Chapter 69 p2
Shen Yiqiu reluctantly put her phone down and listened to Zhang Meng’s explanation.
“Do you see the connection between these two messages?”
Shen Yiqiu looked at the messages again and honestly shook her head.
Zhang Meng sighed, people without relationship experience were truly innocent.
But Shen Yiqiu had helped her so much before, and now she finally had a chance to repay the favor, she would definitely do her best.
“Look, these dishes are clearly not from the university cafeteria, right?”
Shen Yiqiu nodded.
“So obviously you weren’t eating at the cafeteria, but why did she ask, knowing this?”
Shen Yiqiu found this question even more difficult than the ones her professor asked in class, worthy of deep contemplation.
Zhang Meng didn’t make her struggle, giving her the answer directly, “Because her focus is on who you’re eating with.”
Shen Yiqiu’s eyes widened in realization, a hint of disbelief.
“Jiejie could have just asked me directly, why be so subtle?”
Knowing Qin Qianrou’s feelings for her, what could Jiejie possibly want to know that she wasn’t willing to tell her? She was willing to bare her heart to Jiejie, let alone something that could be explained with a simple sentence.
“This, my dear, is called restraint.”
Zhang Meng adjusted her posture and instructed Shen Yiqiu, “Come on, let’s take a photo with the food and send it to your Sister Qin.”
Shen Yiqiu did as she was told, and this time, Qin Qianrou’s reply came more quickly.
[Hurry up and eat, the food will get cold.]
Shen Yiqiu felt a little disappointed; she had finally managed to have a conversation with Jiejie, why did it seem to be ending again?
“She’s upset with you about something.”
Shen Yiqiu nodded, her heart sinking. “I can feel it too.”
Zhang Meng looked at her and chuckled, “Have you figured out why?”
Shen Yiqiu bit her lip, if she knew, she wouldn’t be so passive.
But Jiejie wouldn’t tell her.
“A little hint, it’s related to someone close to you.”
Shen Yiqiu was confused, there was no one close to her, at least not someone Jiejie knew.
“Are you talking about yourself?”
Zhang Meng took a deep breath, reminding herself that people in love had zero IQ, she had also been this foolish once.
“If it were me, it would be easy to resolve. Think carefully, have you been overly close to anyone recently, or done anything that might cause a misunderstanding? Like your cousin last time, if you hadn’t explained, we would have truly misunderstood.”
Shen Yiqiu racked her brains, but there was no one, truly no one. Since her rebirth, she hadn’t interacted with many people, besides her cousin, who had suddenly appeared, there wasn’t anyone special.
Zhang Meng, seeing her struggling, also found it strange and started analyzing the situation with her.
Finally, she thought of a question. “Could it be that you haven’t told her about your cousin?”
Shen Yiqiu was taken aback, she hadn’t.
Initially, it was Yuan Qi who had asked her not to tell anyone, then Sister Li Wan had also advised her to keep it a secret for now, and later, after Jiejie went to Hai City, there hadn’t been a chance to mention it.
But what did this have to do with her cousin?
“Have you seen your cousin recently?”
Shen Yiqiu recounted her dinner at Yuan Qi’s apartment, and Zhang Meng finally found the clue.
“That explains it, someone must have seen you together and reported it to her.”
Shen Yiqiu wondered who would be so bored as to gossip about such things.
Then, she thought about the ridiculous rumors that had been circulating on campus, no less absurd than this.
“How idle are people these days, actually caring about such trivial matters.” Shen Yiqiu was furious, she couldn’t imagine who would do such a thing.
She had finally managed to make some progress with Jiejie, if this sent them back to square one, she didn’t know what she would do.
Zhang Meng, seeing her distress and anxiety, tried to help.
“Ask someone close to her, find out what’s going on.”
Shen Yiqiu’s first thought was of Li Wan, but then she realized Jiejie was currently in Hai City, and Sister Li Wan was busy with work, they probably didn’t have time to discuss such things.
After some hesitation, she clicked on Wen Shao Ze’s WeChat contact.
