Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 757: Being Suspected

Chapter 757: Chapter 757: Being Suspected

The city at night is a spectacle of bright lights and bustling sounds as people begin their nocturnal activities. Some gather in groups to enjoy meals, others leisurely stroll, and yet others engage in nightlife revelry.

Gu Ling and Qian Ye spent the entire day shopping. Like many women, they seemed to draw infinite energy from the activity. Bags big and small accumulated as they moved from one store to another, and the more they bought, the happier they became.

Before they knew it, it was nearly ten o’clock at night. Stores began to close, and the streets slowly emptied out. It wasn’t until then that Gu Ling realized how late it had become, and they needed to return home.

"Wow, we bought so much today!" Qian Ye was very satisfied. Every shopping trip felt like the most magnificent day to her.

Just then, a group of drunken men approached them. Seeing the two beautiful women, Qian Ye and Gu Ling, they decided to start a conversation. "Hey, ladies, why haven’t you gone home yet? Did you miss the last bus? How about I give you a lift."

"No need, we can take a taxi." Gu Ling quickly pulled Qian Ye away, wanting to distance themselves from these men. She despised such rude advances.

The men, with their quicker pace, quickly blocked Gu Ling and Qian Ye’s path and said, "Why the rush, ladies? Do we look like bad guys to you? We’re good people."

"If you’re good people, then get out of our way." Gu Ling was beginning to get angry, and Qian Ye was also displeased.

These men, oblivious to their annoying behavior, persistently followed Gu Ling and Qian Ye, with lewd smiles on their faces. "Don’t be like that, ladies. How about we become friends? It’s a big city; our meeting must be fate."

Gu Ling and Qian Ye kept walking with stern faces, hoping that these men would take the hint and leave. But they severely underestimated how shameless this group was.

Despite Gu Fan’s repeated warnings not to use magic recklessly lest they be discovered, Qian Ye had reached her limit. The strong stench of alcohol from these men was too much to bear.

Just as Qian Ye was about to take action, a familiar voice intervened, "If you guys don’t want trouble, I suggest you get lost."

At the sound of the voice, Gu Ling and Qian Ye turned around to find Ning Qi and Qian Ying approaching, their hands full of shopping bags.

The men paused before breaking out in laughter. "Oh my, we are so lucky today, two more beauties!"

One of them, very excited, approached Qian Ying, "Hello, beautiful. It’s good to meet you. How about we become friends?"

"Sure, I am glad to meet you too." With a smile, Qian Ying extended her hand. The man quickly seized the opportunity to touch Qian Ying, which made him ecstatic.

Seeing that their friend had succeeded, the other men also swarmed in. However, the man slapped each of them across the face before they could reach her. At the same time, Qian Ying closed her eyes.

"Dude, are you crazy? Why did you hit us?" The others cried out in surprise and anger.

The man coldly responded, "I am hitting all of you. Who do you think you are compared to me?" With that, fighting broke out among them.

Obviously, Qian Ying had taken control of the man’s actions. She enjoyed seeing them fight among themselves; it was both amusing and satisfying.

At the moment, Qian Ye didn’t care how badly they beat each other. Even if they ended up with bruises or bloody faces, it didn’t matter. What she was really content with was Qian Ying’s controlled casting.

If Qian Ye had a least favorite person among their sisters at the Shennv Xuanhui, it was Qian Ying.

Moments later, the men had fled, leaving only Gu Ling, Qian Ye, Ning Qi, and Qian Ying. They regarded one another from a distance.

Qian Ying smiled, "Well, those annoying guys have run off. You must be very grateful to me, but there’s no need."

"Thank you, but if you weren’t here, I could have handled it," Qian Ye responded flatly, appearing less than eager to engage with Qian Ying.

Qian Ying was taken by surprise. The hostility from Lin Xi towards her seemed as deep as it used to be from Qian Ye.

Unaware of what she possibly could have done to offend Lin Xi, Qian Ying said, "Alright, second elder sister. We should help each other out. It’s not a big deal. According to our eldest sister, we should let go of past grudges. You are you, Qian Ye is Qian Ye. I agree with her. After all, the world we live in now is so beautiful, why should we dwell on the past?"

"Well said. While grudges can be let go of, it doesn’t mean that we can get along peacefully. From now on, you’ll be on your own, and I’ll be on mine." Qian Ye’s blunt words caught Qian Ying and Ning Qi off guard. They couldn’t understand why Lin Xi held them in such aversion.

Gu Ling also sensed the tension and hurriedly nudged Qian Ye, whispering, "Sister, you are Lin Xi now."

This reminder left Qian Ye slightly confused. She didn’t know how to interact with the person she disliked the most while acting as Lin Xi.

Seeing Qian Ye’s dilemma, Gu Ling immediately stepped in, "You’re right. It’s truly commendable to let go of past grudges. Congratulations on achieving this."

With this, Qian Ye finally understood the relationship between the present Lin Xi and Qian Ying and immediately changed her approach. "Alright, regardless, I thank you for tonight, Qian Ying. I hope we can get along in the future."

"Great..." Qian Ying paused, bewildered. Lin Xi had just shown intense aversion towards their relationship mere moments ago, and now she wanted to get along. This was far too fickle.

"Look at all our purchases!" Gu Ling said, attempting to defuse the situation further. She then checked the time and said, "It’s almost eleven. It’s late, and our folks will start worrying. Let’s meet some other day. How about we treat you to a meal as a thank you for tonight? We really have to go home now, and you should too. Bye!"

Doing more talking could lead to more misteps. So, Gu Ling quickly led Qian Ye away. She was utterly embarrassed.

As Ning Qi watched Gu Ling and Qian Ye retreating, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were fleeing. She was perplexed while Qian Ying also sensed something off about this Lin Xi.

"There’s a problem...there’s a problem," Ning Qi mused, her brows furrowed in thought.

Qian Ying quickly pressed, "What’s wrong? Did you spot something out of place?"

"This Lin Xi... her behaviors and mannerisms are out of character. And Gu Ling didn’t address her once as ’Sister Lin Xi’ or ’future sister-in-law’." Ning Qi’s observations were sound, leaving Qian Ying even more puzzled. "It seems that it’s not due to my overly suspicious nature; this Lin Xi really is acting strangely."