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Chapter 10 — Wei Xun Isn’t That Petty…

Xu Zhiyan officially announced that Wei Xun had once again claimed the top spot on her list of most hated people.

She had known that guy was up to no good. When she found out that Wei Qian had become Que Wanshu’s case, she’d already thought the whole coincidence was way too suspicious — and now, it was clear this was all his doing.

Fate? What fate? In this world, there’s no such thing as “meant to be.” It’s just one side scheming and maneuvering relentlessly.

Xu Zhiyan was secretly horrified. To think he would even use a child not even two years old — Wei Xun was truly deranged. Yet her best friend remained pure and clueless, which only made Xu Zhiyan ten times more worried that Que Wanshu would fall prey to her ex-boyfriend’s tricks again.

So she pulled Que Wanshu aside and gave her another stern warning: she had to watch out for the lunatic that was Wei Xun.

Xu Zhiyan looked so serious — as if preparing for battle — that it made Que Wanshu chuckle. Seeing Wei Xun portrayed as some kind of villain ready to blow up the planet at any second, she couldn’t help but say, “Aren’t you overthinking it? Wei Xun isn’t that petty…”

Then she paused.

Wait a second — Wei Xun was actually extremely petty. Not just petty — he held grudges like nobody else.

So she corrected herself: “Even if he is petty, he probably wouldn’t go so far as to get revenge on me…”

Another pause.

Wait, scratch that. Whether or not he was bored enough to do it, the possibility that he would get revenge on her was very real.

Suddenly, Que Wanshu remembered the time right after they broke up — when Wei Xun had sent her threatening text messages three times a day, like clockwork.

One of them had said that if she didn’t get back together with him, he’d make sure the rest of her life would feel like living in hell.

Que Wanshu had ignored it back then. After all, her life already felt like hell at the time — how much worse could it get? The whole world dying off?

And besides, even though Wei Xun talked tough, he never actually followed through. Nothing real ever came of those threats.

Eventually, she’d made it through the darkest, hardest time in her life. Things had been calm and uneventful since — until she returned to Zicheng and ran into him again.

Truth be told, Que Wanshu wasn’t really afraid of Wei Xun getting revenge. On the contrary, some strange part of her was even a little curious about what he might do.

Xu Zhiyan, unaware of what was going through her friend’s mind, noticed the absent look on Que Wanshu’s face and grew even more worried. Once they were back in the room, she immediately called the front desk to have several bottles of wine sent up, planning to stay up all night comforting her friend — and of course, bashing the ever-infuriating Wei Xun.

One glass after another, a bottle of champagne quickly disappeared between the two. Neither of them could really hold their liquor. Xu Zhiyan was slightly better off, being used to attending banquets, but Que Wanshu was already tipsy after just half a bottle.

Que Wanshu was sprawled sideways on the couch, hugging a throw pillow, and glanced toward her friend lying on the bed. “Actually,” she slurred, “I’ve been meaning to ask you for ages. Why do you hate Wei Xun so much?”

Now that she thought about it, Xu Zhiyan and Wei Xun had been the two people closest to her, and yet from the moment they met, they’d never gotten along.

Xu Zhiyan cupped her cheeks in her hands, her pale skin now tinged with a rosy flush from the alcohol. At the mention of Wei Xun, she immediately rolled her eyes. “Because he stole my friend.”

“Huh?” Que Wanshu blinked.

Xu Zhiyan looked at her best friend, whose head was resting upside down on the edge of the couch. “Do you remember? It was Wei Xun’s fifth birthday party. I couldn’t go because I had a fever, so only you went. And ever since that day, that annoying guy latched onto you.”

When Wei Xun was young, he was in poor health. His family protected him like a rare treasure. Before he turned five, no one in their social circle had even seen him — just heard about him. That changed when his grandfather turned seventy.

As it happened, Wei Xun’s birthday fell on the same day as his grandfather’s. So on the day of the old man’s big seventieth birthday banquet, they also celebrated Wei Xun’s fifth birthday.

By that time, Wei Xun was healthy and in the playful age of curiosity. His grandfather used the occasion to invite many families in their circle, hoping the party would help little Wei Xun make a few friends his own age.

