Chapter 58
Chapter 58
During her student years, mainly in elementary and junior high school, Shen Qingyuan enjoyed mystery novels and read many classic works from both China and abroad.
"Well, it's a mystery/puzzle story. It's kind of interesting."
Xie Xinglan's eyes lit up even more. "Oh, I like this type of book too. Whose books do you like to read, sister?"
"I watched Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Edogawa Ranpo when I was a kid, but I haven't watched them much in many years."
Xie Xinglan nodded vigorously, "I also like the Sherlock Holmes series. I was fascinated by it when I was a child! I have a few deluxe editions at home. I'll have someone send one over to give to my doctor sister."
"Thank you, but no need. I don't read novels anymore."
...
The two of them chatted back and forth, seemingly finding common ground. Ye Chuyang glanced at Xiao Chao with a hint of envy and asked, "Romance novels are quite interesting... aren't they? Don't young people these days even care about romance anymore?"
"Yang-ge's love-obsessed nature is confirmed." Xiao Chao stopped cutting his meat and chuckled foolishly. "It's a pity he hasn't been in a relationship yet."
Ye Chuyang coldly said, "Shut up, you can't even shut up while eating."
Xiao Chao wasn't offended. He turned to Shen Qingyuan and winked, "Sister Shen, was Brother Yang like this back in high school too?"
Shen Qingyuan wiped her mouth, glanced at Xiao Chao, and asked, "What?"
"He's too love-struck and doesn't have much luck with the opposite sex."
The child is recklessly flirting with death.
Xie Xinglan perked up upon hearing this, "What, did you and Brother Liao know each other back in high school?"
Xiao Chao: "The two of them were high school classmates."
Xie Xinglan's eyes widened. He already had big eyes, and when he stared, they looked like bright, shiny copper bells.
Xie Xinglan: "Hey high school classmate, beautiful sister! Tell us about Liao Ge's childhood. Preferably the kind of story we can use against him later!"
"Yeah, Sister Shen, we want to hear Brother Liao's love stories from his student days," Xiao Chao continued to urge.
Shen Qingyuan glanced at Ye Chuyang, her expression a half-smile.
"You really want to hear it?"
"I really want to hear it!" The path to becoming a top star is something even paparazzi struggle to uncover. Getting firsthand information would be fantastic!
Before Shen Qingyuan could speak, Ye Chuyang became anxious, "I don't have any story, please don't make things difficult for Dr. Shen."
"ah!"
"Huh?"
Both of them egged him on, saying, "Brother, you're feeling guilty!"
Xie Xinglan grinned mischievously, "Doctor, don't be afraid to tell the truth because of your boss's intimidation. I also need a private doctor, especially one as talented and elegant as you."
The young man has a really charming way of speaking.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed on Shen Qingyuan, waiting for her to speak.
Although Shen Qingyuan is aloof, she is not always lacking in enthusiasm and creative pranks.
Shen Qingyuan: "Actually, back in high school, Ye Chuyang..."
"Shen Qingyuan, you're not allowed to say anything." The person involved was speaking out, taking advantage of the boss's power.
In this situation, Shen Qingyuan felt it was inappropriate to reveal other people's privacy, and wanted to just give a few perfunctory words to get through it, saying that they weren't very familiar with each other, that the school had eight prohibitions, and that no one dared to break the rules.
But...now!
Hmph.
Shen Qingyuan: "When Ye Chuyang was in high school, I heard that he had a girl he liked."
His face was filled with excitement.
Xiao Chao: "Sister Chen, have you seen her? Is she pretty?" Straight men like him, this is the first thing they care about.
"I guess I've met her before, she's from the class next door. We're not very close. She's pretty..." Shen Qingyuan hesitated, "She's alright, I guess."
She was very careful with her words. Women are naturally more critical of each other's appearances. Perhaps because most people in Shen Qingyuan's family are good-looking, she never felt that anyone was particularly concerned about appearances growing up.
Ye Chuyang relaxed a little; Dr. Shen's ability to fabricate stories on the spot was truly impressive. How could he not know the girl he liked in high school? They saw each other every day.
