Chapter 27 Despondency "Jiang Xuchi, I'm not happy."...
When Qin Man's academic results came out, her overall grades were quite good. Having received elite education since childhood, and with Qin Chen, her detestable rival, always standing in her way, Qin Man's grades had never been too bad.
When the teacher gave her her report card, she told her that she could apply to good schools abroad and asked her what her plans were.
Qin Man shook her head and said she had no plans to.
The teacher adjusted her glasses and said with a smile, "That's true. For students like you, your parents usually make all the arrangements. They'll call your parents over when they have time, and the school can start preparing the necessary documents."
At times like these, Xilai would invite each student's parents to the school to discuss their child's future development. It was nothing more than deciding which country to go to and which school to apply to.
As long as the money is there, everything will be fine.
Qin Man took her report card and went to the company to find Qu Lan.
This is the only company registered under Qu Lan's name, and it has no apparent connection to Qin Weiguo's businesses, so it's barely surviving. However, since Qin Weiguo has absconded, the business has also disappeared, making the company essentially defunct.
Qu Lan sat alone in the chairman's office reviewing documents. The pothos on the desk was dead, and the money tree by the door was just a withered branch.
Qin Man tossed the report card onto her desk.
"Mommy, you need to find some time to go to the school and talk to them about my going to college."
She frowned when she saw Qin Man's report card.
Do I have to go to the school for this?
"That's about my college admission. How could you not discuss it with your teacher?"
Qu Lan picked up the report card and carefully read through each grade sheet.
Her proud daughter, her beautiful daughter, also achieved excellent results in her exams.
However, her family didn't have the money to send her abroad.
Qin Man couldn't go to New Zealand like Qin Chen did; the cost of living there was too high, and she couldn't get a scholarship through her current path.
Qu Lan suppressed her complicated emotions and asked an unexpected question: "Manman, are you willing to repeat a year of high school?"
If she repeats a year, and once she starts her company and has money, I will definitely support her to go to a better school.
Qin Man almost choked on her breath, "Retaking the exam?!"
“You can also go to a public school and take the college entrance exam,” Qu Lan said. “You’re very smart; you can get into a good university even if you take the college entrance exam route.”
"You want me to take the college entrance exam?" Qin Man looked at Qu Lan, unable to tell whether she was just saying it casually or if she really intended to.
She's attended international schools for so many years, and she's never had any test preparation training for the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination). Besides, she's unwilling to repeat a year at a public school.
"Mommy, aren't you going to care about my future?" Qin Man's chest heaved.
Qu Lan coldly retorted, "Are you talking about your future that can only be built with money?"
With just one sentence, Qin Man's heart sank. She stood frozen in place, watching Qu Lan leave without a second thought.
Evening, at the Floating Life Bar.
Qin Man sat alone in a corner of the booth, watching Pei Shiyu and the others play board games.
She was depressed, and when Pei Shiyu asked her to come, she did.
Pei Shiyu hadn't expected to be able to get Qin Man to come over. In the past, when she invited Qin Man to come over, it was always up to her mood. She would come if she wanted to, and she wouldn't come if she didn't want to, without saying a word. Pei Shiyu thought that Qin Man wouldn't want to come out with her recently.
"Manman, it's so boring to be drinking alone like this. Come and join us!"
Pei Shiyu's sister next to her raised her glass and waved it in front of her eyes.
Qin Man didn't want to play games, holding her phone without looking up: "No."
"What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood."
Pei Shiyu leaned closer.
"It's nothing," Qin Man replied lazily.
Pei Shiyu wanted to ask something more, but her friend next to her tugged at her sleeve, so she had no choice but to sit back down and continue playing.
But Pei Shiyu still glanced at Qin Man in the corner from time to time.
Although they were only superficially friends in class, Pei Shiyu actually understood Qin Man the best. Especially among girls, they were often more perceptive of each other's emotions than others.
Seeing Qin Man so dejected, Pei Shiyu felt unusually uncomfortable.
She felt that Qin Man had changed a lot, and had become...less annoying.
In the past, even a glance at Qin Man would be piercing with her arrogant gaze. But lately, she's different. She's still indifferent, still arrogant, but something deep inside her has shattered.
Pei Shiyu could sense it.
She wanted to show concern but felt it was unnecessary, and Qin Man never appreciated the emotional value she was trying to gain.
Qin Man doesn't integrate into any group in Xilai, so everyone thinks she's a high and mighty princess who doesn't associate with ordinary people.
Even Pei Shiyu's small group never considered Qin Man to be one of their own.
Qin Man sat there, completely absorbed in her own emotions, showing no desire to confide in them whatsoever.
A commotion arose, and Qin Man looked up to see Xi Yue heading into the group of girls.
Xi Yue put one hand in his pocket, bent down and casually grabbed a glass of wine from their table, took a couple of sips, and joked with them, "Why didn't you ladies invite me? Let's all have some fun together."
