A sleek black Maybach cruised through the concrete jungle.
The lights and colors outside the car window quickly faded away.
Qin Hanyue, sitting in the passenger seat, boldly stared at Qiao Ying. Compared to their last encounter in her car, this time he felt much more at ease, no longer needing to constantly watch his every move.
Times had changed, and the present situation reflected that. Qin Hanyue couldn't help but replay in his mind the image of Qiao Ying kissing him that night, which had been occupying his thoughts for the past few days. Now, the image was even clearer.
Recalling the soft touch from back then, Qin Hanyue couldn't help but curl his lips slightly, his eyes revealing all of his emotions.
Qin Hanyue: "Why did you come to the company to find me?"
Qiao Ying glanced at him but remained silent.
Qin Hanyue: "Where are you taking me?"
Only now did he notice that the car was speeding up, and Qiao Ying's continued silence made him realize that something was off with her mood.
So Qin Hanyue stopped talking and allowed Qiao Ying to lead the way.
The car left the bustling city and finally stopped by the seaside.
Qin Hanyue got out of the car, and the salty sea breeze hit his face, making him pay even more attention to Qiao Ying's mood—she didn't like the beach.
It was then that Qin Hanyue confirmed that this was not the romantic date he had imagined.
The two of them walked silently side by side on the beach.
Leaving behind long sets of footprints—one large, one small.
Qiao Ying remained silent, occasionally turning her head to gaze at the dark sea, as if burdened by many things in her heart.
After knowing each other for a year, this was the first time Qin Hanyue had seen Qiao Ying in such a low spirits and openly displaying her emotions.
Qin Hanyue didn't know whether to feel relieved, worried, or regretful.
Relieved that she was willing to show her emotions to him, worried about her situation, and regretful that he knew so little about her.
Qin Hanyue's mind was filled with countless thoughts, unable to help but speculate about what had happened, but he knew too little about Qiao Ying's affairs.
The speculations in his mind were like tangled balls of yarn, each one leading to a short thread.
Qiao Ying: "Xiao He and his mother are dead."
She finally spoke.
They had died yesterday and were cremated today. Qiao Ying had just come out of the funeral parlor, and Xiao He had already returned home.
Qin Hanyue lowered his gaze, looking at Qiao Ying's expressionless face, and for a moment, his heart was filled with mixed emotions, as if a bottle of five tastes had been spilled.
From receiving Qiao Ying's message, the joyful surprise of getting into her car, to the worry when he noticed her strange mood, and now the disappointment and suffocation upon learning the reason.
He never expected that Qiao Ying's sadness was because of the deaths of Xiao He and his mother.
Even when she learned about the deaths of her own biological parents, she hadn't been this devastated.
When she had been poisoned and lost her sight, he had wondered what it would take to make her slightly anxious or emotionally affected.
Qin Hanyue: "It happened so suddenly."
Qiao Ying opened her mouth as if to say something but ultimately remained silent.
Indeed, it was sudden. Considering Xiao He and his mother's condition, as long as they received treatment, they could have lived for another ten or eight years without a problem.
If their deaths were due to reaching the limits of their bodies and succumbing to illness, it wouldn't have been as poignant. But Xiao He and his mother had committed suicide.
She had hidden the medication she needed to take, deceiving the doctors, nurses, and even her own son, enduring immense pain as her life slipped away.
She clearly wanted to live, she could have lived, but out of love for her son and not wanting to burden him, she chose to end her own life.
Xiao He was devastated.
Qiao Ying walked silently beside Qin Hanyue, who remained quiet to accompany her.
After walking for a while, Qin Hanyue couldn't restrain himself any longer. He held Qiao Ying's hand, gripping it slightly tighter.
He thought that in Qiao Ying's eyes, he might appear to be a gentleman with a generous and magnanimous demeanor. But in reality, he knew well that he was a complete fake. He had a deep cunning, held grudges, and didn't care about maintaining good relationships. He was far from being magnanimous.
When it came to his feelings for Qiao Ying, he could fully respect her, but he couldn't be magnanimous about it.
