Unexpected Company

Buzz, buzz.

Early Saturday morning, Lin Yi, still deep in slumber, was jolted awake by the insistent buzz of his phone. Frowning deeply, he picked up the device, a palpable wave of irritation radiating from his face.

“Hello?”

On the other end, Li Yan flinched at the anger lacing Lin Yi’s voice.

“Brother Lin? Are you alright?”

It was then that Lin Yi suddenly remembered his plans for the day.

“No, no, I’m fine. Just give me a moment.”

With that, Lin Yi began to dress. About ten minutes later, Li Yan, who had been waiting downstairs, spotted Lin Yi emerging in casual attire.

“Brother Lin, how about we hit up an internet café later?”

“An internet café? Not now. Let’s wait a bit; not everyone’s here yet.”

“Alright, alright.”

Lin Yi sent a quick message to Chen Sishi, then waited by the entrance for a little longer.

Roughly ten minutes later, two radiant figures descended from upstairs.

Chen Sishi wore a pure white dress that day, its delicate lace fabric adorning her collarbones and arms. Lin Yi could even faintly glimpse the smooth skin beneath the garment.

Below her collarbones, only a swathe of pristine white fabric was visible.

Two slender, off-white straps gracefully cinched Chen Sishi’s delicate waist, further accentuating the girl’s elegant figure.

The white lace gown flowed down to just above her fair knees, revealing a hint of youthful skin.

Beneath her slender, well-proportioned calves, a pair of white high heels made Chen Sishi appear even taller and more captivating.

In stark contrast, the other girl beside Chen Sishi seemed considerably plainer. Lin Yi didn’t recognize her, but from her attire, she appeared to be a high school student.

After a moment of thought, Lin Yi suddenly recalled something.

In the original novel, Chen Sishi had a very close best friend. Her name was Bai Zhiyue, and she had grown up with Chen Sishi.

She knew Chen Sishi’s personality intimately and had always assisted her in pursuing the male lead. She was one of those female characters who held no romantic feelings for the male lead. But it wasn’t her time to appear yet, so why was she here now?

Frustrated, Lin Yi pressed a hand to his forehead, wondering where the butterfly effect had struck again. Now, even the female lead’s support character had appeared. How was Lin Yi supposed to tackle this alone?

Beside Lin Yi, Li Yan’s expression shifted the moment he saw Chen Sishi. He had initially thought they were just going out for fun; it hadn’t even crossed his mind that the ‘girl’ Lin Yi mentioned would be Chen Sishi.

And judging by Chen Sishi’s demeanor, it looked exactly like a date with Lin Yi.

“Brother Lin, how did you manage to invite our school’s campus belle out? Should I, uh, make myself scarce?”

“Make yourself scarce? Don’t be ridiculous! We’re just friends, don’t get any wild ideas.”

“Ohhh~”

Li Yan cast a meaningful glance between Lin Yi and Chen Sishi. From their appearance alone, they did seem quite well-matched.

“Lin Yi, good morning!”

Chen Sishi led her best friend over to the two boys. Lin Yi managed a faint, awkward smile in response.

“G-good… good morning…”

“Sishi, is this the one you told me about?”

Bai Zhiyue, standing nearby, fixed her gaze on Lin Yi. Her voice was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to Chen Sishi’s spring-breeze warmth.

“That’s right, that’s right, Bai Bai! What do you think of him?”

Bai Zhiyue scrutinized Lin Yi from head to toe, then nodded approvingly.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bai Zhiyue.”

The moment Li Yan saw Bai Zhiyue, his eyes seemed glued to her. Lin Yi shot him a strange look, thinking to himself.

‘This guy isn’t trying to hit on Bai Zhiyue, is he?’

Li Yan, this fellow, was a veritable ‘sea king’ – his ‘fish pond’ held more catches than even the male lead’s. Though, ironically, he’d never actually been in a relationship.

“Ahem, hello. My name is Lin Yi.”

Masking his slight awkwardness with a cough, Lin Yi intentionally softened his voice, wary of leaving a poor first impression on Bai Zhiyue.

According to the original novel’s plot, Bai Zhiyue wasn’t exactly a yandere. However, prolonged exposure to Chen Sishi inevitably led to some distortions and extremism in her personality.

“I know. And him?”

Bai Zhiyue’s voice remained flat, as if she couldn’t care less.

Lin Yi subtly nudged Li Yan, who promptly snapped out of his daze and hastily introduced himself.

“I-I’m Li Yan…”

Noticing Li Yan’s nervous demeanor, Bai Zhiyue unconsciously frowned. She discreetly took a step back, leaning in to whisper to Chen Sishi.

“This guy… should we just toss him in the river for the fish?”

Chen Sishi paused, then instinctively glanced at Lin Yi.

“No, let’s not. If Lin Yi found out, he’d be scared of me.”

“Alright, alright. I really don’t get you.”

Shrugging indifferently, Bai Zhiyue’s gaze held a renewed hint of wariness as she looked at Li Yan. Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine under her stare. He turned to Lin Yi beside him, only to find him wearing a faint smile.

“Brother Lin, don’t you think it’s a bit cold today?”

“Hmm? Is it?”

“Hmph~ Never mind, I spoke too soon.”

Lin Yi scratched his head, perplexed by Li Yan’s sudden odd behavior.

Since all four of them had come out early that morning, none had eaten breakfast. After a brief discussion, they decided to find a restaurant for a quick bite.

They casually found a restaurant by the roadside. From the outside, it appeared quite clean. Its signboard was crafted from grey, anti-corrosion wood, adorned with several wooden plaques bearing the restaurant’s name.

Through the spotless glass, the interior decor was visible. The overall style leaned towards modern Chinese, featuring wooden floors, tables, and chairs.

Additionally, there were carved wooden partitions, suitable for displaying potted plants and small ornaments.

Finding the restaurant quite appealing, Lin Yi was the first to speak.

“Shall we go in and take a look?”

Bai Zhiyue gave the restaurant a cursory glance and replied indifferently.

“Whatever works…”

“I have no objections.”

Chen Sishi also offered her reply, leaving only Li Yan yet to express his opinion. Everyone turned their gaze to Li Yan, who sheepishly scratched his head.

Since they had already decided, Li Yan naturally had no objections. After receiving Li Yan’s assent, Lin Yi pushed open the restaurant’s glass door.

“Welcome!”

A robotic female voice announced their arrival. Hearing it, the middle-aged woman at the counter quickly stopped what she was doing and looked up.

“What would you all like to eat?”

“Do you have a menu?”

As the one who suggested dining at this restaurant, Lin Yi naturally stepped forward to ask.

“The menu is over here.”

The middle-aged woman gestured towards the wall, where various dishes and their pictures were displayed on plaques. Lin Yi turned to the three behind him and asked.

“Are we going Dutch, or…”

Before Lin Yi could even finish his sentence, Bai Zhiyue interrupted him directly.

“I think I’ll treat you all to this meal. After all, it’s our first meeting, consider it a small token of my goodwill.”

“Oh? Bai Bai, you can’t do that. Let me treat this time.”

Watching the two girls contend over the bill, Lin Yi and Li Yan exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.

“Brother Lin, normally, when a girl and a guy go out on a date, isn’t the guy supposed to pay?”

Lin Yi’s mouth twitched. He would have loved to treat them, but he simply didn’t have the funds. His personal stash for the month had long run dry; where would he find extra money to treat others to a meal? Even suggesting they go Dutch was a significant commitment for him.