Chapter 58 p2
**
Arriving in Hai City, Qin Qianrou took a taxi directly to the hotel designated by the training program organizers. Although it was a unified program, the participants were key personnel from various stations, their schedules couldn’t be completely synchronized. So, people were constantly arriving and departing, then returning again.
Whether it was thanks to the television station or Wen Yirong’s intervention, Qin Qianrou had been given a single room, which was quite peaceful.
A week passed quickly, and the training program officially began, each day almost as demanding as a regular workday. Wen Shao Ze had taken her out for dinner once, but Qin Qianrou, not wanting to go out, had simply dined with him at the hotel restaurant for an hour.
Some people had seen them, but they hadn’t dared to approach. After all, Reporter Qin’s reputation, and her aloofness, were well-known.
Qin Qianrou quickly adapted to life in Hai City; this environment was more suitable for her, but she still had no intention of returning permanently. Wen Shao Ze’s words had carried a hint of probing, and she immediately knew her mother must have sent him to test the waters.
Thankfully, Wen Shao Ze needed her help and wasn’t completely on his mother’s side, so the probing was just a formality. However, he looked much better than he had on his last visit.
“You look well, good news recently?”
“Qianrou, I’ve found out about him.”
“Really?” Qin Qianrou had also been making inquiries in Meng City, but to no avail. Wen Shao Ze, all the way in Hai City, had actually made progress.
“I heard he’s back in the country, and he’s in Meng City.”
“Are you sure?” Qin Qianrou looked at him with a hint of skepticism, wondering if her network of contacts was failing her.
“I contacted everyone he had ever been associated with, anyone with even the slightest connection. Many people thought I was crazy, but thankfully, I didn’t give up.” Shao Ze chuckled self-deprecatingly, but the tenderness in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
“Then when are you going to Meng City? Do you need me to ask Xiao Wan to receive you?”
“No, I’m not in a hurry. I need to prepare myself this time, I can’t just rush in blindly driven by passion.”
Qin Qianrou was truly surprised by Wen Shao Ze’s newfound composure.
“What, you don’t believe me? I’ve thought about it, this time, I have to seize my happiness, I want to give him a stable future.”
A stable future, Qin Qianrou’s thoughts wandered, touched by his words.
Perhaps only when you could truly offer a future and a promise could you pursue a relationship.
She sighed softly. After Wen Shao Ze left, she sat alone for a while, then called for a cup of coffee, savoring it slowly. She had been busy in Hai City for so long, she wondered how that child was doing.
Xiao Wan had said Shen Yiqiu was doing fine, and Shen Yiqiu would message her every morning and evening, just two or three messages a day, as if afraid of worrying her, or perhaps afraid of disturbing her work.
Sometimes, Qin Qianrou was genuinely busy, sometimes she wanted to say something to Shen Yiqiu, but she was afraid of being misunderstood, so she remained silent. She admitted that coming to Hai City was a form of avoidance, but she couldn’t deny that she hadn’t been able to fully detach herself from Meng City.
**
Yuan Qi bought an apartment, following Shen Yiqiu’s advice, choosing a moderately sized one within his budget. Having a place of his own was the first step towards settling down in Meng City. He also knew about Qin Qianrou’s training program and had been trying to spend time with Shen Yiqiu lately.
“Cousin, what are you buying today?” They had gone furniture shopping two days ago, and now, just as she left the university, Yuan Qi was there again, smiling at her.
Although her cousin was a bit clingy, constantly seeking her out, he was her only family in Meng City, and they should spend more time together.
“We’re going appliance shopping today.”
Shen Yiqiu immediately recognized it as an excuse; nowadays, people simply ordered appliances online and scheduled installations.
“And after appliance shopping, we’ll have a nice dinner.”
Since his stomachache, Yuan Qi had become more restrained, but he still couldn’t resist the allure of good food.
“Haven’t you learned your lesson yet? Eating again?”
Yuan Qi didn’t seem to mind, his slender and fit physique hidden beneath his long trench coat, belying his surprisingly large appetite.
“With you watching over me, I definitely won’t overindulge.”
Shen Yiqiu was highly doubtful, but she still accompanied him.
