Xu Qingqing waited outside the bathroom, lost in her own wild thoughts, until Xie Lianqing finally emerged.
Xie Lianqing casually tied his robe. His dark hair was disheveled around his ears, and droplets of water trailed down from his Adam's apple, while the lines of his torso were faintly visible beneath the robe.
He glanced at Xu Qingqing with a nonchalant, amused look in his eyes, crooked a finger, and said lazily, "Come here, little pufferfish."
Xu Qingqing stared blankly at this vision of a beauty fresh from the bath, her cheeks gradually warming. For a moment, she even forgot to be annoyed that he'd called her a pufferfish again.
After all, they'd both seen the physical exam reports, and he was her boyfriend. It wouldn't be a big deal if they did something, right?
After a brief two-second internal struggle, Xu Qingqing honestly trotted over to him, her eyes bright. "Mm-hmm? What are we going to do?"
Seeing Xu Qingqing like this, Xie Lianqing barely managed not to laugh out loud. He led the expectant Xu Qingqing into the bedroom. Then, under her eager and nervous gaze, he pulled out his phone.
Xu Qingqing looked bewildered: ...?
She was utterly confused and, at the same time, felt even more nervous, secretly wondering if Xie Lianqing was going to show her some kind of adult film.
Xu Qingqing had only ever heard about such films. Thanks to internet censorship campaigns, she had never actually seen one herself, only occasionally overhearing others talk about mysterious websites and plotlines.
So now, seeing Xie Lianqing take out his phone, Xu Qingqing clenched her hands, feeling a little thrill of anticipation!
Then she heard the very familiar sound of a game launching.
Xu Qingqing: ...???
After all that build-up, this is what he had in mind?!
Xie Lianqing sprawled lazily on the bed. Seeing her still standing there, he curved his lips into a smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Aren't you going to log in?"
Xu Qingqing was bewildered and utterly exasperated. "Is this what adults do?" She was so disappointed, feeling utterly deceived.
Propping his head on one hand, Xie Lianqing looked at her with a teasing smile. "Hmm? What else did you have in mind?"
He deliberately drawled, "I thought you'd like this. Isn't that right?"
Xu Qingqing's love for gaming ran deep. On Zhou Chenyu's birthday, she had made plans for a fishing date with him, only to ditch him halfway to play games; when they spent time together at the company, Xu Qingqing was still gaming; and even on the eve of his birthday, all Xu Qingqing could remember was the end of the ranked season.
So today, Xie Lianqing was determined to make Xu Qingqing realize just how "fun" games really were.
Xu Qingqing, still unaware that her boyfriend was deliberately getting back at her, simply felt dejected and speechless. She was beginning to think her relationship was different from others'—remarkably wholesome.
Finally, urged on by Xie Lianqing, Xu Qingqing opened the game with a mix of indignation and resignation. She was quickly invited to his party, shattering her last shred of hope.
Once the game started, Xu Qingqing became even more distraught. "Why are we facing bots?!"
Her boyfriend was right beside her, his robe loosely tied, a sight she could see but not touch. Being reduced to gaming at a time like this was bad enough, but why didn't she even rate a proper ranked or casual match? This was just too much.
Xie Lianqing suppressed a laugh. "Don't you want to play?"
He was actually worried that if he took Xu Qingqing into a ranked match and she played poorly, getting flamed by their teammates would ruin the mood for anything else they might have planned for the rest of the night.
But Xu Qingqing wasn't scolded, and she wasn't in much of a mood to play games anymore either. She played for a while, her mind completely filled with the image of Xie Lianqing's Adam's apple and those defined abdominal lines after he had just finished bathing.
She hung her head, dejected and disappointed, saying, "Forget it, I don't want to play anymore."
Xu Qingqing felt she had encountered a scam; she couldn't bear this grievance.
But Xu Qingqing still had her pride. Although angry and disappointed, she couldn't tell Xie Lianqing that she had just been craving his body, so she could only find a random excuse to brush it off: "The enemy Marksman is so bad, it's boring."
AI-controlled Marksman: ...Did I do something to you???
Xie Lianqing, who had been holding back all night, finally threw his head back and laughed: "Hmm... Then how about we play something else?"
Xu Qingqing wasn't falling for it this time, muttering a refusal: "What else do you want to play? I'm not playing games with you anymore, you liar..."
Then she lost the mood to talk.
The atmosphere in the room was just right, and some things happened naturally. It hurt a bit at first, then gradually turned to pleasure. Xie Lianqing knew it was her first time, his movements gentle and restrained.
It started in bed, then Xu Qingqing was carried to the bath, where the two communicated further in the bathroom.
In the bathtub, rose petals floated on the surface, vaguely obscuring their figures, the scent of aromatherapy diffusing in the air.
After today, Xie Lianqing, who was already the epitome of a devoted boyfriend, became even more gentle and accommodating towards Xu Qingqing, practically granting her every wish.
Xu Qingqing, however, didn't have many thoughts about it. After all, she'd been curious about this for a long time. Getting along with Xie Lianqing was quite nice too; at least his abs were very pleasant to touch, and he was very considerate of her feelings during the process.
