Villain: Without morals, you can’t be manipulated!

Chapter 23: Wang Cheng: Is Qi Lin That Idiot Picking Me Up Again?

Lan Yuxi’s father had access to a government car, but she had never ridden in it. Her father was a man of principles and would never misuse public resources.

As a result, Lan Yuxi had rarely been in cars, let alone a luxurious one like this with leather seats and adjustable air conditioning. The cool breeze from the air vents gently brushed her hair, and a faint look of enjoyment appeared on her delicate face. The scorching weather outside made the air-conditioned comfort irresistible.

“Ah!”

But her moment of relaxation was cut short as the car suddenly roared to life, and Qi Lin floored the accelerator. The Tiger Head Benz surged forward with a 0–100 km/h acceleration of 4.2 seconds, pressing Lan Yuxi firmly into her seat.

“Ha ha!”

Qi Lin laughed heartily, clearly enjoying Lan Yuxi’s startled reaction.

“Qi Lin! You’re such a bully! Do you really get so much satisfaction from scaring girls?”

Lan Yuxi shot an angry glare at Qi Lin, her beautiful eyes filled with annoyance.

“Scaring like this? Not much satisfaction, honestly. Now, if one day you came with me to a hotel, that would be a thrill,” Qi Lin replied with a mischievous smirk.

“Pfft!

Lan Yuxi’s face turned crimson, more from anger than embarrassment.

She wasn’t naive—she fully understood the implication behind his words. Her first time would only ever be given to her future husband, not to someone like Qi Lin.@@novelbin@@

“You never know,” Qi Lin said with a confident grin, his tone teasing but self-assured.

“Where exactly are you taking me?”

Lan Yuxi’s patience was wearing thin.

Every conversation with Qi Lin left her fuming, and she felt that if this continued, she might die of anger.

“We’re here. Now, get out and sit in the back seat,” Qi Lin said, nodding toward the curb.

Lan Yuxi blinked, then looked out the window. They were parked in front of a residential area with small, two-story houses.

Qi Lin had mentioned picking someone up. Now that they had arrived, he wanted her to move to the back seat. Could the person he was picking up live here?

“Making me sit in the back… could it be a girl he’s picking up?”

A hint of displeasure flickered in Lan Yuxi’s heart. Though she disliked Qi Lin, the thought of him moving her to the back for another girl irked her.

Let’s see what kind of girl he’s picking up. If it’s someone he likes, I’ll just make up some bad things about him to ruin his chances. That’ll teach him a lesson, Lan Yuxi thought as she reluctantly moved to the back seat, plotting in her mind.

_____

Wang Cheng had just finished lunch and taken a short nap. After his alarm went off, he stretched and prepared to head to school. But as he stepped out the door, he froze.

A luxury car was parked right outside his house—a car he recognized immediately.

It was his good buddy Qi Lin’s Tiger Head Benz.

“That idiot! Didn’t we just have a falling out? Why is he here to pick me up?”

Wang Cheng was baffled, unable to figure out Qi Lin’s intentions.

Whatever. A free ride is a free ride. If he still wants to pretend to be friends, I’ll play along. One day, I’ll make him pay for everything and settle the score, Wang Cheng thought, a cunning glint flashing in his eyes.

With that, he walked to the car, opened the door, and got into the front passenger seat.

“Qi Lin, about this morning… I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight and said the wrong thing,” Wang Cheng began with feigned sincerity.

“I thought you’d cut ties with me for good, but here you are, still treating me like a brother and picking me up for school. I’m genuinely touched.”

Wang Cheng’s words were smooth, full of false humility and brotherly affection. However, he failed to notice Lan Yuxi sitting in the back seat, her body tense and her expression as if she had seen a ghost.

Lan Yuxi had never expected the person Qi Lin was picking up to be Wang Cheng—the only boy she had promised to date if they got into the same university.

If Qi Lin had told her beforehand that they were picking up Wang Cheng, she would have fled immediately. Now, as she stared at Wang Cheng’s back, she didn’t even dare to breathe, terrified that he would discover her.

What would he think if he knew she was in Qi Lin’s car?

Glancing at the rearview mirror, Qi Lin noticed Lan Yuxi’s nervous expression and couldn’t suppress a wicked grin.

“Honestly, Wang Cheng, I was pretty upset this morning. I’ve treated you like a brother, spent hundreds on you, and yet you quibbled over just 200 yuan. It really hurt me…” Qi Lin said with a sorrowful tone, playing the part of a betrayed friend.

“Then why are you picking me up?”

Wang Cheng looked at Qi Lin, bewildered by his actions.

“Because the class rep persuaded me,” Qi Lin said matter-of-factly.

“After school, she found me, treated me to lunch, and comforted me. She told me not to hold a grudge and to be the bigger person. To be honest, if anyone else had said that, I would’ve slapped them. But the class rep… she’s so beautiful. I’ve had my eye on her for a while now. Smelling her sweet breath as she spoke, I suddenly felt better.”

Pausing for effect, Qi Lin continued, “You’re right—-brothers shouldn’t hold grudges. Forget a few hundred yuan—even a woman is worth letting go. So I forgive you, and I’ll keep picking you up for school from now on.”

Qi Lin’s tone was high-spirited, as if he had genuinely been enlightened by someone’s advice.But Wang Cheng’s face darkened, his fists clenching tightly as anger boiled within him.