Chapter 71: Let Me Take Care of You, Sister

A few of them felt somewhat uneasy, but when they remembered that their families were far better off than Zhao Sijie’s, a sense of superiority surged within them. “Not bad, you’ve become a manager now,” one of them remarked.

“So you must be buying a new apartment soon, right? No need to live in that dump anymore?” Lili joked sarcastically.

Zhao Sijie’s expression darkened. “Not so fast. I’m just planning to rent a new place and move out.”

“Oh, sorry, Sijie. I thought you’d bought a place since you’re a manager now,” Lili hurriedly acted embarrassed, feigning guilt.

Zhao Sijie forced a smile, trying to show it was nothing.

Then Lili turned her gaze to Xia Yu, who was holding a bag. “Look at that, Sijie. Your boyfriend is really good to you, huh? Is that a gift for you?”

“What’s the gift? Let us see so we can envy you a bit.”

“Lili, stop it. Didn’t your boyfriend just give you a Chanel set last week? Sixty thousand yuan! You still envy others?” Xiaorong teased.

“Oh please, sixty thousand isn’t anything to brag about. Who knows, maybe Sijie’s handsome boyfriend has an even better gift for her.” Lili smirked, unwilling to let Zhao Sijie, whom she considered poor, outshine her in status. She was convinced that Xia Yu, dressed in cheap streetwear, couldn’t possibly produce anything impressive.

“You... You’re mistaken. This is a gift I got for Yu,” Zhao Sijie explained.

The group was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing and mocked her. “Sijie, are you out of your mind?”

“We’re girls! We should be a little reserved and wait for them to take the initiative. How can you be the one giving him gifts?”

“What does your boyfriend do anyway? Doesn’t he know how to cherish you?”

Their attention shifted to Xia Yu, and they sneered, “Are you just a kept man, living off your girlfriend?”

“Isn’t it shameless to let your girlfriend buy you gifts? But then again, judging by your looks, you probably don’t have much ability.”

“All you have is that pretty face of yours. Sijie, don’t let yourself be fooled by him.”

“Honestly, what’s the use of a man like that? Sijie, as your old classmates, we have to say: when choosing a man, be careful.”

Seeing Xia Yu being attacked, Zhao Sijie’s face turned pale with anxiety, wanting to defend him.

But as soon as she began, Xia Yu gently pulled her aside. “Sijie, there’s no need to explain to them. We’re not close. Let’s go eat.”

With that, he didn’t even glance at the group and led Zhao Sijie away.

The others exchanged looks, cursing loudly. “I’ve never seen a man so shameless. He’s the lowest of the low.”

“He must be feeling guilty. Serves him right. With Sijie being so poor, still dressed in cheap clothes, how could she possibly find a decent boyfriend?”

Lili grumbled, unable to accept that Zhao Sijie was now doing better than them, though she comforted herself with the thought that at least she wouldn’t date a loser like Xia Yu.

“Hey, Lili, look,” Xiaoqin suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward the street.

“What is it...?”

Lili followed her finger and was instantly dumbfounded, her mouth slightly open.

In the distance, Xia Yu was holding Zhao Sijie’s hand, opening a flashy convertible parked by the roadside—a striking Mercedes.

To them, this was already a remarkable luxury car.

Xia Yu started the engine, and with the melodious roar, drove off with Zhao Sijie.

“This...”

“Did we misjudge him? He’s driving a supercar!”

“Is he a tycoon? An heir to wealth?”

Their faces turned sour, remembering the scorn and ridicule they’d just heaped on Xia Yu. Their cheeks stung as if slapped hard.

“How... How is this possible?”

“How did Sijie find such a young, wealthy boyfriend?”

Lili’s tone faltered, and her heart felt even more unsettled.

At that moment, Xia Yu intended to take Zhao Sijie to a nice restaurant, but she declined.

Knowing Xia Yu hadn’t eaten yet, she insisted on bringing him to the chain restaurant where she worked, saying she could use her employee discount—it was much more affordable.

During the meal, she apologized, “Yu, I’m sorry. My classmates said some awful things. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“It’s fine. They’re nothing to me. I don’t care at all,” Xia Yu replied, waving it off.

Zhao Sijie relaxed, constantly serving him dishes, urging him to eat more. Driving for the boss all day must have been tiring.

Xia Yu felt warmth in his heart, but also a twinge of guilt at deceiving her.

He struggled with whether to tell Zhao Sijie his true identity, but ultimately decided against it. This was better, after all. If his identity were revealed, the gap between them would become too wide, and that might not be a good thing.

Entering her world as an equal was the best way to be genuine.

After their meal, plenty of food remained; Zhao Sijie didn’t forget to pack it up for her mother.

When Xia Yu went to pay, he was told by the cashier that Zhao Sijie had already settled the bill, which left him slightly dissatisfied.

“Sijie, how can you let a girl pay for this?”

“Oh, stop fussing. You’ve just started working, where would you get the money? Until you earn enough, I’ll take care of you. After all, you’re my boyfriend...” she said, proudly wrapping her arm around his.