The girl closest to him said coquettishly, "Get lost! Shameless! We don't want to play with you."
"Not happy? Do you know who I brought today?" Xi Yue said with a smile.
Pei Shiyu: "Jiang Xuchi? He's here too?"
"certainly."
The name alone attracted everyone's attention, but when they saw that Jiang Xuchi was not by Xi Yue's side, they complained about being bored and lowered their heads to continue playing cards.
Only Qin Man's phone vibrated twice.
After receiving the third message, Qin Man glanced at it, then got up and walked towards the private room.
Xi Yue and his brothers were all joking around with Pei Shiyu and her sisters, and no one noticed her movements.
As soon as Qin Man opened the door, she saw Jiang Xuchi lying alone on the sofa.
A familiar scene gradually surfaced before her eyes: the time she mocked him, telling him he wasn't allowed to like her, that she looked down on him. And now, he sent a message, and she obediently kept her appointment.
When Jiang Xuchi saw her arrive, he leaned forward and looked up at her.
"come over."
Qin Man sat down.
She leaned closer, bringing with her a sweet scent of wine. Jiang Xuchi asked, "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy?"
Qin Man's unhappiness comes in two forms: one is impatience from not wanting to deal with ordinary people, and the other is extreme depression, appearing out of sorts.
Clearly, she is the latter at this moment.
"You can tell I'm unhappy at a glance, yet you still bother me."
Qin Man absentmindedly picked up the wine and poured herself a drink.
There were several bottles of wine on the table, all ordered by Jiang Xuchi and his group, with a significantly higher alcohol content than what Qin Man had just drunk.
Before she could even put it in her mouth, Jiang Xuchi stopped her.
“I send you gifts every day, but I’ve never seen you smile,” Jiang Xuchi pushed her cup away, cutting off her desire to drink. “You really are a pretentious princess.”
Qin Man: "Did you call me here just to make me even more unhappy?"
These words silenced Jiang Xuchi.
He didn't know, but seeing Qin Man in a bad mood made him feel irritable too.
Qin Man, however, seemed to have found an outlet for her emotions, and suddenly her eyes welled up with tears of grievance. "Jiang Xuchi, if you have any conscience at all, don't treat me so badly anymore."
Her lips trembled, and her words were choked with sobs.
Jiang Xuchi was stunned.
Qin Man rarely had such a vulnerable moment. She suppressed all her outward aggression and even begged him to treat her better.
Despite her pride, she never learned to beg for mercy.
"Jiang Xuchi, I'm not happy."
Qin Man let go, hugged herself, and wrapped herself up.
This was an overly self-protective posture; she lowered her head and buried it in her arms.
But Qin Man wouldn't say anything more. She had only revealed her thoughts under the influence of alcohol, and if asked again, she definitely wouldn't say a word.
She is still arrogant at heart, and there are some things she would rather die than say.
a long time.
Jiang Xuchi threw his coat at her and said, "If you've been crying, there's no tissue here. If you don't want to get your clothes dirty, use mine."
Qin Man: "I don't need it."
"So you weren't crying after all."
Qin Man raised her head and glared at him angrily, "Don't look down on me."
Jiang Xuchi leaned closer, carefully examining Qin Man's face, and said slyly, "Indeed, crying doesn't suit you."
Qin Man pushed him away forcefully, and Jiang Xuchi fell back onto the sofa following her force.
He stood with his body completely exposed, his gaze fixed intently on Qin Man.
"Tears are definitely not for you. You're not the type to expose your vulnerability. So why are you hiding there?"
Jiang Xuchi was right, absolutely right, which made Qin Man furious.
"I don't think you'll ever learn how to comfort others."
Anyone can use words to hurt someone.
"I don't need to rush to comfort you."
Qin Man was initially quite depressed, but after being provoked by Jiang Xuchi's few words, all her emotions vanished, leaving only a nameless fire.
She leaned over and grabbed Jiang Xuchi by the collar with one hand, about to lash out, when the door to the private room was opened.
"Brother Chi, come over and have some fun," Xi Yue's voice followed.
Once Xi Yue had a clear view of the situation inside the private room, he whistled, "Did I ruin your plans?"
Startled by his outburst, Qin Man sat up on the sofa, silently picked up the wine glass that Jiang Xuchi had just put away, and drank it down in one gulp.
Jiang Xuchi glanced at Xi Yue, who wisely stepped back and hooked the door shut again.
Qin Man drank one glass after another, and this time Jiang Xuchi didn't stop her. So she didn't know how she got drunk, only that Jiang Xuchi took her home in the end.
The next day, because of a headache, I decided to stay home and didn't go to school.
This leave request lasted for three days.
Surprisingly, Qin Chen had the strongest reaction to Qin Man's leave of absence.
After Qin Chen returned to China, he almost never stayed at home. He would come back occasionally to talk to Qu Lan, but he spent most of his time with Gu Lingqing, and no one knew what he was up to.
