Chapter 10

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After soaking for a while, Cao Siqing came out; she just couldn’t get used to the smell of sulfur.

In the main hall, Zhao Zibei and Li Zhengqi were singing a love song together—“Love in Hiroshima.” The boys were sitting in a circle on the floor, cheering loudly, their shouts almost shaking the building.

The girls, having just finished the hot spring, had rosy cheeks and glistening eyes. The boys had washed off the sweat of the day, each transformed into fresh, handsome young men. Freed from the burden of exams, shedding their school uniforms and the protective shells they wore at school, a shy and tender atmosphere began to quietly blossom in the air.

Cao Siqing looked around, searching for Xu Qingling, when suddenly a tall boy blocked her path: “Cao Siqing, I like you. Can I sing a duet with you?”

???

Cao Siqing looked up and the first thing she noticed was his dazzlingly white teeth. She only reached his armpit height, and had to crane her neck painfully to look up. She remembered his name was He Jinghui, a badminton player since childhood who often competed in various cities, rarely coming to school. He had been admitted to the Sports University of Jing City through the college entrance exam.

Seeing her dumbfounded stare, He Jinghui found it even more amusing and repeated himself patiently: “Cao Siqing, I like you. Can I sing a duet with you?”

Her round face instantly flushed red. “Sing? What song?”

He Jinghui’s smile remained unchanged, patient as ever: “Just answer me—yes or no.”

Huh? Cao Siqing hadn’t yet processed what was happening when a burst of laughter erupted nearby.

She turned to see Shen Shun and a few others watching with amused expressions. Her dizzy mind suddenly cleared—this was a joke because they had lost a card game and were using her as entertainment!

The flush disappeared from Cao Siqing’s face in an instant, replaced by a spreading shame. She glared at He Jinghui and muttered, “You’re crazy.”

They hardly ever spoke, so she didn’t understand why he was making fun of her.

Xu Qingling came in and saw Cao Siqing’s reddened eyes. After asking a few questions, she learned what had happened.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Cao Siqing and went to confront the “devils.” Usually, the girls in class dared not approach those boys, but with Xu Qingling’s fierce demeanor, Cao Siqing felt a bit intimidated: “Qingling, let’s just forget it. They’re just bored and looking for trouble...”

Xu Qingling gripped her hand tightly and approached the boys playing cards, her gaze sweeping over Shen Shun before settling on He Jinghui: “Is it fun to make jokes at girls’ expense?”

Her intuition told her Shen Shun was behind this prank.

Seeing her furious expression, Shen Shun suddenly felt guilty and nudged the tall boy beside him: “Uh, you explain it yourself.”

He Jinghui saw Cao Siqing’s eyes and nose reddened like a wronged little rabbit and suddenly lost interest in teasing her: “Okay, okay! Sorry! We lost the card game, and they made me confess to a random girl.”

He didn’t dare tell the truth—they had told him to confess to the shortest girl in the class, and Cao Siqing was the only short girl in the front row attending that day.

...

Wan Yue and Shen Luan came in and saw Xu Qingling and Cao Siqing with the “big devils.” They had no idea what was being said. The usually unruly He Jinghui was actually bowing repeatedly to them.

Wan Yue was puzzled: “Since when did Xu Qingling get so close to Shen Shun and He Jinghui?”

Shen Luan glanced over. He and Shen Shun’s group ran in different circles and rarely interacted. Seeing Xu Qingling smoking with Shen Shun just now made him uneasy.

He had assumed Shen Shun was the one coaxing her, but seeing her finger flicking the ash with practiced ease, she looked far from a novice.

Could it be that her usual obedient demeanor was just an act? Shen Luan frowned deeply. Did her aunt know her niece smoked?

...

At this moment, Cao Siqing only felt ashamed. When He Jinghui said he liked her, a fleeting image of holding his hand flashed through her mind.

Avoiding the gaze of that towering boy, she tugged Xu Qingling and whispered, “Forget it, let’s not bother with these lunatics.”

Seeing her flustered expression, Xu Qingling felt a strange pang—could this be the infamous doomed connection...

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In their past lives, these two had broken up and gotten back together many times over the years. Xu Qingling had always wondered how Cao Siqing ended up with He Jinghui—they seemed so mismatched.

According to Cao Siqing, they hooked up in college, broke up once, then reconciled. After graduation, He Jinghui stayed in Jing City and married the daughter of a local wealthy businessman who invested in a gym he opened.

Cao Siqing had been upset for many years, working hard after college. She thought He Jinghui broke up with her because she couldn’t support his dreams financially.

Back then, she thought Cao Siqing was clueless. Now she realized the most foolish one was herself—being toyed with by Shen Luan and Wan Yue together.

...

After being made a joke of, Cao Siqing felt no fun left and didn’t want to stay.

“Where are we sleeping tonight? I don’t want to go to Li Zhengqi’s place. Let’s find a hotel!”

Xu Qingling snapped out of her thoughts and pondered a moment: “I’ll take you somewhere nearby. They should have discounted rooms.”

Cao Siqing had worked hard all summer, painting murals under the blazing sun and commuting to the youth center. She had earned some money but it was tough work. She thought tonight would be a good treat for herself and pulled Xu Qingling along: “I’ll treat you! I can afford a hundred or two hundred yuan a night!”

Xu Qingling smiled, seeing the image of the advertising company’s female boss overlap with the girl before her.

They greeted Li Zhengqi and set off on bicycles.