But while it was enjoyable at the time, the aftereffects the next day were quite noticeable.
Xu Qingqing slept until the sun was high in the sky the next day. Lying in bed, she didn't want to move, feeling her legs were sorer than after a full day of dance practice.
Being a bit of a drama queen, Xu Qingqing usually threw tantrums at her boyfriend whenever she felt unwell, let alone now when he was the culprit.
So, while being fed fruit by Xie Lianqing, she suddenly picked a fight: "Thinking about it, I got the short end of the stick. It's only fair if you let me break up with you once."
Although Xie Lianqing had explained the reason for their previous breakup not long ago, and Xu Qingqing had expressed her understanding, she had now completely forgotten all that, feeling only that it was very unfair.
For example, even though they both did the same thing, Xie Lianqing woke up this morning as calm and unchanged as usual, even able to get up early for a morning run, while she felt sore and weak all over.
Xie Lianqing was feeding her yellow peaches and raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Hmm?"
Xu Qingqing tried hard to find fault, saying, "Even though you explained your reasons. Looking at it this way, it's just not fair."
Xie Lianqing quickly realized what Xu Qingqing was referring to. He calmly stuffed the fruit into her mouth, curled his lips, and said lazily, "If Miss Xu breaks up with me now, you can only get revenge once. Wouldn't it be better revenge to keep me around to torment, and break up with me hundreds of times in the future?"
After all, Xu Qingqing talked about breaking up every other day anyway; it wouldn't make much difference to him.
Xu Qingqing was convinced, mainly busy chewing the fruit. After thinking, she said, "Alright, I forgive you then."
"But I still think you should compensate me." Last night's workout was intense; right now, she just wanted to lie still.
Xie Lianqing was also very tender towards his girlfriend, so he obediently replied, "Is there anything you want lately?"
Xu Qingqing took a bite of fruit and asked deliberately, "Are you going to compensate me? Any request is okay?"
Xie Lianqing had a bad feeling, but still said, "Yes, what do you want?"
Xu Qingqing thought for a moment and, not wanting to be too difficult on him, said casually, "I don't really want anything lately. It's almost noon, so how about you just cook a meal?"
Xie Lianqing's premonition came true. He could only brace himself and explain, "I'm not good at cooking."
Xu Qingqing had already guessed this. She had been with Xie Lianqing for so long and had never seen him cook. Last time she stayed at his luxury home abroad, she even saw his butler.
She'd heard that even while studying overseas, Xie Lianqing had a chef and butler arranged for him, never having to handle daily life matters himself.
But it was precisely because Xu Qingqing knew this that she deliberately made the request. Otherwise, with so many delicious options available and the ability to order from any restaurant anytime, why would she insist on a dinner personally made by her boyfriend?
She rubbed her waist and said, "It's okay if you don't know how, you can try. Just make something simple, I'm not picky."
Xie Lianqing immediately felt conflicted, unsure how to explain to Xu Qingqing that he truly had no talent for cooking.
While he could accept his own shortcomings, in front of the person he loved, Xie Lianqing still wished to maintain a perfect image.
He fell silent for a while. Xu Qingqing, puzzled, squinted her eyes and looked up at him, asking blankly, "You don't want to?"
Seeing that this princess was about to make a fuss again, Xie Lianqing could only stand up and say helplessly, "I'll cook for you."
He had absolutely no way to handle Xu Qingqing. Whether she was acting cute or throwing a tantrum, he couldn't resist her.
He had originally planned to take her out to eat. He just hoped Miss Xu would remember her claim of being "not picky" when she tasted the food later.
Xie Lianqing sighed inwardly. As he checked the ingredients in the fridge, Xu Qingqing stood beside him excitedly ordering dishes: "I want sweet and sour pork ribs, shredded pork with garlic sauce, some fried chicken legs, and cola chicken wings!"
Xie Lianqing, who was putting on an apron, paused: ...Is this "something simple"??
In the end, CEO Xie rejected Miss Xu's complex demands on the grounds of insufficient time. He decided to make her tomato fried rice.
Xu Qingqing was disappointed, but after some thought, she agreed. After all, it was the CEO's first time cooking, and the taste probably wouldn't be great, so it was better to choose something with lower difficulty.
After assigning the task to her boyfriend, Xu Qingqing went back to bed alone to lie down and play on her phone.
After she left, Xie Lianqing, before starting, picked up the phone and sent a message to his all-capable Secretary Zhang, asking him to order a meal from the private kitchen restaurant Xu Qingqing liked and have it delivered.
Then he put down the phone, glanced at the few tomatoes in the kitchen, rubbed his temples, and let out a helpless sigh.
An hour later, when Xu Qingqing saw the served meal: "Why does it look so strange?"
What Xu Qingqing saw was Xie Lianqing's creation: tomatoes reduced to a mushy pulp mixed with sticky white rice, topped with green scallions. The whole thing exuded an ominous aura.
Holding her chopsticks, Xu Qingqing seriously doubted whether such a thing was edible.
She took a bite, then silently put down her chopsticks. She turned to Xie Lianqing with a pitiful look in her eyes and said, "Is this what we're having for lunch?"