Xiao Chao: "So, is Yang Ge (Brother Yang) back together with his ex-sister-in-law?"
Xiao Chao was a distant relative of the Ye family, the son of Su Qin's cousin. He had never heard of such a thing before, so he was particularly curious.
Former... sister-in-law...
Shen Qingyuan was slightly taken aback. This word... was really quite inexplicable.
"No, I guess." After all, she had used the phrase "I heard" before, so she couldn't be too absolute and make herself seem like the most inquisitive person in the class. "We have eight prohibitions in our high school, one of which is that dating is forbidden."
She glanced at Xie Xinglan. ABC, of course, didn't understand the eight prohibitions of high schools in small cities.
The child was indeed confused, "There's such a regulation? Is it legal?"
It's probably not entirely legal, but it fits the general social climate. Shen Qingyuan's generation was caught in the baby boom, and everywhere was overcrowded; how could they survive without engaging in illegal activities?
Parents who love their children plan for their long-term future. They believe children should suppress some of their natural instincts first, and only start dating and having children after they have a stable job. She agreed with this back then. Whether love is just a side issue in life is something adults see most clearly.
Shen Qingyuan: "Back then, no one pursued this issue; parents were hoping the school would be stricter."
Xiao Chao, also from Chenyang, nodded in deep agreement. He was a late bloomer, unlike his distant cousin who matured early. He didn't feel that these kinds of rules caused him any loss.
Xie Xinglan sighed, almost shedding crocodile tears, and lamented, "Brother Liao is so pitiful. One of my biggest motivations for going to middle school was dating pretty girls."
Ye Chuyang joined the conversation, shrugging, "Our school expelled a couple back then just because they took a set of wedding photos." That left a deep impression; I've remembered it for ten years.
Xie Xinglan: "This is too oppressive. If it were me, I would definitely hire a lawyer and sue the school. If they don't want me here, I'll find somewhere else. What right do they have to violate my basic human rights?"
"..."
Xiao Chao said, "Stop interrupting, let Sister Chen continue." Xiao Chao has no concept of class; no matter what kind of big star or rising star you are, just say whatever you want.
Xie Xinglan didn't take it to heart and kept quiet for the time being.
Everyone listened attentively to Shen Qingyuan's next secret.
Shen Qingyuan: "It's over!"
That's it?
That doesn't follow the rules of drama. Shouldn't there be resistance or conflict?
Xie Xinglan: "Does that girl not like Liao Ge, or is it simply because of the school's ban? It's kind of like Romeo and Juliet..."
“Maybe it’s a combination of both,” Shen Qingyuan tried to salvage the situation. “They’re just teenagers, what do they know about love and romance? They’ll forget about it in a few days. It’s more important to study hard and get into a good university.”
At this moment, a voice in Shen Qingyuan's mind said, "Even if you get into a good university, things are still like this." Her life experience seems to support the argument that studying is useless.
Xiao Chao and Xie Xinglan exchanged a glance, both agreeing that there must be more details. The reason Dr. Shen couldn't explain it was because she didn't know enough. She herself had said she had only "heard" about it.
Xie Xinglan: "The doctor sister looks like the kind of honest, studious person. Her teenage romance must have been unforgettable, right, Liao-ge?"
Ye Chuyang didn't say anything. He was being attacked so closely by these guys, and since he was powerless to stop them, he could only smile helplessly.
"So even top idol Su Liao gets rejected by girls!" Xiao Chao said thoughtfully. "That girl must be regretting it to death right now!"
His unintentional question was tantamount to interrogating the person involved, which was quite dramatic. So much so that Ye Chuyang choked and almost spat his water onto the table.
"Brother Yang has nothing now. If that girl had been with Brother Yang back then, even if it was just a secret relationship, wouldn't she be sitting on mountains of gold and silver by now?"
Ye Chuyang tossed her head and snorted, "That's true." Her arrogant posture was just like that of a peacock spreading its tail feathers.
