin You was worried about his parents being alone at home, so they came along. Tomorrow, Lin You and I are taking the three children down the mountain."

"That’s wonderful. I really envy you... Xia Yan, I still haven't figured it out. How exactly did you manage it?"

"Manage what?"

Xia Yan didn't quite understand what she meant.

Zhu Yan turned to look at her. "Making Lin You fall for you..."