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Qin Juran turned off her phone, feeling satisfied. She got ready and prepared to leave for the classroom an hour in advance, since the course material was unfamiliar and she wanted to review it beforehand.
Qin Juran once again silently thanked the original owner for choosing the same major as her. Although there were a few differences, a little difficulty was nothing to her. She had always been an optimistic person – she would overcome every hardship with her courage and persistence no matter how long it took.
As she saw Qin Juran leaving, Feng Jing raced after her, one shoe untied, and plopped onto the motorbike that Qin Juran was busing unlocking. “Why are you going so early today? I didn’t even finish my makeup…”
Qin Juran felt her scooter tremble and crinkled her eyes. “Did you bring an umbrella?”
“What umbrella, is it going to rain?”
“The weather forecast says it’s going to rain at noon.”
“How come I didn’t notice?” Feng Jing frowned, then said, “Okay then, I’m going up to grab an umbrella. Wait for me!”
Without nodding, Qin Juran waited for her to enter the building, then quickly sped away like a green rocket bolting onto the road.
When she arrived at the classroom building, she turned a deaf ear to the students gossiping around her as she walked. Today she wore jeans with a white t-shirt, a change from the original owner’s usual style. Her black hair cascaded down her back, creating a delicate and pretty effect.
As she reached the classroom door, there was a nice old man standing outside waving towards her. She blanked out for a moment and hesitantly walked forward, until she heard him say, “Come have a chat with me in my office.”
Qin Juran then remembered Huang Ying’s words: “The counselor will probably want to see you.” She asked cautiously, “Counselor?”
The old man replied, “What’s up?”
“Nothing.” Qin Juran dropped off her bags in the classroom then followed the counselor to his office on the sixteenth floor. As they entered, he beckoned her to sit, then busied himself in making tea.
Looks like the original Qin Juran was pretty close with her school counselor.
When the old man finally sat down, he noticed that Qin Juran’s disposition was somewhat different today. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Juran, I saw the post on the school forum. Is Ruan Nan bothering you again?”
So this meeting was about that.
Qin Juran shook her head. “No, Teacher. They made it all up.”
The old man frowned. “Then what were you doing in that kind of place? I don’t remember you liking such things. If anyone is pressuring or coercing you, you can tell us teachers – the school will protect you!”
Feeling a warmth in her chest, Qin Juran shook her head again. “Teacher, it’s really nothing. I’ll be more careful next time.”
The counselor let out a sigh and said somewhat resentfully, “I don’t understand the entanglements between you youngsters, but you must protect yourself. You know the Ruan family’s background. But at least you won’t need to have anything to do with her once the dinner party is over.”
“Dinner party?”
The man pushed up his glasses. “What wrong? You don’t want to perform anymore? But you must, for the sake of our department. You practiced for so long, no need to get cold feet.”
Qin Juran wracked her brain through the various dinner parties mentioned in the original novel. So it was that one… She couldn’t do anything but nod her head and reply, “I understand, Teacher. I will do my best.”
After expressing his gratitude, the old man turned and handed Qin Juran a file, his face solemn. “This is for you. Don’t feel rushed to give me an answer, you still have half a semester to think on it.”
“I…”
“Okay, now. Take your time to think about it. Hurry on to your class now.”
Qin Juran walked out of the office, confused. She opened the file and pulled out a flyer for a government-funded study abroad program, along with two blank application forms.
Oh right, this was one of the plot points.
With her outstanding grades and remarkable appearance, on top of her impoverished household situation, Qin Juran was first in line for such international scholarship programs. She was debating whether to go abroad, but ultimately decided to stay for the male lead. After graduating, she went on to work for the Fan family company, Sheng Chuan Corporation, thus pulling herself deeper in her pursuit for love.
Qin Juran let out a cold laugh and read the file once more. The application deadline was the end of the semester. She leaned against the wall and pondered for a moment, then tucked the forms away solemnly.
——–
“Sister Nan, Sister Nan, did you see the group chat?” The group of people playing video games in the living room rushed in dramatically.
Ruan Nan lived in a fancy villa-style apartment near the campus. Whenever there were no classes, Zhou Qizing and Lin Wei would hang around there, treating it like their personal lounge.
Ruan Nan was lying on her soft velvet carpet, reading a book. Noticing their exaggerated expressions, she impatiently put down her book and raised an eyebrow. “Qin Juran confessed to Fan Chuan in public?”
“It’s even crazier than that!” Zhou Ziqing and the others crowded around her on the floor as they waited for her reaction.
Ruan Nan immediately picked up her phone and unlocked it with a swipe. There was a broadcast in the class group showing Qin Juran and Fan Chuan walking out of the classroom, one after the other. The camera shook a few times, and their voices were inaudible as the hallway filled with more onlookers. She watched Qin Juran say something to Fan Chuan, then head towards the artwork hanging on the wall.
Ruan Nan’s grasp on her phone tightened. Qin Juran – is she taking out her revenge on the painting? If she dares ruin it…
In a second, Qin Juran raised her hands and ripped off the painting of the man who resembled Fan Chuan.
