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Chapter 03: A Bankrupt Family, Imprisonment…

The cold-faced beauty led Que Wanshu out of the private room and brought her back to the corridor outside Rong Fuxuan. Only then did she let go of her hand.

“Thank you, Zhao Xuanyi,” Que Wanshu said softly. Her voice still trembled slightly, but her emotions had gradually calmed.

The woman glanced at her fingers, still slightly trembling at her side, but didn’t say anything. She simply crossed her arms and raised a brow. “Haven’t seen me in all these years, and you still remember me?”

“Of course.” Que Wanshu lifted her gaze toward the haughty beauty in front of her, then pointed to her own left cheek with a smile. “After all, you once left a mark right here.”

Zhao Xuanyi’s expression cracked immediately. She snapped, somewhat flustered and angry, “Didn’t I apologize for that already? Que Wanshu, how long are you planning to hold a grudge?”

Zhao Xuanyi and Que Wanshu had gone to the same high school. Back then, Zhao had gotten into a fight with Que Wanshu’s best friend, Xu Zhiyan, over a romantic issue. When Que Wanshu tried to break it up, she ended up getting caught in the crossfire—Zhao Xuanyi’s manicured nails left two bloody scratches on her left cheek.

Wei Xun had been furious when he found out and nearly went to beat Zhao up himself, only to be stopped in time by Que Wanshu and Cao Ying.

Yet even after being stopped, Wei Xun had remained angry for days. It took Que Wanshu a lot of coaxing to calm him down.

Funny, really. She was the one who got scratched—so why was she the one who had to do the coaxing?

“Just teasing,” Que Wanshu said, eyes curved in a warm smile. Seeing Zhao Xuanyi snort coldly, she quickly tried to placate her. “Thanks for helping me just now—you’re my lifesaver.”

Perhaps because she often worked with children in therapy sessions, her tone was light and soothing, like she was coaxing a kid.

Zhao Xuanyi suddenly felt a bit like she was being praised. Her ears flushed slightly, and the aloof expression she wore cracked just a little, adding an unexpectedly awkward charm to her usual cold, high-born demeanor.

Seeing this, Que Wanshu couldn’t help but smile. Zhao’s face still carried a hint of red, but she didn’t argue further. She lowered her eyes and studied the woman before her, who was half a head shorter.

Que Wanshu’s appearance hadn’t changed much since their school days. The only noticeable differences were the loss of baby fat in her cheeks and a shorter haircut.

Her jet-black hair now hung neatly to her shoulders. Beneath her wispy bangs was a soft and elegant face. Her eyes, though still clear, now held more depth, the quiet accumulation of time. Her overall aura had become gentler, stronger.

Though she wasn’t wearing designer clothes, her outfit was well-cut and clean. The neckline was neat, and the fabric unwrinkled—she looked composed and presentable.

She seemed to be doing quite well—not at all the miserable, poverty-stricken image people in their social circles used to gossip about.

Zhao Xuanyi, upon realizing this, subconsciously let out a breath of relief. But when she noticed that she’d actually been worried about Que Wanshu, she felt a little uncomfortable.

After the Que family went bankrupt and Que Dingming was imprisoned, Zhao Xuanyi had never seen Que Wanshu again. She’d only heard from others that she and Wei Xun had broken up, and she had left Zicheng with her mother. But no one really knew where she’d gone. Even Xu Zhiyan, the only one who might’ve known, never said a word.

Zhao Xuanyi had never been close to Que Wanshu anyway. After all, she didn’t get along with Xu Zhiyan, Que’s best friend, and Que’s kind, soft-hearted personality didn’t suit Zhao either. Not to mention, Que had always been fiercely protected by Wei Xun—he guarded her like a dog guarding its food bowl. No one could get close to her.

The reason Zhao stepped in earlier wasn’t because they had some great bond or because she was some righteous hero. She just couldn’t stand seeing a girl being bullied like that.

“But what are you doing here?” Zhao asked, raising her chin slightly and speaking in a clipped tone. “Did Huo Haicheng bring you here on purpose? That guy is scum. The second he handed you the mic, you should’ve smashed it into his face.”

