Qin Yan couldn't believe that even now, Qin Rong was still so stubborn. She looked at her sister in disbelief, "Do you really want to ruin your future and waste your talent for an irresponsible man who lacks commitment?"
"A person's talent is innate. Even if I don't go abroad, with my talent and abilities, I can achieve success in painting without leaving the country!" Qin Rong tried to speak firmly, but tears still flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Qin's Mom also looked at Qin Rong in utter shock. "Have you been painting seriously at all during this time?"
Guilt immediately spread across Qin Rong's face.
Even Professor Wang couldn't hold back, saying: "Qin Rong, you are talented, but not a genius. Your talent requires a vast amount of time, money, effort, and study to accumulate before it can lead to achievement. I thought that given your previous level of dedication, you understood your situation and knew these principles."
With even the professor speaking this way, Qin Rong's face grew even more embarrassed, and she instinctively wanted to defend herself again.
[Sigh, the old Qin Rong definitely understood this principle. But now... those words aren't even her own, they're from her boyfriend whom she blindly trusts and depends on, and she's been convinced by him. Qin Rong has become Cheng Yue's most devout follower, believing even such irresponsible words as if they were gospel. Love really does make people foolish.]
Qin Rong immediately turned to Ji Fei in anger and embarrassment. She insisted that wasn't the case - she had her own judgment and thought Cheng Yue's words made sense.
She was making decisions based on her own will.
Ji Fei noticed Qin Rong looking at her and thought Qin Rong was expecting her to speak up in support.
Ji Fei promptly avoided eye contact.
[No way. My principle for dealing with people blinded by love is: if they don't listen once, never try to persuade them again. Only your closest family would repeatedly risk being infuriated while trying to pull you out of a deep hole. I don't want to meddle and end up pleasing no one.]
Qin Rong was shocked. She thought Ji Fei had been silently criticizing her all this time, wanting to lecture her and force her to change her mind. She never expected Ji Fei didn't want to get involved at all.
This unexpected reaction left Qin Rong's defiant attitude at a loss.
Were her family really trying to help her?
A bit of sense started to emerge in her mind, but then Cheng Yue's domineering and determined face flashed through her thoughts, and her rationality shrank away again.
Professor Wang sighed and said, "Qin Rong, are you worried that going abroad and having a long-distance relationship will lead to a breakup?"
Although this was indeed the case, Qin Rong felt a moment of shame when faced with the professor's questioning. It was as if using such a reason was an insult to her artistic works.
"Mom, sis, professor, I'm sorry. I know I've disappointed you, but I don't want to give up. We've just reconciled, and this relationship didn't come easily. I must cherish it."
Looking at the determination in Qin Rong's eyes, she seemed like someone bravely defying the world for love.
These words nearly gave the two Qin family members a stroke.
Ji Fei was glad she had remained a bystander, otherwise she definitely wouldn't have been able to control her urge to knock some sense into this fool.
Even the outsider Professor Wang's expression almost faltered at this point.
"Young people, it's the time when you believe love is grand. But Qin Rong, when you truly love someone, you often feel indebted to them. The right person will always hope for your bright future rather than holding you back for their own selfish desires, preventing you from moving forward."
"It's not that he's holding me back. He loves me and just wants to be with me," Qin Rong hurriedly defended Cheng Yue.
[Pfft, there's an example right beside her. Is Qin Rong blind? Look at Qin Zhao. Because he truly fell in love, even though they're in different countries and he knows that person has chosen to devote themselves to scientific research and will never look back, he still wants to see them occasionally. He even moved his career over there for this reason. How does your true love compare? Hah, if he really liked you, how could he use this as a reason to threaten breaking up?]
Ji Fei's clear-headed commentary finally allowed the Qin family members to breathe a sigh of relief.
Qin Rong, however, felt deeply mocked, but her rebellious attitude only grew stronger. She seemed determined to find a reason to refute.
"Love needs to be nurtured and requires mutual sacrifice. Cheng Yue and I love each other; it's not unrequited love. It's all voluntary. I'm willing to make concessions for him."
[Good grief, I'm utterly speechless.]
"Then what about him? What has he given up for you?" Qin's Mom really couldn't listen anymore.
Qin Rong said, "If it weren't because he liked me, after being humiliated like that, he would never have put aside his pride to get back together with me!"
At this moment, the silence from everyone was deafening.
Professor Wang, truly afraid that her office might turn into a bloodbath with people she couldn't afford to offend, could only try her best to say:
"Now that you're giving up such a great learning opportunity, we can't say for certain that you won't succeed in the future, but... to catch up to where you would be on your current path, you might need to put in ten times the effort. I hope you'll consider it carefully for your own sake. Love yourself before loving others."
Ji Fei thought Qin's Mom and Qin Yan would continue, but they seemed truly disheartened and exhausted.
They just took the application form and led Qin Rong out, preparing to go home.
It wasn't until they got in the car that Qin Rong realized all her belongings from the dormitory were there.
Qin Rong's expression finally changed. "What's the meaning of this?"
Qin Yan said, "We've canceled your dormitory. From now on, you'll live at home."
"I..." Qin Rong immediately became anxious, but was interrupted by Qin's Mom: "Our Qin family has never had unmarried cohabitation."
"This... this doesn't matter. You're old-fashioned. In modern times..."
Qin Yan couldn't help but say, "You're still a college student! No engagement, no meeting of both families, do you know what unmarried cohabitation means? Even if you really have a future together, aren't you afraid of being looked down upon by his family later, unable to gain respect? People won't think your true love is great, they'll just think you don't respect yourself!"
Qin Yan was the most qualified to say these things. Back then, due to an accident, she became pregnant before marriage and could never hold her head high in front of her ex-husband's family. Countless times she woke up from nightmares, regretting it. She didn't want her sister to follow in her footsteps.
"Big sis!" Qin Rong's tears fell uncontrollably, these words exceeding her limit of endurance, her whole body shaking as she cried.
But she wanted to be strong, so she bit her lower lip hard, not making a sound, just staring at Qin Yan with wide eyes, as if silently accusing her of hurting her.
Qin Yan was too tired to say more. Qin Rong was even more obsessed than she had been back then.
The atmosphere in the car was oppressive, with complete silence all the way home.
As soon as they got out of the car, Qin's Mom thought about forcibly confiscating her phone, but because the Qin family had never done such a thing before, she felt constrained. Qin Rong rushed back to her own room and locked herself in.
Children raised in such a family environment usually turn out fine at heart, living happily and carefree. If they're not particularly shrewd, as long as life goes smoothly, they won't make any major mistakes.
It's just that the Qin family children have terribly bad luck in love, all stumbling in this aspect.
Qin's Mom and Qin Yan began contacting other family members.
Ji Fei, having nothing else to do, went back to her room. The door to the open balcony was open, and she was about to close it.
But then she saw a paper ball flying out from the direction of the neighboring balcony.
Looking at the paper ball with faint golden glitter marks, it looked exactly like that application form for the most brilliant future for an art student.
Ji Fei blinked and quietly closed the door.
Soon after, the Qin family men all rushed back, setting up for another family tribunal.
Only this time, Qin Rong seemed determined to be a brave warrior for love, resisting to the end.
Ji Fei sat in the farthest corner, minimizing her presence, very curious about how this battle against someone blinded by love would end.