She had considered that Xie Lianqing's cooking might not be great, but she never expected it to be this bizarre.
Xie Lianqing stood beside her, leisurely taking off his apron. He leaned one hand on the table, bending down and tilting his head to look at her. Raising an eyebrow with a half-smile, he asked, "I thought you weren't a picky eater?"
Xu Qingqing's attempt to butter him up had failed. She silently turned her head away, puffing out her cheeks and poking at the rice with her chopsticks, her movements full of reluctance.
Xie Lianqing watched her with amusement from beside her. He glanced at his wristwatch and saw that the food delivery should be arriving soon, so he didn't say anything to stop her.
A minute later, the doorbell rang.
Secretary Zhang had finally arrived to rescue Xu Qingqing. "President Xie, Miss Xu, this is the private kitchen cuisine from Li's."
Xu Qingqing, who had opened the door, saw the familiar brand logo and exclaimed happily, "Did you order this?"
She had been craving this private kitchen's food lately, but hadn't had time to go because of exams and studying. Xie Lianqing had mentioned he could take her there today, but she had stubbornly insisted that he cook instead...
Who would have thought things would take such a turn? Not only could she enjoy delicious food, but she also didn't have to eat Xie Lianqing's cooking!
Xie Lianqing also pretended not to know, nodding as if suddenly remembering, "I ordered it this morning, but later forgot to cancel the delivery."
Xu Qingqing's eyes widened. Clutching the bag of food tightly, she immediately urged, "Let's keep it, let's keep it! It would be such a waste otherwise."
Xie Lianqing deliberately pretended to think for a couple of seconds before nodding in agreement. "Alright."
During the meal, Xu Qingqing naturally abandoned the tomato fried rice, not touching it with her chopsticks at all. Xie Lianqing raised no objections, his expression calm, as if he hadn't even noticed.
Xu Qingqing had already prepared her excuses in case Xie Lianqing questioned or teased her about it. She hadn't expected him to be so composed, as if he had anticipated this all along.
Suddenly, Xu Qingqing felt a twinge of guilt, realizing she might have done something quite rude. After all, she was the one who had initially asked Xie Lianqing to cook, yet now she was refusing to eat it simply because she found it unpalatable...
They had been together for so long, and she had never seen him take the initiative to cook before. This was practically his first attempt, and she was being so disrespectful...
Private kitchen food was available anytime, but a meal personally cooked by the ever-busy President Xie was a rare sight. Putting herself in his shoes, Xu Qingqing thought that if she had worked hard to prepare a meal and Xie Lianqing suddenly said he wanted takeout instead, she would definitely dump the whole plate on his head.
After wrestling with her conscience for a while, Xu Qingqing finally secretly took another small bite of the fried rice. Her eyebrows immediately puckered into a sour knot.
Why is it so awful?!
Xie Lianqing took it all in and chuckled softly at the sight. He put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Alright, you don't have to eat it. It's fine, I don't mind."
Xu Qingqing didn't quite believe him and asked pointedly, "Really? You promise you won't be angry?!"
A faint smile touched the corner of Xie Lianqing's eyes. He calmly passed the glass of water beside him to Xu Qingqing. "I would never be angry with you."
Xu Qingqing looked at him curiously, then finally smiled too. She said, "Actually, it's not that bad."
She tilted her head to look at Xie Lianqing and said, "If we ever break up in the future, you'll definitely remember me forever."
Xie Lianqing lifted his gaze to meet hers, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Xu Qingqing rested her chin in her hand, sipping water idly, and said offhandedly, "I must be the first girl you've personally cooked for."
Xie Lianqing stared at her in a daze. Xu Qingqing suddenly looked up and blinked playfully at him, saying, "From now on, every time you encounter something like this, you'll think of me."
Xu Qingqing seemed to have just casually uttered these words without much thought, yet they instantly stirred waves in Xie Lianqing's heart. Holding his chopsticks, he thought of the time spent with Xu Qingqing and suddenly understood many things in that moment.
There was a time when Xu Qingqing loved collecting hair clips, and every time they went out, she would take him along to carefully pick them out. Later, after they broke up, even years later in a foreign country, whenever Xie Lianqing saw a pretty hair clip, he would involuntarily think of Xu Qingqing.
Thinking of this, Xie Lianqing suddenly lowered his gaze, feeling a mix of realization and amusement. So this was how Xu Qingqing had gradually infiltrated his life, taking root and sprouting in his heart, ultimately making him unable to forget her.
After their relationship progressed, Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing grew increasingly intimate, and the boundaries of their lives became more and more blurred.
Xu Qingqing had adapted well to their cohabitation, until she suddenly received a call from her grandparents saying they were coming home: "Qingqing, how are your studies lately? We're going to pick vegetables in the west of the city today and will swing by your school on the way back to take you home."
Xu Qingqing panicked immediately—she was currently living at Xie Lianqing's place!
Although Xu Qingqing had been in many relationships, she had never stayed out overnight. In the eyes of her grandparents and aunt, she was still that well-behaved good girl.
