Dazzling

Throughout the entire summer vacation, Qing Ye had been pushing herself relentlessly. She divided her time efficiently, simultaneously preparing for several certification exams she would face after entering her sophomore year, which nearly consumed her entire summer.

Xie Qianqian seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth all summer, while Sun Wanjing frequently invited Qing Ye out to coffee shops or bookstores, where they would spend entire afternoons. However, they mostly kept to themselves, each focused on their own tasks.

As for Qu Bing, she occasionally called Qing Ye for casual chats. Qing Ye heard that Qu Bing's cousin had been directly admitted to the prestigious Y Class at Q University. Qing Ye couldn't help but exclaim, "What kind of celestial beings are you Qu family members?"

This class had always been a breeding ground for top-tier computer science talents in China. Half of the nation's elite were at Q University, and half of Q University's elite were in Y Class. How exceptional was this class? Undoubtedly, it represented the pinnacle of computer science programs in China. With only about 50 spots available each year, two-thirds were filled by students with provincial recommendations and national competition winners. The remaining spots, available through secondary selection, were taken by top scorers from various provinces—truly an extraordinary gathering. When Qing Ye first entered university, she heard about a senior from the previous year who, before even graduating, was spotted by a major domestic company offering an annual salary of 2 million yuan to recruit him. The senior turned it down without batting an eye. Thus, this concentration of top students maintained an aloof and unapproachable aura that outsiders could hardly comprehend.

Qu Bing also mentioned that her cousin's admission to Y Class was celebrated with three days of feasting. However, her cousin said there were even more remarkable students in their cohort: 38 were from national training teams in mathematics, physics, and informatics, fewer than 10 were admitted through independent recruitment, and four got in purely through exam scores. Among these four, one had already received a preferential admission policy with lowered score requirements after submitting application materials, but their raw exam scores were high enough to make the policy unnecessary—simply outstanding.

Over the phone, the two marveled at how the new generation surpassed the old, acknowledging that such juniors were truly formidable.

It wasn't until late August, when Qu Bing returned from her hometown, that Qing Ye suddenly realized school was about to start—she was already a sophomore.

Qu Bing had arrived a few days early, not by choice but because her cousin needed to report early. Thus, Qu Bing had to accompany him like a mother hen, running various errands. On registration day, she even escorted him to his dorm as a family member.

But after dropping her cousin off at the dorm, Qu Bing went crazy. She immediately called Qing Ye, raving about one of her cousin's roommates, saying she could admire his looks for a lifetime. However, just a month earlier, Qu Bing had said the same thing about a groomsman at her mother's friend's son's wedding, so Qing Ye didn't take it seriously.

Qing Ye was the last in her dorm to return to school; the others had gotten back into the swing of things several days earlier.

Qu Bing brought local specialties from her hometown for everyone. Surprisingly, two days later, she was still obsessing over her cousin's roommate. Through her eager inquiries, she learned that this exceptionally handsome roommate was the remarkable student who had received the preferential admission policy during the secondary selection. Rumor had it he already had completed internet project achievements, and during the results presentation, his comprehensive evaluation score secured him immediate approval, making him the well-deserved potential standout of their cohort.Qu Bing asked the other girls in the dorm if they were interested. It was said that this newly arrived junior had already caught many people's attention, and recently many had been asking her about him. If anyone in the dorm had ideas, she could prioritize internal resources—export turned domestic.

Sun Wanjing, adhering to her principle of not dating before senior year, didn’t plan to engage. Xie Qianqian wasn’t uninterested in men, but she didn’t quite trust Qu Bing’s taste. For instance, the several fresh-faced idols Qu Bing fangirled over, claiming they had god-tier looks, didn’t appeal to Xie at all. So she cut straight to the point: "Besides looks?"

Qing Ye added coolly, "Give us one irrefutable reason."

Qu Bing struggled for a long time before saying, "He has a lot of hair."

"..." The group burst into laughter. After all, the guys in the computer science department saw their hair volume decrease alarmingly as they aged, so having thick hair could basically be considered an advantage that trumped everything else.

Xie Qianqian conceded defeat, saying she’d divorce her fiancé when she got back and would discuss good resources later.

The other three noticed that since becoming sophomores, this girl’s knack for shocking statements had only grown—she could crack jokes without changing her expression, even bringing up a "fiancé" out of nowhere.

The next day, Qu Bing said her cousin insisted on treating her to a meal to fulfill his duties as a local host and also seek advice from the seniors on survival tips at Q University.

Qu Bing agreed readily, saying she’d treat but only if he brought his roommates along. She then dragged her dormmates to this new semester social party with the Y-class juniors.

Except for Xie Qianqian, who had prior commitments and really couldn’t go, Qing Ye, though not keen on attending after being out all day, felt obliged since it was Qu Bing’s cousin and he’d just arrived in Beijing—she should at least give Qu Bing face.

