The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"Stop it right now!"

As Zhao Lin attempted to deliver a third slap, Wen Yao grabbed her wrist.

Wen Yao was very strong, and Zhao Lin was soon unable to move.

"Do you think this will make Xu Xi happy?"

"If Xu Xi wanted to see you in such a sorry state, she wouldn't have stopped me from reporting you to the homeroom teacher. You got in through connections, so you should know how much power our homeroom teacher has. If he finds out that you brought people to ambush our classmates, you can expect to be writing a self-criticism at the police station."

"Xu Xi braved the heavy rain to bring you back from outside, just to see you do something drastic to yourself?"

Her words awakened Zhao Lin, and a hint of shame appeared in her cloudy eyes. She lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Alright, let's eat. The water's about to boil dry."

Xu Xi picked up a piece of beef and put it into the bowl in front of Zhao Lin.

"By the way, can you handle spicy food?"

Zhao Lin looked at the piece of beef covered in chili oil and swallowed hard, somewhat fearfully.

However, she still nodded mechanically.

She is no longer a rich family's daughter, but a wild child wandering the streets.

Having something to eat is already a great blessing.

Where can you be picky and choose what suits your taste?

She picked up a piece of beef, shook off the red oil, and put it in her mouth.

In an instant, her throat, which had never tasted chili peppers before, reacted violently.

"Cough cough cough!!..."

Zhao Lin coughed violently; having not eaten for a long time, she felt as if she was about to choke on the stomach contents.

Xu Xi quickly poured a glass of cold milk and handed it to Zhao Lin to help her cool down from the spiciness.

"Tsk, your mouth's gone hoarse? What are you pretending for if you can't handle spicy food?"

Wen Yao rolled her eyes, found another pot and an induction cooker, and poured in the tomato base she had just brought out.

After a while, a rich, sweet and sour aroma wafted from the pot.

Looking at the two steaming hot pots, the ingredients piled on the table, and the two people sitting beside him who were the only ones willing to help him after he fell on hard times.

Zhao Lin's tears welled up once again.

......

After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, Xu Xi found a first-aid kit and used it to reduce the swelling of the handprint on Zhao Lin's face.

Where do you plan to go next?

Wen Yao wrinkled her nose and said irritably.

Zhao Lin shook her head blankly.

"I have no idea..."

Do you have any relatives or friends?

"I used to only have my dad, but now he's gone, and I don't have any friends either."

"Where are your lackeys? They're always calling her 'Big Sister' all the time. If Big Sister's in trouble, why don't they help her out?"

Zhao Lin laughed self-deprecatingly.

"They took my money, so I'm their boss."

"If I don't get the money, I'm nothing."

Wen Yao snorted disdainfully.

"So, I really envy your relationship."

Recalling the moments she witnessed between Xu Xi and Wen Yao in the car that day, Zhao Lin felt like a bedbug in a sewer, yearning for the faint light shining through the manhole cover.

"Pshaw, the bond between Xi Bao and me can't be bought with money."

Wen Yao grabbed Xu Xi and rubbed her face like she was squeezing a doll.

"If someone like you always starts conversations with genitalia and ends with their parents, who would want to talk to you?"

"Even if someone is willing to approach you, they will be scared away by your appearance."

She looked at Zhao Lin with disdain.

"What normal high school girl would have red hair, a lip piercing, smell of cigarettes and alcohol, and have a bunch of guys following her around every day?"

"You think this is cool? To me, you're no different from a hoodlum."

"What parent would feel comfortable letting their child associate with someone like that?"

Hearing this, Zhao Lin felt ashamed and removed her lip piercing, bracelet, and other jewelry.

She looked at her own red hair reflected in the window and for the first time felt like tearing it off, scalp and all.

Seeing Zhao Lin's actions, Wen Yao sighed, her tone unconsciously softening.

"Alright, I have a spare room at home. You can stay here until you find somewhere else."

Zhao Lin was stunned for a moment, then looked at Wen Yao with some disbelief.

Seeing that she was not joking, Zhao Lin's eyes welled up with tears.

"Thanks!"

As she spoke, she handed the jewelry in her hand to Wen Yao.

"What are you doing?"

"These are all things I bought with a lot of money before, as payment for my rent..."

Wen Yao was almost laughing in exasperation.

"Do you think my house is a hotel?"

"No! That's not what I meant..."

Zhao Lin quickly waved her hand.

"Put away your money-grubbing stuff, or I'll feel like I'm one of your henchmen."

Wen Yao pushed the jewelry back in an annoyed manner.

"But if you bring your old bad habits to my house, don't blame me for kicking you out."

......

In the middle of the night, Xu Xi set up a hot pot at home and cooked some leftovers for her brother who had come home earlier that day.

At the dinner table, she told her brother about her experiences that day.

"What a coincidence, the daughter of the chairman of the Zhao Group is actually your classmate."

"Yes, she was so pitiful. When I met her, she didn't even have an umbrella to keep out the rain."

Xu Xi lowered her eyes, and every time she thought of Zhao Lin squatting in the corner, soaking wet, she felt a tightness in her heart.

"You're willing to help her, is it because it reminds you of your past self?"

Xu Nian blinked, recalling how the little guy looked when he first came home with him.

At that time, Xu Xi was squatting at her own doorstep, looking pitiful.

Xu Xi nodded somewhat shyly.

"Brother, don't you think I'm being a bit nosy..."

"No, it's good to help others when you have the ability."

After a pause, Xu Nian continued.

"However, Xiaoxi, you did something wrong today. You shouldn't have brought Zhao Lin to Wen Yao's house."

Xu Nian looked at Xu Xi and said earnestly.

"You are a guest yourself, and it is impolite for a guest to bring another guest, let alone a guest who has nowhere else to go."

"I know your idea is good, but you should also respect Wen Yao's opinion. At least you should ask her beforehand instead of bringing her to her doorstep first."

"Hmm... Xiaoxi knows she was wrong."

Xu Xi pouted, then suddenly thought of something and asked with great interest.

"Brother, if I bring Zhao Lin home, would you agree?"

Xu Nian stopped chewing and remained silent for a while.

"Then we won't be able to fit all the people in this house. Two rooms can't sleep three people."

Xu Xi smiled gently and snuggled into her brother's arms.

"There's enough room. My brother and I will share a room, and Zhao Lin will sleep in another room."

"That won't do. You're too old for that; you need to sleep alone!"

"Ugh...we sleep together every day anyway..."