Chapter 5: The Girl with the Handsome Looks

Xia Xiaoxiao felt like she had been stabbed in the chest. The boy had brought the flower towards her only to give it to her sister instead. After receiving the flower, her sister had said, 'You're quite punctual?' All their interactions seemed suspiciously like those of a couple. Could it be… could it be… this boy was her sister's boyfriend? Xia Xiaoxiao realized she had experienced a loss before ever being in a relationship. "What's going on? My dream guy already has a girlfriend." "I've had a breakup, I'm so heartbroken." "Me too… I just fell in love, and now I've broken up." "I… I'll never trust love again." "Miss, can I borrow your shoulder? From now on… I'll never trust what men say again." The moment Lin Yi handed the flower to Xia Qianqian, the group of girls that had followed stopped in their tracks, each displaying a heartbroken gaze as they watched. "This is…" Lin Yi felt awkward looking at the odd glances around him, remembering he had to be careful with his allure as the most handsome man in the universe. He suggested to Xia Qianqian, "This isn't the best place to talk. Can we go somewhere else?" "Sure…" Xia Qianqian chuckled behind her hand. She could see Lin Yi's discomfort. His handsome face had mesmerized the young girls, their gaze eager, as if sitting just a bit longer would lead to them devours him. "Come on, I'll take you to meet my parents." Xia Qianqian gave Lin Yi a knowing look. As a woman of experience, she quickly recovered from the initial nerves. "Meet your parents?" Lin Yi was taken aback. Surely she didn't intend to bring him home to meet her parents unprepared... "What else?" Xia Qianqian smiled at Lin Yi. "Alright!" Lin Yi had no choice. The system had made it clear: meet all the goddess's demands. As a shared boyfriend, he had to comply. "Girl, let's go home." Xia Qianqian called out to Xia Xiaoxiao. "Oh…" Her sister replied in a disheartened tone, picked up her cola, and ran off ahead of them, heading straight for their apartment. "Your sister?" Lin Yi inquired. "Yes, that's her. And just so you know, she's a smart cookie, even trickier than my parents. You have to help me get through this," Xia Qianqian whispered. "No problem." A young girl like that was hardly a concern for Lin Yi. "Also, today my parents wanted me to go on a blind date with another guy. He's at our home right now. I hope you can put on a good show in front of my parents and, by the way, outdo that guy." Xia Qianqian finally got to the point. "You're quite rebellious. A girl your age should probably be settling down," Lin Yi jested. "Rebellious nothing! What era are we living in that we still have matchmaking? Humph! My youth has only just begun. I'm not ready to waste it." Xia Qianqian rolled her eyes at him. Lin Yi just smiled and didn't continue the topic. Indeed! Why waste one's youth too quickly? "How about you? You're tall and handsome. How did you get into this line of work?" Xia Qianqian probed curiously. It really was her biggest question. With his looks, he could easily be in modeling or entering show biz, yet he chose to be a shared boyfriend. "Compelled by circumstances!" Lin Yi succinctly replied with only four words.

Xia Qianqian was taken aback, then laughed and decided not to pursue the conversation further. "Make sure you impress them later, let's go! It's time to head upstairs." "Alright…" They spoke and walked toward the elevator. ... "Dad, Mom, I've been through a breakup," Xia Xiaoxiao announced dramatically as soon as she burst into the house, collapsing onto the sofa in feigned distress. "What nonsense are you spouting? At your young age, when did you start dating, and now you're talking about a breakup?" A middle-aged man in his fifties with a thermos cup of hot water approached her and mockingly rolled his eyes. The man, Xia Hongjun, was a retired military officer with no sons, only two daughters to whom he hoped to find suitable partners in the military. Today, his daughter was of age, and so was the son of his old comrade, which, along with a matchmaker's proposal, led to him calling his daughter home to meet the young man. "Just now, just now, it's all my sister's fault…" Xia Xiaoxiao, cupping her face in her hands, continued her act. "Did your sister come back?" Xia Hongjun asked urgently. "Yes…" Xia Xiaoxiao pouted, "Dad, you have to help me. If you marry my sister to Zhiwen, then… only then can I find happiness." "Why does marrying your sister to Zhiwen directly correlate with your happiness?" Xia Hongjun was confused. Although he knew his younger daughter was a bit quirky, her reasoning sounded like a trap. "Don't ask, just trust me! For the sake of your daughter's happiness, just go along with what I say!" Xia Xiaoxiao advised earnestly. "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you," Xia Hongjun replied with a resigned smile. "Dad, Mom, I'm back." As their conversation ended, Xia Qianqian's voice rang from the doorway. "Humph…" Upon hearing her sister's voice, Xia Xiaoxiao's smile vanished, and her brows furrowed in displeasure. "The eldest is back." Emerging from the kitchen, their mother, Zhang Xiu, brought out a dish, and as she walked toward the doorway, she remarked, "Oh! The eldest brought a friend home. This friend is quite handsome…" Upon reaching the entrance, Zhang Xiu caught sight of the person trailing behind her daughter. The lean figure with the strikingly beautiful face caught her off guard, even as an older woman. However, she still politely greeted them. Both Xia Qianqian and Lin Yi, who were putting on their shoes, paused, stunned at her words. "Pfft… Haha…" In the living room, Xia Xiaoxiao, who had been brooding a moment ago, now covered her mouth, unable to contain her laughter at their mother's innocent mistake. "Mom, what are you talking about? He's a man, my boyfriend Lin Yi," Xia Qianqian said, her forehead crinkling with annoyance. It couldn't be helped; who could blame their mother with Lin Yi's incredibly good looks that she mistook him for a lady? "What? Boyfriend?" Zhang Xiu looked closer and indeed noticed the Adams apple, the masculine clothes – from top to bottom, he was unmistakably a man, but how could a man be so beautiful?