Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“… Scram! The thing I lost is my most precious freedom, all right?! Freedom!”
She tightened her grip around the phone. If her best friend were here right now, she would really smash this phone onto her face.
“Ha ha!” Her reply amused her best friend to no end.
“All right, the young girl who lost her freedom, please tell me how that happened. Could it be that you sold yourself to your boss?”
She said that in a jest, but what she received as a reply was her silence.
“…”
The silence on the other end made her panic.
“Don’t tell me that I guessed it right? You really did sell yourself to your boss?!”
Pei Ge winced from her friend’s bellow and moved the phone away from her ear.
“Pei Ge, you’d better not tell me that that is true! Speak! Don’t pretend to be mute!” Tang Xiaoyu raised her voice, totally discarding her previous thought of appeasing the other.
“It’s true…” she admitted softly.
“What?! Pei Ge, are you stupid or what?! You sold yourself for a mere 200,000 yuan?!” she shouted furiously.
“… Please! Are you sure you know the meaning of the word ‘sell’? We merely signed a contract. You’re being too absurd.” She huffed in indignation.
This Xiaoyu with all her weird ideas and fantasies must be taking this the wrong way.
“Er… Contract? What contract?” Tang Xiaoyu felt awkward upon the realization that she had misconstrued her friend’s words.
“Oh… It’s a contract to be Ji Ziming’s wife-cum-shield.”
She then explained the terms of the contract.
The line remained silent even after she was done speaking. It was as if the person over the phone was struck silly by her explanation.
“Hey, are you still there? Long-distance international calls are expensive, you know?” she asked, unable to bear the long silence.
“Ge Ge, I really think your boss likes you!” Tang Xiaoyu suddenly exclaimed.
“… Goodbye.” The only response she had to that was an eye roll.
“Really, really! Ge Ge, aren’t you a little too gullible? What do you mean by him needing a fake wife to be his shield? Who is that man, and can anyone even force him if he’s unwilling?”
Tang Xiaoyu analyzed everything for her.
“Also, even if he really needs a shield, why must it be you? There are tons of women more suitable for that role, and they are way easier to control than you, so why must he choose you instead of any of those bimbos?”
“… That’s because he hates me to the bone and doesn’t want me to be happy.” Pei Ge was unconvinced by her friend’s argument and nudged her lips disbelievingly.
No kidding. Ji Ziming likes me? I heard him say that he dislikes me himself too many a time!
“My foot! Even if he does hate you and doesn’t want you to be happy, he doesn’t have to sacrifice himself! Think about it; if he hates you, why place you in front of him and spend time with every day? He’s not a masochist, nor is he a retard!” her friend excitedly argued further.
That sounds… reasonable.
For a moment, she herself became unsure.
Xiaoyu is making a lot of sense. If that annoying fellow hates me, why put me in a role where he has no choice but to have frequent contact with me?
Huh? That’s not right!
She blinked.
I’m receiving lessons at Bauhinia Court; it seems I’m not actually in contact with him personally!
Mhm! Xiaoyu must be overthinking this.
“It’s not like that, Xiaoyu. You’re overthinking things. It’s totally not like that.” She grinned.
“Ge Ge, are you dumb? How is this me overthinking—” Her friend did not get to finish her words as someone seemed to be calling her away.
Tang Xiaoyu apparently covered the mouthpiece as her voice became muffled; hence, Pei Ge did not get to hear what was being said on the other end of the line.
A long while passed, and her friend seemed to be done speaking to the other person as her voice came through clearly again.
“Ge Ge, I have something urgent to deal with, so let’s stop here today. You should rest early tonight. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”
“All right, Xiaoyu. You should take a rest, too,” she mumbled in agreement.
“Ge Ge, I’m really sorry for this time. It definitely won’t happen again.” Tang Xiaoyu promise her this.
“It’s okay. What’s important is that you are fine.” She chuckled gently.
Following her words, Tang Xiaoyu’s stifled laughter trickled through the receiver.
“Ge Ge, you are my best friend ever. No matter what happens in the future, we are still the best sisters and friends.”
“Mhm. You are also my best friend forever. For life.”
Pei Ge then hung up the call with a light smile on her face.
She felt relaxed after their talk.
“Hah…” She raised her head to the night sky, which was barely mottled with stars, and exhaled loudly.
How great. Mom is fine, and my best friend is okay as well.
“He he!” She laughed aloud in her happiness.
Dad, are you seeing us? Mom and Xiaoyu are healthy and safe. Nothing is wrong with them!
Although this daughter of yours fell into a trap, it’s fine since everyone is healthy and okay!
He he!
“La la la…” She slowly made her way home while humming a tune.
What she did not know was that, on the side of the Earth, her best friend was welcoming a new trouble!
“Who are you?”
Returning to Gu Zhengrong’s ward, Tang Xiaoyu frowned at the sight of an unknown, tall man in a black suit and a pair of sunglasses.
Who is this man who is dressed like the mafia?
