150: Chapter 150 Everyone wants to take the initiative

"Come out first, the elevator is about to close."

Zhang Qi reached out to press the open button, while his other hand naturally took hold of Lin Yuxi's wrist.

Lin Yuxi's palm stiffened, and she was gently pulled out of the doorway by him.

The trash bag in her hand swayed, and the plastic made a rustling sound.

Li Bingyue watched this scene, the smile on her face fading slightly.

She wasn't some naive airhead; such a natural, unthinking action indicated that the two of them were definitely not distant.

Zhang Qi realized then that arranging for all the women to live in the same building didn't just have advantages.

It was convenient, sure, but it was also incredibly easy to have an awkward collision.

Others were one thing; Su Ran and Sun Yiyao already knew about his situation long ago.

But Lin Yuxi and Li Bingyue were different—one was a total shut-in, the other was wild as could be, and neither of them particularly cared about money.

If this wasn't handled well, it really would start to feel like a romantic battlefield.

However, Zhang Qi felt confident now and wasn't panicked inside.

He released Lin Yuxi's wrist, his expression very natural.

"Let me introduce you. This is Lin Yuxi, my friend. She lives in 1202."

Upon hearing the word "friend," Lin Yuxi's eyes flickered slightly.

She knew this description was correct, but she still felt a bit stifled inside.

Zhang Qi looked over at Li Bingyue, casually taking the helmet from her hand.

"This is Li Bingyue, also my friend. She lives in 1104."

When Li Bingyue heard Zhang Qi introduce her the same way, the sourness in her heart faded a little.

But she immediately felt something was off. If they were just friends, would Zhang Qi accompany her home? This "friend" relationship seemed a bit impure.

Lin Yuxi hid the trash bag behind her back, trying hard to look normal.

"Hello."

Her voice wasn't loud, and there was no extra expression on her face.

Looking at her cold, fair, and delicate face, Li Bingyue felt the pressure skyrocket.

Lin Yuxi was wearing loose, light-colored loungewear, her hair tied up casually, revealing a slender, fair, and clean neck.

She wasn't wearing heavy makeup and hadn't dressed up intentionally, yet she possessed a kind of cold beauty.

That sense of aloofness was particularly intimidating, like the kind of goddess people would comment "wife" under in short video comment sections.

Li Bingyue suddenly felt that the cycling gear she was wearing was a bit too wild.

She had just returned from the Racetrack, still carrying the scent of sweat and the lingering heat from the wind.

But she wasn't the type to get stage fright, and she quickly straightened her back.

"Hello, I'm Li Bingyue."

She smiled brightly, her eyes carrying the excitement of having just exercised.

The tight cycling suit accentuated her sleek figure, her long legs straight, and her whole being was full of vitality.

Lin Yuxi watched her and also felt quite a bit of pressure.

This girl wasn't the frail type; her beauty was quite aggressive.

Moreover, the way she looked at Zhang Qi was very direct; her liking for him and her desire to be close were written all over her face.

Lin Yuxi felt a bit sour inside, her fingers gently gripping the handle of the trash bag.

She had always felt that there was no rush, that matters of the heart were best taken slowly.

But now that Li Bingyue had suddenly appeared, she realized that she might have been too passive.

Zhang Qi watched the changes in their expressions, finding it somewhat interesting.

One was a social phobic pretending to be aloof, the other was a bright personality pretending to be calm; in reality, they were both secretly sizing each other up.

In a woman's battlefield, sometimes not a single harsh word is needed.

The subtle tension in the air was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Zhang Qi didn't intend to let them keep standing at the doorway pressuring each other.

"Are you heading out?"

Lin Yuxi snapped to attention and quickly brought the trash bag to her front.

"Yeah, throwing out the trash first, then going to eat with a friend."

She had plans with her college roommate and best friend, who happened to be nearby.

She had been in a pretty good mood, even thinking about asking for relationship advice during the meal.

Now there was no need to ask; the problem had been shoved right in her face.

Zhang Qi nodded, his expression remaining relaxed.

"Bingyue and I are heading upstairs to grab something, then we're going out to eat later."

Hearing that he was taking Bingyue upstairs made her chest feel stifled again.

She knew she had no right to interfere; after all, she and Zhang Qi hadn't established any formal relationship.

But the less right she had, the more uncomfortable she felt.

