"So that means the mother of the bride-to-be in this engagement broke up the family and caused the death of the Lin family's daughter back then?"
"That's right. Look at that man shouting and making a scene, his name is Xu Changshan, he's the ex-son-in-law of the Lin family."
"Such complicated relationships. When it comes down to it, the Lin family was just too greedy, provoking their own granddaughter to come and wreck the engagement party for revenge..."
Xu Qingqing knew many people were looking at her. Her expression remained impassive throughout.
She walked all the way into the engagement venue and stood before Bai Youlan and Lin Donghan. The couple had heard the commotion outside and rushed over.
Bai Youlan's face was also twisted with emotion. Seeing the guests' gazes and hearing their whispers, she felt as if she had been thrown back to the moments of being viciously criticized online, overwhelmed with humiliation.
Lin Donghan's suit was wrinkled, his face grim. "Xu Qingqing, just what are you trying to do?!"
This was one of the most important occasions he had long anticipated in his life, and now it was completely ruined!
Xu Qingqing reached out, took off her sunglasses, and said cheerfully to them, "Surprise!! A wedding gift! Are you surprised?!"
Everyone: …？？？
After Xu Qingqing and her friends caused this scene, the place was left in a mess, with everyone whispering and discussing. It looked like the engagement party couldn't proceed.
After leaving the engagement venue, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao ultimately couldn't escape the law's judgment and spent a lovely day in custody.
At the police station, Le Jiaojiao was very anxious. Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, she whispered to Xu Qingqing, "I won't get deported, will I?"
After being arrested, she had looked it up and discovered that if she got into trouble, it could even involve the embassy, and in serious cases, she might face deportation.
Hearing her words, Xu Qingqing slowly began to panic too. "It won't come to that, right? It's all your fault. I told you to speak a foreign language."
When Le Jiaojiao was caught, she was flustered and her local dialect came out even more fluently than usual, making it impossible to pretend otherwise.
As she spoke, Xu Qingqing asked a question she hadn't understood all day: "Why did you keep shouting my name when the police arrived?"
At that time, Le Jiaojiao, for some unknown reason, had gotten extremely excited, grabbing her and yelling her name. The officers almost thought she was the victim.
Le Jiaojiao was also frustrated and said angrily, "Who told you to run so fast? I was telling you to slow down!"
Besides, if she hadn't grabbed Xu Qingqing and the other girl had managed to run away, leaving her alone to get caught, that would have been so much worse!
Xu Qingqing understood. "Oh, so you were ratting out your teammate in advance, is that it?"
After bickering for a while, they realized now wasn't the time to shift blame. Xu Qingqing finally hung her head dejectedly and said, "It can't be that serious, can it? We didn't do anything major, just caused a disturbance at someone's wedding..."
Le Jiaojiao chimed in, "Yeah, we didn't smash anything or damage property. We were quite civilized."
They looked at each other, then both sighed in unison, gazing up at the sky outside.
Xu Qingqing rested her chin in her hands, looking outside, and suddenly said, "You know what? I did all this today for my mom."
Even though she had done so much today, nearly sending Xu Changshan to the hospital in a fit of rage, she didn't feel very happy.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she could never have imagined that the Lin family could actually stand together so affectionately with scumbags like Xu Changshan and Bai Yaxiu, toasting and laughing merrily.
Was everyone's memory so poor? Did something that happened just over a decade ago already belong to a past lifetime?
Xu Qingqing felt melancholy and utterly unable to comprehend it.
She murmured, "If it weren't for my grandparents and you all, I think I would have felt very disappointed."
Xu Changshan and her mother were childhood sweethearts, yet he still ended up having an affair. Watching her heartbroken mother, Xu Qingqing concluded that all men were scoundrels and jerks.
But her grandfather was wonderful, upright and devoted, always listening to her grandmother. Clearly, he was the renowned Chairman Xu outside, with a fortune of billions, yet at home, having an extra drink required Grandma Xu's approval.
The Lin family were her relatives. Her maternal grandmother had once held Xu Qingqing's mother, crying and comforting her, and doted on Xu Qingqing every holiday. Yet, after a dozen years, they had already forgotten the cause of their own daughter's and sister's death, their eyes seeing only money now. So Xu Qingqing learned that familial love could also be eroded by money, that no relationship in the world remains unchanged forever.
But her aunt and her grandparents also showed her that no matter what happens, there will always be people who love you unconditionally.
Bai Youlan was once Xu Qingqing's good friend but betrayed her, causing her great pain. Because of that, Xu Qingqing refused to play the piano anymore. If she had been more extreme, she might have stopped believing in friendship altogether.
