{Qian Xu is returning to China 2}

Cheng Shuangyi, after years of being a spoiled young lady, couldn’t suppress her anger any longer, finally throwing a small tantrum.

“Yes, there is,” Shen Qi responded, his tone flat and emotionless, as though he were discussing something entirely unrelated to himself. His voice was icy. “If there wasn’t something wrong with me, how could I have ever been interested in you?” How could he have ever mistaken something so worthless for something precious?

Now, with the woman standing before him, doing everything in her power to seduce him, all he could feel was disdain.

The vengeful impulse that had briefly flared up when he returned home had nearly faded away, replaced by a deep, numbing indifference.

Cheng Shuangyi couldn’t believe her ears. She turned around in disbelief, only to catch sight of the veins bulging on his forehead, evidence of the anger he was keeping in check. His eyes were fixed on his phone, and it seemed like he had just seen some extraordinary news that instantly steadied his breathing. A flicker of subtle, almost imperceptible joy lit up his gaze.

…

Ohio, Columbus.

Qian Xu had returned.

Yan Li brushed the snow off her coat as she stepped inside. The snowflakes fell away, but the serene beauty of the girl remained intact, as though untouched by the outside world. Her gaze, always so focused and attentive, left an impression on anyone who crossed her path. Even after Qian Xu had walked far away, Yan Li was still absorbed in that brief moment at the door.

She glanced again at the girl buried in the couch, surrounded by piles of study papers, test documents, and certification materials in both Chinese and English.

Only then did Yan Li realize that the rumors about Qian Xu returning to China were true.

“What is it with you guys? Why are you all going back to China?” Yan Li asked in exasperation.

The girl on the couch straightened slightly. “I’ve finished all my credits.”

The implication was clear.

“I hate you. You’re so talented and beautiful without even realizing it. How are ordinary people like me supposed to survive?” Yan Li joked, though she was now more eager than ever to return home herself, regretting not having focused more on her studies over the past couple of years.

Qian Xu, feeling calm and confident about her decision to leave, was still grateful for Yan Li’s companionship during these final days. “I’ll be back for the graduation ceremony,” she reassured her.

“But I want to leave with you,” Yan Li pleaded.

Qian Xu gently dissuaded her. “Don’t.”

“You should stay here and finish your studies,” she said, her fingers lingering briefly on the keyboard of her laptop. Her calm eyes, much like the still waters of Weiming Lake, reflected a quiet resilience. “I understand your concern for me, but I hope to prove to you one day that your worry was unnecessary.”

“You’re really going back?” Yan Li still couldn’t quite process it. She had assumed Qian Xu’s trip to New York was just a brief detour, but now she realized her friend had already secured a job back home, making all the arrangements with impressive ease.

As she emerged from Blackstone Hotel, Qian Xu wasn’t mired in any gloomy thoughts. In fact, she had been busier with each passing day. Yan Li had thought Qian Xu was merely biding her time, aimless. But hearing her friend admit that she already had a clear plan for her future left her astonished.

In the past, Yan Li would have simply offered her best wishes to Qian Xu.

But things were different now. Qian Xu’s next destination was Jiangcheng. And everyone knew that Shen Qi had recently returned to Jiangcheng as well. Yan Li hadn’t forgotten the words Qian Xu had spoken to her on that snowy day when the snowflakes fell thick and fast.

“Going back alone is too risky,” Yan Li muttered. It wasn’t that she doubted Qian Xu’s ability to take care of herself—after all, they were both adults. But Jiangcheng was too far away, and there was little she could do to help from such a distance. “It’s not just the tangled mess between you and Shen Qi. Jiangcheng’s wealthy elite are all deeply connected, their interests intertwined. Even if Shen Qi’s ex, Cheng Shuangyi, doesn’t stir up trouble, someone from their circle definitely will.”

Qian Xu, however, was far from being easily swayed.

Yan Li had once thought of her as a delicate flower. Now, she could only compare her to a resilient and steadfast pine tree, standing strong even in the harshest snowstorm.

Qian Xu’s gaze was resolute. “I know.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m going back to Jiangcheng.”

“It’s not that I see you as fragile,” Yan Li said, her voice filled with concern, “but this world is what it is.” Yan Li had always supported Qian Xu’s decisions, but in this case, she felt her friend was taking an unnecessary risk. “I know that if I were you, I’d probably have thoughts of revenge too. But I worry your days there won’t be easy.”

Her friend, who had long kept quiet in the shadows, always caring for others and empathizing with those in need, suddenly sat cross-legged on the couch.

The fire in the hearth cast a golden glow over her figure, adding a warmth to her quiet determination.