The day after class, Xu Qingqing attended her birthday party with her other friends. Xie Lianqing had work today, so he didn't join their activities.
At the party, Zhou Chenyu asked casually, "Miss Xu, have you decided which school to apply to?"
Xu Qingqing didn't react for a moment.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Zhou Chenyu said in surprise, "No way? You're about to be a senior next semester, and you haven't even thought about this?"
Xu Qingqing held her wine glass blankly and said dazedly, "Is that not allowed?"
She really hadn't considered this matter. She had struggled so much with the CET-4 exam, and studying abroad would require taking the IELTS. Besides, she didn't want to leave her family and friends to live in another country for several years.
Most importantly, her Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu didn't seem to be pushing her either. Xu Qingqing had never been fond of studying, was lazy by nature, and without anyone urging her forward, she felt no sense of urgency.
So, it was only upon hearing Zhou Chenyu's question now that she vaguely realized if she wanted to continue her studies, she would need to start preparing her application materials.
However, Xu Qingqing still hadn't made up her mind about whether to pursue further education, so she felt quite conflicted at the moment.
Seeing her expression, Zhou Chenyu raised an eyebrow and nodded thoughtfully. "Of course it's allowed."
He smiled, pretending to speak offhandedly, "Looks like we'll be attending your and Xie Lianqing's wedding soon then. Congratulations."
Xu Qingqing was startled, jumping up from her chair in alarm. "What wedding? What are you congratulating me for?"
Seeing her overreaction, Zhou Chenyu said with a raised eyebrow, "You're not that naive, are you? If you're not taking over the family business after graduation, and not continuing your studies, isn't getting married and settling down the inevitable next step? You can't possibly keep playing around like you do now forever, can you?"
Xu Qingqing widened her eyes in surprise. "I can't?" She didn't want to get married. Surely her grandparents wouldn't force her, would they?
Zhou Chenyu looked at his naive childhood friend and laughed. "Miss Xu, oh Miss Xu, you really are a fool."
Xu Qingqing said expressionlessly, "Speak properly. No personal attacks."
Zhou Chenyu slowly pointed out, "Why do you think the chairman of the Xie Group suddenly came to your house yesterday? Don't tell me you thought they just came to wish you a happy birthday?"
Xu Qingqing was stunned. Until today, that's exactly what she had thought. After all, Zhou Chenyu's parents had also attended her birthday banquet, along with many of the Xu family's business friends and partners. Xu Qingqing had subconsciously grouped Xie Lianqing's parents in the same category.
Zhou Chenyu flicked her forehead, exasperated. "You're hopeless."
He said, "You and Xie Lianqing have been dating for almost a year, right? You're about to graduate. What else could meeting the parents mean?"
Zhou Chenyu, speaking with confidence, guessed, "As I recall, Chairman Xie and his wife were the last to leave yesterday. After we left, they probably chatted with your Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu for a long time, didn't they?"
If he wasn't mistaken, the Xie and Xu families had probably already set a wedding date. Only a little fool like Xu Qingqing would be kept in the dark.
At first, Xu Qingqing didn't take it seriously, but the more she listened, the more sense Zhou Chenyu's words seemed to make. No wonder her grandparents had urged her to go upstairs to sleep yesterday, and Xie Lianqing's parents had looked at her with that expression.
But she had never even thought about marriage! She was even considering when to break up with Xie Lianqing.
Marriage was out of the question. What if she got unlucky again and died like in the book's plot? Although Xu Qingqing quite liked Xie Lianqing, she didn't want to gamble with her life over something like this.
Xu Qingqing no longer felt like continuing her birthday party. She turned and headed home, intending to discuss this with her grandparents.
Zhou Chenyu watched her leave without a word, taking a sip from his glass alone.
A friend of Zhou Chenyu's who had witnessed the whole scene walked over, nudged his shoulder, and teased, "Young Master Zhou, that wasn't very honorable of you."
The relationship between Xie Lianqing and Zhou Chenyu was no secret in their circle. Although it was unclear why Xu Qingqing didn't know, even if the Xie and Xu families had plans they wanted to keep from Xu Qingqing, it definitely shouldn't have been Zhou Chenyu who spilled the beans.