After delivering the mooncakes last time, Wen Shao Ze had insisted on adding her on WeChat, and she hadn’t been able to refuse, so she had agreed. However, after accepting his request, they had only exchanged polite smiley face emojis and hadn’t interacted since.
A truly awkward yet polite exchange.
Shen Yiqiu hesitantly sent him a message.
[Shao Ze-ge, are you busy?]
It was currently lunchtime, and his reply came quickly.
[Not busy, what’s up?]
[There’s a small matter I wanted to ask you about.]
Wen Shao Ze fidgeted with his tie, a nervous sweat breaking out.
He had a feeling that Shen Yiqiu’s sudden contact couldn’t possibly be to thank him for delivering the mooncakes; her reaction time was a bit too slow for that.
So…
After giving those photos to Qin Qianrou that day, Wen Shao Ze had left the hotel feeling utterly ashamed. Qin Qianrou’s words had been a wake-up call, making him realize his own hypocrisy. He had claimed he wanted to win Yuan Qi back, that after all these years, his feelings were certain.
Yet he hadn’t even been able to match Qin Qianrou’s concern, who wasn’t even in a relationship yet.
[Don’t mention it, just ask. ] Wen Shao Ze wiped the sweat from his brow, his response in the chat, however, appearing casual and unconcerned.
Shen Yiqiu felt relieved and started typing her question, seeing the “typing…” indicator appear on the screen.
However, after waiting for a while, no message came, and Wen Shao Ze’s anxiety grew.
He was having lunch with an old friend, who, seeing his restlessness, teased, “What, being chased for debts?”
Wen Shao Ze retorted irritably, “Do I look like someone who would be in debt?”
“Financial debts, perhaps not, but relationship debts, that’s hard to say.”
Wen Shao Ze paused, Relationship debts.
Yes, he owed Yuan Qi a relationship debt from years ago, he didn’t know if he would ever have a chance to repay it.
He had repeatedly reflected on Qin Qianrou’s words, realizing he hadn’t truly suspected Yuan Qi, he had simply been too anxious, too afraid of even the slightest change.
Perhaps the sudden news of Yuan Qi after so many years had made him lose his composure and his rationality. Having calmed down, he now mocked his own foolishness, even more immature than he had been in his youth.
If it weren’t for Qianrou’s guidance, he would have ruined everything again.
As his thoughts returned to the present, Shen Yiqiu’s message finally arrived. It wasn’t long, but its contents made Wen Shao Ze uncomfortable.
[Has something happened to Jiejie lately? Or did she misunderstand something?]
Wen Shao Ze composed himself and quickly typed his reply.
[Oh? Why do you ask?]
[She’s been very cold and distant towards me these past few days, as if… she’s angry with me.]
Since she was asking for help, she couldn’t be too vague or indirect, Shen Yiqiu had decided to be straightforward.
Wen Shao Ze smiled wryly, wondering how to respond.
He wasn’t sure if Qin Qianrou’s change in attitude was because of those photos, but since Shen Yiqiu had asked, he might as well use this opportunity to confirm his suspicions.
Instead of messaging, he picked up his phone, walked to the side, his back towards his friend, and called Shen Yiqiu.
“Shao Ze-ge.”
“Mm, I’m not sure what’s going on with Qianrou, but I had coffee with her last week, and she didn’t mention any problems at work.”
The implication being that it wasn’t work-related.
Shen Yiqiu responded with a simple “Oh” and didn’t say anything more.
Wen Shao Ze unconsciously tugged at his tie, until the expensive, custom-made tie was practically wrinkled beyond recognition, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Don’t worry, with us around, no one will bully Qianrou in Hai City.” He looked out the window at the bustling traffic, then suddenly changed the subject. “However, the elders in her family are definitely pressuring her, it’s always the same old topics. I think she’s probably annoyed about the upcoming blind date this weekend.”
Wen Shao Ze wasn’t lying, Qin Qianrou’s grandfather did intend to arrange a meeting between her and the youngest son of the Cheng family, scheduled for this weekend. However, Qin Qianrou had refused without hesitation.
She had even personally called the young man to apologize, clarifying that it wasn’t because of work, but simply because she didn’t want to meet him, and she had no intention of accepting her family’s arrangements.