But Zhou Chenyu always stayed by her side, helping her through those gloomy days. Even Le Jiaojiao, who claimed to be her arch-rival, would unconditionally stand up for her at critical moments.
There are good people and bad people in this world, and Xu Qingqing felt she was very lucky.
Although she had experienced some bad things, there were always others around her who would reach out and pull her back whenever she was on the verge of losing hope, gently telling her that the world isn't like that.
Xu Qingqing rested her chin in her hands, lost in thought, and said, "Le Jiaojiao, thank you." And thank you to all those who had always been by her side.
Le Jiaojiao, suffering her first detention, was physically uncomfortable and mentally very unsettled. She stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed defensively. But after hearing Xu Qingqing's words, she felt it wasn't so bad anymore.
Hesitantly, she reached out, tentatively patted Xu Qingqing, and tried her best to comfort her. "It's okay. I don't regret coming with you either!"
Xu Qingqing had once helped her deal with a scumbag too. When she was cornered at the classroom door by the scumbag's girlfriend, Xu Qingqing had also stayed by her side and didn't run away.
She had been dragged out of the classroom back then, scared out of her wits, panicked and upset. Being young and thin-skinned, she also felt deeply ashamed under the gaze and whispers of the crowd.
It clearly had nothing to do with Xu Qingqing, yet the other girl had rushed out of the classroom, grabbed her, and stood in front of her, confronting the 1.8-meter-tall volleyball team leader... although the end result was both of them being forced into the restroom by the leader.
But during that dark and heavy time, Le Jiaojiao always remembered how Xu Qingqing looked. Light came through the window, shining on Xu Qingqing, creating an illusion for Le Jiaojiao that she was glowing.
She thought to herself then that she must do something for Xu Qingqing in the future.
Not because she felt she owed Xu Qingqing gratitude, but because only by doing so could she live up to her younger self from years ago—that anxious, isolated self who had been rescued.
Although Xu Qingqing could be a bit spoiled and temperamental, and always claimed to be her arch-rival... whenever Xu Qingqing encountered others mocking Le Jiaojiao behind her back on campus, she would immediately speak up and harshly criticize the rumor-mongers.
So, Le Jiaojiao was also happy that she could do something for her.
...
After staying inside for a little over an hour, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao were released.
Grandfather Xu and Grandmother Xu, along with Xie Lianqing and Zhou Chenyu, had all rushed over. It's unclear what they discussed with the Lin family, but after persuading them to drop the charges and cease pursuing the matter, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao didn't receive any real punishment, just a verbal reprimand and warning.
Since it was their first offense and they hadn't damaged any property or the like, the police officer's tone during the admonishment was relatively lenient. He said, "You need to be steady in whatever you do; don't act on impulse! I see you're both students at A University. What kind of deep-seated grudge makes you cause such a scene at someone's wedding?"
Xu Qingqing hung her head, accepting the lecture, and said, "The groom is my cousin. The bride is my stepsister."
Le Jiaojiao looked up and quickly added, "The bride's parents are her father and the woman who broke up her parents' marriage. Her mother was even driven to her death by that other woman."
Everyone present: "... Well, that does sound like a pretty significant grudge."
But breaking the law is still wrong!
In the end, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao were both thoroughly lectured by the police officer until they were thoroughly deflated before being let go.
The Xu family and Xie Lianqing had been running around dealing with their situation all afternoon, so Xu Qingqing had thought she was in for a scolding.
Grandfather Xu was waiting furthest inside. As soon as he saw her, he pointed at her and said, "Xu Qingqing, your audacity grows by the day! How dare you make a scene on such an occasion!"
Xu Qingqing had already been lectured for over half an hour and was completely wilted. Hearing her grandfather scold her, she just kept her head down in silence.
Xie Lianqing, however, frowned. He pulled Xu Qingqing over and shielded her behind him, addressing the angry Grandfather Xu, "Grandfather, please don't blame Qingqing. It's my fault for not stopping her beforehand."
Although he had tried to dissuade Xu Qingqing earlier, now that trouble had occurred, he was the first to step up and take responsibility for her.
Grandfather Xu still wanted to say more, but Grandmother Xu beside him gave him such a shove he almost lost his balance. Then, under everyone's gaze, he snorted and walked off.
Grandmother Xu came forward, took Xu Qingqing's hand, and said, "Were you hungry in there? Thirsty? Here, Grandma brought you some water. Have a drink."
Everyone else: "... She was only in there for a little over an hour. It's not like some ancient dungeon where they withhold water from prisoners!"
But having just seen Grandmother Xu shove Chairman Xu so forcefully, everyone knew this elder was a bona fide "tiger parent" (i.e., an indulgent enabler), so they all silently scoffed to themselves, not daring to speak the truth out loud.