If word got out, both families might blame him. What if Xie Lianqing took his anger out on him too?
Zhou Chenyu lowered his head and took a sip of wine, saying nothing.
Although Xu Qingqing had a bit of a spoiled young lady's temper, she had been protected very well by her family since childhood, making her quite naive. She often didn't think deeply about many things, just happily going about her days in her own blissful ignorance.
Zhou Chenyu understood the implications and potential consequences of what he had said today. But he didn't regret it. Xie Lianqing was his good friend, but that didn't mean he could stand by and watch a fool like Xu Qingqing blindly walk down a path arranged by others.
Even if this path seemed like the best choice for Xu Qingqing, that wasn't a reason for her, as the person involved, to be kept in the dark. She was an adult. Shouldn't she have the right to choose and to know?
That friend suddenly felt he couldn't understand this Zhou Chenyu anymore. He took a sip of wine and, with the tone of someone who had seen it all, advised as if talking to himself, "Young Master Zhou, don't mind me speaking out of turn. Let me give you some advice: stay out of these matters. That couple is deeply in love. After they have a spat today, they might blame you for meddling in the future."
Just Xie Lianqing alone was someone countless people wanted to befriend. Zhou Chenyu's childhood friendship with him was something many envied but couldn't obtain.
Who knew what he was thinking? Leaking secrets privately like this was a thankless task. If it happened a few more times, and Xie Lianqing truly took it to heart, Zhou Chenyu could lose his connection with the Xie Group over this. What a loss that would be.
Of course, Zhou Chenyu wasn't unaware of the potential consequences. He took a sip of wine and said self-deprecatingly, "Consider me a meddler."
Seeing him like this, his friend felt a bit awkward and wanted to take back his words.
He rubbed his nose and said, "You meant well for them. If President Xie truly likes Miss Xu, he probably won't hold it against you."
Zhou Chenyu gazed into the distance without speaking.
Friends and lovers were, of course, different. In fact, he wasn't sure how Xu Qingqing would react. Maybe she would be like this friend said—once placated, she might turn around and blame him for meddling.
Unexpectedly, a minute later, Xu Qingqing, who had rushed off in a whirlwind, suddenly came back.
She charged onto the private jet, saw Zhou Chenyu drinking inside, rushed over, and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you, Zhou Chenyu!"
She whispered, "You'll always be my best friend."
Xu Qingqing hugged Zhou Chenyu for two seconds, then quickly ran off again.
These things Zhou Chenyu pointed out should have been conclusions she reached on her own. Yet, he had been worried for her and had spelled it out for her.
What Zhou Chenyu did could easily be seen by others as gossiping behind someone's back. His friendship with Xie Lianqing could face risks of distrust and breaking... But he still told her. Except for when she and Le Jiaojiao were at odds, he always unconditionally stood by her side.
Since childhood, Zhou Chenyu had been like this—helping her with homework, standing up for her in fights, and later even helping her write love letters to pursue Xie Lianqing. In the book, after her death, Zhou Chenyu would also investigate the truth everywhere, ultimately dying accidentally in an incident.
Although Xu Qingqing only had Zhou Chenyu as a friend, she felt that this one childhood friend could match many others.
Xu Qingqing jumped off the plane again and ran off in a great hurry.
Zhou Chenyu watched her retreating figure and chuckled softly.
The friend who had witnessed the whole scene clicked his tongue in amazement. He patted Zhou Chenyu's shoulder, gave a thumbs up, and deliberately teased, "A model childhood friend for our times. I think the Xu family owes you a commendation banner."
Xu Qingqing ran all the way home and asked her grandparents about her marriage arrangement with Xie Lianqing. Unexpectedly, she received a positive answer.
Grandma Xu, seeing her out of breath, asked with some surprise, "Did you figure this out on your own? Don't tell me someone else told you."
Xu Qingqing had known nothing just yesterday, so how did she suddenly understand today? They had thought their granddaughter would only find out after being told.
Xu Qingqing fobbed them off with a random excuse, saying, "I just suddenly felt something was off." She wasn't a fool; she wouldn't give Zhou Chenyu away.
