Chapter 99
So, why are you here?
Iris was completely taken aback when Larine came to the school to see her. She helped Larine with the visitor registration and led her straight to the cafeteria. It was past lunchtime, and the lobby only had a few latecomers who hadn't finished eating. Iris chose a corner seat and asked Larine curiously, "You got eliminated?"
"You really do know everything!" Larine showed no anger at being eliminated; instead, she looked like she had found the right person. She briefly recounted what had happened and then asked hopefully, "Do you think Ali will feel a little more favorably toward me because I helped him get into the finals?"
From Larine's perspective, she naturally didn't know why Yu Xueli's group had fallen to last place in the second half of the competition, but Iris knew perfectly well why. She didn't explain the reasons, but simply tried to resolve Larine's emotional issues based on her questions. In fact, she didn't need to say much; simply being a good listener was enough to make Larine, who was immersed in the damsel-in-distress scenario, happy.
"When I said I hoped he would win, I meant it, it wasn't out of spite. Ah Li's success is more important than anything else!" Her eyes shone even brighter than when she spoke on the show, because she had truly achieved what she wanted. Overjoyed, her gaze softened, brimming with autumn water, quite captivating. "Three groups had already arrived, and seeing Ah Li still behind, I had a brilliant idea. I pretended to slip and fall, inadvertently causing the Japanese celebrity team to fall as well. Being eliminated along with Fujii Mie left even Ah Li speechless—it was perfect!"
Iris smiled, thinking to herself that this girl was truly hopelessly infatuated with Yu Xueli. She guessed that the male lead must have done even more to win Larine's heart. Sure enough, the next second Shu Zili spoke up: "You know what, Iris, when I left, Ali even came to see me off, and thanked me very sincerely. You know, I've always had to go to great lengths to get a date with him, this is the first time he's been so proactive, and treated me like an equal."
“Ah,” Iris exclaimed softly, her criticism unabashed, “So you’re quite self-aware.” Yu Xueli wasn’t single after all, and whatever her reasons, Iris still hoped Larine could end her infatuation with him as soon as possible.
Shu Zili protested vehemently, "Don't dampen someone's spirits at a time like this!" Having known Iris for so many years, she had always been outspoken. Her emotions came and went quickly, but even in those moments, she could always discern what was truly beneficial to her. For a moment, however, she felt somewhat dejected: "All right, I know that in everyone's eyes, including yours, I'm the one who wants to ruin Ali and Su Wenqiang's relationship. The fact that you've sat here and listened for so long is already a great deal of tolerance on your part."
Overwhelmed with anger, shame, and grievance, Shu Zili felt a mix of emotions. She picked up her bag, intending to leave. But as she gripped the bag strap, she retorted, "Why can you forgive Ding Huihui but not understand me? At least I didn't steal your boyfriend."
Iris couldn't help but laugh out loud, wanting to applaud her. She deliberately took a sip of the tea in her cup, striking a seductive pose, and said in a deep voice, "Want to hear it?"
After hesitating for a few seconds, Larine shamelessly sat down again. In front of the Zhou sisters, she and Jacob seemed to be completely subservient. Of course, she was still her young lady, and still had her temper: "You can't put me and Ding Huihui on the same level!"
In fact, she and Ding Huihui had quite a few things in common. Both were emotional, both were brave, and both were somewhat ruthless in achieving their goals. Iris considered many more words in her mind. However, at the moment, she wouldn't utter a single word to Larine; saying these things from the start would only have a negative effect. She changed her words, responding to Larine's request: "But, will I forgive Ding Huihui, still because of you?"
"Me?" Larine was incredulous, finding it hard to believe that her own brilliance would one day shine upon someone like this. Iris nodded seriously, only asking in return, "Putting aside my influence and simply discussing Ding Huihui's behavior, can't you understand her at all?"
"I think you're targeting me." This question certainly didn't please Larine, but seeing that Iris was indeed waiting for an answer, she reluctantly spoke: "Okay, if the person she's trying to steal isn't A-Yuan, I won't even care about it. Because in relationships, it's nothing; everyone has the right to enter and exit. Furthermore, if A-Yuan doesn't have a girlfriend, then I'd quite admire her persistent pursuit of love." Just like when she pursued Zhuang Zhuoyuan, essentially, the three of them were the same type of person; the slight difference was that she wouldn't be the one actively ruining someone else's relationship.
The moment she lost focus, Larine seemed to know what she was thinking. Or perhaps, she simply wanted to get back at her, a little revenge for her tactless interruption of her beautiful memories. Larine's deliberateness was even more deliberate than hers: "Answer me honestly, if you found Ah Yuan and the person with him was Ding Huihui, would you still stay in Hong Kong?"
