Chapter 11

Ling Guozhi, Fang Cuie, and Ling Luoyin looked at each other hesitantly. Fang Cuie was about to curse but was suddenly stopped by Ling Guozhi. "Come on. Perhaps the man was released from prison as well! There are all kinds of people in prison. Who knows why this man had been sentenced to jail?" Hearing this, Fang Cuie said awkwardly after a long while, "Then shall we just let it go?" Ling Guozhi hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's wait. If that Assistant Director He holds Luoyin accountable in the future, then we'll think of other ways." He didn't have the courage to come in and challenge the man now. Ling Luoyin frowned on the side. "Had the man just now really... really been in prison?" Although she could not see very clearly since the man's eyes were covered by his bangs, she could still notice that he was good-looking. Particularly for some reason, she felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. Or was this man also a member of the entertainment circle? In the rental apartment, Ling Yiran looked at Yi Jinli and said, "Thank you." If Jin had not come back, she would have been beaten by her father just now. "Don't thank me for the help, Sister. Isn't it what I should do?" he said, looking at her ankle. "It hasn't healed yet. I'll apply the Safflower Oil for you." As he spoke, he took out the Safflower Oil, applied some to her ankle, and then pressed his hand against her ankle. The atmosphere was a little silent. Ling Yiran bit her lips slightly and said, "Why didn't you ask me what those three came here for?" "I won't ask if you don't want to tell," he said. "Actually, it's nothing difficult to say. They are my father, step-mother, and half-sister," Ling Yiran said, "but now, they are no longer my problem." After hesitating for a moment, she asked again, "Didn't you have anything else to ask?" He should have heard her father scolding her in front of him, saying that she had been in prison. His eyelashes flickered, then he lifted his eyes. "What do you wish me to ask, Sister? His dark eyes revealed a kind of strange silence under the dim yellow light. At this moment, Ling Yiran calmed down from anxiety gradually. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I was sentenced to three years in prison for drunk driving and killing a person, and I was released not long ago." Many people would change their attitude when they heard that. After her release, as long as people around knew that she had been in prison, they would treat her with prejudice and deliberately keep a distance from her. "But what about him... would he..." At this moment, she had a feeling just like when she had been waiting for the trial in court. "Really?" he said indifferently, still concentrating on massaging her ankle. "That... that's it?" She blinked her eyes in surprise. "You don't mind?" she asked. "Why should I mind?" he asked in response. "As Sister said, from now on, as long as I call you Sister, we only need to care about each other, and there is nothing else to care about." Her heart seemed to calm down because of his words. Ling Yiran smiled as if she had been relieved of a heavy burden. "Jin, I'm lucky enough to meet you." However, at this moment, she did not notice that a glimmer of light had flashed across his eye. On Sunday, Qin Lianyi specifically visited Ling Yiran's rental apartment. When she saw Yi Jinli, she could not associate him with the homeless person that was mentioned by her friend. Although he was only wearing an ordinary cotton-padded jacket and trousers and cheap sneakers, which were obviously bought from street stalls, he would not look cheap even in this outfit, as he had a good figure. He was more than 180 cm tall with refined facial contours. Although his thick bangs almost covered his eyes, the occasional glance at the eyes under the bangs would leave a deep impression on you. At least Qin Lianyi had never seen a man's eyes that could be so beautiful, which were prettier than those of any idol or celebrity. With delicate facial features and standard Mandarin pronunciation, he could even answer some of her questions fluently. "Is this the so-called homeless person?" She pulled Ling Yiran to the side and secretly asked, "Are you sure he is a homeless person who has no place to live? He can be a star or model just with his appearance." "Not all the good-looking ones are suitable to be stars or models," Ling Yiran replied. Qin Lianyi thought again and realized that it was not easy to make a living in the entertainment circle. "As you're stuck with him every day, don't you have any idea?" Ling Yiran rolled her eyes. Wasn't Lianyi worried before that Jin would do something evil to her? Now, she seemed to worry that she would do something to him instead. "He is a few months younger than me. I only regard him as my younger brother." Qin Lianyi walked in front of Yi Jinli. "I'll be frank that you can live here if you want, but you have to promise that you won't mess around and won't lie to Yiran. You know, she hates deception, and if you are a liar, I'll call the police and have you arrested!" "Lianyi, what are you talking about? Jin wouldn't lie to me," Ling Yiran replied in a hurry. "How long have you known him? Let's make it clear first. Hey, Jin, did you hear that?" Qin Lianyi said to Yi Jinli. He raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Okay, I know." He was smiling lightly at the moment and he did not refute her but just answered "yes". For some reason, Qin Lianyi felt inexplicable uneasiness. It was as if the imposing aura emanating from him made her the one who had been warned. "He's just a homeless man. I overthought it," Qin Lianyi thought to herself. However, before she left, she secretly told her friend to protect herself and call her if necessary. When only the two people were left in the room, Ling Yiran said to Yi Jinli, "Don't mind what Lianyi said just now. She's just worried about me." "She is your friend. No matter what she says, I won't take it to heart," Yi Jinli said. He found that kind of warning simply ridiculous. "Are you getting on well with her?" "Do you know what life-saving straw is? When you are drowning, you can't grab anything no matter how hard you try. At that time, when you are able to grasp a straw, even if this straw can't take you away, it will give you hope so that you won't despair." She murmured, "Lianyi is that straw to me."