She hadn't been home for the past few days. Because of the new semester, her family assumed she was staying in the school dormitory. So far, no one had discovered her living arrangement with Xie Lianqing, and Xu Qingqing had forgotten to tell them.
If her grandparents came to see her at school in person, they would likely notice something was off soon. She had no idea if they would be angry upon learning their good granddaughter was secretly cohabiting with her boyfriend.
Xu Qingqing was extremely anxious. After hesitating for a while, she quickly made a decision. When Xie Lianqing returned, she informed him, "Xie Lianqing, I can't keep living with you."
Xie Lianqing had just gotten off work and was putting down his documents. Frowning at her words, he asked, "What happened?"
Curled up on the sofa, Xu Qingqing nervously explained that her grandparents were coming to see her at school and that she was afraid of being found out.
Xie Lianqing was speechless.
Ever since they got together, Xie Lianqing had indulged Xu Qingqing in every way, all to gradually increase his weight in her life and make her unable to leave him.
He never expected she would still be the same timid person who only wanted to run away at the first sign of trouble. Upon facing the possibility of their relationship being discovered by her family, her first instinct wasn't to find a solution, but to simply discard him!
And she was even righteous about it, showing not a hint of hesitation or struggle.
Although he had long known Xu Qingqing was carefree and somewhat heartless, Xie Lianqing couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. He sat down, massaging his forehead, and couldn't resist sighing, "Don't worry, Grandpa Xu and the others have known for a long time."
"They know?" Completely unaware of her boyfriend's inner frustration, Xu Qingqing was shocked. "Did you tell them? When? How come I didn't know?"
Faced with her barrage of questions, Xie Lianqing patiently replied, "A long time ago."
Forget it, why bother arguing with this silly girl. She can't even pass the CET-4.
Upon learning that her boyfriend had already sought and received permission from her family, Xu Qingqing instantly felt relieved.
However, a new wave of dissatisfaction soon washed over her: "Why aren't they angry? Or even worried about me?"
In TV dramas, when parents see their daughter with a boyfriend, don't they always earnestly warn her, worried she might get hurt, and say things like "come home if he ever mistreats you"?
Why did her grandparents agree to Xie Lianging's request so readily, and without even telling her, leaving her anxious and on edge just moments ago?
The naive Xu Qingqing completely failed to consider that the reason her grandparents agreed so easily was simply because they already trusted Xie Lianging and saw him as their future grandson-in-law.
Xie Lianging understood this perfectly well, but there was no need to tell Xu Qingqing that. Hearing her question, he found it amusing and retorted, "Who could possibly bully you?"
Xu Qingqing was taken aback for a second, then felt satisfied. "That's true." She was, after all, the champion troublemaker, unrivaled in her ability to stir up drama.
Now that her grandparents knew about the cohabitation, Xu Qingqing was no longer afraid of being scolded by them. She quietly stopped mentioning moving out. After all, life with Xie Lianging was exceedingly comfortable. She got whatever she wanted and didn't have to worry about a thing.
Xie Lianging would take her to nice restaurants after work. If he came back too late, he would make a special trip to bring her late-night snacks.
On weekends, they could hold hands and stroll around the university or the park. If the school assigned last-minute homework and she happened to not feel like doing it, she could sit beside Xie Lianging to "consult" him. As the "consultation" progressed, their location would often shift to the bed.
By the time Xu Qingqing woke up, Xie Lianging would have already finished her homework!
Xu Qingqing was utterly delighted with this lifestyle.
While she was doted on in the Xu household, she was actually at the bottom of the food chain. She couldn't afford to offend anyone—not her grandparents, nor her aunt.
Back home, if she did anything her elders deemed unhealthy—like skipping breakfast to sleep in, or ordering late-night takeout—her aunt might let it slide, but her grandparents would instantly launch into lecture mode to scold and stop her.
Occasionally, if Xu Qingqing spent too long on her phone, Grandpa Xu would even make a special trip to her room to send her to the study to hit the books, presenting her with the latest edition of the CET-4 practice tests...
The Xu family spoiled Xu Qingqing, but they wouldn't indulge her on matters of principle, like health and well-being.
However, when living with Xie Lianging, she had none of these worries! She was at the top of the food chain, free to do as she pleased, her word being law.
Of course, Xie Lianging sometimes did things she didn't like, such as pushing her to study, dragging her out of bed for morning runs, or stopping her from staying up too late...
But these weren't major issues. Because whenever Xu Qingqing threw a bit of a tantrum, Xie Lianging would quickly give in.
And if tantrums alone didn't work, all she had to do was act a little coquettishly, and Xie Lianging would be completely helpless against her!
A troublemaker knows how to play to her audience. Through gradual testing of his limits, Xu Qingqing concluded that Xie Lianging was much easier to handle than her grandfather and the others! So, without any reservations, she was quite happy to stay with him.
While her life was going smoothly, Xu Qingqing's persistent efforts in studying a foreign language finally began to bear fruit.
A few days later, Xu Qingqing's IELTS score from her recent exam came out. A score of 6.5 just met the application requirements for most universities, which meant she was largely liberated from that burden.
