Chapter 18
He didn't even glance at her, urging her on.
Looking at his cold profile, Wen Chuqing felt a chill and resentment rise from her feet to the top of her head. With trembling hands, she unbuckled her seatbelt and was practically kicked out of the car by him.
The moment her feet touched the puddle, the icy rain instantly soaked through her thin dress and hair. Before she could even steady herself, the car door slammed shut behind her, and the black Bentley disappeared from her sight without hesitation, leaving only the crimson glow of its taillights.
Wen Chuqing stood alone in the torrential rain, letting the rain pelt her. She stared blankly as Fu Yanzhi's car disappeared into the rain, still clinging to a shameful hope that Qin Shuyi might be in trouble. After all, she was his ex-girlfriend, and Fu Yanzhi, being so gentle, would surely not abandon her.
Not far away, in the back seat of a Rolls-Royce that was slowly following behind, Jiang Minghua clearly saw this scene through the windshield wipers. Her face was expressionless, but when she saw the face that looked exactly like Jiang Mingjia's, her fingers tightened slightly. This damned plot was disgusting.
Plus sign: [The angst is currently at 5% progress. According to the plot, Han Yun Chu should be coming to catch Wen Chu Qing now, and then feeling incredibly sorry for her.]
Just after issuing the task, Jiahao noticed that Jiang Minghua's mood was a bit off. Jiang Minghua looked at Wen Chuqing, who was soaked to the bone by the roadside, and hallucinated that she was Jiang Mingjia. Her eyes gradually became moist.
Following the storyline means she has to watch Wen Chuqing, with Jiang Mingjia's face, be physically and mentally abused. How could she bear that?
【What should I do, Jiajia?】Although Jiahao doesn't admit that she is Jiang Mingjia, Jiang Minghua still calls her by her nickname.
Plus sign: [She is not Jiang Mingjia, although they look the same. Host, calm down.]
Jiang Minghua shifted her gaze from Wen Chuqing and, with the help of the system, dialed Han Yunchu's number.
"Han Yunchu, this is Jiang Minghua. I'm in the small forest on the west side of the suburbs. Please come quickly and bring Wen Chuqing back."
On the other side of the city, inside a penthouse apartment.
Han Yun Chu had just finished showering, and the air was still filled with warm steam. A towel was loosely tied around his waist, outlining his slender waist and defined V-line. He casually picked up a white towel and dried his neat short hair. Drops of water, still damp, trickled down his bulging chest and well-defined abs before disappearing completely.
When his phone rang, he answered it casually. Hearing Jiang Minghua's voice, he paused slightly, his brow furrowing unconsciously. How did she know his private number?
"Wen Chuqing?" He repeated the name softly, his tone utterly bewildered. In this torrential rain, he was being asked to pick up a stranger? It was utterly absurd.
So he casually tossed his phone onto the soft sofa and sank into the comfortable rocking chair, but then he heard Jiang Minghua's voice in his ears.
Hmm, did he just mishear? Otherwise, why did it sound like Jiang Minghua was crying? The thought of Jiang Minghua's cold and aloof face shedding tears made Han Yun Chu feel extremely uncomfortable.
Ugh, this is so annoying. Han Yun Chu haphazardly dried her hair, changed out of her bathrobe, grabbed her car keys, and headed out.
Han Yun Chu quickly arrived at the place Jiang Ming Hua had mentioned, and sure enough, she found Wen Chu Qing, whom Jiang Ming Hua had mentioned, in the pouring rain. However, there was a bus stop right next to her. Was this girl crazy? Standing in the rain like this, acting out a melodramatic scene?
Han Yunchu looked around but didn't see Jiang Minghua. Not seeing the person he wanted to see, a barely perceptible sense of disappointment flashed across his eyes. He then started the engine and brought the car to a steady stop in front of Wen Chuqing.
The car window slowly rolled down, and the sound of rain mixed with the damp air rushed into the car.
"Wen Chuqing?" His voice was calm. "Jiang Minghua asked me to pick you up."
The girl standing in the rain looked up, her wet bangs plastered to her forehead, making her look like a wilted blade of grass. Hearing the familiar name, her dim eyes finally lit up, and she reached out to open the passenger door.
Han Yunchu reached out to stop him, saying, "Excuse me, this seat is reserved for my future girlfriend."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Wen Chuqing's face. She whispered an apology and lowered her head, burying her face in the back seat like an ostrich.
Han Yunchu glanced at Wen Chuqing, who was pale-faced, in the rearview mirror. She was very well-behaved, but not his type. Why would Jiang Minghua call him her simp? If it came to looks, he preferred Jiang Minghua's bright and beautiful appearance.
Noticing Han Yun Chu's gaze, Wen Chu Qing looked up and saw Han Yun Chu's beautiful peach blossom eyes in the rearview mirror. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away.
After picking up Wen Chuqing, Han Yunchu called Jiang Minghua to ask where to take her. However, the call was disconnected after only a few rings.
Han Yun Chu: ...
Han Yun Chu almost laughed in anger when he thought of Jiang Ming Hua's previous thoughts. So, it was all because of them creating opportunities for each other again. Was he really that kind of shameless person, eagerly becoming someone's lapdog? And did Jiang Ming Hua have some kind of masochistic tendency, insisting on picking up other people's leftovers?
