380. The Unexpected Visitor 【24/99】
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Wang Rui was already in his third year of college.
Now it was the second semester of his junior year. Although graduate school entrance exams typically happened around the end of the year, he had already started his review phase.
Unfortunately, he was the only one in the dorm preparing for the exams, and being the easily distracted type, he moved out of the dorm a while ago to find a relatively quiet rental apartment. He was ready to hustle for the next six months and make a dash for his future.
But today, he stumbled upon a beautiful girl.
Isn’t this what they call an “unexpected visitor”?
The apartment was a one-bedroom layout, even smaller than the one Lin Nan lived in. He was sitting on a little stool in the living room, bewilderedly watching the girl he’d picked up occupy his desk and munch through his bag of potato chips like she was at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
“Do you know that couple next door?” the tall girl asked, turning to Wang Rui.
“I’ve talked to them once or twice, but that doesn’t count as knowing them,” Wang Rui replied, feeling a bit tense. He’d never encountered such a situation before and was worried it might be a scam, whether it be a shakedown or a honey trap. He pulled out his phone, had already dialed 110, and was ready to call the cops if things went south.
The only reason he hadn’t called the cops right away was that this girl was pretty. If she had looked like a tank or if she were male, he would have kicked her out the door immediately.
Lilith polished off the entire bag of chips, kicked off her shoes, and propped her feet onto the stool curiously asking, “What’s your name?”
“Wang Rui.”
“I’m… Li Lisi.” She wasn’t quite used to her new name.
But that little hesitation made Wang Rui suspicious, convinced she was just making up a fake name on the spot, making him even more cautious.
“Got any food?” Lilith casually crossed her legs on the chair, tilted her head a bit, and stated with utter confidence, “I’m hungry.”
Wang Rui ponders for a moment and asks, “If I feed you, will you leave?”
“Of course! And my cat,” she lifted her leg showing off her increasingly plump Cola, “he’s hungry too.”
“Meow!”
“If I give you money…”
Lilith shook her little head vigorously: “No money! I’m just hungry! Not begging!”
“Alright, but you promise to leave after eating?” Wang Rui figured this girl was just a hassle, ruining his midday study goals.
Yet, there was a strange ripple of curiosity inside him. After all, they were a lone guy and a beautiful girl stuck in a room together—one of them being a potential criminal mastermind wasn’t completely off the table.
“Shall I order you some takeout?”
“Sounds great! I’ll leave right after! Your place is even smaller than where I usually stay!” Lilith tilted her head back, looking oh so pleased with herself.
Lin Nan probably hadn’t considered she could eat anywhere she went! That guy was probably still waiting for her to starve to d*ath!
Wang Rui sighed and ultimately softened.
…
However, he didn’t expect that when he returned from the campus library around eight that evening, he’d find Lilith hanging out in the corridor of his rental apartment again after just crashing for a meal earlier.
“What are you doing back?” His expression darkened—was she addicted to scamming him now?
“I’m hungry again!” Lilith replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world, “Can’t I find somewhere to eat? I’ve been waiting for over an hour!”
Wang Rui realized he was definitely being played for a fool. He shoved his keys back in his pocket, sternly asking, “So you have no money?”
“None!”
“Can’t you ask your parents or borrow from friends?”
Lilith thought for a moment and answered honestly, “I don’t have parents or friends.”
Wang Rui was momentarily dumbfounded. While he wasn’t sure if Lilith was telling the truth, he didn’t want to delve further into such precarious territory: “Then how did you survive before?”
“Li Na took care of me! She’s… my arch-nemesis, hmm.” Lilith, surprisingly honest, continued, “Before her, Lin Nan took care of me and made me lose weight! MMP!”
Sizing up Lilith’s tone and demeanor, Wang Rui sensed that this girl wasn’t lying. It was as if she really had been raised by various homes. She had a naive romanticism in her eyes and displayed no trace of embarrassment about her background.
Lilith was still standing strong, hands on her hips, brimming with confidence: “Li Na has been missing recently! So until she gets back, you’re stuck being my guardian!”
Why did that feel like a declaration of love?
“Seriously, you’re not a scammer?” Wang Rui worried that she was trying to gain his trust to rob him blind.
“Do you think a scammer would admit they’re a scammer?” Lilith looked at him as if he were daft. “Lin Nan isn’t as foolish as you.”
She pulled her ID card out of her shorts and handed it to Wang Rui: “Here! I’ll leave my ID with you!”
Then she picked up the clueless Cola and squished him into Wang Rui’s arms: “Cola’s collateral too!”
“If I’m scamming you, I’ll throw Lin Nan in as well!”
Something about this girl gave him pause, but hey, she was cute! Even if her style was a bit kooky, being attractive gave her free rein to act however she wanted.
That was the point.
Wang Rui sighed, holding Cola, stepped forward, and opened the door to let Lilith in.
Just as they entered, Lin Nan’s door opened.
“Did someone just mention me out there?” She slipped her little feet into her shoes, bent down to help herself, and turned to Chen Yao, asking.
Chen Yao wore a slight smile, shaking his head while holding Lin Nan’s small handbag: “Didn’t hear anything. You must have misheard. Was anyone even out there?”
“Really?”
“Let’s go, let’s go, movie time! I purposely chose seats in the back row,” Chen Yao said, his smile growing broader.
Lin Nan immediately felt suspicious: “I warn you! No funny business outside!”
“Got it, got it! We’ll keep the fun for later,” he snickered.
“Shameless.” She blushed a bit, stood up after putting on her shoes, but suddenly remembered Lilith from earlier, “I wonder if that girl ate… she’s not answering my calls, and I couldn’t find her at her rental either. I think she skipped class this afternoon.”
Lin Nan was worried something might happen to Lilith.
What if she got abducted and sold off to some desolate place and never returned?
She didn’t have magic now. Having been in this world for such a short time, she could easily fall into traps, right?
Chen Yao followed Lin Nan out, casually locking the door, and asked, “What’s the deal between you two? Feels like you’re love-hate partners.”
“Love? More like no love at all!” Lin Nan replied, still looking anxious, “I just care about her cat, okay? I’ve raised Cola since forever!”
“Well, if you’re that worried, why not call the police?”
“Doesn’t feel necessary…” Lin Nan instinctively looped her arm through Chen Yao’s, pushing the concerns aside because they were heading out to watch a movie—she was determined to enjoy her evening as well as eat barbecue afterward!
Chen Yao gently ruffled Lin Nan’s hair: “Be careful not to get too hot.”
“Mind your own business!”
But just one wall away in that rented apartment, the very girl Lin Nan was worried about had already claimed Wang Rui’s bed, sitting cross-legged like a hamster while crumbs from potato chips scattered everywhere.
This was the good life.
Lilith chirped at Wang Rui, “Got any more chips?”
“Get off the bed to eat!”