Grandpa Xu reluctantly accepted her answer. Seeing her so anxious, he asked curiously, "In such a hurry? Are you dissatisfied with Lianqing?"
Xu Qingqing scratched her head, conflicted, and said, "It's not about him. I'm just not planning to get married so early."
She actually wanted to tell her grandparents she didn't plan to get married at all, but she was afraid of shocking the two elders.
Her aunt could live so freely precisely because her grandparents were pinning their hopes on her. If Xu Qingqing followed her aunt's example again, her grandparents probably wouldn't be able to take it.
They probably couldn't bear to blame her, but they would definitely blame her aunt for leading her astray—even though Aunt Xu had recently dumped the blame on Teacher Shen, Xu Qingqing decided not to throw her aunt under the bus this time.
Grandpa Xu had no idea about the wild thoughts running through his granddaughter's mind. Believing he understood her well, he explained, "Don't worry, it won't be that fast."
If Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing from the book were to really get together, it would be a business marriage alliance. After dating, there would be an engagement, and even after that, they would wait a year or two before considering marriage.
Chairman Xu understood his granddaughter very well. Knowing she still wanted to play for a few more years, he had specifically allowed time for that, discussing only an engagement with the Xie family's Chairman and his wife. Moreover, he couldn't bear to let his granddaughter marry so early anyway.
However, they wouldn't easily tell Xu Qingqing this. Seeing his granddaughter so anxious, Grandpa Xu thought he might even be able to use this matter to push her to study harder.
Xu Qingqing had no idea her grandparents had already made considerations for her. She simply believed, just as Zhou Chenyu had scared her, that she would face the dreadful fate of getting married right after graduation.
After learning the original plot, Xu Qingqing hadn't even entered the entertainment industry. Combined with Bai Youlan's notorious reputation in the industry, the plot was now completely off the rails. Xu Qingqing was worried: what if she had to get married and the plot returned to its original course?
Grandpa Xu glared at her. "What's the matter? When you graduate, if you're not taking over the family business and not continuing your studies, what do you plan to do?"
He said deliberately, "If you're still studying like you are now, of course I wouldn't force you to get married."
Xu Qingqing took a deep breath and said, "Who says I won't study? I will!"
Xu Qingqing had no idea she had fallen into a trap, simply feeling she was making a huge sacrifice. For the sake of her own life's safety, she had to endure several more years of studying.
Grandma Xu saw right through the old man's plan. She pushed him aside, pulled Xu Qingqing quietly to one side, and inquired, "Qingqing dear, is Little Xie treating you poorly?"
Her granddaughter's strong opposition to marrying Xie Lianqing must mean he had upset her. Instantly, Grandma Xu's mind conjured up a series of legal and horror stories, getting more frightening the more she thought.
She patted her granddaughter's back, tentatively comforting her, saying, "It's a society ruled by law now. Don't worry, although our Xu family isn't as powerful as the Xie family, we're not afraid of them. If he makes you unhappy or displeases you, we'll dump him!"
She couldn't bear to let her granddaughter suffer. After all, the family business would all be left to Xu Qingqing; they didn't need to rely on a child's marriage to climb social ladders with the Xie family. Others might have such intentions, but Chairman Xu and his wife did not.
Xu Qingqing's mind stirred. "Really? We can break up?"
She seized the chance to complain, "He threatened not to let me break up."
"What?!" Grandpa Xu, who had secretly crept over to eavesdrop at some point, exclaimed.
Xu Qingqing was startled by him. Old Master Xu stamped his cane, furious. "I misjudged that Xie family boy! He actually dares to threaten our Qingqing?!"
Grandma Xu, who knew her granddaughter a bit better, frowned and asked, "How did he threaten you?"
Xu Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "He said he's not like the ex-boyfriends I casually dumped before."
Xu Qingqing was indignant. "What's the difference? Aren't we all human? Did he pay for a VIP membership or something?"
Grandpa and Grandma Xu: "..."
Over the years, Xu Qingqing had had quite a few relationships, and her reasons for dumping people were always utterly absurd. Among her ex-boyfriends, some who were resentful and happened to have some resources at home would try to pester or seek revenge.
