"You dare directly call Young Master Qin's name. You really are fearless from ignorance," Su Qingyu coldly sneered, looking at Qiao Ying contemptuously.
She went on, "But I'll give it to you, you country bumpkin girl does have some insight to at least know about Young Master Qin."
"Young Master Qin is actually getting engaged to Eldest Miss Su of the Su family. How lucky is Eldest Miss Su to have this fortune? Even in her dreams she wouldn't dare believe it?"
"Is this real or fake? That's the man in power of the Qin family!"
"I heard Young Master Qin is super handsome, and he's rich, powerful and blessed with exceptional looks. He's been the outstanding one among the nobility since he was little. No one can compare."
"If I could meet him just once, I would have no regrets in life."
Su Qingyu was thoroughly enjoying the gasps and envy from her classmates.
Huo Chengdong rolled his eyes. "Cheh, he's just the man my sister didn't want. Looks like your sister picked him up quite happily."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Ying slowly turned to look at Huo Chengdong.
Qin Hanyue actually had a fling with Huo Chengdong’s sister? Living under the same roof for two months, and she didn’t even know Qin Hanyue was so charming with flowers blooming all around. It looks like the image portrayed to the outside of being pure and leading an abstemious, self-disciplined life doesn't match reality.
But in her observations as a Chinese medicine practitioner, Qin Hanyue did seem quite abstinent. After living together for two months, she didn’t notice him going out to vent his desires elsewhere, despite his robust liver fire indicating pent up urges.
He didn't seem to have as many scandals as the rumors would suggest.
"You sure dare to speak without fear of biting your tongue. It's clearly that Young Master Qin looking down on your sister." Su Qingyu sneered disdainfully.
"Oh - getting cocky now huh. The engagement isn't even set yet, is it? Whether Young Master looks up to your sister or not, it’s hard to say." Huo Chengdong's words were especially venomous, "Even if the Qin fellow was blind enough to look upon her, she's still your cousin at most, not your actual sister, let alone you. What's with your presumptuous behavior - are you planning to enter the bridal chamber as a concubine?"
Laughter sounded around them.
"You--” Su Qingyu’s face flushed red with anger.
"You, you, you, you what? That Qin guy just has a nice face to trick you superficial ones. If you really think he's a good man." From young, Huo Chengdong had heard quite a bit at home regarding Qin Hanyue.
He had always feared Qin Hanyue. Just standing there with his eyes scanning you would make Huo Chengdong feel uneasy. Whenever they met, Huo Chengdong would circle around to avoid him. Not just him, even Qin Hanyue's own people feared him.
"Be careful your sister gets beaten up once every three days and heavily once every five days after she marries over. Don't expect to have good days either."
Huo Chengdong was the first to adamantly reject the idea when he initially heard his sister was to be married off to Qin Hanyue. He threw tantrums and rolled around the whole day, even taking two strikes from the old master's cane didn't change his mind.
Fortunately his sister also feared Qin Hanyue, unlike these shallow ones who only cared about appearances and money.
Along with Qin Hanyue's disinterest towards his sister, the matter was eventually dropped.
Whenever Huo Chengdong thought about Qin Hanyue becoming his brother-in-law, his whole body would tingle uncomfortably, as if being eyed by a ghost.
He figured someone like Qin Hanyue was more suited to being his arch nemesis. Courtship, marriage and having kids should be off limits for him - which normal girl could withstand that?
"You best keep your distance from my sister Qiao Ying in the future. I'm doing this for your own good. By the time my sister Qiao Ying takes action personally, humph..."
What Huo Chengdong meant was clear to the playboys he mingled with at the racing circles.
Huo Chengdong had been a rogue prince since young. He had never submitted to anyone before meeting Qiao Ying.
"Let's go eat, sister Qiao Ying." Huo Chengdong fawned as he cleared a path for Qiao Ying.
As Qiao Ying walked along, she pondered that she and Qin Hanyue could be considered friends of sorts, having had a few chance encounters. Qin Hanyue had even helped her quite a bit before, and she was currently benefiting from his Underworld Battle Suit.
If Qin Hanyue were to become engaged or married, shouldn't she send a gift? Gift-giving might stump her though...
"The old man sure didn't show mercy with those cane strikes. I've been sleeping on my stomach these two nights from the ache," Huo Chengdong grumbled as he rubbed his sore back.
After returning from the car race the other day, his mother had gone to the Huo family to complain early next morning. No matter what was said, Huo Chengdong refused to apologize or delete the video. The Alexei family wielded quite some influence in Country M after all.
In the end, Huo Chengdong took a few strikes from the old master's cane as the Huo family smoothed things over. Alexei's mother left in a huff.
