Chapter 003 – I Still Want to Live in the Dormitory

Shen Qingli walked for over two hours before finally returning to the Jiang family estate.

The estate was built on a mountainside, and just walking up the hill took her nearly forty minutes.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t take a taxi—she simply wanted to walk this road slowly once more.

Looking at the familiar path, Shen Qingli felt a bit sentimental.

After all, every time Jiang Junwen argued with his family, it was her who accompanied him down this very road.

Shen Qingli didn’t enter the main courtyard.

She went around it, heading to the few small buildings beside the main Jiang villa. These three-story buildings were servants’ quarters, built when the estate was first constructed.

The Jiang estate was enormous, with gardens at the front and back totaling over a thousand square meters. The old master of the Jiang family even kept a horse, two dogs, and a large tank of tropical fish.

It took a lot of staff to maintain everything.

Shen Qingli’s father, Shen Guiqi, used to be a teacher at a high school tutoring center. After divorcing his wife, he raised his daughter alone. The demanding hours of teaching were no longer suitable, so he took on various part-time jobs while raising her. Later, when Shen Qingli started boarding in high school, he moved to Haicheng and became the Jiang family’s driver. He eventually remarried Liu Lifen, a maid working at the Jiang estate.

Liu Lifen was also on her second marriage, and her children had all been given custody to her ex-husband. Since she had no kids with her, Shen Guiqi thought she would treat his daughter well.

Shen Qingli had agreed to their marriage.

But lately, Liu Lifen had been trying to push Shen Qingli to get closer to the Jiang family’s young master. Although Shen Guiqi didn’t fully agree—thinking it was inappropriate—Liu Lifen insisted it was just a matter of sharing rides, nothing more. Whether or not the kids liked each other was up to them.

So Shen Guiqi didn’t argue further.

As the chauffeur, Shen Guiqi lived on the first floor of the first small building. He and his wife had their own room. When Shen Qingli arrived, he had spoken with the butler to get her a room as well.

Shen Guiqi hadn’t returned yet—after dropping off Jiang Junwen, he had gone to pick up the old master from a social engagement.

On the second-floor balcony of the main villa, Jiang Junwen stood in loungewear, talking on the phone while absentmindedly looking down the mountain road.

Finally, he saw Shen Qingli.

His expression darkened, and his gaze followed her every step.

On the phone, Yu Zhenghao was asking,

“Awen, are you still going to see Yaoyao tonight? She’s been staying on campus these past few days, hasn’t come home.”

Jiang Junwen, eyes locked on Shen Qingli, replied distractedly,

“Why’s she suddenly staying at school?”

Yu Zhenghao sighed,

“Didn’t I already tell you? Her dad got into some trouble at work—it’s hard to smooth things over. Her mom’s afraid of getting dragged into it, so she’s talking about divorce. I heard she might move abroad. Don’t know if Yaoyao will go with her.”

Jiang Junwen already knew this. In the previous life, Luo Shuyao had left with her mother and didn’t return for five years.

Since she would eventually come back, the Jiang Junwen of this life—who had once been devastated and obsessed over her—surprisingly felt no urgency now.

He told Yu Zhenghao,

“I’ll visit her another day. I’m busy today.”

Then he hung up.

On the other end, Yu Zhenghao stared at the disconnected call in disbelief.

Li Wenyao, who was playing a game next to him, asked,

“What did Awen say? Is he going?”

Yu Zhenghao, still stunned, said,

“He said he’d go another time. He’s busy today.”

Li Wenyao paused his game, surprised as well.

“Seriously? Did you tell him Luo Shuyao might go abroad?”

Yu Zhenghao scratched his head.

“Yeah, I told him. But… he didn’t seem to care.”

Li Wenyao frowned.

“Did the sun rise from the west today?”

—

Shen Qingli also felt like the sun had risen from the west.

In her previous life, she had liked Jiang Junwen and tried every way to get close to him.

Even though she knew her stepmother Liu Lifen had ulterior motives—wanting to use her to climb into the Jiang family—she had willingly gone along with it because of her feelings.

She admired him, pleased him, comforted him when he ran away from home or was upset, and took care of him.

And yet, she never earned his genuine affection.

But now, just because she didn’t ride back with him or seek him out first thing after returning, he came to her directly.

Jiang Junwen first called to her from the second-floor balcony:

“Hey! Shen Qingli!”

Shen Qingli had her earphones in. She heard him call her—but she pretended not to and walked straight into the servants’ building.

Jiang Junwen frowned, turned, and went downstairs. He crossed the beautifully manicured front garden and arrived in front of the small buildings where the staff lived.

The servants he passed along the way greeted him respectfully.

When Jiang Junwen entered, he saw Shen Qingli with her backpack and headphones, just walking into her room.

His face darkened. He strode up just as she was closing the door and blocked it with his foot:

“Shen Qingli, didn’t you hear me calling you?”

Shen Qingli had just set down her backpack. She turned to look at Jiang Junwen.

She had only been in Haicheng for a month—it had only been two weeks since school started—and she wasn’t even that familiar with him yet.

But Jiang Junwen had always been like this: overbearing, arrogant, and reckless.

Shen Qingli frowned and looked at him unhappily.

“I had earphones in just now—I didn’t hear you. So… why were you calling me?”

