Chapter 11 Revenge "He couldn't possibly like me."...
The next morning, Qin Man rarely saw Qu Lan's busy figure in the kitchen.
Qu Lan rarely cooks now that she's older, but she clearly has a great skill. She's extremely talented at cooking and can make any simple home-style dish taste delicious.
When they were little, Qin Man and Qin Chen loved her cooking. But later, as Qu Lan frequently went to parties with wealthy women, she cooked at home less often and left most of the cooking to the housekeeper.
"Manman, have breakfast before you leave."
Qu Lan hummed a song in a good mood as she poured the cooked noodles into a bowl.
Qin Man sat down, picked up the bowl, and sipped the soup, glancing at Qu Lan every now and then.
This is the first meal Qu Lan has cooked since Aunt Mei left.
Qu Lan untied her apron and sat down next to Qin Man. She was taken aback when she saw that Qin Man's arm was wrapped in gauze. She asked, "What happened?"
"I accidentally fell and got a scrape."
"You've never been injured like this before, is it serious?"
"It's not serious, this soup is delicious." Qin Man answered perfunctorily, picked up her chopsticks and scooped up some noodles. It was chicken soup noodles with a little topping, just like the taste from her childhood.
Qu Lan smiled and said, "As long as it tastes good."
Qin Man looked her face up and down for a long time.
The kitchen window was open, and soup was simmering on the stove. A fresh aroma wafted in on the breeze. Qu Lan's face, which had been treated with hyaluronic acid injections, looked soft and hazy in the morning light. She seemed to have something to say, but the smile on her face was unfamiliar.
Qu Lan: "Why are you looking at me?"
Qin Man said, "I've given you all my scholarship money, Mom. I don't have any other money."
“Who wants to talk to you about this?” Qu Lan said with a faint smile. “Do you remember Mrs. Zhou? You probably don’t. She’s back in China now, and I’m planning to invite her to afternoon tea in a few days.”
"……Um?"
"Come too, and remember to wear your prettiest dress."
Qin Man put down her chopsticks; she couldn't listen anymore.
"Her husband might help..."
Qin Man stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor with a hissing sound. She looked at Qu Lan in disbelief: "Can you not be so naive? What time is it and you still want to go out for afternoon tea with those rich ladies?"
Qu Lan frowned: "What are you talking about? I have a very good relationship with Mrs. Zhou."
"If you ask her for money, she'll have a bad relationship with you."
"How could I be so stupid as to borrow money from her?" Qu Lan said angrily. "Qin Man, you weren't this insecure and sensitive before!"
Qu Lan looked extremely pale, and her chest heaved.
This sentence also pierced Qin Man's mind.
Inferiority complex? Sensitivity?
When did Qin Man become like this?
As Qin Man picked up her schoolbag and walked to the door, she couldn't help but turn back to look at Qu Lan.
Qu Lan sat at the dining table with her head down, seemingly lost in thought. When she was expressionless, her haggard face and dark circles under her eyes became particularly noticeable.
...
Qin Man got into a taxi, and the driver kept glancing at her in the rearview mirror the whole way.
Noticing the driver's gaze, Qin Man took out a tissue from her pocket and wiped away her tears.
She found Qin Chen's chat window, took a picture of her arm wrapped in gauze, and sent it to him.
It was unclear what time it was on Qin Chen's end, but he was online and replied quickly: 【Whose arm?】
Qin Man: [...]
Qin Chen: [Wow, this must be the worst injury you've ever suffered since you were a child.]
Qin Man: [It was clearly the time when you threw me off my bike when we were little.]
Qin Chen: [Bullshit, you didn't even cry back then.]
Qin Man thought about it and realized it was true, but this time she didn't shed a tear even though she was in a lot of pain.
Qin Man: [I didn't cry this time either.]
Qin Chen: [Are you really hurt?]
Qin Man: [...]
Qin Chen: [So, you're broke again? Those 30,000 yuan went by really fast.]
Qin Man noticed that his tone seemed more relaxed when he talked about money, but since it was typed, she could only guess.
She typed: 【Are you rich?】
Qin Chen: [I might as well go donate blood.]
She knew it; Qin Chen couldn't possibly be that generous.
After a long while, Qin Man finally sent a message: "I think I've changed."
After sending the message, the taxi had already stopped at the school gate. Qin Man got out of the car, and Qin Chen didn't reply until she walked into the school.
He didn't care about his sister at all, and even chose to avoid her.
The relationship between the brother and sister was already strained, having grown up constantly arguing and bickering.
No matter what, she never thought the two of them would separate, just like this family, she never imagined it would fall apart like this.
Qin Chen, however, could abandon them without a second thought.
Qin Man let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that she still couldn't compare to the heartless and uncivilized Qin Chen.
Damn it, I might as well just die in New Zealand.
While she was grumbling to herself, Qin Man walked into the classroom. Amidst the commotion of people copying and handing in their homework in the morning, Xi Yue tugged at her arm, and judging from his expression, he gestured for her to come out with him.
Qin Man was led to the water room, completely bewildered.