Xu Qingqing was so happy that she even went out for a meal with Xie Lianqing to celebrate her newfound freedom, sharing a bottle of champagne over dinner.
During the meal, while sharing in his girlfriend's joy, Xie Lianqing asked softly, "Has Qingqing decided which universities to apply for yet?"
As long as the universities Xu Qingqing applied to weren't exceptionally prestigious, a score of 6.5 would generally be sufficient. However, if her ambitions were higher, this score would fall a bit short.
But seeing how delighted Xu Qingqing was, Xie Lianqing didn't want to dampen her spirits at such a moment. He said, "Once the language requirement is met, you can start preparing the materials and documents needed for the university applications."
Xu Qingqing shook her head, looking quite lost. "I haven't thought about it yet. I'll go home tomorrow and ask my grandparents and my aunt."
The truth was, she had never really wanted to study abroad. She had only agreed to her grandparents' suggestion later because she wanted to avoid getting engaged to Xie Lianqing too early.
Even now, Xu Qingqing hadn't firmly decided if this was the path she truly wanted to take, which was evident from the fact that she still hadn't chosen any universities. Until today, she had only had a vague sense that she needed to move in this direction, focusing on studying and taking the exams.
Now that the first major hurdle was cleared, Xu Qingqing faced another problem: she still hadn't figured out which universities to apply to.
The schools she had looked into herself were all dance or arts colleges, while her grandparents had suggested comprehensive universities with management programs. The family's opinions were completely divided. Her aunt, not wanting to offend either side, said that Xu Qingqing should choose whatever she liked.
Over the weekend, the entire Xu family held a meeting. Everyone looked serious as they gathered to discuss which universities Xu Qingqing should apply to in the future. Due to his status as Xu Qingqing's future fiancé, Xie Lianqing was granted a seat to listen in, though his chances of voicing an opinion were slim.
At the start of the meeting, regarding which university Xu Qingqing should attend, Grandpa Xu was the first to speak up, eagerly raising his hand: "Cambridge! Harvard! Oxford!!"
Xu Qingqing couldn't take it anymore: "I cast a vote to strip Grandpa of his participation rights in this meeting!!"
Grandpa Xu: "..."
He lowered his hand and said sheepishly, "You even got into University A. It's not impossible to try for these schools, you know."
Xu Qingqing was indignant: "Why don't you go take the exams yourself then! It's easy for you to say, just pushing me to do it."
Xu Qingqing was utterly exasperated. What was wrong with these adults? Her IELTS was only 6.5, which didn't meet the requirements for those top-tier schools at all. If she chose those, she'd have to battle through the language exams all over again! What was the point of her celebration last night then?
Grandpa Xu pontificated with serious nonsense: "If I were as young as you, I'd definitely go for it! You young people need to have willpower. Look at young Xie here, didn't he graduate from a prestigious school too?"
Xu Qingqing was about to be driven mad by her grandfather.
If she followed her grandfather's demands, someone with slightly weaker willpower might have just agreed to marry Xie Lianqing. After all, Bai Youlan was almost engaged to Lin Donghan now, and who knows how far off the original plot had veered. In this situation, even if she got married, she might not necessarily die.
But when it comes down to it, Xu Qingqing couldn't guarantee her safety one hundred percent either. No one can predict the future, let alone with Bai Youlan having that strange system, so the risk of her dying after marriage still existed.
Xu Qingqing wasn't keen on gambling with her life. So it was better for her to just study diligently and go abroad for school.
Of course, those few schools her grandpa mentioned were most likely out of her league. Her purpose in going abroad was to escape the marriage and to study, not to become some elite academic.
Xu Qingqing had a very accurate self-assessment. Some people are driven, some prefer to be couch potatoes—it's not about right or wrong, just incompatible worldviews.
Seeing the atmosphere turn sour, Aunt Xu promptly stepped in to mediate the family conflict, interrupting with, "Alright, alright, no arguing. Let's pick a major first! Decide on the major, then finalize the school."
That's right, besides the school being undecided, Xu Qingqing still hadn't figured out what major she wanted to apply for.
Xu Qingqing just wanted to coast along. This was also her first time studying abroad alone, and the more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. Her sole desire was to pick an easy major so she could continue being a slacker in school.
If she chose a too-difficult major, her life after going there probably wouldn't be as relaxed as it was now. After all, if she didn't do well, she could face delayed graduation. Xu Qingqing cared deeply about face—how could she tolerate not graduating on time?
For the sake of her future academic life being more bearable, Xu Qingqing was the first to raise her hand and voice her opinion: "Ballet. I'll go study dance."
Grandpa Xu disagreed, frowning and saying, "You're not joining a dance troupe in the future. What's the point of going abroad to study it for several years?"
Xu Qingqing would definitely have to come back and inherit the family business. In his words, it would be best for his granddaughter to go to an Ivy League school, study management or economics, build a network of business contacts... just like Xie Lianqing!
Undeterred by the rejection, Xu Qingqing raised her hand again: "Chinese! I'll go study Chinese language!"
She had searched online—some foreign universities offered that major too. It was practically tailor-made for her!