Li Bingyue also heard the natural tone in that sentence, and her heart felt a little sweet again.

At least Zhang Qi wasn't hiding her away, nor was he pushing her out.

This reduced the pressure she felt regarding Lin Yuxi, but increased her sense of vigilance.

Lin Yuxi looked down at the trash bag and forced a small smile.

"Alright, you two go ahead; I won't hold you up."

She said this very politely, but it sounded a bit excessively obedient.

Zhang Qi glanced at her and noticed that the flash of disappointment in her eyes hadn't been hidden well.

He didn't try to coax her right then; the more you coax, the messier things get.

"Be safe on the road. Send me a message if you need anything."

Hearing this expression of concern, the stifled feeling in her heart was gently soothed.

She nodded and stepped aside with the trash bag.

Li Bingyue stood beside Zhang Qi and smiled politely at her.

"We're heading up now. Maybe we can grab a meal together sometime."

Watching her bright smile, Lin Yuxi felt an even greater sense of crisis.

This kind of girl was just too good at this; enthusiastic without being annoying.

She gave a soft "mm" and stood outside the elevator without moving.

Zhang Qi pressed the elevator button again, and the doors slowly closed.

Lin Yuxi watched the gap narrow bit by bit, Zhang Qi's figure being blocked from view.

Only when the elevator doors closed completely did she slowly let out a breath.

The air conditioning in the hallway blew onto her, yet she felt a bit feverish inside.

She had been in a very good mood lately.

Because finally, a man had suddenly walked into her small world.

Zhang Qi understood Photography, was willing to accompany her while she filmed videos, and would even hold her hand when she was nervous.

She had originally thought this relationship could ferment slowly.

But Li Bingyue's appearance was like a bucket of cold water that woke her right up.

A man this outstanding, how could no one be competing for him?

If she didn't take the initiative, she could only watch others approach him.

Lin Yuxi looked down at the trash bag in her hand, suddenly feeling that she was a bit foolish.

She used to think that as someone with social phobia, she should just hide away, and that it was fine to slowly hide her feelings too.

But relationships weren't like filming videos; no one would wait forever for her to adjust the camera angle.

She pursed her lips and took out her phone to message her best friend.

"I might need to ask you a very serious question tonight."

After the message was sent, the other person quickly replied with a question mark.

Lin Yuxi stared at the screen for two seconds, then slowly typed.

"If I like someone, should I be a little more proactive?"

...

Inside the elevator, Li Bingyue no longer had her earlier liveliness.

She stood beside Zhang Qi, clutching her helmet, her mind full of Lin Yuxi's face.

Pretty, cold, glowing white.

This setup was simply outrageous; if she were on a dating variety show, she could go straight to the trending topics.

Li Bingyue had never been afraid of competition before.

She loved motorcycles, loved speed, and loved the feeling of winning.

But the pressure Lin Yuxi gave her was different.

That shut-in style of aloofness easily stirred up a man's desire to explore.

Especially since Zhang Qi's action of pulling her out just now had been so natural.

The more Li Bingyue thought about it, the more she felt she didn't seem to have any advantage.

Zhang Qi noticed she wasn't talking and turned his head to look at her.

"Why so quiet all of a sudden?"

Li Bingyue looked up at him, her expression a bit conflicted.

She really wanted to ask what exactly his relationship with Lin Yuxi was.

But the words reached her lips, and she swallowed them back.

She and Zhang Qi were also just friends; asking this now would be crossing the line a bit.

Li Bingyue didn't like playing mind games, nor did she like pretending to be magnanimous.

But she wanted even less to put pressure on Zhang Qi right from the start.

She took a deep breath and smiled again.

"It's nothing, just got a bit carried away running on the Racetrack earlier."

Zhang Qi saw that she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't expose her.

The elevator numbers continued to climb, and their figures were reflected in the mirrored walls.

Li Bingyue looked at Zhang Qi in the mirror, and the thoughts in her heart became clearer and clearer.

This was the first time she had felt this way about a man.

Strong, wealthy, respectful, and able to give her a sense of security.

Most importantly, he made her feel excited, yet also grounded.

If she missed out on a man like this, she reckoned she would regret it for a long time.

Li Bingyue pondered, her face quietly flushing.

Maybe… she should be a little more proactive?