{Cool and charming 1}

And with that, no one paid any more attention to the absurd ramblings of a fool. From this point on, it would be difficult for anyone to look down on Qian Xu, who appeared to have been “abandoned” by a man, her current status seemingly insignificant.

No one could predict what kind of formidable figure she might become in the future.

The male PhD student’s face turned red, as if burned by the sting of Qian Xu’s words. He struggled to find a way to counter the paradox she had presented. He opened his mouth to speak—

Only to realize that the gazes upon him were not the admiring looks he expected. These eyes were sharp, not filled with the approval he had once received for topping exams in his rural hometown. Instead, these stares were full of hidden scorn, veiled in polite indifference.

He noticed the shift and realized no one was echoing his lofty speech, nor were they regarding him as a kindred spirit for speaking what he thought was undeniable truth.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, he considered retreating.

But before he left, he glanced at the half-full glass of white wine, clueless to its delicate taste but keenly aware of its price tag from supermarket shelves, knowing how expensive it was. There was a bitterness in him, a resentment toward the luxury he felt he had forsaken because of this woman. Trying to maintain some pretense of grace, he drained the glass.

He also made sure to discreetly turn off the recording function on his phone, after having sneakily filmed the event, knowing he probably wouldn’t get invited to such gatherings again.

The whole spectacle played out in front of everyone, a grand joke to them.

Many noticed immediately, and laughter rippled through the crowd, though much of it was masked by the hum of murmured conversations. The departing PhD student, however, remained blissfully unaware of just how much of a laughingstock he had become.

The male PhD student’s face was ashen, but he forced a calm demeanor, pocketing his phone and pretending to leave with dignity.

Meanwhile, in the small group chat with Shen Qi’s friends, things were already starting to bubble over. They had been holding back for a while, not wanting to provoke Shen Qi outright—especially since the video of Qian Xu sharply rebuking the engineering PhD student had just surfaced. The delay had been intentional, as they didn’t want to fully offend Shen Qi.

After all, the video dredged up a past in which Shen Qi couldn’t even pay his own rent without a woman covering for him—something best left buried.

Yet, they quickly realized that this revelation didn’t implicate them directly. It was just a woman’s words, after all. So, they tried to wash their hands of it: “Qi-ge, no offense, it’s just what she said…”

Shen Qi remained silent.

Everyone exchanged glances, but it was too late to delete the message. They could have avoided sending it altogether, but the truth was, this group of rich young men had always enjoyed stirring things up, even with their so-called friend. They had seen Shen Qi rise and fall, and rise again—yet they knew from the beginning that Shen Qi was not like them. In both success and failure, Shen Qi had always regarded them with an air of superiority, often tinged with subtle disdain.

They couldn’t deny it—deep down, they resented Shen Qi’s aloofness.

Now, they were eager to see his reaction. Would Shen Qi frantically deny his past? Or would he fly into a rage, accusing Qian Xu of lying?

But Shen Qi did neither.

As the group began to relax, one member helpfully suggested, “Maybe we don’t need to send you that PhD guy’s info after all? Looks like Qian Xu handled it all on her own.”

However, this time, Shen Qi broke his silence.

A brief, direct reply arrived: “Send it to me.”

The group members were perplexed. Was Shen Qi demanding the PhD student’s information because he was concerned about his ex being hurt? Or was it because without the PhD student, Qian Xu wouldn’t have exposed their past, and no one would have learned these uncomfortable details?

Was it for Qian Xu’s protection, or was Shen Qi merely safeguarding his fragile ego?

Even Shen Qi’s childhood friends couldn’t fully grasp his sudden reaction. They turned their attention once more to the seemingly delicate woman who had caused this stir, hoping to find answers in her clear, intelligent eyes.

Instead, they were met with the cold, mesmerizing gleam of diamonds adorning her high heels.