The hotel was indeed close. Cao Siqing rode less than ten minutes before Xu Qingling said, “We’re here.”

Cao Siqing stared at the hotel facade in shock. Huge European-style columns towered grandly, and a revolving door stood at the entrance. From afar, the dazzling glow of crystal chandeliers inside was visible—clearly not a place for student budgets.

“Qingling, isn’t this expensive? Can we afford it? Won’t they kick us out?”

Cao Siqing looked at her T-shirt, bought wholesale at the market for two yuan a piece for painting work, suddenly feeling underdressed.

Xu Qingling locked the bicycles in a nearby shelter and looked at the hotel nestled among bamboo groves.

This hotel’s land was bought years ago by Shen Angu’s mother, Shang Huilan. Seeing the development potential of Xiutan Peak, Shen Angu invested in building a high-end hot spring resort here.

Some of the Farstar Group’s business receptions were held here. When Xu Qingling worked under Shen Angu, she occasionally brought clients here. Farstar employees and their families enjoyed a 70% discount.

“Don’t worry! We can definitely afford it! I remember the cheapest room here costs eighty yuan a night after discount.”

Cao Siqing was incredulous: “Really? That cheap? Hotels like this in Xuncheng are at least two hundred per night.”

Xu Qingling laughed: “If you’re afraid to go in, I’ll check the price first and come out to get you.”

Cao Siqing’s eyes went wide: “No way! If we’re going, we go together!”

Not having eaten pork doesn’t mean she hadn’t seen a running pig! Following her cousin, she had painted murals in many upscale clubs and shopping malls. Though she hadn’t shopped inside, she had plenty of experience with such places.

Feeling the money in her pocket—several hundred yuan—she straightened her back instantly. A night’s stay should be affordable.

Xu Qingling didn’t think much about it. After all, she had helped Shen Angu once; a discounted hotel stay was nothing.

Cao Siqing sat on a sofa in the lobby, waiting while Xu Qingling checked in at the front desk. High-end hotels were different—the lobby was adorned with fresh flowers and scented with perfume; the sofas were luxurious leather, glowing softly under serene lighting, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Xu Qingling leaned over the counter, chatting with the receptionist. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. At school, she usually tied her hair tightly with colorful bands close to her scalp. This was the first time Cao Siqing had seen her let it down.

Cao Siqing sat there, her eyes and mind alert. Across from her by the window sat a well-dressed handsome man and a sharp-looking woman. The man was strikingly handsome, exuding the aura of a successful businessman. The woman had a short bob and narrow, intelligent eyes.

Cao Siqing found the woman strangely familiar and couldn’t help but listen in.

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The woman took a sip of water and said calmly, “Actually, I’m not planning on dating or marrying anytime soon. I’m here today just to give my family some reassurance.”

No way! Cao Siqing’s gossip instinct was ignited. She pretended to glance casually at the man, who seemed unsurprised and smiled faintly: “Coincidentally, I share Miss Zhao’s view.”

Cao Siqing found his smile oddly meaningful. The woman seemed relieved, and they continued to discuss work.

The woman glanced at her watch and said it was getting late. The man stood and extended his hand politely: “I hope we’ll have the chance to cooperate more deeply on other projects in the future.”

Their tone was courteous but distant—not like a matchmaking meeting, more like business negotiations. Cao Siqing then noticed that the man appeared to have difficulty moving his right leg.

The woman nodded to him, picked up her black phone and bag from the sofa, and got up. Her high heels clicked sharply on the floor.

Cao Siqing overheard her quietly say into the phone, “Zhao Zibei, what time do you plan to return to the hotel?!”

Zhao Zibei?! Cao Siqing’s eyes widened as she watched the woman’s retreating figure. No wonder she looked familiar—she had seen this woman at a parent-teacher meeting.

Zhao Zibei had an older sister over ten years her senior, a formidable career woman who attended those meetings. Rumor had it she was already a deputy bank manager in her early thirties.

To be set up with Zhao Zibei’s sister meant the man was certainly powerful, though a cripple.

Cao Siqing couldn’t help sneaking another glance at the man. His social smile had vanished, leaving a cold, distant demeanor.

Just as she pictured a dramatic failed matchmaking scene, Xu Qingling finished the check-in.

Xu Qingling waved the room card in front of her, her smile brighter than the chandelier above.

...

Shen Angu leaned back on the sofa, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the lobby.

He seldom came here since Cui Valley opened. This time, he was here because his mother, Shang Huilan, was returning.

Shang Huilan rarely left Hong Kong but was sharp-eared; she learned on the first day of his kidnapping and immediately informed Shen Xingbang that she was coming to see her son.

Shen Angu was discharged from the hospital after three days. He didn’t want to meet Mrs. Shang there.

A full-body exam showed no major issues except a slight fracture in his right leg, for which the doctor applied a splint. After discharge, he used a wheelchair.

Lately, Shen Angu felt inexplicably restless—was it due to his limited mobility or the impending arrival of his mother?

It had been four or five years since she last came to Xuncheng, back when he had just assumed the CEO position at Farstar. Shang Huilan had returned specially to attend his inauguration.

This time... honestly, he didn’t want her to come. He would rather go to Hong Kong to see her.

After seeing off Director Zhao’s daughter, Shen Angu leaned on the sofa. Soon after, his secretary Zhang Ye returned.

Shen Angu listened to the report on room arrangements and reception matters. Amid the calm report, a girl’s voice suddenly chimed in:

“I’m amazing, right? Everything’s already arranged!”

Her tone was cool but tinged with excitement.