Chapter 54 p2
Rong Fei casually tapped her pen against the file; today’s consultation was truly interesting.
But she maintained her composure, treating Qin Qianrou like any other client, without personal bias.
“If we want to end such a relationship, what should be done?” Qin Qianrou’s voice was urgent, then, realizing her question wasn’t clear enough, she added, “I mean, how can we ensure the student isn’t hurt, but also prevent her from continuing down this path?”
Only now did Qin Qianrou realize that her earlier advice to Shen Yiqiu, to “take it slowly,” hadn’t been her true intention.
What she truly wanted was for Shen Yiqiu to end it immediately, to sever all ties with that man.
Rong Fei’s gaze deepened, and Qin Qianrou subtly masked her emotions, not wanting to be seen through.
Thankfully, Rong Fei’s scrutiny didn’t last long, her gaze returning to the notes she had been making. “Frankly, I’m not a relationship expert, but if you’re talking about minimizing emotional harm, then I have to say, whenever genuine feelings are involved, there will be heartbreak.”
Rong Fei was telling the truth, and Qin Qianrou knew this.
But she couldn’t bear the thought of Shen Yiqiu being hurt. That child had already suffered so much, why should she be tormented further?
“However, the depth and duration of the heartbreak can vary. Momentary sadness is normal, anyone can handle that. As long as it’s the student who initiates the breakup, the harm won’t be as severe.”
Shen Yiqiu initiating the breakup?
Qin Qianrou pictured Shen Yiqiu, the stubbornness hidden beneath her soft voice, the sincerity and cherishment in her trembling confession of love. Qin Qianrou felt it was almost impossible, which was why she wanted to be the “bad guy,” to help Shen Yiqiu make the difficult decision.
“Or, if the student falls for someone else, transfers her affections, then naturally, she won’t be heartbroken over this anymore.”
Qin Qianrou frowned; this hypothesis was even more distressing.
Almost without thinking, she said, “That’s not an option.”
Rong Fei raised an eyebrow again; Qin Qianrou’s reactions today were truly fascinating.
“The best approach is actually communication.” Rong Fei looked at Qin Qianrou, encouraging her to calm down. “Qianrou, everything you’ve told me today is superficial. You’ve been describing this from a bystander’s perspective, but you don’t know when or why this relationship started, or how it developed. This approach won’t work. Forcefully separating them will only intensify the harm.”
Rong Fei was right; there were many things she didn’t know.
“But she…” Qin Qianrou hesitated. Was she supposed to discuss relationships with Shen Yiqiu again?
A sense of reluctance, a hint of avoidance, flickered within her.
“Alright, let’s stop here for today. My advice is to facilitate communication first, understand the situation fully before devising a solution.”
“But I’m afraid it’ll be too late.”
Qin Qianrou froze, her deepest fear finally revealed.
She was worried, afraid. Young people these days were unrestrained, and it was common for university students to live together off-campus. Subconsciously, she didn’t want Shen Yiqiu to do this, especially not with that man.
Thinking this, she felt that agreeing to let Shen Yiqiu go out alone with him had been too lenient and trusting.
Seeing her troubled expression, Rong Fei’s gaze turned serious. Her eyes involuntarily fell on the file of the previous client on the shelf beside her.
“Qianrou, don’t put so much pressure on yourself, you can’t control everything.”
With that, they both composed themselves and went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
Leaving the office, Rong Fei switched off her “work mode,” and they chatted casually like they usually did.
Qin Qianrou’s mood was still heavy, as if she hadn’t fully recovered from the consultation. Rong Fei initiated the conversation, bringing Qin Qianrou’s attention back to the present.
“How is Shen Yiqiu doing lately? I heard from Xiao Wan that she’s suddenly become very studious, is she planning to apply for graduate school?”
“I haven’t heard her mention anything about graduate school, but she does want to improve her grades.”
“Qianrou, what are your plans for Shen Yiqiu’s future?”
“Me? Her future, what does that have to do with me?”
Rong Fei elegantly cut her steak, her tone unchanged, but she smiled faintly as she looked down.
“I haven’t heard you mention anything about her moving out since you came back from Hai City, I thought you were planning to take responsibility for her indefinitely.”
Qin Qianrou shook her head, how could that be possible? They weren’t related, how could she be responsible for her indefinitely?
“Then how long do you intend to let her stay? Until she graduates? Finds a job? Gets married?”
Qin Qianrou hadn’t really thought about this; she was too busy with work to consider such things. Besides, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with Shen Yiqiu living with her; on the contrary, it felt quite… comforting.
Qin Qianrou was reluctant to let Shen Yiqiu move out, at least not now.
“We haven’t discussed this, let’s not worry about it for now. I just want her to…” Qin Qianrou suddenly realized that Rong Fei didn’t know that the university student she had been discussing was Shen Yiqiu.
Even someone as perceptive as Rong Fei might guess, but Qin Qianrou wouldn’t say it directly.
Thankfully, Rong Fei was discreet and didn’t ask.
“Someone who’s still so studious in university must be intelligent and disciplined, they know their priorities and what they want, you don’t have to worry too much.”
Qin Qianrou felt there was a hidden meaning in Rong Fei’s words, but seeing her calm expression, she thought she might be overthinking it.
When she got home, Shen Yiqiu was already in her room, a late-night snack waiting on the table. But the light in her room was on, and she hadn’t come out to greet her.
Qin Qianrou sat on the sofa for a while. She had already rested during dinner and wasn’t as tired as she had been the past few days. She was sitting here simply waiting for Shen Yiqiu to come out, but she didn’t.
She glanced at the time; if she didn’t move soon, it would be very late again. Qin Qianrou, as usual, ate the snack, cleaned up, and then returned to her room.
Only after hearing her door close did Shen Yiqiu breathe a sigh of relief. She had been restless all evening, waiting for Jiejie to return, but also trying not to disturb her.
A few days ago, seeing Qin Qianrou’s exhaustion when she arrived home, she had wanted to embrace her, massage her shoulders, and ease her burdens. But even in her exhausted state, Jiejie had still chatted with her for a while, asking about her day, which had warmed Shen Yiqiu’s heart.
But a few days later, after the initial warmth faded, she realized she had been delaying Jiejie’s rest. She had made Jiejie force herself to stay awake when what she needed most wasn’t her company, but sleep.
Rong Fei was right, if she wanted to pursue someone older than her, she had to learn to be more mature. Maturity wasn’t just about outward appearance, but about matching the other person’s maturity in words and actions. First and foremost, she couldn’t just focus on her own needs, she had to learn to consider the other person’s perspective.
Not always thinking about what she wanted, but what the other person wanted.
Shen Yiqiu wanted to give Jiejie everything in the world, but now, she was learning to understand what Jiejie truly desired.
She wanted to become more mature, to be worthy of Jiejie, so that her feelings would be taken seriously, not dismissed as childish infatuation.
The next morning, Shen Yiqiu woke up refreshed and prepared breakfast.
She wanted Jiejie to sleep in a little longer, so she woke up early. Seeing the hearty breakfast that would energize Qin Qianrou for a perfect day, she felt a surge of happiness.
“Shen Yiqiu, has your class schedule changed recently?”
Shen Yiqiu, engrossed in her breakfast, shook her head and mumbled, “No changes.”
Qin Qianrou nodded, wiped her mouth and hands, then calmly announced, “Then starting today, I’ll pick you up after class.”
Shen Yiqiu almost choked on her fried egg. Jiejie is so busy, and she wants to pick me up after class?
“I’ll manage my time, you just don’t wander off after class.”
Leave a Reply