"You consider them friends, but do they consider you a friend?"
Jiang Moxi gave Ling Hua a quick glance, her gaze sharpening significantly.
Although she didn't have many friends, she knew well that friendship required mutual effort to be meaningful.
But for Ling Hua, it was all about giving to those people.
And those people didn't seem very grateful.
Clearly, Ling Hua understood this too, thus her head drooped down instantly.
"I know they don't treat me as a friend."
They would invite her out because she always generously picked up the tab.
Even with Lolita skirts, they would make her wear the oldest-looking black ones and apply the thickest and strangest makeup to highlight their own liveliness and cuteness.
They didn't treat her as a friend; rather, they treated her like an ATM or a tool.
"But besides them, no one else wants to hang out with me."
Ling Hua emphasized again.
She remembered, when she was little, she had many friends.
But ever since she moved out of the Fu Family with her mother, she lost all her friends.
Even if she wanted to make new friends in new environments, people shunned her because she came from a single-parent home.
For a long time, she always played alone.
Until she met Yang Fei and the others.
Although they would also talk about her coming from a single-parent home, they would still call her out to hang out because she would cover everyone's entertainment expenses.
Gradually, she thought this was what friendship was.
And in order to maintain this so-called friendship, she became increasingly subservient.
"You really think that's hanging out with you, but they are actually playing you!"
Jiang Moxi was relentless and hit the nail on the head.
Ling Hua's eyes suddenly turned red: "But I'm so afraid of not having even a single companion."
But Jiang Moxi, unlike others, did not stop talking upon seeing her teary eyes; she continued:
"Fierce beasts always walk alone, it's only cattle and horses that flock together. But if you want to be a herd animal, no one can save you."
Ling Hua opened her mouth wanting to argue, but didn't know what to say.
Actually, even when she spent time with Yang Fei and the others, she still felt lonely inside.
So, was she really wrong?
Jiang Moxi did not comfort her, but turned and entered the elevator.
When she was as old as Ling Hua, she was already making a living amidst gunfire and bullets.
The path of life needs to be navigated on one's own, not always seeking answers in companionship.
Overprotection and indulgence will only keep Ling Hua forever living in her own world.
Only by tearing apart the illusions she had built for herself could she grow and face her future...
*
In the 9th-floor private room, Fu Youhan and Ye Chen were almost done with their drinks and were about to leave.
Just then, someone knocked on the private room door.
"Come in." Ye Chen thought it was the manager of Night Color coming to see him.
Unexpectedly, the person who entered was Jiang Moxi.
Seeing that she had changed out of her waitress uniform and was wearing an unshapely pair of overalls.
"Oh?" Ye Chen withdrew his gaze, then looked towards Fu Youhan.
Seeing Fu Youhan was also watching Jiang Moxi, looking somewhat puzzled.
Ye Chen muttered to himself, "The girl has changed into her casual clothes and returned to the private room. It's clear she came looking for you."
Not wanting to be a third wheel, he wrapped his arm around Yu Dingding intending to kiss her.
Yu Dingding skillfully dodged and then smiled, "Young Master Ye, you are drunk, let me take you back to rest."
"Truly understanding, truly someone I've trained."
Ye Chen's smile and tone, as well as his gentle caressing of Yu Dingding's cheek, let a woman feel the appropriate indulgence.
"Of course."
Yu Dingding was also smiling, but there were no ripples in the depths of her eyes.
"My grass protector is sending me home, you guys chat."
Ye Chen greeted Fu Youhan and then left with Yu Dingding in his arms.
When Yu Dingding passed by Jiang Moxi, she deliberately slowed her steps,
as if asking Jiang Moxi if she needed help.
But Jiang Moxi shook her head and gave her a slight smile, as if to tell her, "It's okay."
At that, Yu Dingding completely relaxed and followed Ye Chen out.
As they left, they thoughtfully closed the private room door behind them.
Therefore, only the two of them were left in the room.
"What is it?" Fu Youhan spoke first, his dark eyes always locked on Jiang Moxi.
Jiang Moxi walked up to Fu Youhan and directly stated, "I want to tell you that the favor I owed you before is now repaid."
Fu Youhan slightly squinted his dark eyes, "What do you mean?"
Jiang Moxi then recounted the incident she encountered with Ling Hua.
Then she added, "She doesn't have to enter the police station, you don't have to pull her out, and you don't have to worry about the matter reaching her school and getting a reprimand. The favor I owe you, consider it repaid, right?"
Yet, Fu Youhan looked at her coldly.
He really disliked her attitude of trying to quickly sever ties with him!
Because of this, his body went against his better judgment and took the next step.
Before responding to Jiang Moxi, he suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her onto his lap:
"Do you think my favor is so easily repaid?"
Jiang Moxi wasn't expecting Fu Youhan to suddenly make a move.
Not until she fell onto his lap and met his ink-stained, unfathomably deep black eyes did she snap back to reality.
"Otherwise, how do you expect me to repay?"
The physical contact made Jiang Moxi involuntarily recall the nights they spent together.
Moreover, the sound sleep after indulgence…
Perhaps it was those deeply memorable nights that caused Jiang Moxi's body to also act against her rational judgment.
Through Fu Youhan's pitch-black pupils, she saw her own image constantly approaching, enlarging.
But she still didn't stop her reckless action until she kissed his lips, then quickly pulled back.
"Plus this lesson, is it enough to repay?"
Fu Youhan observed the woman in front of him as if seeing through her heavily applied bad makeup, into those seductive and enticing eyes that could make one's bones turn soft with a single glance.
He knew well that her actions towards him were filled with cunning and calculation, aiming to fully repay the favor and clear the relationship.
Yet, he couldn't help himself and kissed her back.
Subsequently, they went to Tianqin Bay Villa and indulged for the whole night...
*
The next day was Saturday, and Jiang Moxi slept straight until the afternoon.
When she woke up, Fu Youhan was in the room working on something with his laptop.
He was wearing a haze-blue shirt and trousers, leveraging his broad shoulders and long legs, and even just sitting there processing documents, he looked like a piece of beautiful scenery.
Jiang Moxi stared at the man's profile for a moment, recalling the events of the previous night, she didn't feel at a loss, and went to bathe.
Not finding a change of clothes, she casually grabbed a white shirt from the closet and put it on.
When she came out, Fu Youhan had already closed his laptop, watching her with interest.