After finishing evening self-study,
Qiao Yi in faraway Yun City suddenly received a message from Qiao Lingling. Before even looking at what she had sent him, Qiao Lingling's phone call came in right away, and she asked after him in detail. She even said she would take some pocket money to give to him.
Qiao Yi felt somewhat unaccustomed, but he thought that his second sister might have matured after starting university, and her temperament had changed too. So he didn't think too much of it. Instead, he felt gratified at his second sister's change.
"Little Yi, I sent you a math problem on WeChat. You've been self-studying the first-year university math curriculum, right? See if you can solve it."
Qiao Yi opened WeChat and took a look. It was precisely the "mission" that Qiao Lingling had taken on from Xu Zhiyi.
"Where did you get this problem? This isn't even a university-level math problem." Qiao Yi couldn't understand the problem at all.
Qiao Lingling lied without batting an eye, "The teacher gave it to us. Whoever solves it will secure the scholarship for this year."
Qiao Yi: "I can't solve it."
Qiao Lingling: "Why don't you send it to big sister to take a look? Big sister is so smart, she'll definitely be able to solve it. Then we can split the scholarship three ways."
"You and big sister go to the same school, why don't you just take it directly to big sister and ask? You two can split the scholarship."
"You know very well what my relationship with big sister is like. Good little brother, just help your second sister out this once, okay? I've been looking for opportunities all along to reconcile with big sister. Once we get the scholarship, I'll give it all to big sister and properly apologize to her. Wouldn't that work out perfectly?"
Qiao Yi thought about it and shook his head: "You should still go find big sister yourself. If she doesn't want to help, it won't make a difference whether I ask or not."
Having said that, Qiao Yi hung up the phone.
Since things weren't working out on Qiao Yi's end,
Qiao Lingling held her phone, entirely anxious. In her heart she repeatedly wondered: What to do, what to do...
The next day,
Qiao Lingling ran into Xu Mingchen at school.
Xu Mingchen was surprised that Qiao Lingling had also tested into Capital University. He was also surprised that Qiao Lingling had taken the initiative to speak to him, and it was about Qiao Ying at that.
"My sister also tested into Capital University, she's in the computer science department. She's become thinner now and even prettier. Did you know?"
Xu Mingchen nodded. Whether it was during military training or on the school forums, it was her stage. The whole school probably didn't have anyone who didn't know her.
"Does she still like you?" Qiao Lingling asked suddenly.
Xu Mingchen was a bit stunned and didn't say anything.
"She must still like you. She liked you all through high school, it's just that you rejected her back then, so now she doesn't dare bring it up herself."
Xu Mingchen felt a stir in his heart, somewhat disbelief: "Did your sister tell you that?"
"I'm her little sister. How could I not know? Everyone saw clearly just how much she liked you back then."
"You must like her too, right? Go pursue her, go after her, she'll definitely accept you." Qiao Lingling grabbed Xu Mingchen's hand tightly.
Xu Mingchen was absorbed in Qiao Lingling's words, completely failing to realize that Qiao Lingling's entire person was on the verge of hysteria.
Qiao Ying had liked Xu Mingchen so much in the past, so she must still harbor feelings for him.
As long as she brought them together, Qiao Ying would be happy. Then she wouldn't fuss over the matter of her stealing test questions and taking the test in Qiao Ying's place. She might even help solve the math problem and conceal things from Capital University together.
The more Qiao Lingling thought about it, the quicker her mind worked.
Having been tormented by the math problem that Xu Zhiyi had given her for several days, not to mention coming up with a solution, Qiao Lingling couldn't even understand it just by looking. In the past few days her wits had nearly left her, and she had even started intentionally avoiding Xu Zhiyi altogether.
In order to get Qiao Ying to solve the problem for her, she went into action through every possible channel.
Xu Zhiyi, the principal, the professors, they were all waiting for her.
After class,
Qiao Ying walked out of the classroom, but her path ahead was blocked by several people.
It was the same group that had cornered Qiao Lingling on the stairwell the other day.
Qiao Ying: "Can I help you?"
Su Qingyu held up a broken bracelet: "Your little sister broke this a few days ago. She can't afford to pay for it, so you can compensate for her. It's not expensive, just six million."
As Su Qingyu spoke, her gaze traveled all over Qiao Ying's flawless face. Her shapely eyebrows couldn't help but wrinkle from time to time.
Su Qingyu: "If you can't pay for it, then don't expect your little sister to have a good time."
Qiao Ying: "Even if you beat her to death, it has nothing to do with me." Qiao Ying walked straight past them and added, "It would be best if you beat her to death."
Su Qingyu was stunned for a moment.