Xu Qingqing was quite pleased with herself. Grandpa Xu was so angry he nearly fell over backwards: "You put that idea down! I've never seen one of our own people go abroad to study Chinese!"
Xu Qingqing got angry too. She stood up, rebellious and brave: "You won't allow this, you won't allow that. Why don't you just pick it yourself then!"
Grandpa Xu also slammed the table, confident and pleased: "Fine! I'll pick then! I'll pick Harvard for you, and the major will be Business Administration! Xiao Xie, you went through this too, what do you think?"
The named "Xiao Xie" (Xie Lianqing) glanced at his girlfriend's stunned expression, silently looked away, and didn't dare to speak.
Xu Qingqing was dumbfounded and fell apart: "Then I'm not going to study!"
Grandma Xu and Aunt Xu: "..."
In the end, Xu Qingqing still couldn't decide which school she would attend. Even worse, thanks to Grandpa Xu's interference, she had originally planned to apply for a Dance Arts major, but now even that was uncertain.
However, she was quite certain she would only go to a mainstream English-speaking country. After all, she had only just barely managed to improve her English somewhat. If she went to study in a country with a different language, she'd have to learn another foreign language! In that case, she might as well give up the fantasy early and just marry Xie Lianqing.
Xu Qingqing agonized over this matter, and as time slipped by, her life was consumed not only by this worry but also by the busyness of graduation. Additionally, she needed to pass her CET-4 before graduation.
With only half a month left until the CET-4 exam, Xu Qingqing embraced a do-or-die mentality this time, clinging to her vocabulary book day in and day out.
Furthermore, according to her grandfather's requirements, if she were to actually apply to those few schools, her IELTS scores—both overall and in individual sections—were still insufficient; she needed to raise her overall score by another 1.5 points.
Xu Qingqing was now burning the midnight oil, juggling CET-4 preparation in one hand and IELTS studies in the other, even reciting vocabulary during meals.
To prevent herself from slacking off, sleeping in, or neglecting her studies while living at home, she told her grandparents she was moving back to the school dormitory. Instead, she returned to live in the apartment Xie Lianqing owned near A University.
Every morning, Xu Qingqing would get up and go to the school study rooms to review. When she had classes, she would attend them, eat lunch in the school cafeteria, then continue studying in the library in the afternoon, before returning home in the evening to memorize material.
Xie Lianqing didn't dare provoke her these days. He conscientiously gave up the only study room to the young mistress immersed in her revision, quietly taking his laptop and headphones to work and hold meetings in the living room by himself.
Once, in the middle of a meeting, the study door was flung open with a bang. Xu Qingqing stormed out with an angry face, marched through the living room to the kitchen fridge, pulled out a bottle of cold water, gulped it down, and then swept back into the study like a whirlwind.
With another "bang," the living room fell silent again.
Xie Lianqing, aware his girlfriend's frustration meter was maxed out during revision and not daring to speak for fear of drawing her attention: "..."
The corporate executives in the meeting, also frightened by the Crown Princess's temper into staying completely silent the whole time: "..."
Xu Qingqing always became exceptionally irritable and sullen as exams approached, even more so than during her menstrual period. Xie Lianqing had no confidence in trying to reason with her or test her temper at such moments.
Finally, the day of Xu Qingqing's exam arrived. The good news was that she likely passed her CET-4 this time; the bad news was that her IELTS score still didn't reach a 7.
Xu Qingqing came home fuming and threw a tantrum, saying, "I'm done studying!!"
Xie Lianqing was working from home and, seeing her state, immediately planned to steer clear. Yet, he still couldn't escape the grievance-filled Miss Xu.
Overwhelmed with indignation and frustration, Xu Qingqing said, "It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, this scumbag, I wouldn't have to study so hard for these exams!"
If Xie Lianqing hadn't pressured her about marriage, would she have been so flustered as to blurt out about furthering her studies? If it weren't for Bai Youlan and that system, would she have been so constantly on edge?
And if it weren't for Xie Lianqing, this model child everyone compares others to, her grandfather wouldn't have set the standards so high, fantasizing about making an art student like her attend business school!
So now, in Xu Qingqing's eyes, Xie Lianqing was completely the chief culprit.
Suddenly labeled a scumbag again, Xie Lianqing ventured cautiously, "...My fault?"
Xu Qingqing pouted, looking at him with eyes glistening.
Xie Lianqing sighed, put down his laptop.
He walked over, took Xu Qingqing into his arms, patted her head, and coaxed her gently, "Alright, alright, don't be angry. If you really don't want to, shall I go talk to your grandfather and the others?"
Xu Qingqing's recent dilemma was simply not knowing which school to choose, while the schools selected by her grandfather and family were ones she didn't want to attend. After all, this was an internal family meeting of the Xus. Although Xie Lianging felt for his girlfriend, he didn't have the right to stop her parents from guiding their own child towards self-improvement.
However, seeing Xu Qingqing so distressed, he didn't mind overstepping a bit to have a chat with Grandpa Xu.