"Wen, where are you taking me?"
"Xijing 535 Hospital, thank you for your help."
"Hmm." Han Yun Chu's expression was indifferent as he turned the steering wheel without looking to the side.
The only sound along the way was the rhythmic swishing of the windshield wipers. When they arrived at the hospital entrance, Wen Chuqing looked at her still-dripped clothes, hesitated, worried that her grandmother would fret, and then felt too embarrassed to speak:
"Could you please take me to another place?"
Han Yun Chu glanced at her indifferently, unlocked her phone screen, pulled up the payment code, and handed it to her.
"Of course, please pay the fifty yuan fare first." After a pause, he added an advertising slogan: "Dudu Designated Driver, going wherever you want to go."
Wen Chuqing:...
That evening, Jiang Minghua suddenly received a message from Wen Chuqing on her phone:
[Minghua, next time I can take the bus back by myself. Dudu ride-hailing is too expensive for me.]
Jiang Minghua: ?
At Eton Norland International Academy, physical education classes are generally held in the same gymnasium for both regular and elite students. The difference lies in the equipment and facilities used.
Today, Wen Chuqing's regular class and Qin Shuyi's elite class happened to clash.
This lesson was also a swimming demonstration lesson, and Qin Shuyi, who had just returned from overseas training, undoubtedly became the model for the class.
At this moment, Qin Shuyi emerged from the pool in a professional competitive swimsuit, water droplets sliding down her healthy, wheat-colored skin. She took a towel handed to her by someone and casually dried her wet, short hair, her eyes confident and bright, carrying a sharpness honed by long-term training.
A number of swimming team members and students who had come after hearing the news surrounded her, cheering for her return to school after many days. Fu Yanzhi also stood aside, looking at Qin Shuyi with a complex expression, showing concern, appreciation, and a hint of barely perceptible daze.
Qin Shuyi also saw Wen Chuqing who had just entered. The two women did look alike, but Qin Shuyi felt like she had seen her somewhere before. Her gaze lingered on Wen Chuqing for a moment, and a half-smile appeared on her lips.
Holding a towel, he walked straight towards Wen Chuqing, his tone friendly, but his voice loud enough for everyone around to hear:
"You must be Wen Chuqing, right? Yanzhi often mentions you on the phone, saying that you and I look a lot alike. Now that I see you, we really do look alike. We're like twins."
She emphasized the words "looks alike," then flashed a bright, unreserved smile and extended her hand.
"Thank you for keeping Yanzhi company during this time. I've been so busy with training, so I'm very grateful to have you here."
The poolside fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on Wen Chuqing. The intimacy and implications in her words were like an invisible needle, piercing all the pink bubbles and self-comfort Wen Chuqing had built up over the past few days.
Wen Chuqing's face instantly drained of color. Standing there, she felt as if she had been stripped naked and exposed to everyone's gaze, even her fingertips were cold.
Seeing this, Jiang Minghua subtly moved her feet, protecting Wen Chuqing behind her. She looked up to meet Qin Shuyi's seemingly innocent face, a half-smile curving her lips.
"Qin has brought glory to the country; the overseas training must have been tough." Her voice was soft, yet every word was clear. "However, the word 'substitute' wasn't quite accurate."
She tilted her head slightly, glancing at Wen Chuqing's slightly pale profile out of the corner of her eye, her tone calm yet carrying a protective weight:
"Our Chuqing is very busy lately. She has to prepare for final exams and work part-time. She really doesn't have time to help anyone."
Qin Shuyi's smile froze slightly.
Jiang Minghua took a half-step forward unhurriedly, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Fu Yanzhi behind Qin Shuyi:
"If you have time, Qin, you should really keep an eye on the people around you. Don't let some of them cry and beg for a body double when they're drunk. If word gets out, people will think that getting into your wealthy family is so easy—just get a face like Qin's and you'll be set for life."
Something seemed to suddenly tighten in the air. Qin Shuyi maintained her polite smile, but her fingertips had already subtly dug into her palms.
Actually, Jiang Minghua originally wanted to say something even harsher, but when she looked at Qin Shuyi's face, which looked so much like Jiang Mingjia's, she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
Jiang Minghua: [Jiajia, is it really impossible to keep Wen Chuqing's shell and replace the body with my former best friend? I'm the daughter of a billionaire now, we can live a carefree life.]
Plus sign: [No, this won't work, host.]
Jiang Mingjia sighed. "Wait a little longer, Minghua. I'll come find you once I've completely replaced the boss of the Transmigration Bureau."
Qin Shuyi's gaze fell on Jiang Minghua's custom-made class uniform, a style unique to aristocratic classes, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Her memory was good, yet she had no recollection of the bright, unfamiliar face before her.
When did this person get into our class?
As she was wondering to herself, Liu Qingya, the class beauty, approached lightly, took her arm affectionately, and pressed her red lips to her ear.
After a flurry of whispers, the initial doubt in Qin Shuyi's eyes receded like a tide, replaced by an undisguised contempt. She nodded knowingly, and when her gaze returned to Jiang Minghua, it held a condescending scrutiny. A mocking smile curved her lips, and her voice, though soft, was clear enough:
"Oh, so you're a nouveau riche from Xijing?"
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