When she regained her senses, she hurriedly caught up. Blocking Qiao Ying's way again.
The bracelet was broken by herself to create trouble. She had just wanted to meet Qiao Ying and couldn't let her go that easily.
Quite a few onlookers had gathered in the hallway. They all said that Qiao Ying had snatched Su Qingyu's spot as campus belle, and Su Qingyu wasn't happy about it so she came to give her trouble.
"She's done for. Su Qingyu comes from an influential family. Qiao is a country bumpkin from a tiny place, how is she going to have any good days left at school?"
"Being too pretty isn't always a good thing. Who knows how many people will target her because of that face?"
"You don't think they might fight, do you?"
"Stop imagining so much. Since the founding of Capital University there's never been fighting or brawling among the students. No matter how influential the Su family is, they wouldn't dare cause trouble at Capital."
"Does anyone really not know the status and position our principal holds in the capital?"
Qiao Ying showed a hint of impatience: "Move aside."
Su Qingyu sneered, "Last time I saw you run away so quickly that I thought you were a coward. But it turns out you've got more guts than your crybaby holy virgin little sister who only knows how to tattle."
"I've been waiting for this day, and I finally got to see it." Tang Xiaoguo and Li Shiyin stood in the very front, just waiting to watch Su Qingyu teach Qiao Ying a lesson.
"Just because you can run, you actually think you're hot stuff. An uncultured hillbilly, in our eyes you're just a jumping clown. If Second Miss Su wants to fix you to death, it would be as easy as crushing an ant." Li Shiyin directly took out her phone to start recording, planning to screenshot Qiao Ying's pathetic state and post it on the school forums for everyone to see.
Su Qingyu: "Even if you were sold off, countryside girl, you still couldn't pay me back. I'm feeling generous today. Why don't you kneel and apologize to me on your sister's behalf, and I won't hold this against you peasants."
Before Qiao Ying could even open her mouth,
Another man's voice rang out loudly: "I could see you all the way in the distance walking out like some vicious young miss from a TV drama, with two maidservants in tow. What are you up to, Su Qingyu? Bullying new students?"
"It's Young Master Huo! What's he doing coming to our department?"
When Su Qingyu saw Huo Chengdong walking over, she wondered why he would bother with this matter that didn't concern him.
"Young Master Huo, I was having an issue with the new student that had nothing to do with you, right?"
Huo Chengdong strode forward to stand next to Qiao Ying and lazily drawled, "You're blocking my sister's way. What do you think, does that have something to do with me or not?"
"What did you say?" Su Qingyu didn't catch it very clearly.
"Sister—"
"Good day, Sister Ying."
"Sister Ying, I'm Xiaochen. I toasted you when we had dinner the other day." Behind Huo Chengdong, a group of his followers greeted Sister Ying one after another. Any one of them was a refined young master from an influential family.
The students watching were stunned speechless.
"Sister Ying? What's going on? Are they addressing Qiao Ying?"
"The Huo family's influence in the capital is bigger than the Sus', right? Can someone give me the rundown on this country bumpkin?"
"Yes, Young Master Huo's family has the most power on campus. The Su family needs to move back. And Young Master Huo is also the precious only child in his family."
Huo Chengdong casually draped an arm over Qiao Ying's shoulder and lazily asked Su Qingyu, "She's with me. So what exactly do you want to do about it?"
Qiao Ying raised her arm and pushed away the arm on her shoulder.
Huo Chengdong was quick to pat Qiao Ying's shoulder where no dust existed, flashing her a silly grin—the very image of a bootlicker.
"How does Qiao Ying know Young Master Huo..." Among those who had come to watch the show, Li Shiyin was stunned silly by this sudden reversal.
Su Qingyu said, "Young Master Huo, are you mental? No matter how much you might lust after her looks and want to seduce this country bumpkin, there's no call for you to act like this, is there?"
Huo Chengdong replied, "Watch your mouth. If you can't speak properly then shut up. Do you have business here or not? If not, get lost. Don't stand here stinking like salted meat."
"You—" Su Qingyu and Huo Chengdong had known each other since childhood, running in the same circle. The two had always kept a respectful distance; this was the first time he had ever spoken to her this way, what's more in front of a crowd.
Su Qingyu's face darkened. "Huo Chengdong, this is between her and me. It's best you don't get involved. Calling you 'Young Master Huo' doesn't mean I'm actually afraid of you. Haven't you heard that my sister and Third Master Qin are engaged? My Su family might not have been able to compare to you in the past, but in the future things might change."
Qiao Ying's shapely eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper: "Qin Hanxue is engaged to your sister?"