Chairman Xu and his wife had secretly resolved quite a few troubles for Xu Qingqing over the years and were extremely familiar with their granddaughter's breakup routine.
Grandma Xu couldn't help asking, "Qingqing, why are you so determined to break up with Lianqing?"
Xu Qingqing said very seriously, "Because I dreamed he cheated on me."
In the original plot, after her accidental death, Xie Lianqing ended up with Bai Youlan.
Xu Qingqing spoke very carefully. She had already used this reason with Xie Lianqing before, and he hadn't had an accident, which meant that as long as she didn't state it explicitly and only vaguely hinted with words carrying her own emotions, that invisible rule wouldn't restrict her.
Xu Qingqing vaguely hinted at the truth from her dream, but her grandparents didn't catch on at all. They just felt their granddaughter's recent talent for causing drama was truly growing by the day, reaching new heights!
Grandma Xu thought for a bit and decided, "We'd better put the children's marriage on the agenda sooner."
She was afraid Xie Lianqing might one day come to his senses and not want their granddaughter. With Xu Qingqing being this difficult, who knew who could tolerate her then.
Xu Qingqing: "..."
However, Grandma Xu was only saying this. Xu Qingqing was unwilling, and she couldn't bear to force her. Privately, she even explained to Xie Lianqing, hoping he would understand Xu Qingqing's nervousness.
But they kept all these maneuvers hidden from Xu Qingqing. Because Chairman Xu and his wife discovered that Xu Qingqing probably really, really didn't want to get married. She had even started asking people about schools and reluctantly signed up for IELTS classes.
Though Xu Qingqing was only attending classes temporarily and hadn't even decided where to go yet.
With their granddaughter actively seeking to study further, Chairman Xu and his wife naturally wouldn't stop her. They even made a series of plans to encourage her to study hard.
Xie Lianqing was also aware of Xu Qingqing's recent behavior, but he didn't say anything about it. After all, Xu Qingqing was only resisting marriage and hadn't even considered the matter of an engagement yet. Chairman Xu wanted to take this opportunity to make his granddaughter study hard, and Xie Lianqing was happy to play along.
Therefore, far from opposing his girlfriend's decision to continue her studies, Xie Lianqing was very supportive and even took the initiative to provide her with a complete set of study materials.
Xu Qingqing thought, "Thanks, but that's really not necessary."
Yet, Xie Lianqing remained exceedingly attentive to his girlfriend. Whenever the latest edition of practice exam papers hit the market, he would personally deliver them to the Xu residence. He also diligently supervised her studies and vocabulary memorization every week.
Holding the stack of exam papers, Xu Qingqing questioned her life, reasonably suspecting that he was getting back at her.
She felt Xie Lianqing was definitely doing it on purpose lately, sending her so many papers and not even helping with her homework. Xu Qingqing guessed he was probably displeased about her complaining to her grandparents.
Xie Lianqing was indeed a little angry, but it wasn't too serious. Putting aside her motives, his girlfriend wanting to proactively improve herself through study was a good thing. Although he was upset about her simple desire to avoid marriage, he wouldn't stop her. That would be too selfish.
Still, Xie Lianqing sometimes felt helpless, wondering just how much Xu Qingqing feared marriage, or perhaps feared him, that even an academic slacker like her would rather continue studying than get married.
Xu Qingqing was exhausted from studying, teetering on the edge of giving up every day. Finally, one day, she had a sudden epiphany: besides studying, she could also break up with Xie Lianqing!
Compared to her current suffering of intense study and the future prospect of living abroad for several years away from family and friends, the cost of breaking up seemed almost negligible.
So, after taking her first IELTS exam, Xu Qingqing tentatively asked, "Xie Lianqing, if we broke up, would you date other people?"
Even though Bai Youlan's current aura of luck was very low, Xu Qingqing felt she couldn't let her guard down. What if, after she broke up with Xie Lianqing, he, as the chosen one of this world, ended up with Bai Youlan? Wouldn't that be like stabbing herself in the back?
So she decided to clarify things before taking action.
Xie Lianqing was clever. Hearing Xu Qingqing's words, he understood everything immediately. He was almost amused by anger and deliberately said, "Probably would."