Xu Qingqing had calmed down considerably by now. She hugged Xie Lianging and said gloomily, "Forget it, I'll just think about it some more."
Xu Qingqing remained conflicted for a long time, until a week later when she and Le Jiaojiao were waiting in the classroom for their counselor to come for a meeting. During the session, as the counselor was speaking, Xu Qingqing noticed Le Jiaojiao writing something.
Xu Qingqing leaned over and asked curiously, "Le Jiaojiao, what are you doing?"
Le Jiaojiao said casually, "An application form."
Xu Qingqing glanced at the application and asked, "Parsons? You want to study design?" She had heard of this school while researching art colleges but hadn't included it on her own list.
Le Jiaojiao said in her sweet, affected tone, "Yeah. Why are you so curious? By the way, have you decided which school you want to go to?"
Xu Qingqing shook her head, feeling lost. "I haven't chosen yet. Why did you think of applying to this school?"
In Xu Qingqing's impression, she thought Le Jiaojiao would apply to a music conservatory similar to Juilliard. After all, the other girl had studied piano for many years, had decent talent, and had started holding recitals years ago.
According to Zhou Chenyu, Le Jiaojiao had refused an offer from Juilliard back then in order to return to China for university.
Le Jiaojiao was very nonchalant, seemingly not taking the matter too seriously. "People should always learn other things. I'm not going to be a pianist in the future anyway, so learning something else is quite interesting."
Although Le Jiaojiao had held several recitals, she knew it wasn't purely due to her own ability. At best, it was her daddy spending money to make her happy and polish her resume.
Moreover, having studied abroad under renowned masters for a long time, Le Jiaojiao had seen too many geniuses. While she had some potential in piano, she was far from being exceptionally talented.
What is a genius? It's a great person who can effortlessly touch the ceiling of the industry, someone who leaves you in awe and makes jealousy impossible.
Le Jiaojiao's personality was inherently competitive and unyielding; otherwise, she wouldn't have been Xu Qingqing's rival for so many years. Having seen many geniuses and clearly understood the gap between herself and them, she completely gave up on pursuing that path.
Coincidentally, her parents had started pressuring her about marriage, wanting her to go back for matchmaking. Le Jiaojiao didn't want to get married too early, so taking this chance to learn something new wasn't a bad idea.
Listening to Le Jiaojiao seriously analyze her own situation, Xu Qingqing rested her chin in her hands, deep in thought.
Initially, she had been single-mindedly set on applying for a familiar major, like ballet. But now, after hearing Le Jiaojiao's perspective, she realized she didn't really want to turn her hobby into a career.
Although she loved dancing, she had never considered developing it into a profession. Even though her reason for studying abroad was to escape marriage, she couldn't choose a major too hastily, as she would have to study it seriously for many years to come.
Regarding Xu Qingqing's doubts, Xie Lianging's opinion was quite pertinent: "Your original major is related to design, so it's reasonable for Le Jiaojiao to apply to this school."
Le Jiaojiao's parents already have connections and status in the fashion and film circles, so if she wants to develop her career in the future, pursuing these industries would naturally be the best path for her.
Xu Qingqing was conflicted: "But I looked it up, many of the master's programs at this school are three-year programs, which is longer than other institutions." Master's degrees abroad are often completed in one year, typically no longer than two, making the durations generally quite short.
Parsons School of Design holds high prestige among art schools. Its students are mostly elites, and the academic rigor is intense. If Xu Qingqing were to study there, she would likely need to work very hard.
Xie Lianqing shared similar thoughts, but he had even more concerns. His original plan was for Xu Qingqing to study abroad for one year; upon her return, they could get married.
However, with Parsons being a three-year program, Xu Qingqing's return to the country would be delayed by another two years...
Even long-distance relationships within the same country are unreliable, let alone international ones. Xie Lianqing had long intended to reconcile with Xu Qingqing, but he never brought it up until he returned home and confessed his feelings again.
This was because he knew that with Xu Qingqing's personality, a long-distance relationship across countries would be difficult to sustain.
Xu Qingqing is delicate and needs companionship. Although she can be high-maintenance, she is also easy to appease. If problems arise between them, face-to-face communication usually resolves issues quickly. But through the cold medium of the internet or phone lines, even a minor disagreement could potentially escalate into a major conflict.
If he wasn't by her side, she would likely get increasingly upset on her own, and over time, she might genuinely consider breaking up.
Weighed down by these thoughts, Xie Lianqing maintained a calm exterior and gently asked, "Do you want to attend this school?"
After all, if Xu Qingqing truly wanted to go, he couldn't hinder her pursuit of her dreams based on these worries about the future. That would be both childish and selfish.
Xu Qingqing hadn't considered these aspects. She simply thought three years was too long. Since childhood, she had never truly been away from family and friends.
The thought of living alone in a foreign country for several years, unfamiliar with both the place and the people, made her apprehensive. But now she knew Le Jiaojiao would also be attending the same school. Although they were rivals, they could barely be considered half-plastic friends.
If she could spend a few years at the same school as Le Jiaojiao, the prospect didn't seem quite so terrifying or unbearable anymore.