Xi Yue and his brothers stood at the entrance of the water room like guards.
Xi Yue helped her open the door.
There were three people standing in the washroom: Duan Kexin and her two followers. They were the same people who had bullied Qin Man at the KTV that day.
When Qin Man entered, Duan Kexin looked up, her eyes filled with undisguised resentment and unwillingness.
Qin Man didn't want to be stared at like that, so she looked away and said to Xi Yue, "Boring, I'm leaving."
"No, wait!" Xi Yue pulled her back, turned and glared at Duan Kexin, "You, continue."
Duan Kexin reluctantly said, "I posted that video of yours online. Now I've deleted the video, and all the comments have disappeared."
Qin Man glanced at her coldly. Although the video had disappeared, the impact of the public opinion still lingered in her mind.
"knew."
Qin Man spoke calmly; she was very tired.
The changes in her family made her more numb, increasingly impatient with many things, and too lazy to pursue them anymore.
This nonchalant attitude startled Duan Kexin, who then became furious and said, "I deleted it, are you not satisfied?!"
“Duan Kexin,” Xi Yue frowned, “watch your words and actions.”
Qin Man said, "That's fine."
One of Duan Kexin's henchmen suddenly scoffed, "Are you kidding me? You want us to apologize to such a coward?"
Xi Yue also looked over, "Qin Man, when did you become so magnanimous?"
His impression of Qin Man from the first year of high school until now was that of a willful young lady, unlike how easy to talk to her is now.
Qin Man suddenly looked up and stared straight at them, her tone neither humble nor arrogant: "All you know how to do is flatter Duan Kexin. I don't care about your apologies."
She never even glanced at her two lackeys when she came in, completely ignoring them and showing them no regard whatsoever.
After hearing her words, her two henchmen turned green and stood there silently.
Xi Yue crossed his arms and leaned back against the sink under the faucet, admiring Qin Man.
Qin Man's words were so satisfying, they made my rotten mind sharp again, and even a little intoxicated.
Then she looked at Duan Kexin and said, "It's right that you deleted the video. As for what I should think, why should I tell you?"
From childhood to adulthood, she has never cared about others, except for taking care of her own feelings.
She was only afraid of being seen through and ridiculed, because those things would genuinely affect her emotions. As for other people's thoughts, emotions, and values, she didn't care at all.
Duan Kexin was furious at Qin Man's words. "Qin Man, who do you think you are!"
"Hey, hey, hey," Xi Yue immediately interrupted, "You should know your place, apologize sincerely, and then get out of here."
Seeing that Duan Kexin still didn't speak, Xi Yue called out to her, "Duan, Ke, Xin".
Duan Kexin then continued, "The video has been deleted. As for those words... Jiang Xuchi didn't say those words. I made up a rumor in a fit of anger."
Qin Man blinked, and then she remembered that after she blocked Duan Kexin last time, Duan Kexin spread rumors about her on WeChat Moments and Xiaohongshu, and even spread rumors that she was Jiang Xuchi's simp.
She blamed all of these things on Jiang Xuchi.
Ultimately, Jiang Xuchi is the real culprit. Even if we take a step back and assume that Jiang Xuchi hadn't changed his ways, many things wouldn't have happened.
"Okay." Qin Man repeated the sentence perfunctorily, then walked out of the washroom without even looking at them.
Xi Yue followed her out and walked beside her, his face beaming with a smug and fawning smile. "Qin Man, look how good I am to you. I'm serious about pursuing you."
"Did you call these people over?"
Xi Yue paused for a moment, then replied, "Jiang Xuchi sent people here, saying it's to give you an explanation. Fine, I can't compete with Jiang Xuchi. If he likes you, then I can only—"
Qin Man suddenly stopped in her tracks. "He couldn't possibly like me."
Now it was Xi Yue's turn to be surprised: "How is that impossible?"
"He's not what you think." That was all Qin Man could say; she didn't want to explain any further.
Perhaps a long time ago, Jiang Xuchi had liked her, but now, it wasn't liking at all, but a planned revenge.
The resulting desire for control, the attention, and the concern are superficially seen as liking in the eyes of others.
Qin Man was very unhappy about this.
Her feelings were not respected or taken care of. What she couldn't stand the most was that she had to accept whatever Jiang Xuchi did, and she was simply being manipulated by him.
The jarring school bell rang, and Qin Man had no choice but to return to her seat.
Pei Shiyu didn't come to school for the next few days.
When Qin Man heard Xi Yue say that Pei Shiyu seemed to have sprained her ankle, she had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, after class that day, the coach appeared at the classroom door, called Jiang Xuchi's name, and at the same time, seeing Qin Man sitting in the third row, immediately called her name as well.
"Both of you, come to my office."
On the way to the office, the coach said to Qin Man, "There's another form to submit. Come over and sign it."
Qin Man didn't quite understand: "Coach, I haven't..."
Suddenly, a hand patted her waist, and Jiang Xuchi whispered in her ear, "I've already submitted your application form."
Qin Man looked at Jiang Xuchi with disbelief.
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