Before Xu Qingqing could get angry and call him a scoundrel, he asked calmly, "Wouldn't you, Qingqing?"
Xu Qingqing immediately faltered. After thinking about it, she couldn't bring herself to give a negative answer.
Right, who ever heard of staying chaste for an ex after a breakup? If even she couldn't do it, how could she demand it of Xie Lianqing?
Seeing her expression and reaction, Xie Lianqing pretty much understood.
He guessed that Xu Qingqing felt a sense of possessiveness towards him. She didn't want to take on responsibility, yet was also afraid that if she let go, he might be with someone else, even someone she despised.
If it were anyone else daring to be so selfish and thinking they could cleverly use such petty tactics on him, Xie Lianqing would make them realize the harshness of the world in an instant.
But this was Xu Qingqing, and he couldn't quite bring himself to use those methods on her.
While Xu Qingqing was frowning in thought, Xie Lianqing looked at her and proactively asked, "Do you have any thoughts on the timing for our engagement?"
He had seen through Xu Qingqing by now. Her mind changed daily, and Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu would only indulge her. If this continued, who knew how long Xu Qingqing would keep procrastinating to avoid responsibility.
Although he knew exactly what kind of person Xu Qingqing was, he still couldn't bear to let go. He might as well settle things now.
Xu Qingqing widened her eyes. "Engagement?!"
Xie Lianqing smiled gently as he looked at her, his voice soft. "It's just an engagement, no need to worry too much. What do you think about next year?"
He used a bit of verbal maneuvering, seemingly giving the initiative to Xu Qingqing while actually constraining the specific timeframe.
Xu Qingqing panicked a little, saying blankly, "Next year? Isn't that too early?"
How did things take this turn? Her initial goal in bringing up this topic was clearly to break up!
Xie Lianqing's smile was faint. "I know you don't want to enter marriage too early now. We can get engaged before you go abroad, and discuss marriage after you complete your studies and return. What do you think, Qingqing?"
Because Xu Qingqing had brought up breaking up again, he had little patience today, and his tone carried a hint of persuasion.
Xu Qingqing did a quick calculation and found there would still be several years before marriage this way... That didn't sound too bad?
And so, after all her maneuvering, Xu Qingqing not only still had to study, but the engagement timeline hadn't been delayed at all. When Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu later learned the truth, they couldn't help but feel pity for their granddaughter, secretly sighing about who she inherited her intelligence from and wishing they had fed her more fish when she was little.
And so, in this hurried manner, more than half the semester passed. As finals approached, besides attending tutoring classes, Xu Qingqing also had to start reviewing for exams.
Their major had no courses scheduled for the next semester, so they needed to start preparing for internships and applying to schools for further studies. Therefore, if Xu Qingqing failed any subjects this semester, not only would it be embarrassing, but she would also have to return to school alone for make-up classes after her classmates had graduated. For an academic slacker, that was a terrible fate.
So Xu Qingqing started preparing early, constantly pestering top students to highlight key points in her textbooks. She no longer felt the urge to skip class and sleep, running to the classroom on time every day, terrified of missing any exam hints the teachers might accidentally drop during lectures.
It was said that Aunt Xu had dumped Teacher Shen again. Xu Qingqing was on tenterhooks, studying intensely day and night, terrified of being failed out of spite.
She stopped going out to play normally, focusing on reviewing alone. She only accepted invitations from very close friends.
Charity Auction.
Zhou Chenyu looked at Xu Qingqing, who had her head buried not far away, raised his wine glass, and turned to Xie Lianqing, asking curiously, "What is she doing?"
Xie Lianqing calmly raised his bidding paddle, his gaze unchanged. "Studying."
Zhou Chenyu didn't understand. "Studying what?" No higher bid emerged, and the auctioneer above announced the item sold.
Xie Lianqing glanced at his girlfriend and said plainly, "She has exams this semester. She's probably memorizing material right now."
Zhou Chenyu was shocked, looking around at the setting. "Memorizing at an auction?"
Studying but still attending a banquet, attending a banquet but not forgetting to study... So, in the end, did this count as Xu Qingqing studying seriously or not?
Xie Lianqing couldn't help but smile, explaining, "Your cousin said she wanted to come."