Xu Qingqing, head still bowed, followed everyone out.
Outside the police station, Grandfather Xu was waiting. He quickly walked over and whispered to Xu Qingqing, "The people's police were watching earlier; we had to show the right attitude."
With a kindly smile, he patted his granddaughter's shoulder and said cheerfully, "It's nothing, just a small matter! Well done! You have the same daring and strategic mind I had in my youth. Tell Nanny Wang to stew a chicken for you tonight."
"I've long disliked that old man from the Lin family. The whole house is rotten, not a decent person among them. You should have seen his face today—oh, I must share this on my social feed! This will keep me happy for a month!"
The previously dejected Xu Qingqing glanced up at her grandfather and then smiled too. "Hehe, me too."
Xie Lianqing, who had watched the entire scene: "... I overthought it."
No wonder Xu Qingqing had developed this kind of personality. Her elders were practically the elite forces among indulgent parents!
Xu Qingqing pulls off such a daring stunt, and not only does she avoid criticism, she even receives praise! Are you afraid she'll be too timid next time?
Xie Lianqing was at a loss for words.
As he lamented the Xu grandparents' parenting style in his heart, he forgot that he wasn't much better himself. Just moments ago, when Grandfather Xu was about to lecture Xu Qingqing, he was the first to stand up and shield his girlfriend, willingly taking the blame...
Le Jiaojiao came out with Xu Qingqing and was also fine. Since there was no disruption of public order, and the involved parties had retracted their complaint, it was treated as a regular civil dispute for mediation. So, Le Jiaojiao's verbal warning didn't need to involve the embassy.
Xu Qingqing's bold move today was earth-shattering, and news of the Lin family's engagement-ceremony drama eventually leaked out. However, Xie Lianqing and the others managed to suppress it. It never trended online; only sporadic leaks surfaced, and none of them made much of an impact.
This was also part of the price for their reconciliation with the Lin family, and having it spread widely wouldn't be good for Xu Qingqing either.
But no matter how they tried to mend things afterwards, a wedding ceremony that ended like this was essentially ruined. Bai Youlan had thrown her ring and stormed off midway, with Lin Donghan chasing after her. With both protagonists of the engagement ceremony gone, the guests all dispersed.
Having witnessed the whole drama firsthand, the guests had plenty to discuss afterwards. The most common consensus was that the Lin family was opportunistic and profit-driven, their greed had backfired spectacularly, leading to their own granddaughter coming to smash the venue.
Hearing the gossip outside, the Lin family deeply regretted their foolish decision to invite so many people. The more elaborate their previous preparations had been, the more embarrassing the fallout was now.
That evening, a distraught Bai Youlan hurled things off the table at Lin Donghan, shouting hatefully, "You just let them off the hook like that?! That was our engagement ceremony, do you even understand?!"
Lin Donghan knew Bai Youlan was furious, and he was too. But there was nothing to be done. The head of the household was his grandfather, a man who valued profit over principle. The Xu and Xie families offered some benefits, and he simply let the matter drop.
What else could they do? What Xu Qingqing did would at most result in a reprimand — a slap on the wrist. It was better to get some tangible benefits.
Hearing her fiancé's explanation, Bai Youlan once again felt intense humiliation and dissatisfaction with her decision to engage to Lin Donghan.
If it were Xie Lianqing today, he would never have allowed elders to decide and let such a matter pass so easily. Unfortunately, her fiancé was Lin Donghan, a third-generation member of the Lin family with no real power. So, even a major insult like this at his own wedding could be brushed aside lightly...
And the Lin family had many members. Lin Donghan still had his parents above him. Even after waiting for the old patriarch to pass, who knew how many years it would be before it was his turn to take charge...
Bai Youlan turned her head away, her back to Lin Donghan standing at the door.
"Youlan? I'm sorry, I'll make this up to you someday..." Her fiancé was apologizing to her.
Bai Youlan felt nauseous just hearing his voice. She regretted her decision to agree to engage with Lin Donghan all over again.
Coming to the Lin family was purely to suffer. Expecting Lin Donghan to avenge her was less likely than relying on herself!
Fuming, Bai Youlan looked down on Lin Donghan and the Lin family even more.
Fortunately, she was only engaged now to complete a task, not married. Otherwise, if she had to spend the rest of her life here, she'd die of frustration!
After leaving the police station, Xu Qingqing was downcast for a while. After all, seeing her former relatives direct hostile, angry, resentful gazes at her—even someone as carefree as Xu Qingqing would feel disappointed, especially since she had always valued family ties.
After a period of sadness, Xu Qingqing also knew she couldn't wallow in low spirits, so she quickly found a way to alleviate her mood.
