Chapter 343 342: Too Distant

"You don't have to ask. You're my colleague's younger sister, and we've been through thick and thin a few times now. There's no need to be so distant..."

Xue Xi thought, 'When have we been through thick and thin a few times? I don't remember that at all.'

It wasn't the first or second time Mu Lin had misused an idiom, so Xue Xi was more or less used to it.

That afternoon, Mu Lin made an excuse about needing to drum up business and went to meet up with Xue Xi.

"Miss Xue, you seemed to be in a hurry when you called. Is something important up? Just tell me. I'll definitely help you get it done."

Xue Xi froze, and her expression turned grim. "Well, it's like this... I have a reunion with some old classmates tonight, and... could you go with me? My classmates all said they're bringing their boyfriends, but I don't have one... It's not that urgent. If you have other things to do, I won't bother you."

Mu Lin chuckled. "That's plenty urgent. We can't have your classmates looking down on you. I'm in!"

Xue Xi's eyes widened. She had regretted calling Mu Lin the moment she did. Asking someone to do this felt... wrong.

She had been so blunt about it because she was actually expecting Mu Lin to refuse.

But Mu Lin had agreed without a moment's hesitation.

It was completely beyond her expectations.

"Then... let me take you to buy an outfit. Consider it my way of thanking you."

Mu Lin said, "You think my clothes are too old-fashioned?"

Xue Xi quickly explained, "No, that's not it! It's just that my friends are pretty vain. They all wear designer brands. I'm afraid they'll make fun of you if you dress like this. I'll pay for it, so what's not to like about getting a free outfit?"

Mu Lin thought about it. 'She has her reasons,' he figured. There was no need to make a big deal out of it.

"You've got a point. Well then, Miss Xue, let's go!"

So, Xue Xi helped Mu Lin pick out a mid-range suit at the mall. It cost a little over a thousand yuan, which, for Mu Lin's wardrobe, was exceptionally expensive.

Afterward, Xue Xi took Mu Lin for a walk, and they went over their story to make sure they had it straight and wouldn't get caught in a lie.

It would be a disaster if their cover was blown.

When it was about time, the two of them headed to the hotel.

Mu Lin was a little surprised. A simple class reunion was actually being held at the Huangshang Huang.

It was a medium-sized banquet hall, large enough for several dozen tables. But right now, most of the tables had been removed, leaving only a handful.

The remaining space was left open for guests to mingle freely, giving it the feel of a cocktail party.

"Well, if it isn't Xue Xi! Our class beauty. Long time no see! You're looking more beautiful than ever."

A woman with a crisp, clean-cut look called out to Xue Xi.

When Xue Xi saw the woman, she replied simply, "Li Li, it really has been a long time."

Li Li covered her mouth and laughed. "It really has... Last I heard, you were working an admin job at a big tech company? The pay must be pretty good, right?"

Xue Xi lowered her head, looking dejected. "To be honest, I quit that job a long time ago."

It was actually because of the 'cold poison,' but there was no one to blame for it, which left Xue Xi feeling helpless.

Xue Xi didn't want to talk about it. Besides, even if she did, they probably wouldn't believe her anyway.

Seeing Xue Xi hesitate, Li Li figured it was a sensitive topic and turned her attention to Mu Lin. "And who is this?"

Xue Xi answered, "This is my boyfriend, Mu Lin!"

"Oh, your boyfriend! Hello, I'm Li Li," she said, simple yet polite, but didn't press the conversation any further.

Mu Lin didn't look like a rich kid at all. The suit was a very basic, entry-level model. It was just enough to not look shabby, but it was hardly impressive.

After a little while, more classmates arrived.

Xue Xi was on good terms with a girl named Lv Fangfei.

Lv Fangfei asked, "Xue Xi, is this your boyfriend?"

Xue Xi became a bit fidgety. She felt guilty lying in front of a good friend and couldn't quite relax.

"Hello, I'm Xue Xi's boyfriend. My name is Mu Lin," Mu Lin said, proactively offering his hand to shake Lv Fangfei's.

Xue Xi was taken aback. She never expected Mu Lin to be so proactive.

He had saved her from an awkward spot. Otherwise, what was the point of bringing him here in the first place?

Lv Fangfei asked, "Xue Xi, what does your boyfriend do for a living?"