Jiang Junwen: “……”

Jiang Junwen slowly withdrew the foot he had been using to block the door. With his hands in his pockets, he stared at Shen Qingli.

It was only now that he truly seemed to realize—he had been reborn. At this point in time, both he and Shen Qingli were only 18 years old.

They had only just met. They weren’t close at all.

Jiang Junwen’s expression turned a bit awkward. Looking at Shen Qingli’s calm, detached face, he asked somewhat unnaturally, “Why didn’t you take Uncle Shen’s car after class?”

He clearly remembered her class schedule. They were supposed to finish around the same time today.

Shen Qingli responded coldly, “Are you joking? You’re the employer. My dad is the driver. With my status, how could I be worthy of sharing a car with you? I was out of line before, but that won’t happen again. I hope Young Master Jiang won’t take it out on my dad.”

Jiang Junwen: “……”

His face darkened instantly.

He sneered, “It’s good you recognize your place. If the old master asks, you’d better explain it clearly—that it wasn’t me who kicked you out of the car.”

With that, Jiang Junwen turned and left with a cold expression.

—

That evening, Shen Qingli’s father returned. The first thing he did was come check on his daughter.

After knocking and entering, Shen Guiqi looked at her with concern. “I heard the young master gave you a hard time this afternoon?”

Shen Qingli set down her book and smiled. “No such thing. He just came to ask why I didn’t ride back with him. Probably worried the old master would scold him.”

After all, when Shen Qingli first came to Haicheng, Shen Guiqi had spoken to the old master and requested permission to pick up and drop off his daughter. The old master had agreed and even specifically instructed Jiang Junwen not to bully the girl.

Shen Guiqi let out a sigh of relief. He lowered his voice and said, “Young Master Jiang might have a bad temper, but he’s not a bad person. If you don’t want to ride with him anymore, I’ll just drop him off first and come back for you. My main job now is being his full-time driver, so I’ve got plenty of time.”

Shen Qingli shook her head, eyes turning red. “No need, Dad. I still want to live in the dorm. Until I move in, I’ll just take the bus. You already have a tough job here—I can’t keep troubling you.”

At that moment, her stepmother Liu Lifen entered.

Liu Lifen worked as a helper in the garden. Normally, she didn’t even have permission to enter the main villa.

She came in, closed the door behind her, and looked at Shen Qingli disapprovingly. “What trouble? The old master already gave his permission. How can you say it’s a bother? What’s gotten into you? Your dad specifically asked the old master to let him drive you to school. And now, after just a few days, you don’t want to ride anymore?”

In her previous life, Shen Qingli hadn’t thought much about Liu Lifen. But now, she found her increasingly irritating.

She let out a cold snort. “Auntie Fen, the young master clearly dislikes me. What, should I still shamelessly insist on riding in the same car as him? He’s the young master; I’m the servant’s daughter. There’s a difference in status. Even if the old master agreed, if Young Master Jiang doesn’t want it, why should I keep throwing myself at him and inviting resentment?”

Liu Lifen was stunned. She suddenly realized that Shen Qingli today was different from before.

The soft, obedient bunny had turned into a porcupine, all bristles and thorns.

Liu Lifen frowned, unhappy. “What kind of talk is that? Young Master Jiang is just like that—he doesn’t mean to look down on you. Besides, you’re so pretty, and you’ve got a great figure. That boy’s full of hormones…”

“Lifen!”

Shen Guiqi’s face darkened, and he glared at his wife disapprovingly. “Listen to yourself! Don’t say things like that outside, or how will Qingli face anyone?”

Liu Lifen: “……”

She looked at Shen Guiqi, then at Shen Qingli’s cold expression. She slapped her thigh and sat down, her eyes red. “Ay! I really don’t know how to talk to you two! I’m doing all this for Qingli’s sake. Such a golden opportunity! I just don’t want her ending up like us, working as maids and drivers!”

Shen Qingli’s face remained expressionless as she said quietly, “I think you’re only thinking of yourself!”

In her previous life, because she had fallen for Jiang Junwen and insisted on staying by his side no matter what, Shen Guiqi had eventually decided to resign along with Liu Lifen, leaving the Jiang household altogether.

He wanted Shen Qingli to shake off the identity of the driver’s daughter and stand proudly beside Jiang Junwen.

But Jiang Junwen’s parents disagreed.

They believed Shen Qingli was only interested in Jiang Junwen’s money.

A girl like her had to be controlled.

So Shen Guiqi had no choice but to stay, enduring constant humiliation from people who said he was manipulative and using his daughter to climb the social ladder.

He never once explained himself.

Meanwhile, Liu Lifen became a favorite of Madam Jiang (Gao Xuanzhen), staying by her side every day and helping her suppress and control Shen Qingli.

Liu Lifen pointed at Shen Qingli. “Just listen to yourself! I asked you to ride to and from school with Young Master Jiang, and somehow that’s for my benefit? I only have you, you know? I just want you to have a better life—not end up like me and your dad, working for others forever!”

Shen Guiqi suddenly stood up, face stern. He said to Shen Qingli, “It’s my fault for not thinking it through. Since you don’t want to ride with Young Master Jiang, then live in the dorm. I’ll help move you in.”

Liu Lifen: “???”

She exploded, yelling, “Shen Guiqi! Have you lost your mind?!”

Shen Guiqi shot her a glare and said firmly, “That’s settled. Stop talking about it.”