She sorted out the several alternative versions of the flyers that she and her assistant had designed but didn't end up using. When she was in a good mood, she would post one on her social media feed; when she was in a bad mood, she would also post one on her social media feed.
So, Xu Qingqing's social media feed had been very lively lately. On the surface, everyone appeared calm, but secretly, they were frantically following the drama. The scene Xu Qingqing caused at the wedding hadn't stirred up too much commotion back then, but with this move of hers, she dragged the Lin family, who had been lying low hoping the wedding scandal would quickly blow over, back into the spotlight of public attention.
By the time the Lin family got the news, several days had already passed.
The Lin family: ...
After all these incidents, perhaps out of a sense of face-saving, or perhaps they simply forgot, some members of the Lin family still hadn't deleted or blocked Xu Qingqing.
Lin Donghan's father hadn't dared to look at his social media feed for quite some time. This time, after being alerted by someone, he went to check Xu Qingqing's feed and immediately felt short of breath.
Furious, he commented below—"Xu Qingqing, haven't you caused enough trouble already with that scene you made?"
—"What exactly do you mean by posting these things now?"
...
When Xu Qingqing saw the furious comment from her uncle, she had a sudden realization and quickly replied: "Oh, sorry about that, I forgot to filter you guys out."
The Lin family: ...???
Then, Xu Qingqing very politely set her privacy settings to exclude them.
Xie Lianqing sat by, witnessing his girlfriend deploying one mischievous trick after another, making the Lin family miserable, and couldn't help but pat Xu Qingqing's head.
Soothed by her boyfriend, Xu Qingqing turned to look at him and asked somewhat hesitantly, "Is what I'm doing a bit too mean?"
Xie Lianqing smiled and shook his head.
Xu Qingqing wasn't just mean; she was a master of mischief!
Xie Lianqing suddenly felt very grateful that back in their middle school days, when he coldly refused to let Xu Qingqing copy his homework, her revenge was only "to chase after him and then dump him."
Because compared to what she did to the Lin family and Bai Youlan, Xu Qingqing had truly gone easy on him with her revenge!
Of course, it might not have been because Xu Qingqing had a pang of conscience and showed mercy; it was most likely because back then she was just a teenage girl and hadn't yet evolved to her current level of mischief.
Xu Qingqing didn't yet know she had evolved in Xie Lianqing's mind. She felt she had been wronged this time, so it was only normal for her to do something about it.
Besides, she was just posting some flyer photos on her own social media feed because she was too upset, and she hadn't done anything extra.
Just as the Lin family was suffering, Xu Qingqing finally had something else to focus on. She received a notification from her academic advisor, asking them to go to the university for a meeting to select their thesis topics and supervisors.
For senior year students, graduation is naturally one of the most important things. Once a supervisor and thesis topic are confirmed, students have to start busying themselves with it.
So, Xu Qingqing no longer had the mood to sadly post flyers on her social media feed and began busily preparing her graduation project and thesis.
Besides writing a graduation thesis, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao's major also required an additional graduation project. Because Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao were the last to report, they were assigned to the same thesis supervisor group.
After confirming their supervisor, the two contacted each other and were added to a topic discussion group. Besides Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao, there were several other students in the group who had also drawn this supervisor.
Each thesis supervisor is responsible for students not just from one class, but from various classes and majors, mixed together.
After the graduation groups were confirmed, the supervisor scheduled a time with everyone to meet in a classroom for discussion.
When Xu Qingqing arrived, the few students in the classroom were already all present, just waiting for the supervisor to finish class and come discuss the topics.
Upon entering the classroom, Xu Qingqing sensed something was off. She glanced around the room's layout and saw Le Jiaojiao sitting alone in one row, while the other members of the discussion group sat in a separate row, clearly divided into two factions.
Xu Qingqing looked at the others under the same supervisor; it seemed that apart from herself and Le Jiaojiao, the other few people were all quite familiar with each other.
This was not good. Xu Qingqing instantly understood—this was the precursor to being ostracized!
Sure enough, the people in the front row sat together, and when Xu Qingqing entered, none of them greeted her. They stared straight ahead, loudly discussing the supervisor, while Le Jiaojiao sat alone in the back, applying makeup as if detached from the world.
Having all undergone ideological education together, Xu Qingqing directly walked over and sat down next to Le Jiaojiao.
Because of the Lin Donghan engagement incident, she even, for the first time ever, greeted her rival: "Good morning, Le Jiaojiao!"
Le Jiaojiao was holding a small mirror, checking her reflection, and was startled by Xu Qingqing's sudden appearance. Patting her chest, she complained irritably, "What are you so happy about? You must have taken the wrong pills or something."
