Xi Murong whispered, "I...I want to go out and find a job. My parents want me to work at their company, but I'm not too keen on it."

“You have to do what you want. You’re an independent adult now. If you always listen to your parents, you’ll never grow up,” Qian Manduo said seriously.

There was another reason why she looked down on Xi Murong in the past: his ability to take care of himself was terrible. According to Xi Murong's male roommate, every weekend he would pack up several large bags of dirty clothes, shoes, socks, bedspreads, sheets, etc., take them home to wash, and bring them back on Monday to change. In four years of college, he never washed his socks once, and at first he didn't even know how to make his bed.

Xi Murong's face turned even redder, and he silently lowered his head, knowing that he was being looked down upon.

Ye Qingqing, however, had a different idea from Qian Manduo. She listened to her parents as long as they were right, since her parents had a longer-term perspective. Xi Murong's parents were not ignorant or shallow people, so they wanted Xi Murong to stay at their workplace, perhaps for their own reasons.

An Hong, who was standing to the side, couldn't get a word in edgewise. She felt a little sad, as if she had been excluded. Ever since she asked Ye Qingqing that question, she felt like she had been squeezed out of this circle.

Actually, An Hong was overthinking it. Ye Qingqing had never considered her a friend. She hadn't even remembered her name before. She had only interacted with her a few times because she was with Qian Manduo. As for An Hong's suspicion of her, Ye Qingqing wasn't angry. She just didn't want to be friends with An Hong anymore. She wouldn't be friends with someone who doubted her.

"I'm going back to my dorm," An Hong said sullenly.

"Oh, you go back first, I'll come back later." Qian Manduo's words made An Hong feel even more uncomfortable. Once a person gets stuck in a rut, they will get deeper and deeper into it, becoming more and more unhappy, suspicious, and seeing ulterior motives in everyone.

An Hong left dejectedly, and no one noticed her change in mood or took it to heart.

It was noon, and many students had gone back to their dorms to eat. People were coming and going. Ye Qingqing had something else to ask Xi Murong, so she smiled and said, "Lunch is on me. Don't refuse. You and Xi can make separate meals for each other later. This meal is on me."

Xi Murong quickly said, "Let me treat you. How can I let a girl treat me?"

"Don't try to take it from me. Don't worry, I should have more pocket money than you," Ye Qingqing joked, and asked this on purpose.

Xi Murong laughed heartily and said generously, "Then don't treat us to small restaurants. I won't hold back when ordering."

"You're taking advantage of my kindness..." Qian Manduo was unhappy and choked, but Ye Qingqing interrupted him, "That's how it has to be. I can definitely afford to treat you to a meal. Let's go to Mingzhu Restaurant. The environment there is nice."

Ye Qingqing was extremely satisfied with Xi Murong's performance. This guy had a great ability to defuse awkward situations; it was a shame he wasn't a salesman.

Mingzhu Restaurant is a mid-range restaurant that opened two years ago. The prices are a bit high for students, but the food is very good and the environment is quiet. Many students from well-off families go there to eat, and some students also go there to celebrate their birthdays, so the business is very good.

The restaurant wasn't doing too well at lunchtime; lately, business has been mostly at night. Graduates are having farewell dinners, and every restaurant is packed in the evenings. There aren't many people during the day. Ye Qingqing booked a small private room and asked Xi Murong and Qian Man to order more dishes.