Chapter 31: A Narrow Escape

"Officer Song was just here," Shen Xing said.

"He was here? Why did he leave again?" Ouyang Lin asked, frowning as she tossed an ice cream to Shen Xing.

"I’m not sure, but he didn't seem very happy that you weren't here waiting for him. Look, the flowers on the table are what he brought; he just left them there when he walked out." Shen Xing appeared quite indignant on Ouyang Lin's behalf.

Ouyang Lin’s brow furrowed deeper. A woman’s intuition alerted her to a certain signal. At the same time, she felt it shouldn't have come to this. She had known Song Yuanqing for a long time and understood his personality better than anyone. How could he possibly want to break up just because she hadn't stayed home to wait for him as scheduled?

*Buzz, buzz.*

But the next moment, her phone vibrated. Ouyang Lin opened it, and her intuition was proven right. The message was simple:

"I’ve thought it over. We truly aren't a good match. Let’s not waste each other's time. Just tell your parents that you were the one who initiated the breakup."

Ouyang Lin arched her brows, staring at the message for a long time without moving. Shen Xing didn't even dare to breathe, waiting anxiously for her reaction. When it came down to it, this was a rather despicable act, and even though Shen Xing had nerves of steel, his heart couldn't help but race.

After a long while, she spoke. "Who told you to use my bathroom to shower?"

Shen Xing hadn't expected her first words after looking up to be about that. "I... I was covered in sweat, and I was afraid of ruining the smell of the room, so I took the liberty... But I’ve already cleaned it up, and I was very quick!"

"Don't you know I have mysophobia?" Ouyang Lin didn't seem intent on letting him off that easily. She walked up to Shen Xing, looked him straight in the eye, and said softly, "This... I... I really did clean it! If you can't stand it, I’ll go clean it a few more times right now!"

Shen Xing scratched his head. What kind of development was this? Why was she suddenly fixated on his showering?

"I said I have mysophobia. You going back in there to clean would only make it harder for me to accept." Ouyang Lin reached out and easily dragged back the turning Shen Xing.

"Then how do you want to resolve this? I don't have any assets, surely you aren't planning to extort me?"

"If you don't have assets, don't you still have yourself?"

"Huh?"

Shen Xing was completely bewildered. Could it be that she had taken a fancy to his handsome face? While that possibility wasn't entirely zero, Shen Xing felt it was quite low. For one, Ouyang Lin never showed any signs of being shallow, and for another, he knew exactly how she felt about him. If it weren't for his decent performance in training recently, she would probably still be looking at him with that same dismissive gaze. To jump from negative favorability to attraction—wasn't that a bit too much?

"Am I beautiful?"

Before Shen Xing could process her previous question, the next, even heavier one followed.

"No, Officer Ouyang, we..."

"I didn't ask you to say anything else. Forgot the rules? When an officer asks a question, you only answer with 'yes' or 'no'."

"...Yes! You are breathtakingly beautiful, Officer!" Muscle memory made Shen Xing instinctively stand at attention and offer a military salute.

This comical display seemed to improve Ouyang Lin's mood slightly. She smiled, reached out with her left hand to touch Shen Xing's cheek, and asked very gently, "Then tell me, do you men have to possess a woman completely before you're satisfied before marriage?"

"Ah? Officer, that's not exactly an absolute rule. I think..."

"Hmm?"

"Report! No, Officer!"

"Pfft! Liar!" Ouyang Lin snorted coldly. Seeming still unsatisfied, she raised her hand and slapped Shen Xing across the face!

"Damn! Have you lost your mind?!" Shen Xing could no longer play the well-behaved student. He immediately blocked Ouyang Lin’s arm and used his other hand to temporarily restrain her. It was just a slap; Ouyang Lin wouldn't use her internal energy, so Shen Xing caught it quite easily.

"If not, why did he break up with me for no reason? Isn't it just because I rejected his requests for intimacy a few times? Heh, since his own conditions are pretty good, he must have felt his pride was wounded, right?" Ouyang Lin didn't try to break free, just sneered while glaring at Shen Xing with a gaze full of resentment.

*Huh? Wait, wait! Did I misjudge the situation? Is it just Song Yuanqing who felt lukewarm toward Ouyang Lin? Why does Ouyang Lin look like she cares so much? Although this means the results of my revenge have expanded, the level of villainy has also doubled!*

Shen Xing thought to himself, then tentatively asked, "Do you really like Song Yuanqing? I couldn't really tell..."

"I don't. He isn't my type."

"Huh? Then what was that just now?"

"I don't like him, but that doesn't mean he can just break up with me! And in such an unprovoked way! It infuriates me. Next time I see him, I’m going to beat him to a pulp!"

Ouyang Lin’s bandit-like logic made Shen Xing break out in a cold sweat. He immediately advised, "Don't, don't. Since you've already broken up, why keep tangling with him? If you hit him, won't it make him misunderstand that you actually care about him? He might feel pain physically, but he'd be pleased mentally. Think about it, is that worth it?"

Ouyang Lin looked pensive. "That actually makes some sense... You're right. If I make a scene, it just makes me look less valuable."

It seemed she had taken his words to heart. She curled her lips slightly. "Since you said something useful, we'll let the showering incident pass. It's getting late; disappear from my sight."

Shen Xing felt relieved. He hurriedly agreed, offered a few ingratiating smiles, and made a quick escape. Once back in his small room, he still felt lingering fear. "No, I have to do less of this kind of despicable stuff in the future. My heart is beating like a drum."

On the fifty-third day, Ouyang Lin and Song Yuanqing met during training, and the two were as usual—no changes were visible. Shen Xing was completely reassured. The longer time passed, the less likely he was to be exposed, and the safer he would be.

However, to his surprise, after training, he was called to Ouyang Lin's residence again. Just like yesterday, it was for sparring. This time, Shen Xing didn't let his mind wander, so it ended early. Ouyang Lin gave him a few simple words of praise and let him leave.

On the fifty-fourth day, Ouyang Lin came to inspect again. Shen Xing felt something was off, so he deliberately delayed finishing his training tasks. He ended up four hours later than the day before, finishing only at eight in the evening. *You must have gone back long ago, right?*

With this thought, as soon as Shen Xing walked out of the training ground gate, the first thing he saw was Ouyang Lin leaning against the car door. Seeing him come out, she beckoned to him. Shen Xing had no choice but to get in the car and head to the appointment.

It was the same sparring, the same predictable outcome. If there was any change, it was that Ouyang Lin's control of her strength was even more precise. She could defeat Shen Xing without causing him too much suffering. Shen Xing was almost moved, but the next moment, he realized he was just being pathetic.

On the fifty-fifth day, it was almost an exact replica of the day before. Although Shen Xing felt it was a bit strange, after several days, he had become desensitized. More importantly, he discovered that through these few days of sparring, his technical skills had truly improved significantly. These were things he could never have learned on the training ground. Shen Xing even thought that if he could grow like this every day, sparring a few more days wouldn't be such a big deal. Anyway, he couldn't win regardless.

However, on the fifty-sixth day, things took an unexpected turn!