To everyone’s surprise, out of all the children there, young master Wei picked Que Wanshu — the poor soul — as his favorite.

Yes, Xu Zhiyan had always thought Que Wanshu was terribly unlucky to have caught Wei Xun’s eye. He was a weirdo — possessive, clingy, and intense. Xu Zhiyan still remembered how heartbroken she was when she recovered from her illness and saw her sweet, soft friend stuck with what felt like a malevolent fly buzzing around her.

And he never let go — for over a decade. Sure, he went to the U.S. with his parents when he was nine and stayed there for a while, but he came charging back at fifteen.

Even now, he still haunted Que Wanshu like a ghost that wouldn’t pass on — and Xu Zhiyan was seriously tempted to find someone to exorcise him.

Her tone was so full of righteous fury, and her storytelling so vivid, that Que Wanshu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Just like many in their circle, Que Wanshu had first met Wei Xun at the old man’s seventieth birthday party.

Apparently, the Wei family came from a line of scholars, only turning to business in the grandfather’s generation. By the time he turned seventy, the family was thriving and highly respected — which made the event quite the social magnet. Everyone wanted a chance to rub shoulders with them, though they rarely had the opportunity.

So when the old man held such a grand banquet for his grandson, inviting many prominent families and their children, it was a rare opportunity.

Que Wanshu and her parents were among the invited. Since it was also Wei Xun’s birthday, her mom had her pick a gift for him herself.

She chose one of the handmade dolls her father had brought back from the UK. There were four in total — a penguin, a bunny, a bear, and a dinosaur. She kept the penguin, gave the bunny to Xu Zhiyan, and the bear went to her baby cousin. The green dinosaur was the one she picked for Wei Xun.

Her father, Que Dingming, worried the gift wouldn’t be fancy enough compared to what others would give. After all, most gifts were selected by the adults — expensive toys, fine jewelry, or even gifts meant for the grandfather disguised as gifts for the grandson.

So he added a bonus gift: a remote-control car that the doll could ride in.

Her mother, Meng Ruyi, didn’t mind either way. She felt that while the party seemed to be for the old man, it was actually about Wei Xun. Trying to use Wei Xun to butter up the grandfather might backfire.

Still, she didn’t object to her husband adding the extra gift — she just taught Que Wanshu to be sincere. And so, along with the present, Que Wanshu also wrote Wei Xun a card.

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This grand birthday banquet was held at the Wei family estate. In addition to the main banquet hall, the Wei family also arranged a separate game room for the children, where Wei Xun and kids from various families gathered.

Que Wanshu had always been an introverted child. When she was younger, she was especially shy. It was usually fine when Xu Zhiyan was around, as she would lead her around to play. But unfortunately, Xu Zhiyan couldn’t attend the banquet today due to a fever. Upon learning that she had to go to the game room alone, Que Wanshu hesitated, preferring to stay close to her parents.

In the end, it was Xu Zhiyan’s older brother, Xu Zhisen, who took her to the game room. But he was a few years older than her, and his group of friends didn’t overlap with Wei Xun’s. So, he didn’t stay long and was soon called away by his friends.

Left alone, Que Wanshu stayed in the game room by herself. She found an inconspicuous corner, curled up and nibbled on some snacks while worrying about how to give her gift to the birthday boy.

The center of today’s banquet, Wei Xun, was surrounded by a group of children. He wore a tailored little suit, with delicate and handsome features, looking just like a little prince. But strangely, even though it was supposed to be a joyous occasion, he didn’t seem very happy.

Que Wanshu quietly watched from afar while eating her snacks. A pretty older girl walking by asked why she wasn’t joining the others. She shyly replied that she was too timid.

The pretty girl smiled and offered to go with her if she didn’t dare go alone. Just as Que Wanshu was considering whether to accept, the birthday boy himself suddenly approached.

“Who are you? Why are you sitting here?”

The boy, who had just been surrounded by the crowd, now stood before her with a slightly arrogant look in his eyes, like someone looking down from above.

