Ji Zhaoxi originally thought the person coming to pick her up in a raincoat would be her dad.
But to her surprise, it was Xie Sili walking toward her with an umbrella.
One stood under the umbrella, and the other stood under the awning of the academic building. The two stared at each other in silence.
Ji Zhaoxi didn't know much about cars. She only sorted them into two categories:
Cars that gave her motion sickness, and cars that didn't.
To her surprise, Xie Sili's family car belonged to the second category.
It was the after-school rush hour, and the school gates were packed with cars. Coupled with the torrential rain, the traffic was gridlocked.
Xie Sili handed a towel to Ji Zhaoxi. She whispered, "Thank you."
Xie Sili gave a low hum of response and looked away.
One of them sat near the middle, while the other pressed closely against the door, leaving a glaringly large empty space between them.
The driver glanced back curiously through the rearview mirror.
He had seen Ji Zhaoxi many times, but this was her first time getting into the car.
She looked very well-behaved—that was the driver's first impression of her.
But the very next second...
"Xie Sili, what do you think of Jiang Shiyi?"
Ji Zhaoxi looked at Xie Sili earnestly.
This was an absolutely perfect opportunity.
Xie Sili looked out the window and chuckled softly. "I don't know."
Ji Zhaoxi fell silent for a moment, then said with a conflicted expression, "Actually, I think Jiang Shiyi is quite nice, and I like her a lot too. But everyone has flaws, and I feel like she has some flaws that I just can't accept."
She stole a glance at Xie Sili to gauge his reaction.
The driver's grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Oh my god, how could this girl's personality be so inconsistent with her appearance? He had thought she was a sweet and honest girl.
Yet here she was, badmouthing Miss Jiang the very first time she got into the car.
He started to pity Ji Zhaoxi. Would the young master kick her out in a moment? The rain was so heavy right now.
Seeing that Xie Sili had no reaction, Ji Zhaoxi grew a little anxious. "Xie Sili."
Xie Sili finally turned his lazy gaze toward her. "I heard you."
Relieved, Ji Zhaoxi continued to softly and weakly badmouth Jiang Shiyi.
"You think so too, right? Look at her, she doesn't even rest between classes and just explains problems to those people to win a good reputation. I feel exhausted just watching her."
"You also always hint, overtly and covertly, that you two have a great relationship. But I think your relationship is just average. I don't think she's as nice as she appears on the surface. In reality, she has her own little schemes."
Ji Zhaoxi talked until her mouth was dry. Having to badmouth Jiang Shiyi without making herself look too malicious really required a lot of brainpower.
Xie Sili kindly handed her a bottle of water.
"Thank you."
Xie Sili thought seriously for a long time. At least from Ji Zhaoxi's perspective, he was pondering what she had just said.
"So she's that kind of person. I misjudged her. I don't want her to attend my birthday banquet anymore. Can I invite you instead?"
Xie Sili looked at her with utmost sincerity.
Ji Zhaoxi's eyes lit up, and she was about to agree instinctively.
But the thought of Jiang Shiyi coming to confront her made her feel a bit guilty.
This is what happens to people who aren't thoroughly evil—they end up pleasing no one.
Ji Zhaoxi thought for a moment. "You should still let her attend. Otherwise, what if she suspects me?"
She was afraid Jiang Zhen would come swinging an iron rod at her.
Xie Sili furrowed his brows slightly, looking a bit troubled. "But I don't want to invite her anymore. I only want to invite you."
Ji Zhaoxi felt even more troubled than Xie Sili.
She hadn't expected him to be so extreme in his actions.
Even if he didn't like her, she could still go! Who promises someone an invite and then takes it back? Wasn't this just shifting the blame onto her?
"It's fine, I can go together with Jiang Shiyi. It's not good to go back on your word after agreeing," Ji Zhaoxi quickly said.
Xie Sili looked at her, his eyes curving into a smile. "Then it's a deal. You'll go with her when the time comes."
Ji Zhaoxi nodded. "Of course."
Xie Sili turned back around, but the smile on his face deepened.
Ji Zhaoxi stared at his smile, momentarily stunned. Why was Xie Sili acting so weird?
Jiang Shiyi was incredibly happy when she found out that Ji Zhaoxi was also going to Xie Sili's birthday banquet.
She even specifically dragged Jiang Zhen along to help them pick out dresses.
Jiang Zhen mainly served the function of a human coat rack.
His gaze would occasionally fall on Ji Zhaoxi.
He had already suffered at Ji Zhaoxi's hands, but it was obvious his sister hadn't yet.
Noticing Jiang Zhen's stare, Ji Zhaoxi gave him an innocent smile.
Jiang Zhen: ...
So infuriating.
Soon, the day of Xie Sili's birthday banquet arrived.
Ji Zhaoxi swore she had never seen such an extravagant birthday party.
Not even her grandmother's ninetieth birthday celebration had this many guests.
Xie Sili gave them a brief greeting before leaving.
Ji Zhaoxi watched as he stood beside his parents, politely greeting people she normally only saw on TV.
The school principal was there too. In stark contrast to his usual stern demeanor, he was hunched over, smiling merrily the entire time.
Jiang Shiyi was very familiar with these kinds of banquets. She kept a tight hold on Ji Zhaoxi's hand, afraid she would get lost.
She would whisper in her ear to tell her which foods were delicious, and quietly complain to her about which ones tasted weird.
Jiang Zhen didn't want to hang around them, so he went off to chat with a few young masters his age.
Ji Zhaoxi silently glanced at the hand holding hers tightly.
Jiang Shiyi was actually quite nice. All those flaws she had mentioned to Xie Sili earlier were completely made up.
Ji Zhaoxi felt that she herself was pretty good too; she was very loyal.
If she didn't have a mission, and if Jiang Shiyi were truly her friend, she would treat Jiang Shiyi very well.
"Oh, Jiang Shiyi, you're here too."
A harsh voice suddenly rang out.
If Ji Zhaoxi was considered a C-list female supporting character, then the girl standing in front of them was D-list, because she only needed to appear once.
Jiang Shiyi's expression cooled.
Wearing sky-high heels, the girl couldn't stop looking her up and down. "You still dare to show your face?"
Her tone carried a hint of mockery. "I heard the Jiang family is going to acknowledge that illegitimate son. Can you still be as arrogant as you are now?"
Beside them, Ji Zhaoxi automatically activated her stealth mode.
Jiang Shiyi wore a faint smile on her face. "Since we are both our father's children, it's perfectly normal for him to return to the Jiang family."
The girl scoffed coldly. "Keep acting tough. Just watch out that you don't get kicked out when the time comes."
Ji Zhaoxi was incredibly envious. This girl's mission would be over after just one appearance.
Whereas she had countless more to go.
Even when the male and female leads grew old, there would still be scenes for her, Ji Zhaoxi.
[The elderly Ji Zhaoxi tremblingly stroked the boy in the photograph and couldn't help but cry out loud. Her entire life had been lived in the shadows of Xie Sili and Jiang Shiyi...]
Seeing that Jiang Shiyi's face had grown a little pale, Ji Zhaoxi hesitated before starting to twist the knife in Jiang Shiyi's heart. "You're doomed. That illegitimate son will definitely fight you for everything in the future."
Jiang Shiyi looked at her, her eyes softening. "Thank you, Zhaoxi."
No matter what, she always cared for her as much as ever.
Ji Zhaoxi really wanted to tell her that she had misunderstood, but her lips moved, and in the end, she didn't say a word.
