The Counterattack of a Wealthy Family's Substitute

Xi Yuanchen gave her a deep look and remained silent.

After finishing her drink, Yao Yingxi realized she had been a bit out of line, and she quickly glanced at Xi Yuanchen.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Xi Yuanchen wasn't looking at her.

Xi Yuanchen picked up the wine glass in front of him and swirled it. The dark red liquid inside twisted and turned, like a woman in a red dress spinning and dancing on it.

He suddenly asked, "You're planning to take self-study exams, what major do you want to study?"

Yao Yingxi had been carrying books around lately, and he already knew she wanted to take the self-study exams.

Yao Yingxi was not quite sure why Xi Yuanchen suddenly asked, and blinked blankly.

Xi Yuanchen continued, "Have you ever thought about going abroad?"

Yao Yingxi's heart jumped.

They thought Xi Yuanchen was going to talk about breaking up.

When Xi Yuanchen asked her last time if she went abroad to escape him, she answered no. Perhaps Xi Yuanchen felt he was forcing her to say something against her will, which is why he asked that question.

She lowered her eyes, staring at the half-eaten steak in front of her, and answered softly, "I haven't considered going abroad."

"consider properly."

Yao Yingxi was stunned, her heart racing.

Xi Yuanchen glanced at her and, seeing that she was sitting and not eating anymore, said, "If you're done eating, go back."

Upon hearing this, Yao Yingxi hurriedly stood up, almost knocking the cup to the ground.

Fortunately, Xi Yuanchen reacted quickly and caught him.

Yao Yingxi was in a state of confusion. Seeing that she had almost broken something, she clenched her hands helplessly and whispered, "Thank you, Mr. Xi."

Xi Yuanchen gave her a deep look, but said nothing.

He had a feeling that Yao Yingxi was acting strangely tonight, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Throughout the journey, Xi Yuanchen remained silent, and Yao Yingxi, still feeling uneasy, naturally didn't ask any questions.

Suddenly, Yao Yingxi's phone, which was vibrating inside her coat, rang, pulling her back from her thoughts, which had been fixed on the window.

She took her phone out of her pocket; the call was from an unfamiliar number.

Yao Yingxi hung up immediately without answering the call.

The car slowly pulled up to the apartment building, and Yao Yingxi's phone rang again.

She frowned. Whose number is this? Why is someone calling so late?

Yao Yingxi hung up the phone and got out of the car with Xi Yuanchen.

The two returned to the apartment. Xi Yuanchen went into the study to work, while Yao Yingxi sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

She seemed to have figured it out and breathed a sigh of relief.

Xi Yuanchen probably won't tell her about the breakup today. He's probably just reminding her in advance, or he'll just ask about going abroad as a formality.

She got up from the sofa, and her phone rang again.

If a number is dialed three times in a row, it's probably not a mistake.

Yao Yingxi swiped to answer: "Hello."

She hadn't even asked who was on the other end of the phone.

The person spoke first, their tone arrogant: "You must be Yao Yingxi."

Yao Yingxi frowned slightly. She couldn't recall meeting anyone recently.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

Liang Pingyin got straight to the point on the phone. She chuckled softly, "I have something to discuss with you, of course. Let's meet."

Yao Yingxi frowned: "We don't seem to know each other."

She doesn't have the habit of meeting strangers.

"We'll recognize each other when we meet. Aren't you curious why I know your phone number? And why I asked you to meet me?"

Liang Pingyin tried to persuade her.

Yao Yingxi directly refused: "Sorry, I'm not very interested in this question."

Anyone with status or influence who wants to find out her phone number can easily do so.

Liang Pingyin scoffed, "Are you not interested, or are you afraid to find out who I am?"

"You should recognize me. I remember calling Yuanchen a while ago, and I think you answered the phone."

Yao Yingxi was taken aback upon hearing this.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Liang Pingyin continued, "Aren't you ever curious about why I called Yuanchen?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Yingxi was moved: "I agree to see you."

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Liang Pingyin smiled slightly. "I'll be waiting for you at MOS Cafe tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon."

Yao Yingxi felt a little uneasy, but also a little impatient as she went into the changing room to get her clothes and take a shower.

She kept wondering who the person on the phone was. Was it the same person who was with Xi Yuanchen that day?

He finished his shower with some doubts. After running around in the study, Xi Yuanchen returned to the bedroom, where Yao Yingxi was already asleep.

The next day, when Yao Yingxi woke up, Xi Yuanchen was already gone.

She checked the time; she hadn't slept well last night, probably because she was preoccupied with too many things on her mind.

As usual, I went to the supermarket to buy groceries, cooked, and read a book.

At 2 p.m., Yao Yingxi got up from the sofa, went to the dressing room to change her clothes, and put on light makeup before going out.

She was naturally beautiful, and with a little makeup, her whole demeanor was just like that of a gentle woman from Jiangnan—harmless and inspiring a protective instinct.

Yao Yingxi arrived at MOS Cafe by taxi at 2:50 PM.

After getting out of the car, she glanced at the coffee shop to make sure she hadn't come to the wrong place before slowly walking inside.

She didn't know what the person she was supposed to meet looked like, or whether they had even come.

For convenience, she found a very conspicuous seat by the window and sat down.

She had barely sat down when another woman, who was young and beautiful, sat down as well.

Yao Yingxi was about to speak when she saw that the face was clearly the same woman she had seen in the mall that day, the one who was holding Xi Yuanchen's arm. Her words were abruptly cut off.

Liang Pingyin sat down in front of Yao Yingxi and extended her hand: "Hello, I am Liang Pingyin, Yuan Chen's fiancée."

Xi Yuanchen's fiancée?

Yao Yingxi was shocked, her mind went blank for a moment, and her whole body felt cold.

Liang Pingyin looked at her, a slight smile playing on her lips, and remained silent, waiting for her to react.

After a long pause, Yao Yingxi finally extended her hand. "Hello, I am Yao Yingxi."

Liang Pingyin gracefully withdrew her hand, her smile impeccable: "I've heard of Miss Yao before, and I've been wanting to tell Yuan Chen to invite you to dinner."

“But Yuanchen said it wasn’t necessary. I’ve been staying abroad and haven’t had the time. I just happened to come to Yuncheng recently and you were the first person I thought of.”

Yao Yingxi remained silent, her expression somewhat unpleasant. She hadn't yet processed what Liang Pingyin had said.

The three of them are having dinner together? Where would you place her?

The cafe waiter brought over the menu, and Liang Pingyin noticed that Yao Yingxi was still lost in thought.

A fleeting, enigmatic emotion crossed his eyes, and a faint smile played on his lips: "Two mochas."

"Ms. Yao, I am very grateful for your care of Yuanchen during this time."

Liang Pingyin smiled gently and said gracefully, "As I just said, I've been living abroad, so I often can't meet Yuanchen's needs."

Yao Yingxi remained silent, her face somewhat pale.

"Miss Yao, don't be afraid. I didn't ask you out today to scold you."

As she spoke, Liang Pingyin patted Yao Yingxi's hand.