Startled, Que Wanshu saw the crowd beginning to follow him over. Her social anxiety kicked in hard. She stammered, “M-my name is Yaoyao. I’m just sitting here eating snacks.”

“Yaoyao?” Wei Xun looked at this seemingly shy girl and was suddenly struck by a mischievous urge to tease her. So, he let out a laugh and said deliberately, “That’s a weird name.”

He expected Que Wanshu to quickly explain that her name wasn’t weird—maybe even cry from embarrassment. But to his surprise, she just blinked her big eyes at him and seriously replied, “It’s not weird. Yao comes from yaotiao, which means gentle and graceful. My grandma said it describes a quiet and lovely girl—it’s a good name.”

Wei Xun: “…”

That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. Also, what did she mean by yaotiao?

Poor Wei Xun was only five years old at the time and didn’t know many characters, so her explanation completely stumped him.

Trying to regain the upper hand, he noticed a gift box on the chair next to her. He pointed to it and asked, “What’s that?”

Only then did Que Wanshu remember that he was the birthday boy. Seeing him staring intently at the gift she prepared, she blushed and quietly said, “It’s your birthday present.”

She picked up the gift box and handed it to him, her cheeks tinged with a soft red, but her tone very earnest: “Happy birthday, Wei… Wei Xun.”

Wei Xun took the gift box. With a naughty thought in mind, he was ready to criticize the gift no matter what it was. But to his surprise, when he opened it, he saw a green dinosaur plushie—with wings?

The dinosaur was sitting in a red Ferrari toy car. He owned the same model himself, a custom-made version just for him. What stood out, though, was that the dinosaur was wearing a Ferrari helmet and goggles. It looked both adorable and cool.

Before Wei Xun could react, Wei Jin, who had been standing nearby, suddenly giggled and reached out to poke the dinosaur’s head. “So cute!”

Before her finger could touch it, Wei Xun quickly pulled the gift box away and glared at his sister. “Don’t touch it. It’s mine.”

Wei Jin rolled her eyes. “Stingy.”

“The dinosaur is my gift for you,” Que Wanshu explained, pointing to the toy car beneath it. “My dad gave the car, and the helmet and goggles are from my mom.”

After speaking, she looked at him nervously but with hope. “Do you like it?”

Faced with her bright, expectant eyes, Wei Xun choked on the “I don’t like it” that had almost left his lips. After a brief pause, he said—against his will—“…Yeah.”

Once she received his affirmation, Que Wanshu beamed. She had a picturesque little face, with soft, fair skin, and a gentle, obedient personality. She was clearly beloved by adults—and, evidently, quite likable to kids her age too.

Wei Xun’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Then he discovered a card in the gift box. Picking it up, he saw it was a birthday card written by Que Wanshu.

The handwriting was crooked and childlike, but each stroke was written with care. Though not as flashy as the cards with calligraphic flair, it felt much more sincere.

Wei Xun:

Happy birthday. I hope you like the gift I prepared. —Que Wanshu

Wei Xun stared at the signature—he couldn’t read the character for “Que,” but he recognized the “Wanshu” part.

So he asked, “Didn’t you say your name is Yaoyao?”

Que Wanshu nodded and explained, “Yaoyao is the nickname my grandma gave me. My real name is Que Wanshu.”

“Oh,” Wei Xun replied, then asked, “Do your parents call you Yaoyao too? What about your friends?”

“My mom, dad, and best friend all call me Yaoyao,” she said, referring to Xu Zhiyan. Then she added, “The other kids at kindergarten call me Que Wanshu.”

“Then I want to call you Yaoyao too,” Wei Xun said. Even if it wasn’t a completely unique name, at least only a few people used it. He’d always disliked being like everyone else. He preferred everything he liked to be just his.

That included people.

Que Wanshu blinked in surprise. “Do you want to be friends with me?”

“Friends?” Wei Xun thought for a moment. Grandpa had told him to make more friends. But he didn’t want to be friends with those bootlickers who only tried to please him. However, if it was Que Wanshu…

Looking into her clear eyes, the proud little young master suddenly smiled. His delicate little face lit up charmingly: “Okay. Let’s be friends.”

He would be her one and only, special friend.