"Stay," Larine used the word "stay" very cleverly. Her indulgence in sensual pleasures certainly made her adept at understanding the subtle thoughts of men and women. Before Iris could answer, Larine had already seen the answer in her eyes. She laughed, "You and Ella are indeed no different; both are good at playing dumb to deceive others, except she does it in a more conspicuous way."
“That would be a nicer way of putting it.” Iris didn’t deny her judgment; she wanted to see what other insights Larine could offer.
What profound lessons can a "bad girl's" experience teach? It's nothing more than the common "three no's"—don't take the initiative, don't refuse, and don't take responsibility. It's just that they apply slightly differently to Iris. Iris has good taste, which precisely reflects that she's a picky person. If Zhuang Zhuoyuan doesn't like her, that's fine, but if his heart wavers, let alone Ding Huihui, even several other high-level players, she can hook them without even using bait. She doesn't take the initiative, but she can't resist the fact that people like her.
"Luckily, I didn't fall for the same man as you," Larine said with a smile, then suddenly seemed to remember something. If a man's heart is set on someone, it can't escape a woman's notice. But what if even the man himself isn't sure?
He'll want them all.
Larine reluctantly came to this answer.
Just then, Iris added insult to injury: "What I dislike most about Huihui is that she's been too demanding. It's fine if Ayuan doesn't have a girlfriend; if he's already taken, I'll only seduce him once at most. Of course, if I seduce him, I probably won't love him as much anymore. After all, once unfaithful, always unfaithful."
Yu Xueli was lured out by her in the middle of the night. Larine smiled bitterly. She had to ask for help to get him to come, and over time, even she herself could hardly tell whether his repeated visits were due to any feelings he had for her, or simply out of a sense of responsibility as a police officer and friend.
Is this what they mean by "hesitation leads to trouble"? Larine's Chinese isn't good, but she knows in her heart that she doesn't want to sever this relationship. She loves the version of herself who loves Yu Xueli, but she also knows that stopping those inappropriate actions in time is the true way to protect Yu Xueli.
“Iris, you’re so cruel.” Her words were double-edged, her body almost trembling. But no matter what, Iris could only be an observer; the real decision was up to her. And right now, all she wanted was to return to the competition venue to celebrate Yu Xueli and their victory. This was also one of the reasons she had initially come to find Iris: “Let’s go, you definitely know where they are.”
"They're on a mission." Seeing how persistent she was, Iris chose to tell the truth. Fortunately, she had a way to make up for it, so that Larine wouldn't be too disappointed: "Come to my house, Derek will pull up the video so you can see their match progress in real time."
Larine's complexion finally improved. This time, she gripped her bag tightly, truly determined to leave. Whether she ran or fled, it didn't matter.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back. Iris was still sitting in the same spot, her gaze fixed on the flowerbeds outside the glass window. Perhaps noticing her gaze, she turned back to look. Larine seized the opportunity to ask, "Aren't you going back to look?"
Iris smiled faintly: "Going to school while pregnant is already a bad example, so I can't skip classes at will."
Larine didn't believe her nonsense. But the answer didn't matter anymore. She thought, Iris didn't need to chase after her to the scene to celebrate like she did. When the time came, Zhuang Zhuoyuan would come to the school gate to pick her up with his good news. That was the difference between her and Iris.
They are the same, yet different.
Inside the air-raid shelter, the sound of breaching the walls grew louder. Zhuang Zhuoyuan and his three companions no longer had time to follow Zhan Sir's orders to retreat. If Wen Zhijie found the biological weapons first, the consequences would be unimaginable. Without needing to discuss it, the four launched a coordinated attack on the enemy. Their initial action alerted the enemy, and someone immediately came out to patrol, making firearms easy to obtain. However, unexpectedly, the enemy also had grenades. The two taciturn men whom Larine considered important adversaries turned out to be cult members as well. Seeing his companions instantly subdued by Yu Xueli and the others, one of them immediately threw a grenade, intending to kill them both in one fell swoop.
The four men were dressed only in simple sportswear, offering no protection whatsoever. Fortunately, they took cover in time, and the bomb only separated them. Yu Xueli and Su Wenqiang fell into the cave, while Zhuang Zhuoyuan and Xu Jiaming regrouped in their original positions. They only had weapons they had seized from the cult members earlier. The enemy's firepower was too intense, and the situation in the air-raid shelter was complex. Zhuang Zhuoyuan made a decisive move, providing cover while Xu Jiaming went outside to rendezvous with Zhan Hantao and the others, drawing reinforcements to the scene.
If it were simply a gunfight, no one present would be a match for Zhuang Zhuoyuan. However, the air-raid shelter had numerous winding passages, like a maze, each a potential escape route, and each wall a possible cover from bullets. Zhuang Zhuoyuan only had one gun; if it came to a war of attrition, he would undoubtedly lose.
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