Xu Qingqing was just about to discuss the new release from Brand A with her when she heard Le Jiaojiao casually ask the next second, "Oh yeah, Xu Qingqing, did you do the homework?"
Le Jiaojiao asked casually while unhurriedly touching up her makeup. No matter the time or place, this drama queen Le Jiaojiao always liked to take out a mirror and look at herself when no one was watching.
Hearing this, Xu Qingqing looked bewildered: "What homework? Do we have homework?"
Le Jiaojiao was exasperated with her and explained, "Of course there's homework, the assignment the supervisor posted in the discussion group yesterday. Didn't you see it? We'll probably have to present today."
Xu Qingqing was still clueless: "I didn't know that."
Xu Qingqing asked but didn't get an answer. She turned to look at Le Jiaojiao, who was still touching up her makeup without a care, and angrily pulled her arm: "Stop powdering! Just tell me what the homework is!"
With her tug, Le Jiaojiao's hand, which was patting loose powder on her face, jerked, and the powder from the box spilled all over her bangs on her forehead.
Xu Qingqing looked at the white powder all over her head: ...
Le Jiaojiao stood up with powder in her hair, clenching her fists: "Xu Qingqing! Are you insane?!"
Xu Qingqing suddenly recalled a time when Le Jiaojiao was just like this, and the next second, she smashed a table to pieces.
She sucked in a breath and immediately stood up, ready to utilize her sprinting skills for a quick escape.
Right at that moment, a girl sitting in front of them slammed her book down heavily, turned around, and said impatiently, "Will you two stop bickering! It's so annoying! This is a classroom, other people need to study."
Le Jiaojiao and Xu Qingqing's seats were in the middle towards the back of the classroom. In front of them sat the other few members of the discussion group.
Before the supervisor arrived, everyone was chatting, and the classroom sounded quite lively. However, as this girl's words fell, the noisy surroundings instantly quieted down.
Xu Qingqing was taken aback. Looking up, she found this person very familiar—it was actually one of the people who had competed with her for a spot in the school festival performance in the drama club back then...
Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao had offended quite a few people over the years, so such encounters with old rivals were nothing unusual anymore.
Le Jiaojiao snapped her compact shut with a click and said in a sugary voice, "Weren't you all talking too?"
The people around the girl who had spoken up looked at each other, clearly not expecting their classmate to suddenly lose her temper. Everyone tried to smooth things over, standing up to mediate, "It's fine, the advisor isn't here yet, right? Let's all just be happy, ladies."
"Yeah, yeah, what's there to argue about? Weren't we just saying we'd go get dinner together after this meeting? Everyone's invited."
However, the girl didn't take the out her companions offered to end the dispute and continued coldly, "Who wants to eat with them? She doesn't know the time and place and doesn't fit in. It's a classroom, yet she sits in the back doing her makeup alone."
She stared at Xu Qingqing and said icily, "If some people want to slack off on their thesis project, please don't affect others. Everyone else is discussing the assignment, only you two are chattering away in the back."
Zhao Zhi was also a member of the university's performance club. During the selection for programs for A University's centennial celebration, she had actively participated in the club's internal competition. She had been extremely confident, but never expected Xu Qingqing to appear out of nowhere.
The other girl had only recently joined the club, yet was recommended for the program selection and ultimately beat the program prepared by Zhao Zhi and the others, securing a spot in the school's anniversary performance.
If that was all, Zhao Zhi might not have harbored such regret. After all, it was a matter of skill—she had simply lost to Xu Qingqing in the competition.
But after the anniversary performance, Zhao Zhi learned just how high the live broadcast's viewership was that night. It had attracted a lot of attention from netizens outside the university, and even trended on social media, with both A University and Xu Qingqing becoming hot topics.
The most infuriating part was that among the distinguished alumni attending the celebration was a big-shot director from the entertainment industry. After watching Xu Qingqing's ballet performance, he proactively contacted the school to get in touch with her, wanting her to play a supporting role in a major film.
Although it was a minor role with only about ten minutes of screen time, the character was crucial to the film—a camellia-like finishing touch (a pivotal touch). Playing such a role would easily win the audience's favor.
It was said that after seeing Xu Qingqing's ballet, the director felt her aura/temperament perfectly suited the character.
Such a golden opportunity—anyone in their performance club would have grabbed it with both hands. But Xu Qingqing had casually turned it down, stating she didn't want to enter the entertainment industry to act.
When the club members found out the details afterwards and heard this reason, they were both angry and amused. If she didn't want to debut, why did she compete for the spot in the anniversary performance in the first place?
While complaining, everyone also understood that Xu Qingqing had everything—family background, looks. If she really wanted to debut, she wouldn't need opportunities from alumni.
