Chapter 18: A Debt-free Life is a Light One

After hearing about the incident, Lin Xi stood in place for a very long time. Her eyes rolled around as if she was processing the information, making Gu Fan very nervous. Things that men dread the most are women whose thoughts are hard to figure out.

When Lin Xi squinted her eyes and scrutinized Gu Fan as if she was trying to peer into his deepest thoughts, cold sweat started to form on Gu Fan's forehead. Even Lu Yi, who was standing by their side, found this side of Lin Xi terrifying.

Suddenly, Lin Xi brightened up and flashed a smile. "Well, who would have thought that no one else got chosen except for a gorgeous lady? If this isn't fate, then what is? You guys are truly destined!"

Gu Fan realized the undertone of her words and immediately explained, "I guess that's the will of the heavens, letting me know a police officer so that I'll have someone to rely on in society. You know how important connections are when you're out there."

"You've hit the nail on the head," Lu Yi expressed her agreement before suggesting, "In that case, I should move here too. I'd also like to get to know a police officer and make a new friend."

Lin Xi nodded. "Sure, no problem, I'll move here too."

"What on earth!" Gu Fan was taken aback and forced out a few awkward laughs. "There are only four rooms in my house. If both of you move in, it'll be filled to the brim. How am I supposed to rent out any room and make money?"

"That's not necessary, I have…" Moving on from those words, Lin Xi took out three thousand yuan from her bag. Both Gu Fan and Lu Yi were stunned, then they understood the reason Lin Xi had come here - she was worried that Gu Fan wouldn't be able to pay back the twenty-thousand-yuan compensation, so she did what she could to help.

"This…," Gu Fan wanted to decline, he felt that this was something he should take responsibility for. But Lin Xi thought this was something they should face together, and given that Gu Fan was already bearing most of the burden, it wouldn't tarnish his pride.

Gu Fan felt moved, as he recognized the sacrifice Lin Xi was making. It must have taken her a great deal of effort to save up this money. She probably had to give up on a lot of bags and clothes she wanted. Having a girlfriend like this made him feel lucky.

Lu Yi also insisted on pitching in so as not to heap all the expense onto Gu Fan. She'd been working for quite a while and could comfortably spare five thousand yuan.

The total of Su Hui's ten-thousand-yuan rent, Lin Xi's three thousand, Lu Yi's five thousand, and Gu Fan's two thousand came to exactly twenty thousand -- just enough to pay off the compensation from the nightclub brawl.

"Let's go to the nightclub now." Upon Gu Fan's suggestion, the three of them left immediately and headed straight to the nightclub they had been to a few days earlier.

Since it was daytime, the nightclub was relatively empty. The nightclub owner was slightly surprised when he saw the twenty thousand yuan, seemingly not expecting Gu Fan to settle the matter so quickly.

Gu Fan, Lu Yi, and Lin Xi didn't think too much about it and left quickly, but Lin Xi couldn't help but worry about Su Hui, who had been missing for so long. Could they still find her?

Seeing Lin Xi's worried expression, Gu Fan didn't know how to comfort her. He wanted to tell Lin Xi to be careful and avoid becoming the third missing person, but he was worried that might frighten Lin Xi.

At that moment, Lin Xi suddenly asked, "Could Su Hui's disappearance have anything to do with the person who followed us last time?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Fan and Lu Yi felt their hearts lurch. They hadn't anticipated that Lin Xi would pick up on this.

When Gu Fan and Lu Yi didn't know how to respond, Lin Xi took out a mirror from her bag to check her appearance. It seemed like she cared a lot about her image, as she had already checked herself in the mirror many times during the trip.

Gu Fan felt this was odd. Lin Xi had always been fond of looking beautiful during their dating days but she hadn't been obsessed with constantly checking her appearance in the mirror. Furthermore, the mirror she had bought was pretty big, almost the size of her palm.

Suddenly, Lin Xi whispered, "Don't look back, someone's following us."

"What!" Gu Fan and Lu Yi felt a chill go down their spines. They now understood why Lin Xi had been constantly checking her reflection, but what mattered more was who was following them.

The three of them remained silent, pretending as if nothing was amiss and continued walking forward. No one looked back, but they could all sense the footsteps closely following behind them and their hearts beating faster. They were all on edge.

Lu Yi couldn't help but express her fear. "What should we do now? Should we call the police?"

It wasn't just her. Gu Fan and Lin Xi didn't want to end up as the third missing person either, but Gu Fan was slightly more composed. "The police wouldn't be much help either; there's no evidence, we can't do anything about him."

"But we can't just let him continue to follow us. We have to come up with a plan." As Lin Xi walked, she clung tightly to Gu Fan's hand as if he was her only support.