Xie Xinglan narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so. How old is the doctor this year?"
Shen Qingyuan answered honestly, "Twenty-eight."
"Twenty-eight is good, he's exactly three years older than me."
Ye Chuyang looked at him with disdain. What did Shen Qingyuan's age have to do with this kid?
Xie Xinglan: "It's been about ten years since you guys went to high school. Ten years is enough time for me to have twenty girlfriends. Now, if you ask me to recall my high school girlfriends, I can't even remember if it was Lucy or Linda."
"Brother Xie, you're a true Casanova!" Xiao Chao clapped his hands in admiration. "But don't let your fans know about this."
Xie Xinglan grinned, "They know that. Although I have many girlfriends, I am very loyal in every relationship."
Xiao Chao was quite amazed by this kind of character portrayal and didn't say anything more.
Shen Qingyuan continued, "Yes, too many things have changed in ten years, so there's nothing to regret. Even if you do regret it... it won't change anything."
She answered Xiao Chao's question herself. This time, she wasn't drunk.
With its neck stiffened, it was stubborn and defiant.
Xiao Chao was indignant on Ye Chuyang's behalf, "Exactly! Regret is useless now. A good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed! Brother Yang has so many choices now, right, Brother Yang?"
As if by some strange twist of fate, Shen Qingyuan looked up at Ye Chuyang and their eyes met.
"That year you were radiant, and I was filled with self-doubt..." Xie Xinglan sighed, and surprisingly began humming a pop song. Her voice was clear and melodious, and although there was no musical accompaniment, it was very pleasant to listen to.
Fortunately, the private rooms offered good privacy, and no guests complained.
What can regret change? Ye Chuyang actually wanted to ask this question, but he couldn't bring himself to say it in front of Xie Xinglan and Xiao Chao, who were like third wheels.
After dinner, Xie Xinglan wanted to meet up with some friends, saying she had plans to go to karaoke and wanted to invite the three of them to come along. Young people really have a lot of energy.
Ye Chuyang declined, as he had filming scheduled for tomorrow and needed to go back and rest.
Xie Xinglan smiled and said, "Doctor, come play with us! We're all good friends, it'll be a lot of fun."
He invited Shen Qingyuan, but didn't specifically ask Xiao Chao to come along, implicitly acknowledging that Xiao Chao would have to go back and take care of Ye Chuyang.
Ye Chuyang's eyes darkened.
Shen Qingyuan smiled and shook her head: "Thank you, but I have other plans for tonight."
The other person responded with two "ohs," their disappointment visibly evident. "May I ask what the arrangements are?"
I don't know if he was just being naive or simply thick-skinned, but asking such a question, especially to someone you're meeting for the first time, is really a bit presumptuous.
"Reading," she replied.
Three pairs of eyes turned to Shen Qingyuan. These days, it's rare to see young people who spend their nights reading.
Xie Xinglan was deeply shocked. He was a natural-born "e" person. He took a few steps forward and took Shen Qingyuan's hands without any difficulty, saying, "Sister, I like you and your hobbies."
Shen Qingyuan's body language stiffened slightly, and she paused for a few seconds before replying, "Thank you."
It had been a long time since she had met such a passionate and outgoing boy. Perhaps due to the different cultural atmosphere, Shen Qingyuan did not feel offended by the sudden physical contact.
You can't exactly say, "I like you too, and I like your hobbies."
Xie Xinglan, still wanting more, opened her arms, intending to give Shen Qingyuan a farewell hug. Unexpectedly, someone grabbed the back of her neck.
Behind them, Ye Chuyang "thoughtfully" reminded them, "Your friend must be getting impatient, let's get going!"
On the way back, Ye Chuyang mentioned, seemingly casually, "Xie Xinglan is quite a troublemaker. I'm sorry if he bothered you, Dr. Chen."
After all, he's his friend.
Shen Qingyuan turned her gaze back from the window and smiled faintly: "It's alright, Mr. Xie is quite adorable."
cute?
The green neon lights outside the window flashed by, and a deep green light reflected in someone's eyes.
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