But the problem was, since she already had everything, why did she have to come and snatch this kind of chance from them?
Zhao Zhi was the most resentful among the complainers. Because during the club's internal selection, the program she submitted was also a folk dance!
If Xu Qingqing hadn't participated in the club selection back then, she would have been the one noticed and invited by that alumni director!!
And recently, that very film the alumni had invited Xu Qingqing to be in had finished shooting, been submitted to festivals, and recently received several nominations...
The more Zhao Zhi thought about it, the angrier she got. If she hadn't run into Xu Qingqing, she might have just stewed in her own frustration. But as luck would have it, they were assigned to the same thesis project group this time. The resentment bottled up for months naturally erupted.
As she launched her aggressive tirade, everyone felt rather awkward.
The companions who had tried to mediate earlier also seemed on the verge of speaking but ultimately fell silent. After all, they were familiar with Zhao Zhi, had just been chatting amiably with her, and couldn't very well undermine their own friend to side with outsiders now.
Xu Qingqing didn't know why the other girl was suddenly attacking her, but she responded lightly, "Weren't you laughing pretty loudly yourself just now? I thought discussing the project would be a bit more serious."
Called out, Zhao Zhi felt somewhat embarrassed, and her companions grew annoyed. They still had to work together on this thesis project; making such a scene now would make future collaboration difficult.
Generally, because their major required both a written thesis and a graduation project, students assigned to the same advisor would form groups to collaboratively produce and film their graduation work. The graduation project involved a heavy workload, so this lightened the load for everyone.
However, there were cases where someone's proposed project theme clashed with the group's consensus. In such situations, that person might leave the group to work on their project alone, and the advisor's grading for a solo project at graduation could be higher than for a group one.
"Suit yourselves. Just don't drag the rest of us down," Zhao Zhi said deliberately nastily. "Or, if you're so capable, form your own group."
She certainly had no desire to collaborate in a group with Xu Qingqing, who had stolen her opportunity.
The atmosphere grew even more awkward. The others hadn't said they wanted to split into two groups, nor had they decided to side with Zhao Zhi! They wished now they had pulled Zhao aside or said something to calm her earlier; it was even harder to speak up now.
The advisor wasn't even here yet, everyone had been talking, yet this person only targeted her and Le Jiaojiao. Xu Qingqing could see it clearly now—the other girl was probably still holding a grudge over the performance club incident. This was personal.
As it happened, she didn't want to be around this kind of person either. Based on past practice, their graduation projects usually involved filming, just with different themes.
Such filming cycles were time-consuming. The thought of having to spend that much time with someone constantly looking to pick a fight with her was unbearable.
So Xu Qingqing quickly said, "I never said I wanted to be in your group either. Le Jiaojiao and I will form a group. The rest of you can decide for yourselves."
Le Jiaojiao also stood beside Xu Qingqing, one hand on her hip, looked at the other awkward group members, and said in her sweet voice, "Are you sure you really want to be in a group with her? She's so hot-tempered; aren't you afraid she'll yell at you guys later too?"
Le Jiaojiao had sharp eyes. She could tell at a glance that while these people knew Zhao Zhi, they weren't particularly close friends.
This comment also offered them a way out. The others breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, they weren't unwilling to be in a group with Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao. Having more people in the group would lighten the burden significantly.
Not to mention, Xu Qingqing had a top-student boyfriend. The whole school knew that the legendary Xie, despite his busy schedule, would still help his girlfriend with her assignments. If they ran into any real difficulties during filming, they could potentially seek external help.
Just as someone was about to speak up to mediate again, they saw Zhao Zhi frown and say scornfully, "Le Jiaojiao, stop trying to drive a wedge between us. Straighten out your own tongue before you speak. Talking in that fake, affected voice all the time—do you think no one can tell you're a 'green tea'?"
Le Jiaojiao had a natural doll-like voice and had hated people commenting on it since she was little. Every time someone heard her speak, they'd ask why she was talking in a pinched voice, forcing her to explain over and over.
After explaining one too many times, Le Jiaojiao simply grew tired of talking to such people.
Hearing Zhao Zhi's words, she felt both angry and anxious, watching as the table in front of her nearly didn't survive the moment. However, Xu Qingqing suddenly had an epiphany and let out an "Oh."
She crossed her arms, looked at Zhao Zhi before her, and said with great disdain, "I get it. You're just jealous that Le Jiaojiao's voice is nicer than yours, right? There's no helping it; her voice is naturally like that. You can't envy your way into having it."
...
When the instructor finally arrived, the atmosphere in the classroom among the few students was extremely awkward and heavy.
