Beauty and the Bodyguard

“Did you guys know? That new Big Four, Lin Yi- he went to Tang Yin’s class to hand her a note! Wonder what was on it?”

“Did you guys know? That new Big Four, Lin Yi- he gave Tang Yin a love letter!”

“Did you guys know? That new Big Four, Lin Yi- he’s chasing Tang Yin!”

“Did you guys know? That new Big Four, Lin Yi- he’s in a relationship with Tang Yin!”

“Did you guys know? That new Big Four, Lin Yi- he beat a fellow Big Four up- that Zou Ruoming- for harassing his girlfriend!”

Young Master Lin Yi and School Beauty Tang Yin didn’t know it yet, but they were currently the main characters of the biggest rumor at school…

Mengyao and Yushu could only wonder what Lin Yi had given to Tang Yin- the guy had left the classroom empty-handed and had come back empty-handed, after all.

Mengyao was a little too shy to ask Lin Yi directly. She glanced at Yushu, and decided that she couldn’t rely on her- the girl would probably sell her out again, and she’d rather do it herself if the credit was all going to her anyway.

Last period ended, and it was break time before the study hall at night.

Tang Yin was holding hands with a girl in specs as they took a walk on the field. She was Mengyao’s equivalent of Yushu- a best friend from class ten, Liu Xinwen. The two of them lived really close together, and Xinwen knew about Fen and her tragedy as well.

Xinwen, however, wasn’t very pretty- she was neither the type of girl to be targeted by young masters and delinquents, nor the type who had admirers. She was quite free because of that.

“Tang Yin… Did you and Lin Yi really……” Xinwen asked, her voice soft.

“No!” Tang Yin blushed, not expecting even her best friend to be saying that. “What’re you talking about?! How does that even sound remotely possible?”

“Seriously? Tang Yin, there’s no way you don’t know, right? Everyone’s talking about it in class- they say Lin Yi gave you a love letter, and you even accepted it shyly! You were so panicked you almost bumped into Ms. Song, too!” Xinwen said.

“Ah?” Tang Yin didn’t think that Lin Yi handing her a recipe would turn out to be such a massive mess!!

“So you really didn’t know?”” Xinwen asked, curious if Tang Yin was serious.

“Wen Wen, tell me- what’s going on?” Tang Yin was starting to panic as she cupped her hands around Xinwen’s.

“So a couple of people saw Lin Yi giving

you a love letter just this afternoon- he then confessed to you, and you accepted his feelings shyly before running back to class……” Xinwen said as she told Tang Yin the most reliable version of the story.

“Hah?!!” Tang Yin’s eyes shot themselves wide open. “Love letter? Confess??”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone else is saying……” Xinwen said. _There’s a version that’s even more amazing… wait until I tell you about it._

“Wen Wen, you believe me, don’t you? I would never get a boyfriend so early!” Tang Yin said helplessly.

“Heh, who knows? You’re eighteen already, so maybe you’re starting to discover your romantic feelings?” Xinwen said with a smile. “We’re graduating soon, too- maybe you couldn’t wait until college and decided to let yourself loose?”

“I’ll hammer you!” Tang Yin said as she attacked Xinwen, her face completely flushed by then. Xinwen only dodged the fist as she chuckled.

“Tell me honestly, Tang Yin- do you like Lin Yi or not?” Xinwen said solemnly after having had her laugh.

“L-Like him? He’s just bothering me all the time, that’s all.” Tang Yin pouted.

“Are you sure?” Xinwen asked. “Lemme tell you something, Tang Yin- you have to be careful with stuff like this, don’t be playing yourself into his hands! Fen’s the best example and lesson! You’re born with a prettier face, but that’s the only capital you have! Don’t make the wrong choice, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!”

“Wen Wen… How are you still doubting me? I’m telling you, it’s that Lin Yi asshole who keeps bothering me, I’d never accept his confession!” Tang Yin said. “Who did you… hear this from, anyway?”

“Oh, that’s good then.” Xinwen said with a nod. “As for who I heard it from… Well, everyone’s talking about it, you know? I’m not too sure who started the rumor in the first place, but everyone basically thinks you and Lin Yi are together now……”

“Argh!” Tang Yin stomped her foot, frustrated. “What should I do, Wen Wen? What should I do??”

“Maybe we can go talk to him about this? To get him to stop harassing you? You’re scared of him, but I’m not!” Xinwen was known for her toughness, something she’d inherited from her mother. She’d been able to scare delinquents and gangsters away with a butcher’s knife ever since she’d started helping her mom out at their vegetable stand when she was just twelve...

“Forget it…… You don’t know this, but he’s really strong. He’s an absolute tyrant, and he even beat both Zhong Pinliang and Zou Ruoming up, who just took it without saying anything! Don’t do anything stupid, Wen Wen.” Tang Yin didn’t want her friend getting into any trouble she couldn’t handle- this wasn’t the kind of thing mere toughness alone could take care of.

“Ah……” Xinwen had heard of Lin Yi’s legends and feats before- Young Master Lin had more than a strong background going for him. The guy was at the point where he could do whatever he wanted at school! Beating up two Big Four members after just transferring in for a few days? That was no ordinary feat…

Xinwen recognized that she was no opponent of Lin Yi. “Hmph, I think it’s probably Lin Yi who started the rumor in the first place!”

“Huh?” Tang Yin blinked as she looked at Xinwen curiously.

“Don’t you get it? He couldn’t get you to be his girlfriend, so he’s making it a fact to everyone else! There’s not much you could do when everyone thinks you’re his girlfriend already, right?” Xinwen analysed.

“No way, right…… He… He isn’t that kind of guy, right?” Tang Yin frowned- Asshole he may be, Lin Yi wasn’t one to be spreading rumors behind other people’s backs! From what she’d seen, Lin Yi wouldn’t resort to lowly methods like that even if he did decide to drop his gentleman act. It’d only make Tang Yin hate him more, after all.

“No way? Huh? I say, Yin Yin… Why’re you speaking up for him now, what’s with this ‘he isn’t that kind of guy’ thing? Could it be that you actually like him?” Wen Wen asked- it didn’t seem right… it was like Tang Yin was on Lin Yi’s side and trying to protect him?

Was it true? Was Tang Yin in love with Lin Yi? Xinwen’s face grew more solemn still, and a bad feeling started to form…