Chapter 54

A few moments later, Fang Miaoling appeared from the car, smiling like a beautiful flower. Then, she waved goodbye to the man behind the wheel. “I should get going now. See you later, Big Brother Bai.”

“OK,” the man replied in the car. He steered the wheel away as if he did not see Ji Xiaonian standing nearby.

She realized his intention and wanted to stop him immediately, but Fang Miaoling who had just gotten out of the car was in her way. The latter smiled and grabbed her by the arm. “Xiaonian, why are you here early? Were you waiting for me? Let’s go to class together.”

Ji Xiaonian pushed Fang Miaoling’s arm away forcefully when she noticed Bai Yan’s car was about to leave. “I wasn’t waiting for you. Get out of my way.”

“You’re kidding, right? You were waiting for me!” Knowing that Ji Xiaonian was looking for Bai Yan, Fang Miaoling only tightened her grasp.

Ji Xiaonian was unable to struggle free from the annoying woman. Irritated, she lowered her head and bit hard on the back of Fang Miaoling’s hand.

“Ouch!”

Fang Miaoling cried out in pain and loosened her grip instinctively.

Naturally, her deafening scream entered the ears of the man in the car.

Bai Yan who was going to drive away stepped on the brake abruptly and shifted his attention to the window.

He witnessed Fang Miaoling complaining to Ji Xiaonian in tears, “Xiaonian, you can speak nicely but why did you bite me? It hurts.”

Ji Xiaonian could not be bothered to argue with Fang Miaoling. She pushed past the other person and approached the window by the driver’s seat. Then, she peeked into the window with a pout as she called out, “Brother Yan.”

Although he had instructed her to not appear in front of him again, she had no other alternative than to beg him to help Lu Yifei.

As expected, Ji Xiaonian noticed that Bai Yan’s expression became solemn the moment he saw her.

He threw a sideways glance at her quickly before shifting his gaze to Fang Miaoling.

“Is everything okay?” he asked Fang Miaoling in a tender voice.

Fang Miaoling instantly came forward and shook her head while smiling. “I’m fine, Big Brother Bai. You should probably leave for work now or you’ll miss your morning meeting.”

“OK,” he replied quietly. Again, he pretended not to see Ji Xiaonian and reignited the engine.

Upon seeing he was about to drive away, she mustered her courage to open the door and plunged herself into the passenger seat.

Fang Miaoling who was standing nearby was taken aback.

The man who was sitting on the driver’s seat remained expressionless. “Get out of my car,” he ordered coldly.

Instead of doing what she was told, Ji Xiaonian fastened the seatbelt and stared at Bai Yan with her big rounded eyes. “Brother Yan, I’m begging you to help me with something. I’m only doing so because I know you’re capable of solving the problem. Can you please lend me a hand, upon considering your friendship with my Elder Brother?”

She begged him.

Just like how Yu Shengjie had said earlier, she was begging him for the sake of an insignificant person.

With reasons unknown to herself, she could not bear to see Lu Yifei getting punished by the university, and she also did not want him to be discriminated against by the students.

What was the big deal about him being homosexual? It was not something that was within his control.

Since she had established that they were friends, she could not sit by and do nothing.

Moreover, as long as she notified Bai Yan about the matter, the latter could probably settle it within minutes. There was no way she could just look on with folded arms.

“I want you to get out of my car!” Realizing that the little girl was staying still in the passenger seat, Bai Yan shouted loudly at her once more.

Determined, Ji Xiaonian continued staring at him with widened eyes and tightened her grasp on the seat belt simultaneously. “Brother Yan…”

“Xiaonian, Big Brother Bai has an important conference at the company. You shouldn’t pester him or you won’t be able to bear the consequences if he missed it.”

Fang Miaoling interrupted by shouting into the car before Ji Xiaonian could explain her reason to Bai Yan.

Ji Xiaonian turned to look at her and suddenly flew into a rage for no reason. Furious, she yelled at Fang Miaoling, “It’s none of your business. Leave us alone.”

Fang Miaoling turned pale with rage and looked at Bai Yan with a genuine grievance.

Unexpectedly, Bai Yan stepped on the accelerator all of the sudden without even casting her a glance. The car sped away.

Both the car and Ji Xiaonian disappeared from the university gate.

Fang Miaoling who was left behind was devastated.

On the other hand, Ji Xiaonian held on tightly to the seat belt as she was overcome with a mixed feeling of nervousness and desolation.

She was nervous because once again, she ignored her reputation and appeared in front of him shamelessly. At the same time, she felt desolated because the man had dropped off Fang Miaoling at the university.

They had known each other for so many years but he had only dropped her off at school a handful of times.

Ji Xiaonian could count on one hand the number of times that happened.

It seemed that she was not really important to him, seeing as how easily she was replaced by Fang Miaoling who had just arrived at his house not long ago.

Screech!

The sedan came to a halt and she leaned forward abruptly because of the law of inertia.

Ji Xiaonian straightened in the seat before turning her attention to the man next to her. He remained expressionless but an imposing manner exuded from him. Before she opened her mouth to speak, she felt as if being suffocated by a domineering energy.

She took in a deep breath before speaking her mind. “So, what happened is that Lu Yifei – the person that my Elder Brother had arranged to protect me, was framed and might be expelled out of the university. Even if not, he would be punished with severe disciplinary actions. You’re one of the major stockholders of the university hence can you request the dean to deal with Lu Yifei leniently?”

Since young, Ji Xiaonian had not really pleaded with him for anything serious.

If he would not help with such a small matter, it must have meant that she was an insignificant nobody in his heart. If that was the truth, then she should give up any hopes she had left on him.

“Did I not tell you to never appear in front of me again? Ji Xiaonian, did I not make myself clear, or are you stupid?”

Bai Yan stared right into her eyes with an intense gaze as cold as icicles.

The little girl blinked back pitifully with her black rounded eyes.

“I don’t understand why you are treating me like this. Your attitude towards me alternates almost every second and it’s really confusing me because I can never tell what’s going on in your mind. I’ll disappear in your life if you help me this one time. As long as Lu Yifei doesn’t get expelled from the university, I promise you that I’ll never appear in front of you again.”

Ji Xiaonian realized he was a man lacking pity and compassion for others, and that all of the time and effort spent on loving him all these years turned into nothing.

She became more upset the more she thought about it and suddenly, tears came flowing down her cheeks.

Pearl-size tears rolled off her eyes like a heavy downpour.

“…”

Bai Yan felt a burning pain in his heart as he watched those crystal clear teardrops escaping her big rounded eyes.

For the first time in his life, he felt an immense heaviness in the chest suppressing him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

“You’re begging for my help all because of a disposable man in your life?” The rage in his heart grew when he realized how far she was willing to go for another man that was not himself.

Ji Xiaonian looked at him with eyes that were welled up with tears. “Although Lu Yifei and I have only known each other for a little while, I promise you that he’s a good person and I’m positive he’s been framed. If one word from you is enough to keep him at the university, Brother Yan, can you please help him out?”