As expected, Yuan Qi didn’t order too much for dinner, the portions seeming normal, and Shen Yiqiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After a few drinks, Yuan Qi became more talkative.
“Xiao Qiu, how do you think your cousin treats you?”
“Very well.”
“Then do you think I’m someone you can trust?”
“Yes.”
Shen Yiqiu didn’t understand why her cousin was suddenly asking these questions, but seeing his serious expression, she also became serious.
“Then… shouldn’t you be hiding secrets from me?”
Hmm? What secrets?
Could it be my special intuition, or my rebirth?
Shen Yiqiu didn’t want to reveal either of those; it would only cause trouble. She didn’t want to be taken to some high-end research facility and become a lab rat, a thought that had intensified after learning more about the institution that had accepted her patent donation.
Seeing her sudden guardedness, Yuan Qi smiled wryly.
“Actually, I shouldn’t be asking such questions, you’re a girl, you’re all grown up now, it’s not appropriate for me to pry.” He looked down at his wine glass, seemingly troubled.
“But you only have me, an elder, now. If I don’t look out for you, who will?”
Shen Yiqiu was increasingly puzzled, was her cousin drunk?
Yuan Qi suddenly looked up at her. “Xiao Qiu, do you have someone you like?”
Ah? Such a sudden change of topic, Shen Yiqiu was caught off guard, the question striking a chord within her.
She put down her chopsticks and remained silent.
Yuan Qi seemed a little nervous as well, not saying anything more after asking.
After a moment of silence, Yuan Qi said, a hint of sadness in his voice, “You don’t have to hide it from me, liking someone isn’t a bad thing. I’m just worried you might like someone you shouldn’t and end up getting hurt.”
He was looking at Shen Yiqiu as he said this, but she could clearly see something more in his eyes, a distant, unreadable gaze that seemed to be looking beyond her.
“Cousin, how did you know?” Shen Yiqiu didn’t deny it, the secret she had been holding onto had already taken root and blossomed in her heart, threatening to overflow.
When you truly like someone, it’s impossible to completely conceal it. Even if you carefully suppress your feelings in their presence, you can’t maintain that indifference at all other times.
If you could, would it even be considered liking someone?
Yuan Qi’s expression turned serious, and he said carefully, “You might not have even realized it yourself, how many times you’ve mentioned her recently. And every time you talk about her, your eyes light up, and you can’t help but smile.”
Shen Yiqiu’s eyes widened, thinking, Was I really that obvious?
Yuan Qi chuckled and nodded. “I should bring a mirror next time, so you’ll know I’m not lying.”
Oh my god, was she really that obvious?
The more Shen Yiqiu thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt, her ears burning. Thankfully, they were having Korean BBQ, so she could blame it on the heat from the grill.
“I never would have thought you would like her.”
Shen Yiqiu took a sip of her drink to calm herself down, then almost choked on Yuan Qi’s words. It seemed he had already discovered her secret, and she looked at him, conflicted.
“Society is much more open and tolerant now, liking men or women is all within the realm of possibility. However, liking her… is probably a path with no happy ending.”
“Cousin…”
Before she could even speak, tears welled up in her eyes.
Was liking Qin Qianrou truly an impossible dream?
“I’m not a conservative or stubborn person, feelings are difficult to control, I understand. But have you considered her family background, her personality, and her… preferred type?”
Shen Yiqiu’s heart sank. Liking someone, did it really require so much consideration?
“I don’t doubt your feelings, and I believe your affection is genuine, because I’ve also truly loved someone before.” Yuan Qi sighed softly, like a seasoned veteran offering advice, afraid Shen Yiqiu would follow in his footsteps, carrying the burden of heartache for years to come.
“Cousin, everything you just said, are those all from your own experience?”
Shen Yiqiu seemed to have realized something, her eyes reddening, but she still managed to ask.
Yuan Qi’s heart ached seeing her like this, and he nodded. “Yes, I’ve known her for many years, I understand her better than you do.”
The Qin family was complex, Qin Qianrou was cold and distant, difficult to win over, and more importantly, Qin Qianrou was straight.
Turning a straight woman wasn’t an easy task. Yuan Qi couldn’t imagine his sweet and gentle Xiao Qiu succeeding; it would be too difficult, too painful.
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