Qiao Ying said, "I told you I could resolve it if you couldn't handle things. You just didn't believe me." She meant getting Ye Si to make a call.
Huo Chengdong gave a laugh. "I know you’re capable, sister Qiao Ying, but don't boast about this issue. It’s not something that can be solved just because you know how to fight. The family of that asshole Alexei holds power in Country M... forget it, you don't understand."
Both Qiao Ying and Huo Chengdong were focal points at Capital University. With these two personalities coming together, it was sure to cause huge waves.
In just one lunch break, news had spread through almost the entire school.
Forum posts claimed Huo Chengdong was chasing after Qiao Ying, not caring about his dignity anymore. Just for Qiao Ying, he had even hurled abuse at former campus belle Su Er. People were calling him a lovesick fool.
Some even said the two were already an item.
The romance between a heir of the prominent Huo family and a country bumpkin girl from Yun City was eye-catching in itself when considering the disparity in status between them. The level of attention it drew was only to be expected.
As a Capital University alum, Qin Hanyue naturally knew that given Qiao Ying’s qualities and temperament, she would definitely become a hot topic on the school’s forums. With free time lately, he had been browsing the forums regularly.
Upon opening the site today, such an eye-catching thread title leapt out at him –【Aristocrat Desperately Chasing Country Bumpkin Girl】
Terms like sparrow turning into phoenix, clinging onto prominent family’s wealth and power, talented man capturing beauty were flying about.
The comments were filled with both envy and jealousy.
Qin Hanyue stared fixedly at the screen, thin lips moving as he enunciated word for word: “Huo Cheng Dong?”
Qin Hanyue picked up his phone to message Qiao Ying, inviting her out for a meal.
At that time, Qiao Ying had just received an enthusiastic invitation from student council president Xu Zhilǐ to join the council.
"Does the student council have a lot of power?" Qiao Ying asked directly about the key point of concern.
Having never stepped foot in a school gate in her previous life, Qiao Ying wondered if the student council here was like the Underworld Battle Suit Syndicate in M Continent – all powerful.
"Er..." Xu Zhilǐ contemplated the question. For this school idol personally recruited in by the principal, it seemed like he really had nothing worthwhile to offer in exchange, only more work instead.
"Then forget it. You probably don't need it," Xu Zhilǐ smiled awkwardly.
Seeing Qiao Ying look at her phone, Xu Zhilǐ secretly admired her profile.
After much hesitation, Xu Zhilǐ finally plucked up his courage, "Can I, can I ask if the online posts about you and Huo Chengdong are real? I don't mean anything by it, just asking out of curiosity." He quickly added.
Right then, Qiao Ying received a message from Qin Hanyue asking her out for a meal.
Not having heard Xu Zhilǐ’s words clearly, Qiao Ying glanced at him. "Hmm?"
"I mean, are you two really dating?"
"No." Qiao Ying replied, before casually typing a response to Qin Hanyue.
––【Will see】
Upon seeing those two words, Qin Hanyue felt somewhat helpless.
Previously when Qiao Ying was far away in Yun City, fate had somehow brought about a few chance encounters between them. Yet now, when she was right under his nose in Capital City, meeting up became difficult instead.
Hearing it wasn't true, Xu Zhilǐ rejoiced internally, "Are you free to go out for a meal this weekend? If not for you, I would have face-planted on the ground during the freshman enrollment the other day." He quickly explained.
Qiao Ying put away her phone. "No need."
She already had more meal invites than she could stomach.
She still hadn't taken up Principal Zhang's dinner invitation till now.
In the dormitory,
To hide from Xu Zhilǐ, Qiao Lingling hadn't attended classes. Going through the forum posts one by one, she was in an crazed and agitated state.
She stared fixedly at her phone screen, wishing she could crush it in her hands.
Why, why did Qiao Ying get to know big shots like Huo Chengdong? Qiao Ying used to be so fat and stupid in the past. Even her own toes were better than Qiao Ying's.
Why, why did all the good things happen to fall onto her now?!
...
Qiao Yi had assumed his second sister would stop pestering him after a clear rejection.
He didn't expect her to run complaining to their mother instead.
Returning home after night study, his mother came to him wielding test papers.
Asking him to persuade Qiao Ying to help Qiao Lingling solve them. If Qiao Lingling managed to solve the questions, not only would the teacher look at her in a different light, she would be eligible for scholarships too... going on and on about the supposed benefits.
Qiao Yi could only promise to help ask his elder sister first.
Li Lilian was elated, praising him for being a good son.
Qiao Yi then went to bathe. Having just washed his hair, he had forgotten to take clothes along. Coming out from the bathroom back to his room,
He overheard his mother who was frying medicine for him talking to second sister Qiao Lingling over the phone in the kitchen...