If it were Xiao He who had passed away, and she was feeling distraught, Qin Hanyue could understand and accept it. But Xiao He's mother...
The reason she was feeling so upset was all because of Xiao He.
In matters of the dead, one should not feel jealous. But Qin Hanyue was not someone who could empathize with others, especially when it came to a rival.
Fortunately, Qiao Ying's kiss that night was able to console him.
The wind at the seaside blew their clothes.
The two figures, one tall and one short, cast elongated shadows on the beach.
The wind was strong by the sea.
Qin Hanyue's suit jacket ended up on Qiao Ying.
Suddenly, Qiao Ying stopped in her tracks.
Qin Hanyue looked at her and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Qiao Ying replied, "Let's go eat."
Qin Hanyue smiled, his eyes brightening slightly. "Okay."
On the way back, Qin Hanyue drove the car.
The college entrance examination was approaching.
Bai Xiao and Sa Ke, who had been waiting outside the school every day, could feel the tense atmosphere of the third-year high school students' studying.
Two days before the college entrance examination, Qiao Ying received a call from Ye Si.
"Darling, Cheng Jinyan, that bastard, has been kidnapped. His father called me, and I couldn't get away. Can you go for me?"
"When did this happen?"
"It happened more than half a month ago. There was no news until yesterday when I finally found out that it was the people from the Wu Ma family."
"The Wu Ma family?"
Ye Si chuckled and replied, "Yes, that guy Cheng Jinyan is going to throw a fit."
The three of them caused trouble together, and now they caught him. Cheng Jinyan must be fuming.
Qiao Ying asked, "Where did he disappear?"
"He was last seen in Guyana."
Qin Hanyue, who was working overtime at the company, received a call from Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying said directly over the phone, "Cheng Jinyan is in trouble. I have to go abroad for a while. I'll be boarding in half an hour. My younger brother is taking the college entrance examination in a few days. I'm counting on you."
Qin Hanyue asked, "Going to Southeast Asia?"
Cheng Jinyan's father was the biggest underworld boss in Southeast Asia.
"He disappeared in northern South America," Qiao Ying replied.
Naturally, Qin Hanyue wanted to accompany her, but if he left, no one would be responsible for Qiao Yi's safety, and Qiao Yi's college entrance examination was imminent. Nothing could go wrong.
Qin Hanyue said, "Alright, take care of yourself. You don't have to worry about your younger brother."
Qiao Ying said, "I might be gone for a long time. I've already called him. He'll stay in Beijing for the summer vacation. Can you look after him for these three months?"
Qin Hanyue replied, "Alright."
Qiao Ying continued, "And Xiao He."
Qin Hanyue hesitated and replied, "...Okay, I will contact Principal Zhang for help in keeping an eye on him."
After Qiao Ying finished explaining everything, she boarded the plane.
Two days later, the college entrance examination began.
Qiao Yi took the exam at her own school, which was quite far from Qiao Ying's residence and the Qin family's place.
Qin Hanyue had booked a hotel near the school. On the night before the college entrance examination, he brought Qiao Yi to the hotel.
Qiao Yi and Bai Xiao also checked into the hotel.
During dinner, Qin Hanyue asked with increasing concern, "Are you prepared? Don't feel pressured. Getting into Beijing University with just one sentence is what you want."
If it were before, Qiao Yi would have felt immense pressure to take the Beijing University entrance exam. However, Qiao Ying had been sending him practice questions on his phone throughout the year, so he was very confident.
Qiao Yi replied, "I can get in."
Qin Hanyue nodded approvingly and said, "Good. Rest early tonight."
Early in the morning, Qin Hanyue accompanied Qiao Yi to the school and reminded him to check his admission ticket before leaving.
Seven or eight luxury cars were lined up to drop off students for the exam, and their license plates were all consecutive numbers.
Thankfully, in the capital city where you could casually throw a stone and hit an official's offspring, if it were elsewhere, the soldiers at the school gate would definitely come forward and ask questions.
Qin Hanyue said, "Don't be nervous, just perform normally."
Qiao Yi nodded and replied, "Okay."