Que Wanshu was amused by her fierce tone. Zhao’s face clearly read you’re weak, no wonder people bully you, but her words were full of protectiveness. It warmed Que Wanshu’s heart.

“I was here for dinner with colleagues. Just happened to run into Huo Haicheng outside,” she explained.

“Colleagues?” Zhao blinked in surprise. “You’re working in Zicheng now?”

“Yes, I’ve been back for three months.” Que Wanshu smiled, lowering her gaze. “My father’s here, and my hometown is a bit far from Zicheng. Visiting him was inconvenient. I happened to get a good job offer here, so I moved back.”

Zhao asked again, “What about your mother?”

“She stayed in our hometown, Yian City. My aunt and one of my mom’s friends are helping take care of her,” Que Wanshu explained. Actually, before she returned to Zicheng, she’d asked her mom to come with her. Her mother had health issues, and if they lived together, Que could take better care of her.

But her mom refused, saying the north was too cold and she was used to the weather in Yian. Que knew the real reason—her mom didn’t want to relive painful memories. She hadn’t forgiven her father and didn’t want to return to a place full of the past.

Thinking of her mother, Que Wanshu’s smile faded a little, tinged with bitterness.

Zhao Xuanyi noticed the shift and frowned slightly. That kind of expression didn’t seem to belong on Que Wanshu’s face.

In her memories, Que Wanshu was always smiling—clearly a girl raised in comfort and shielded from the world. She was so innocent and kind, it bordered on foolishness. Annoying, even. Always sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

Back then, Zhao had given Xu Zhiyan a black eye in a fight and scratched her face with her nails. She looked wild and feral, like a lunatic. And yet Que Wanshu still came over to check on her. After getting screamed at—“Get lost!”—she even stuffed a handkerchief into Zhao’s hand and told her to wipe the blood off her face.

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When she discovered that Xu Zhiyan wasn’t actually the third party who had interfered in her relationship, but that it was the boyfriend she had once deeply loved who had been two-timing them both, Zhao Xuanyi had angrily gone to confront that jerk. When his shameless words made her so furious she almost fainted, it was always-gentle Que Wanshu who stood protectively in front of both her and Xu Zhiyan, scolding that scumbag so harshly he couldn’t even lift his head.

Even when Wei Xun came to settle scores with her, Que Wanshu had tried desperately to hold him back, using her petite frame to shield her and saying it wasn’t Zhao Xuanyi’s fault.

Hey, how was it not her fault?

Zhao Xuanyi had scratched her face with her nails—what if she ended up disfigured for life? And Que Wanshu still defended her? She might as well have let Wei Xun beat her to death.

“You look beautiful when you cry, but—” she remembered that delicate, frail-looking girl, after persuading her boyfriend to leave, came back with a handkerchief to wipe her tears, and said, “You look even more beautiful when you smile. So don’t cry. If you’re still angry, we can jump that bastard again.”

At the time, Zhao Xuanyi really hated Que Wanshu.

Why was she so nosy? Saying she was pretty—what did her looks have to do with her? What did her crying have to do with her? And she wanted to go beat someone up? With her weak, delicate appearance—was that even possible?

What Zhao Xuanyi hated even more was that someone so gentle yet annoying, kind yet meddlesome like Que Wanshu, had encountered nothing but bad luck after turning eighteen.

A bankrupt family, a father in prison, a sick mother, and a psycho ex-boyfriend.

Thinking about what happened earlier in the private room, then seeing Que Wanshu now with her eyes cast down and a low mood, Zhao Xuanyi couldn’t help but reach out and pinch her cheek.

The skin was soft and smooth, with a pleasant touch.

Que Wanshu looked up at her in confusion, and Zhao Xuanyi pinched her other cheek too, gently pulling both sides outward.

“Whar arr you doin…?” Que Wanshu, her face pulled, looked like she was smiling.

Only then did Zhao Xuanyi feel more satisfied. She nodded with approval, the corners of her cat-like eyes curling up as a smile bloomed:
“You look much better when you smile, Que Wanshu.”