Everyone knew that Qin Juran secretly liked Fan Chuan, and how much that painting meant to her.
The crisp paper fluttered to the floor, revealing the thin layer of dust underneath. The expression in Qin Juran’s eyes was more fitting of tearing a trivial advertisement off a billboard rather than her precious painting. She raised her eyes and steadily faced Fan Chuan, stating pointedly, “What I meant – do you get it now?”
The broadcast abruptly ended here. Ruan Nan stared at her screen, her normally collected and cold face revealing a stunned expression.
Besides her, Zhou Ziqing quickly brought up, “Sister Nan, Sister Nan, you think Qin Juran is really over Fan Chuan?”
Lin Wei also added, “Maybe it’s because of what happened yesterday? She’s scared that Liu Qiang is going to threaten her again?”
The only other female student present, Wang Yuanyuan, rolled her eyes. “You guys didn’t see Qin Juran’s arrogant face that night. She wasn’t scared a bit.”
The three of them thought back to the image of Ruan Nan standing at the doorway last night, and suddenly felt that they brought up something they shouldn’t have.
Zhou Ziqing cleared his throat. “Well, I think she’s trying a strategy of distancing herself. You don’t like me, okay, then from now on I won’t like you either. Like, once I’m gone, you’ll realize how great I am and do anything to get me back.”
Lin Wei nearly spit out his orange juice, elbowing Zhou Ziqing. “Where’d you get that from?”
Zhou Ziqing laughed darkly. “Have you never read those novels? Today you reject my feelings, tomorrow I’ll pretend you weren’t worthy of them in the first place. Qin Juran is just that kind of white lotus, back in high school she –” Before he could finish, Zhou Ziqing quickly covered his mouth, flicking his eyes towards Ruan Nan’s icy expression.
Zhou Ziqing and Ruan Nan had gone to the same high school. Unaware of the tension, Lin Wei was about to ask for more details when he was elbowed in the ribs by Zhou Ziqing.
Ruan Nan lowered her face and opened her phone to send a message:
【 What kind of game does Qin Juran think she’s playing? 】
The reply was instant: 【I don’t know, Sister Nan. Ever since Friday, she’s been so strange, acting like a completely different person. 】
【  ? 】
【 She’s usually so stingy, right? But that day, she suddenly bought so much stuff, of what I couldn’t say; she reorganized all of her things and even stuffed those plain white dresses she always wears to the back of her closet. 】
“She also threw out everything related to Fan Chuan that day…” After typing those words, Feng Jing paused, then deleted them, instead writing, “When she came back yesterday, she didn’t say anything, either.”
Ruan Nan peered at the screen thoughtfully. “What about her feelings towards Fan Chuan?”
Feng Jing assumed that she had already watched the broadcast earlier, and blinking a few times, she continued, “I’m not sure, she seemed pretty upset last night. In the middle of the night, she called someone – I have no idea who.”
“I understand.”
“Also, Sister Nan, I’ve recently been low on money. Can you lend me a thousand bucks for now? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
Upon reading the message, Ruan Nan laughed disdainfully. She sent over two thousand with a few taps of her finger.
Zhou Ziqing and the others watched as Ruan Nan seemed to finish up a business meeting. “What’s happening, Sister Nan?”
“I’m going out.” Ruan Nan threw her phone down and started towards her bedroom to change.
“Where are you going?” Lin Wei and the others also stood up.
“I’m going by myself, you guys go do whatever.” When Ruan Nan came out of her bedroom, she had already changed. Instead of her usual heavy makeup and mini skirt getup, she was wearing light, gray workout clothes, her dark hair topped with a baseball cap, highlighting her delicate face.
Zhou Ziqing felt that he hadn’t seen such a natural-looking Ruan Nan since decades ago. He asked, “Sister Nan, are you picking up your boyfriend from the daycare?”
She glared in reply.
As the door shut with a thump, Zhou Ziqing looked at Lin Wei. “Who do you think Ruan Nan is going to meet, dressed up like that?”
Wang Yuanyuan guessed, “Fan Chuan?”
Lin Wei rolled his eyes. “Wang Yuanyuan, you obviously have never chased anyone before. Who goes out to meet their crush looking that plain? I think that Sister Nan is most likely going to meet Qin Juran.”
“Does seeing Qin Juran really call for a cap and dark sunglasses? They’re love rivals, not lovers themselves, yet she’s worried that someone will recognize her.” Zhou Ziqing felt doubtful.
Lin Wei replied, “What do you know – didn’t you notice that Qin Juran isn’t acting so innocent anymore? She’s becoming more flirtatious while our Sister Nan seems pure in comparison – we don’t know what to expect anymore.”
Wang Yuanyuan glanced at the doorway, saying nervously, “You guys, what if Ruan Nan is being bullied by Qin Juran?”
Lin Wei sneered. “If Sister Nan doesn’t beat Qin Juran to tears, then that’s already hard enough to believe.”