Xue Xi replied, "He's a team lead in the project department of a construction company. He manages projects."

Lv Fangfei paused, looking a bit confused. She didn't know much about construction companies and had no idea what a "team lead" position entailed.

Xue Xi said, "You don't get it, do you? To be honest, I don't either. Anyway, Yu Xianhua was the one who organized this get-together, right?"

Lv Fangfei said, "You knew and you still came? I thought you didn't know!"

Xue Xi said, "I had no choice. I was hoping he could help me find a job."

"So that's why you're here..." Lv Fangfei said. She glanced at Mu Lin. 'As Xue Xi's boyfriend, why couldn't he help her with something like this?'

Mu Lin didn't catch her meaning and just smiled back at her.

Lv Fangfei said, "If you didn't have a boyfriend, he might have helped you. But now that you do, getting his help is going to be difficult."

Xue Xi pursed her lips. The whole reason she brought Mu Lin along was to fend off Yu Xianhua's advances.

Just then, a man with a booming voice sauntered over, laughing loudly.

Wasn't this the very Yu Xianhua they had just been discussing?

He was the one who had organized this party. He had just finished making the rounds with the other classmates, getting the atmosphere buzzing.

His eyes lit up the moment he saw Xue Xi. "Xue Xi! My dear class president! I've missed you so much!"

Xue Xi pursed her lips. "It certainly has been a while."

Yu Xianhua sensed the strange atmosphere—of course, he knew why. His eyes flashed when he saw Mu Lin beside Xue Xi, but he kept his tone casual. "And who might this be?"

Xue Xi said, "He's my boyfriend, Mu Lin."

A murderous look suddenly filled Yu Xianhua's eyes. He absolutely could not tolerate the thought of the girl he liked belonging to someone else.

Even if it were true, he'd have to find a way to make that fact disappear.

Just as he was about to make a move, the news threw him off, and for a moment he couldn't decide what to do.

"Xue Xi," he said, "this is a class reunion. It's a bit out of line to bring your boyfriend... You'll have to take a penalty drink!"

Another classmate nearby chimed in, "Three drinks, three drinks! Not one less!"

Xue Xi felt she had no choice. For the sake of the job opportunity, she didn't want to make things too tense with Yu Xianhua. She grabbed a glass and said, "Alright, alright! Three drinks it is!"

She tilted her head back and downed the drink. After the first glass, fine beads of sweat appeared on her face and neck, giving her a certain allure. After the second and third glasses, she was flushed and glistening with sweat, already starting to look dazed.

Mu Lin watched from the sidelines as if watching a fire across the river. He noticed Yu Xianhua was constantly exchanging glances with Li Li. Whenever he gave her a look, she would respond with a suggestive one of her own.

At first, Mu Lin thought the two of them were having an affair. But then he saw Li Li repeatedly proposing toasts to Xue Xi, with Yu Xianhua chiming in to pressure her, leaving Xue Xi with no choice but to drink.

'Their coordination made him realize the truth. It's not that they're having an affair,' he thought. 'Li Li has been Yu Xianhua's lackey from the start. There's nothing between them; they're just working together to get Xue Xi drunk.'

'Li Li wants to get Xue Xi drunk, probably out of jealousy. Yu Xianhua wants to get her drunk so he can sleep with her and make up for some past regret. As for any genuine feelings of affection? Absolutely impossible.'

'And Xue Xi, just to get a job offer from Yu Xianhua, is really pushing herself to the limit. She's willing to throw away her dignity for this. Hasn't she considered what will happen if things go wrong? He'll devour her, body and soul, leaving nothing behind!'

'Why go through all this trouble? If Xue Xi needs a job, she could just ask me, couldn't she? Or at the very least, she could ask Liu Yifang.'

'Even if you don't trust me, you should at least trust your best friend, Liu Yifang, right?'

'Especially now that you know who Liu Yifang really is, you should trust her all the more.'

'What's the point of turning to a lecherous old classmate instead?'

'Xue Xi is usually so sharp and clever, but right now she's being so naive.'

'Smart her whole life, but foolish in this one moment.'

Mu Lin reached out, took the glass from Xue Xi's hand, and poured the contents into a nearby flower vase.

"That's enough."