“……”

Que Wanshu froze and stared blankly at her.

At that moment, a male voice suddenly came from behind: “Wanshu?”

With her face still being pinched, Que Wanshu turned her head and saw that it was Jin Ting. He looked at her and Zhao Xuanyi with confusion and said, “Professor Zhang saw that you hadn’t returned for a while and was worried something had happened, so he asked me to check on you.”

He quickly walked up to them, smiled politely at Zhao Xuanyi, and asked, “And this is…?”

“She… is my friend.” Just as Que Wanshu was about to introduce them, Zhao Xuanyi finally let go. Freed at last, Que Wanshu opened her mouth—but Zhao Xuanyi cut her off:
“I’m leaving now. See you next time.”

With that, she nodded at Jin Ting, waved goodbye, and left, dragging along Cao Ying, who had been lurking and peeking around the corner.

“Zhao-jie! Zhao-jie! Don’t pull my hair—ow, ow, ow!”

“Shut up.”

Jin Ting, who witnessed the scene, turned to look at Que Wanshu. She gave a forced laugh and explained, “She’s just a very… straightforward person.”

Jin Ting: ?

Redefining ‘straightforward’.

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Back at Rong Fuxuan, Que Wanshu explained to everyone that she had bumped into a friend outside and chatted for a bit, which was why she had taken so long to return. No one questioned it further.

Because she had unexpectedly run into her ex-boyfriend, Que Wanshu was in low spirits for the rest of the dinner. But since this gathering was meant as a welcome party for her, she still forced herself to chat with the others.

By the time the dinner finally ended, she was completely exhausted and just wanted to rush home and bury herself in her soft bed.

Director Wu and several doctors had been drinking and were now quite drunk. Jin Ting, who hadn’t had any alcohol, helped them outside and called cars for them. He handed the car keys to Que Wanshu and Zheng Luli, asking them to wait in the parking lot.

On the way to the lot, Zheng Luli chatted endlessly about the dishes from dinner. She was animated and excited, gesturing wildly as she spoke. Though Que Wanshu nodded along to everything, she was clearly distracted.

The two entered the elevator and pressed the button for B2. The doors slowly began to close.

Just before they shut completely, someone pressed the button from outside, and the doors reopened.

Que Wanshu was staring dazedly at the floor, and only looked up when Zheng Luli tugged her. As she lifted her head, she unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of deep, dark pupils—and instantly froze.

“Wanshu, move in a bit,” Zheng Luli called again. Only then did she snap back to reality and stepped to the corner.

Wei Xun walked in, hands in his pockets, expressionless. He stood right next to her.

Behind him were Cao Ying, Hou Ximing, and a young man she didn’t recognize—but she remembered him as the one smoking on the balcony with Huo Haicheng. Huo Haicheng wasn’t among them.

As the group entered the elevator, Zheng Luli fell silent. She gripped Que Wanshu’s hand and sneakily studied the group of men, who looked like spoiled rich kids.

Wow, the one next to Wanshu was pretty good-looking.

Her gaze swept over them until she accidentally made eye contact with Lian Feng. He raised his eyebrows and blew her a whistle—flirty and arrogant. Zheng Luli immediately looked away with a deadpan expression.

Que Wanshu didn’t notice the silent exchange. She was pressed against the wall, tense and stiff, her attention fully locked on the man beside her.

The elevator was bright and spacious. Even with six people inside, it didn’t feel crowded. And Wei Xun wasn’t even standing that close—but his presence was so overwhelming it made her heart race.

She didn’t dare to breathe too loudly. Surrounded by the faint, pleasant scent of his cologne, Que Wanshu actually felt a little dizzy.

She shifted her arm awkwardly, and the puffed sleeve of her blouse brushed against his, making a faint rustling sound.

Sensing he might be looking down at her, she instantly froze again.

The elevator ride from the first floor to B2 was short, but to her, it felt like a torturous eternity—like she had lived through ten lifetimes.

Why is this elevator taking so long?

Are we really going to B2? Or the eighteenth level of hell?

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