Having arrived a bit late due to an overrun class, he thought the students were just impatient from waiting. He joked, "Why do you all look so serious? Barring any mishaps, we'll still be working together for a few months. You're a group working on a project; you should get to know each other first."
Someone below muttered quietly, "Barring any mishaps... a mishap has already happened."
Zhao Zhi had already raised her hand and asked, "Professor, must we be in the same group for our graduation project? Can we split up?"
Although the instructor also wanted them to be in one group, since the student had her own opinion, he could only say, "Of course, you can form groups freely."
Thus, they were ultimately divided into two groups: Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao in one group, and everyone else together in another.
When the instructor saw the two of them coming to register, he was somewhat surprised and could only jokingly remind them, "If you two are in a group by yourselves, filming, editing, and post-production will all have to rely on just you two."
Never mind anything else, just gathering people to act would require hiring actors. A movie or TV series can't have only two characters, after all.
Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao were also aware of this, which was why Le Jiaojiao had said those words earlier, trying to persuade others to join their duo. However, in the end, those people still chose the more familiar Zhao Zhi.
But since the others had gone this far, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao wouldn't shamelessly force themselves upon them. So be it if it's just the two of them in a group; it would actually make communication easier, avoiding endless arguments among a large group where even deciding on a filming theme would take ages to discuss.
After the instructor left, Zhao Zhi and the others in the classroom began discussing their filming theme. The group eagerly offered suggestions: some wanted to make a youth inspirational film, some wanted to focus on social issues and people's livelihoods, and others wanted to create an animation...
After arguing for dozens of minutes and finally settling on a theme, Zhao Zhi and her group then started discussing the division of labor. The most basic issues were: who would write the script, how to revise it after it was written, and how to make everyone satisfied...
Meanwhile, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao were much more casual.
Xu Qingqing asked, "Le Jiaojiao, what do you want to film?"
Le Jiaojiao clasped her hands together under her chin, her expression dreamy and expectant: "A Mary Sue story. I want to be a princess."
She had wanted to be a princess since kindergarten—how many years was that!
Xu Qingqing frowned: "Huh? A palace drama?"
Le Jiaojiao shook her head: "A campus youth idol drama."
Xu Qingqing didn't quite understand, but when she received the script Le Jiaojiao wrote that afternoon, she was left speechless and finally grasped it. So Le Jiaojiao's "princess" wasn't a real princess, but a Mary Sue.
Later, this student film would be called the movie with the most powerful cast and the most expensive lead actors in history. Whether it was Zhou Chenyu, Le Jiaojiao, or Xie Lianqing, each was immensely wealthy, and their looks and aura easily surpassed those of major celebrities.
A few days later, the ever-busy CEO Xie, who was in the midst of writing documents, received instructions from his girlfriend and asked, "You want me to act?"
Xu Qingqing shoved the script at him and said magnanimously, "Seeing as you're my boyfriend, you can choose your own role."
She thought for a moment and added, "But you can't choose the roles that are crossed out."
Xie Lianqing took the script and glanced at it, finding a total of four main roles: two male, two female. Three of them were already crossed out.
Xie Lianqing: ... So what exactly is left for me to choose??
He couldn't help but point to the crossed-out male role and asked, squinting, "Why is this role gone?"
Xu Qingqing leaned over to look and said understandingly, "Oh, Zhou Chenyu picked that one."
Xie Lianqing: ...
Xu Qingqing understood his unspoken words, patted his shoulder, and comfortingly explained, "Don't be sad. Zhou Chenyu provided a lot of help with our script, so we let him choose before you."
Xie Lianqing felt a bit better. If Zhou Chenyu had helped, then letting him choose first was only natural.
But he still couldn't help being curious: "Why didn't you show me the script earlier?" He could have helped Xu Qingqing revise the script too.
Xie Lianqing thought it was because Xu Qingqing didn't trust his literary skills and had already prepared a defense to clear his name.
Unexpectedly, Xu Qingqing said very frankly, "Because I forgot."
Xie Lianqing: ...?
Left speechless, he could only continue perusing this great work.
Overall, this script was a cliché, melodramatic campus romance drama.
The female lead in the play was named Jiaojiao, a delicate, pure, gentle, and fragile poor campus belle. She was very unlucky, bullied every day by a vicious female supporting character named Qingqing.
Xie Lianqing reading this: ... Aren't the character names a bit too obvious??
Now he understood why he could only pick from the leftover role—the scriptwriting itself had prototypes; the roles were pre-assigned!
With complex feelings, Xie Lianqing continued reading.
In the script, Qingqing was a vicious supporting female character who relied on her outstanding family background to act tyrannically and run amok at school.