She looked at Xie Lianqing and asked, "What if I can't keep up with the studies?" This indicated she was genuinely considering the school.
Xie Lianqing smiled and reassured her, "How could that be? Qingqing has always been clever."
Xu Qingqing is also quite competitive and has high self-esteem in certain aspects.
Although she always says she wants to be a lazy underachiever, in her senior year of high school, once she decided to take the college entrance exam, she studied diligently and intensely for a year and managed to get into University A. Later in university, while she claimed to be slacking off, except for that one unexpected incident, she studied seriously for every final exam and never failed a course.
During the holiday, Xu Qingqing learned that all her friends had their own careers, and her classmates had all gone to work. She couldn't bear to stay at home any longer and ran out to find a job, persisting for several months. Even now, though she is busy every day, she has never thought of resigning, precisely because she sees her other classmates persevering and can't bring herself to lose face by giving up.
So, Grandpa Xu understood his granddaughter very well. He knew that although she wasn't naturally inclined to strive for advancement, once placed within a certain field, she would exert herself and work hard to succeed.
After hearing Xie Lianqing's words, Xu Qingqing's hesitant scale gradually tipped: "Then maybe I should apply to this school too?"
She suddenly felt that design could be an option. She had always loved beautiful clothes and videos; creating things she liked in the future should be a very fulfilling experience.
Moreover, although she had always believed that after graduation she only needed to be a couch potato, she couldn't possibly be the only one slacking off in the future while Zhou Chenyu, Xie Lianqing, and Le Jiaojiao all had jobs. That would make her feel utterly useless...
The thought of her friends becoming more and more outstanding in the future, while she could only watch them shine in various industries and be unable to join the conversation when they spent time together, made Xu Qingqing feel a bit down.
Driven by a certain fear of being left behind by her friends, she couldn't help but glance again at the webpage where she had searched for Parsons School of Design.
After a while, she asked Le Jiaojiao for some information about the school.
When Le Jiaojiao sent her the materials, she joked, "No way, you're not really going to end up at the same school as me again, are you?"
The two of them had been classmates from kindergarten through university, except for the few years after Le Jiaojiao returned home. It couldn't be another coincidence after crossing the ocean this time!
Xu Qingqing immediately retorted in a small voice, "I'm just looking at some information, I'm not applying." With that, she guiltily hung up the phone before Le Jiaojiao could say anything more.
She couldn't possibly admit that one tiny reason she was considering this school was because Le Jiaojiao was also there. She would definitely be laughed at.
After looking over the materials for a few days, Xie Lianqing helped her connect with his contacts abroad to inquire about the school's culture.
Finally, Xu Qingqing decided to visit the school in person before considering whether to apply.
After all, if she really decided, she would be studying there for several years. This was, when you thought about it, one of the major choices of her life.
When the Xu family learned of Xu Qingqing's choice, they were all very supportive of her idea. Only Grandpa Xu was initially somewhat reluctant, but after understanding the reputation of Parsons School of Design among art institutions, he changed his tune and also gave his full support for his granddaughter to attend the school.
He didn't necessarily insist that his granddaughter attend a top-tier university like Cambridge or Harvard; he simply didn't want her to waste several years abroad.
The trend of studying abroad is very popular now. Some go to acquire knowledge, while others go merely for a resume‑boosting experience, learning nothing during their years abroad and squandering their youth.
Grandpa Xu wasn't afraid of his granddaughter wasting her youth; he was more worried that in the tolerant environment of a foreign country, without family around to watch over her, Xu Qingqing's inherently naive and somewhat spoiled personality might be led astray by people with ulterior motives. By the time the elders realized it, it might be too late to do anything.
The best way to eliminate such a threat was to send Xu Qingqing to study at a place where she could truly acquire knowledge and engage in academics, where she would naturally make friends with genuinely outstanding people.
Xu Qingqing didn't fully understand what her grandfather was worried about, but she knew she was going to study, not just pass the time. Otherwise, she wouldn't have agonized over choosing a school for so long.
A few days later, Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing boarded a flight together.
Last time when Xu Qingqing went on a trip to relax, Xie Lianqing couldn't accompany her due to work commitments. This time, he was determined not to miss out again. So, after requesting leave from his father, he joined Xu Qingqing on the journey to visit potential schools.
There were some aspects outsiders couldn't fully oversee; with his experience, he could help Xu Qingqing avoid unnecessary detours.
Since handing the company over to his son, Chairman Xie had planned to enjoy his retirement with his wife, traveling and vacationing, and was very reluctant to return to help run the company. But upon learning that his son was accompanying his future daughter-in-law, he immediately gave his support.
After all, Xie Lianqing's romantic journey over the years had been truly arduous. As parents, they had witnessed their son's back-and-forth struggles and torments. He had finally achieved his wish and united with his beloved, only for Xu Qingqing to decide to study abroad not long after—and for several years at that!
Chairman Xie, whose own love life had been smooth sailing, couldn't help but feel sympathy for his son upon hearing this. So, he didn't mind his retirement being interrupted and decided to come out of retirement to hold the fort at the company for a few days.
He decided to personally ask his son about his plans once he returned.