Gu Fan nodded, "Don't worry, it's daytime, the streets are bustling with people and there are cameras everywhere. He wouldn't dare to harm us. Let's keep walking and come up with a plan."

The trio, on edge, were about to turn a corner when Lu Yi suggested, "Why don't we just make a run for it as soon as we round the bend?"

To this, Gu Fan shook his head, "What I'm worried about most is how he managed to follow us."

"What do you mean, Gu Fan?" Lu Yi and Lin Xi had a bad feeling about this, especially seeing Gu Fan's serious look. Then Gu Fan added, "If he managed to trail us a second time, he surely knows something about us. Even if we manage to shake him off this time, there might be a third. Running away isn't the solution."

Lu Yi paused, "Then what should we do? Are we supposed to confront him? Lin Xi, did you see if he was tall or short, slim or muscular? Do you think Gu Fan and I could take him?"

On that note, Lin Xi shook his head pessimistically, "I have a feeling he's trained. He could take both of you down single-handedly."

"Great, just what we needed now, more discouragement." Gu Fan and Lu Yi sighed, they had to figure out a way out. Gu Fan then gave Lu Yi a significant look, suggesting they turn around and see how their stalker would react.

Bracing themselves, the trio turned around all at once and saw a burly, tall man ogling at a beautiful woman in a pink miniskirt who was walking past him. He kept glancing back and clearly wanted to follow her.

The man was so engrossed in watching the woman that he didn't notice the trio had turned to face him. As he finally came to his senses and met their gaze, he quickly lowered his head in embarrassment and walked past them.

Relieved at the false alarm, the trio sighed. They had been intimidated by a man who was just too shy to approach a beautiful woman.

Despite the peaceful resolution, the encounter had left them feeling as if they had just trodden on the edge of an abyss. Lu Yi couldn't help but sigh, "For the love of God, no more wild guessing. You almost gave me a fit of anxiety."

Lin Xi apologized, "I really didn't mean to. It's your gender's fault for reacting like that at the sight of a beauty."

Listening to Lin Xi, Gu Fan quickly defended himself, "I'm not like that! Don't lump me in with the rest!"

Lin Xi gave Gu Fan a glare, "You're worse! You actually brought that model-like beauty home. What on earth were you thinking?"

"I did it to pay off my debt. Now, I'm feeling light as a feather.", Gu Fan assumed an innocent look but Lin Xi was relentless, pressuring him about when Su Hui would move out. Occasionally, she would even jab Gu Fan when she got angry.

This bickering couple was the envy of everyone around, especially the single Lu Yi who was feeling the damage keenly.

At that moment, a sports car zoomed past them, catching the attention of bystanders. The car raced towards Gu Fan, Lin Xi, and Lu Yi.

Although he had never seen this car before, Gu Fan had a hunch about who the driver was, judging from the air of arrogance he displayed.

It was indeed Du Jun who emerged from the car with a smug smile after making sure it came to a showy stop beside Gu Fan and Lin Xi.

"What a coincidence, Lin Xi, Gu Fan, I have also come to pay off the compensation. I never expected you to be doing the same." Du Jun implied that it was indeed a casual encounter. He was informed by the club owner about Gu Fan's payment right after he received Gu Fan's twenty thousand yuan.

Du Jun was doubtful. Given Gu Fan's capabilities, there was no way he could have raised the money so quickly, unless he went home and asked his parents for help. Thus, he had come to confirm this.

Gu Fan only nodded, "Yes, we are children from poor families. We have to scrape by, toil hard to earn our money, and even put in what little we have saved these years — everything just to clear this debt. Unlike you, who can just tell your parents and it's done. This sort of money means nothing to you."

Gu Fan's words contained both envy and mockery of the other's reliance on his family, leaving Du Jun dissatisfied.

"You guys deserve respect. You managed to raise that money without relying on your parents. Many of my classmates admitted they wouldn't be able to do it," said Du Jun, casting doubt and believing Gu Fan had certainly sought family help, which would have involved a good telling off.

Gu Fan inferred Du Jun's underlying hints and sighed inwardly. Why did he insist on picking on him, when his family was well-off? Was it because he lost Lin Xi's heart that his ego couldn't bear it?

"Your new car is nice." Gu Fan hastily diverted the conversation, praising the very thing Du Jun took pride in, hoping to placate him. Gu Fan was really not in the mood for more combat with him.

Du Jun nodded, "No, it's just borrowed from a friend. I'm test driving it. Even if I like it, I may not buy it as my family already has quite a few cars. I don't see the need to waste money. I think it's time for me to be thrifty, lest people call me a spoiled brat who only knows how to enjoy luxury without ability."