That day, Qin Chen went straight home and dragged Qin Man out of her room.
Qin Man was living in a daze, her hair was messy and hanging down to her waist, and she was wearing a wrinkled nightgown.
In the past, Qin Chen would have started mocking her long ago, but today he put on the airs of an older brother and began to seriously educate Qin Man.
"Don't think everything's fine just because you've finished the exams. You haven't passed the last comprehensive assessment yet, so why aren't you going to school?"
Qin Man felt that it was none of Qin Chen's place to lecture her on this matter.
"Would it be useful for me to go? Would I still be able to go to university afterward?"
"Why can't you go to school?" Qin Chen paused, then realized what he meant. "Do you think your family can't even afford your tuition?"
Even if Qin Weiguo becomes a deadbeat and flees abroad, leaving his assets in the red, as long as the company's shareholders are still around and they still need to get money from Qin Weiguo, the company won't fall apart. No matter how dilapidated it is, it will still manage to stay afloat.
So no matter what, money will always come; it's just a matter of how you make it.
Qin Man didn't understand the reasoning behind it, and only felt upset. "Then I want to go to school in America."
"Sure."
Qin Man sneered: "Qin Chen, don't try to fool me."
Qin Chen fell silent. He couldn't explain too much to Qin Man, and there were some things he didn't want her to know, but he had to make her understand that she could still control her own future.
So, unusually, Qin Chen said seriously, "I have money. Whichever school you want to go to, I'll send you there. Don't worry."
In the past, Qin Chen and Qin Man's relationship could be described as irreconcilable, always arguing and bickering, with neither willing to give in.
But when Qin Chen suddenly showed his responsible side as an older brother, Qin Man was the first to be overwhelmed.
She pouted, her tone softening considerably: "But I don't even know what I'm supposed to do."
She was genuinely lost about the future. No one told her what to do. Qu Lan was currently confused and wouldn't guide her. Her own life was also a mess.
Qin Chen sighed.
"Go back to school, I'll talk to the teacher tomorrow."
Qin Man felt a little relieved by Qin Chen's words. She wiped away her tears and went to school the next day.
This time, Qin Chen didn't lie to Qin Man. He went to school and met with the teacher, waiting until Qin Man finished school before the conversation ended.
Qin Man didn't know what he talked about with the teacher, but she felt somewhat at ease. No matter what the future held, she would always have family.
The two were walking towards the school gate.
“Your birthday is in a few days. Mommy and I will throw you a coming-of-age ceremony. You can do whatever you want,” Qin Chen said.
Qin Man had imagined how lavish and grand her coming-of-age ceremony would be. Hearing Qin Chen say this, she asked, "Really? You'll really hold one for me?"
Even now, she would never accept a shabby 18th birthday celebration.
Therefore, upon hearing Qin Chen say this, she couldn't help but have expectations.
Qin Chen nodded, "You can book any restaurant in Chengxi Garden."
"Qin Chen, you're doing a great job living off a woman!"
"You brat, watch your words."
Qin Man asked, "What about my gift?"
"Of course there won't be any shortage."
Qin Man couldn't help but smile, skipping and hopping along beside Qin Chen.
Her emotions affected Qin Chen, and this time Qin Chen, unusually, did not laugh at her. He would agree to whatever Qin Man asked for.
It wasn't until Qin Chen saw the necklace hanging around Qin Man's neck that things changed.
He stopped in his tracks.
Qin Man sensed something was wrong: "What's wrong?"
Who bought you your necklace?
Qin Man subconsciously reached out and touched the pendant on her collarbone.
Oh no, Qin Chen actually noticed this.
"Did Gu Lingqing buy this for you?"
"……no."
Qin Man has been arrogant since childhood and has never had an environment where she needed to lie, so she simply doesn't know how to lie, and her guilty conscience is written all over her face.
Qin Chen asked again, "Where did the necklace come from?"
"..."
Qin Man did not answer.
"Tell me the truth."
Qin Man steeled her heart, raised her face, and roared at Qin Chen, "You were dead in New Zealand for three years, doing nothing, and now that you're back, you're meddling in everything. How dare you tell me what to do?!"
Qin Chen raised an eyebrow and remained silent.
He crossed his arms and looked at her, his impatient, roguish air gradually emanating from his bones, no longer the kind older brother he had been a moment before.
Upon seeing this, Qin Man immediately cowered, her arrogance vanished instantly, and she stared at Qin Chen with a tense expression.
Qin Chen snorted coldly. His all-seeing gaze stirred up Qin Man's memories of being suppressed by Qin Chen since childhood.
Qin Man has never been able to go against Qin Chen's wishes since she was a child. If she doesn't tell him the truth, he will find out sooner or later.
Who knows what terrible things might happen then?
But she remained deathly silent.
"Looks like you're not going to tell me," Qin Chen said slowly. "You just wait."
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