And the role played by Zhou Chenyu was an unruly, arrogant, and domineering school bully. Simply put, he was Qingqing's lackey, following her around all day.
When Qingqing insulted people, he helped supply additional lines. When Qingqing told him to bully someone, he went to bully them. A typical vicious male supporting character.
He and Xu Qingqing, both neglecting their studies, committed misdeeds all day, skipping classes to find trouble for the ill-fated little white flower, Jiaojiao, in every corner of the campus.
As for why they so persistently persecuted the poor, pitiful Jiaojiao, the reason was also rather far-fetched. It was written that it was because Qingqing was jealous of Jiaojiao's beauty, wisdom, and unparalleled talent!
Xie Lianqing reading this: ...?
He finally couldn't hold back anymore, looked up, and asked his girlfriend beside him, "Who wrote this script?"
Xu Qingqing had a lollipop in her mouth and was striking the imposing pose of a boss lady in the study.
Hearing Xie Lianqing's question, she turned her head, gave him a casual glance, and said with full authority, "Le Jiaojiao."
Xie Lianqing frowned, bewildered: "... You're already getting into character???"
Xu Qingqing scoffed and said, "You don't understand."
Love the work you do; she takes professionalism seriously.
This was likely the first and only movie she would ever star in her life.
Thinking of this, Xu Qingqing felt the importance of this movie even more. She turned and went to the kitchen to get a rolling pin, hoisting it onto her shoulder pretending it was a hockey stick.
Xie Lianqing stared, dumbfounded, and could only point out, "Ordinary high schools don't have things like hockey." In key high schools, everyone is busy studying, even eating in a rush—it's not an American TV show.
Xu Qingqing was very scornful and said disdainfully, "You don't understand. Our setting is a prestigious aristocratic school. The kind of school from the legend where 'First of all, I'm not called 'hey'!'"
Xie Lianqing couldn't take it anymore. He furrowed his brows, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Xu Qingqing, can you please speak properly?"
Xu Qingqing was even more audacious than him. She lifted her chin and declared, "No! I can't!"
Xie Lianqing: ...
This was the first time he discovered his girlfriend had such an infuriatingly punchable side!!
He slowly let out a breath. There were many things he wanted to say, but in the end, he just asked, "And you can agree to this script?"
Given the years of rivalry and complicated history between Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao, how could she possibly admit in a script to being jealous of Le Jiaojiao's beauty and talent?
Based on Xu Qingqing's personality, she would definitely fight Le Jiaojiao for the female lead role!
Xu Qingqing said quite frankly, "Didn't you read the script? Because the actress playing the female lead gets bullied from start to finish."
Xu Qingqing was indeed very indignant at first and prepared to fight Le Jiaojiao for the role. But then she read the script and realized the person playing the innocent, delicate character would be constantly bullied by the school bully and his lackeys.
Xu Qingqing thought about it and decided to forget it. She resolved to be the big villain instead.
Xie Lianqing understood instantly. Xu Qingqing would rather play a bad guy than be bullied by Le Jiaojiao throughout the entire filming period.
Seeing he hadn't spoken, Xu Qingqing asked eagerly, "What do you think after reading it? Any thoughts on your role?"
Thanks to Xu Qingqing's reminder, Xie Lianqing took another look at his assigned role and felt even more dismayed.
The only role left for him was the male lead. In the script, he was responsible for protecting the female lead, Jiaojiao. He was the school heartthrob and academic genius who helped her stand up to the malicious female supporting character, Qingqing.
Xie Lianqing saw in the script that every time Qingqing bullied Jiaojiao, the school heartthrob would see through it and rush to the rescue. Later, the male and female leads would even confess their feelings to each other in the rain...
Xie Lianqing frowned and said, "Are there any other roles?" He wasn't willing to be involved in romantic scenes with his girlfriend's friend in the movie, even though they all knew each other.
Xu Qingqing said, "Nope." She wasn't particularly bothered by this point anyway, since it was all for her and Le Jiaojiao's graduation project.
Chewing on a lollipop and swinging a rolling pin back and forth, she said, "You can't possibly expect Zhou Chenyu to play the male lead, right?"
He's Le Jiaojiao's cousin. Then it wouldn't be a campus romance anymore; it would be a forbidden love story.
Xie Lianqing knew she had a point. But even after reading the script, he still didn't want to do it. He really didn't want to act in this messy script!!
Especially since he actually had romantic scenes with Le Jiaojiao in it. What was that about?
Xie Lianqing was very clear about maintaining a respectful distance from his girlfriend's friends. After all, everyone knew what happened with Xu Qingqing's mother back in the day. Although she had never mentioned minding it, Xie Lianqing and Le Jiaojiao had never contacted each other.
