Chapter 014: “We Don’t Know Them.”

When they returned to the restaurant, Yu Zhenghao and Li Wenyao both looked strangely at Jiang Junwen.

Shen Qingli had left looking calm and collected, but Jiang Junwen came back with a dark expression.

None of them dared to ask much.

Just then, Luo Shuyao arrived.

She wore a pink JK-style school uniform, her hair in two loose braids, with light makeup. She had a round face and belonged to the cute girl type.

When she entered, Shen Qingli took an extra glance at her, trying to see if there were any similarities between their faces.

In terms of face shape, Shen Qingli had an oval face, but on closer inspection, Luo Shuyao’s features did resemble hers a bit—maybe because they both had almond-shaped eyes.

Shen Qingli quietly looked away, brushing past Luo Shuyao alongside Qian Xiqiao.

But those two quick glances didn’t go unnoticed—Luo Shuyao had already heard of Shen Qingli.

Just a driver’s daughter. Not even on her level. Nothing to be concerned about.

Luo Shuyao walked over quickly, and Yu Zhenghao knowingly moved to sit next to Li Wenyao, leaving the seat beside Jiang Junwen empty.

As Luo Shuyao passed Shen Qingli, she brought with her a faint fragrance. Then she sat down right next to Jiang Junwen. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Yu Zhenghao grinned. “No worries, no worries. We didn’t wait long. Come on, Shuyao, take a look—order whatever you want.”

Luo Shuyao smiled sweetly. “I haven’t had much appetite lately. Why don’t you all order what you like? Just remember—nothing with nuts. Awen doesn’t like them.”

Yu Zhenghao pretended to act hurt. “You’ve always been like this—only thinking about Awen. You’ve never even bothered to learn what Wenyao and I don’t like to eat.”

Luo Shuyao looked a little embarrassed and smiled at Jiang Junwen.

Then she asked, “By the way, who were those two girls just now? I saw them leaving from this area.”

She gestured toward where Shen Qingli and Qian Xiqiao had left.

Yu Zhenghao was about to say they were underclassmen—

But Jiang Junwen suddenly interrupted coldly, face dark:
“I don’t know them. We’re not acquainted.”

Everyone: “…”

Luo Shuyao instinctively leaned on Jiang Junwen’s shoulder and laughed a little awkwardly.
“Ah? You don’t know them? I saw them sitting near here, so I thought you were all together. Awen usually doesn’t like sharing tables with strangers, after all.”

Li Wenyao glanced at Luo Shuyao, then at Jiang Junwen, and quickly changed the subject.
“I’ve already placed our order. Shuyao, take a look—anything else you want?”

Luo Shuyao: “Anything’s fine. I’ll just eat whatever Awen eats.”

…

After leaving, Shen Qingli and Qian Xiqiao went to a nearby hotpot restaurant.

Qian Xiqiao, having just witnessed the drama up close, was still excited.
“Ali, that girl just now was Luo Shuyao from Polytech, right? She looks like she’s Jiang Junwen’s girlfriend.”

She brought this up because she wasn’t sure what Jiang Junwen and Shen Qingli’s relationship was. She was worried Shen Qingli might not know about Jiang Junwen’s girlfriend and would get misled by him.

After all, the way Jiang Junwen had looked at Shen Qingli just now wasn’t normal.

Shen Qingli had no appetite at all.

Just seeing Jiang Junwen and Luo Shuyao reminded her of the image burned into her mind—those two kissing at the door of his house.

Sitting across from Qian Xiqiao, Shen Qingli put down her chopsticks and took two sips of water.

Qian Xiqiao quickly noticed something was off.

Lowering her voice, she asked,
“Ali, aren’t you going to eat? This hotpot place is pretty decent.”

Shen Qingli shook her head and answered quietly,
“I’m full. Don’t worry about me—just eat.”