With such a direct rejection, anyone with any self-respect would understand and back off, especially since he was also someone who disliked being controlled by his family. Their conversation had unexpectedly turned pleasant, they even ended up bonding over their families’ constant attempts at matchmaking, which they both found ridiculous.
However, Wen Shao Ze didn’t know about this, and Qin Qianrou felt there was no need to mention it. There wouldn’t be any further developments, who would bother explaining such a thing?
He heard a soft sob on the other end, and Wen Shao Ze panicked, thinking he had made the young girl cry.
Good heavens, he had simply been rambling, forgetting Shen Yiqiu was only eighteen. Just as he was frantically trying to think of how to comfort her, she seemed to have regained her composure.
“Shao Ze-ge, can you tell me which room Jiejie is staying in?”
She knew the hotel, but not the room number.
Wen Shao Ze vaguely guessed her intention and figured there was no stopping her. If Qianrou was truly angry with her, it would be good for them to resolve it face-to-face.
Many misunderstandings stemmed from a lack of communication.
After obtaining Qin Qianrou’s room number, Shen Yiqiu opened a travel app and started searching for flights to Hai City on Friday afternoon.
Zhang Meng, seeing her swift actions, nodded approvingly, she was finally getting it.
“Not bad, knowing to book a flight immediately.”
Shen Yiqiu breathed a sigh of relief after securing her ticket and smiled at Zhang Meng, “Yes, Gu Chao taught me, he said apologizing in person shows more sincerity.”
Zhang Meng was momentarily speechless, then blushed slightly.
Gu Chao’s words were indeed correct, but she had been the one who had taught him that.
She had been the one who had said those words to him initially. She hadn’t expected her “student’s” student to be sitting across from her now, applying her teachings quite effectively.
**
Qin Qianrou returned to her hotel room, exhausted, turned on the light, and was greeted by the familiar, uninspiring decor. This week’s training had been intensive, and combined with her private investigation into the He Chao matter, she was feeling overwhelmed.
She sat on the sofa, drank half a glass of water, and rested for ten minutes, finally feeling a little more energized. It was Friday, and the afternoon sessions were mostly group discussions, but everyone had tacitly ended early.
Most of her colleagues had gone out for dinner or shopping, which Qin Qianrou had declined. She was all too familiar with the city she had grown up in, there wasn’t much she wanted to explore, she’d rather go back and rest.
However, just resting felt… unsettling.
She instinctively opened her phone, checked WeChat, and replied to a few messages. Then, she looked at a familiar profile picture, no new messages.
Shen Yiqiu had only sent her one message this morning, telling her she was going to school, and hadn’t contacted her since.
She had been deliberately cold and distant towards her these past few days, not intentionally, but she had been feeling uneasy, unsure how to express it. Seeing Shen Yiqiu acting as if nothing had happened, casually updating her on her daily routine, she couldn’t help but recall the scene in those photos.
She believed Shen Yiqiu wouldn’t two-time her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t mind. The person she liked couldn’t be shared with others. Qin Qianrou gripped her phone tightly, wondering if she should message her, ask her about her weekend plans.
After all, they had agreed she would visit Hai City this week, but with her sudden change in attitude, Shen Yiqiu, obediently, hadn’t mentioned it again, so they were still apart.
Qin Qianrou felt it was a little unfair to Shen Yiqiu, after all, she didn’t know what had happened. But how could she explain it?
Qin Qianrou felt at a loss, even frustrated. She had always considered relationships to be troublesome, and now she understood even more deeply. However, she couldn’t simply dismiss her worries like she used to.
Shen Yiqiu…
Qin Qianrou leaned back against the sofa, her mind blank, silently chanting her name.
She missed her terribly, but she was still a little angry.
The doorbell rang, and Qin Qianrou thought it was a colleague inviting her out.
She opened the door, and the person standing there was slightly breathless, having clearly rushed over.
Before Qin Qianrou could even speak, she was enveloped in a warm embrace, a slight chill clinging to her clothes, yet the gentleness brought tears to her eyes.
“Jiejie, I finally found you.”
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