Qian Xiqiao had already eaten a fair amount and was full too. Seeing how pale Shen Qingli looked, she offered,
“Then at least drink some juice. I’ll speed up and finish quickly!”

Noticing Shen Qingli’s mood, Qian Xiqiao didn’t dare mention Jiang Junwen again.

Now that Shen Qingli knew he had a girlfriend, she’d likely keep her distance from him.

…

Shen Qingli felt a bit anxious—since Luo Shuyao showed up, Jiang Junwen definitely wouldn’t go to class this afternoon.

Madam Jiang would surely start asking questions again.

Maybe it was better to just tell the truth. In her past life, she had covered for Jiang Junwen so well, and what happened? He used her as a substitute for Luo Shuyao, treated her like a weapon to lash out at his mother. All of Madam Jiang’s resentment and dissatisfaction had been dumped on her.

This time, she wasn’t going to cover for him. Things would be what they were.

As she and Qian Xiqiao walked back through the food street toward campus, they had no idea that Pei Songjiang, from the neighboring school, was also having lunch there.

He was eating noodles at a small shop by the street and spotted Shen Qingli first—but she didn’t see him.

He didn’t call out to her either. He had spent the whole morning working in the fields and was covered in mud and sweat. He didn’t want to ruin his image in front of her.

Plus, Shen Qingli didn’t look so well today.

Pei Songjiang watched her for a while, and only when she disappeared into the crowd did he look away.

Then he noticed the three classmates sitting with him were also staring after her.

One of them said to the other,
“She’s the one, right? Damn, looks like a total goody-goody. You’d never guess she’s a stalker.”

“Right? Who would’ve thought? But man, if a sweet and pretty stalker like that secretly took pictures of me, I’d be grinning in my dreams.”

“Please—she’s into a rich young master. What do you have? Go to sleep—only in your dreams.”

…

Pei Songjiang, who usually wasn’t into gossip, couldn’t help asking,
“What are you guys talking about? Stalker?”

A classmate enthusiastically replied,
“Songjiang, haven’t you heard about A University’s current hot topic? Jiang Junwen—rich heir of the Jiang family. Rumor is, a driver’s daughter who goes to the same school is secretly in love with him and has been stalking and secretly photographing him every day.”

Pei Songjiang: “???”

As the only son of the powerful Jiang family, Jiang Junwen had always been high-profile. And with his good looks and acting major, he naturally attracted attention.

Even before he started school, the entertainment news was already talking about him enrolling at A University.

Now, he was trending even before his debut. Students at nearby schools knew about him, and even entertainment news outlets were covering the story of him being secretly photographed.

One classmate opened a post on a news app and handed it to Pei Songjiang:
“Here, look—two weeks into school and the heir of the Jiang family is already being stalked by a crazy admirer. The stalker is that girl…”

He pointed at a photo, and Pei Songjiang looked—it showed the backs of Shen Qingli and Qian Xiqiao.

Pei Songjiang frowned and said seriously,
“That’s impossible. She’s not that kind of person.”

But as soon as he said it, he realized—

His classmates didn’t care what kind of person Shen Qingli really was.

They were just gossiping for fun. A few days from now, they’d probably forget all about it.

Still, not long after their little gossip session, a new post started circulating in the school’s gossip chat: a clarification that Shen Qingli had only taken photos with Jiang Junwen’s permission.

But they didn’t see it right away—everyone was too busy slurping down noodles after planting peanuts with their advisor all morning.

Only Pei Songjiang stared at the news on his phone.

There it was: a blurry picture of Shen Qingli holding up her phone to take a shot of Jiang Junwen’s back.

Even though the photo wasn’t clear, and only showed a side view of her face—he could tell it was her.

There was no way he’d mistake her.

He recalled that morning when Jiang Junwen said Shen Qingli liked him.

Could that be true? Did Shen Qingli really like Jiang Junwen?

Whatever the case, these news stories weren’t doing her any favors.

He decided—he’d find a way to have them taken down.