They agreed to meet at Q University’s west gate at 6 p.m. Qing Ye had met up with her high school classmates at Xidan that afternoon and left at five, planning to return to the dorm to freshen up before heading out with the others. But as luck would have it, she ran into the long-unseen Lawyer Jiang.

Lawyer Jiang was still as suave as ever. Seeing Qing Ye, he enthusiastically asked, "How have you been lately, little sister?"

Qing Ye deliberately replied, "You have the nerve to ask me?"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Bo awkwardly said, "I advised your dad. I never thought he’d directly approach Xing Wu. My apologies."

The next second, Qing Ye’s pupils dilated in disbelief as she stared at him. "What did you say?"

...

When Qing Ye heard that her dad had sought out Xing Wu, her mind went blank. Countless emotions surged through her heart like a tidal wave. Without another word, she rushed straight to Qing Hongzhi’s company.

The fury made her expression terrifyingly grim the whole way. No wonder the folks from Zhazha Pavilion had seemed to vanish collectively lately—even Pang Hu hadn’t contacted her since arriving in Beijing.

She stormed into Qing Hongzhi’s office in one breath. Qing Hongzhi was discussing matters with a subordinate but, seeing Qing Ye’s dark expression, asked the colleague to step out.

As soon as the person left, Qing Ye tossed her bag onto the sofa and said, "I thought you’d at least talk to me first."

Seeing her aggressive demeanor, Qing Hongzhi had already guessed why she’d come. Unhurriedly, he lifted the teacup lid and blew on the floating tea leaves. "Some things can be discussed; others I don’t think need discussion."

"Why?"Qing Hongzhi placed the teacup lid on the dark wooden table, his tone indifferent as he said, "Just like this complete set of rosewood furniture of mine—if you forcibly shove in a particle board stool, do you think it fits? Maybe a coat of paint makes it look beautiful, but in the end, it won’t last. Do I really need to teach you this principle?"

Qing Ye’s chest heaved violently, her eyes blazing as if they could spit fire. She stared unwaveringly at Qing Hongzhi and said coldly, "What did you do to him?"

"What could I do? I merely played the part of a worried old father and explained this principle to him as well."

Qing Ye knew her father all too well—it would never be as simple as just explaining. If he wanted to, he could use the gentlest words to deliver the most hurtful remarks.

The thought of him seeking out Xing Wu made her entire heart tremble. Step by step, she closed in on Qing Hongzhi, planting both hands firmly on his rosewood desk as she stared at him aggressively. "And then?"

Qing Hongzhi looked at his daughter’s eyes, which seemed capable of dripping blood, and a trace of mockery suddenly appeared on his face. "And then? Since you already know, I’ll be straightforward with you. I’ve taken care of this matter for you. I proposed that as long as he stops interfering with your life, I could give him a consolation payment. I was even prepared, out of respect for Li Lanfang, to offer him 500,000 to let them live peacefully in the county town. But as soon as I mentioned 200,000, he agreed without hesitation, as if afraid the cooked duck would fly away.

Look—open your eyes wide and take a good look. What do you even see in him? In his eyes, you’re only worth 200,000. The young man may look tough, but he’s got high ambitions and shallow capabilities—utterly lacking in integrity."

Qing Ye froze for a moment, suddenly recalling that inexplicable 200,000 from early July. The anger on her face melted away as she burst into laughter. Qing Hongzhi, who had been fuming, frowned at his daughter’s unusual behavior and asked, "What are you laughing at?""

Qing Ye’s laughter only grew, to the point where it seemed she couldn’t stop. She slowly straightened up, squinting her eyes as she said, "Dad, I never realized how adorable you could be."

Qing Hongzhi stared at her with a deeply furrowed brow.

Qing Ye had already walked back to the sofa, picked up her small bag, and remarked sarcastically, "200,000 really is a bit low, Dad. Next time something like this happens, you should do it like they do on TV—pull out a check and write 100 million right off the bat. Only then can you truly reflect your daughter’s worth. How could you even bring yourself to offer 200,000? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you?"

With that, she opened the door and, before leaving, turned back to add, "Oh, and I won’t be home for dinner tonight."

The more Qing Hongzhi thought about Qing Ye’s reaction, the more something felt off. He stood up and asked, "Where are you going?"

"To have dinner with classmates," she replied, then slung her bag over her shoulder and left.

Before she had even left her father’s company, Qu Bing called to hurry her along. Qing Ye explained she had been tied up earlier but was on her way now, suggesting they head to the restaurant first and just send her the location.

Qu Bing said it was fine to wait for her a bit and urged her to rush over as if flying.Qing Ye had been so enraged earlier that she temporarily forgot about the dinner gathering with her juniors. In truth, her mood had been complicated ever since leaving Qing Hongzhi's company. Her father had gone behind her back to contact Xing Wu, and Xing Wu hadn't told her about it. Even though he'd returned the money to her, he'd done it through Du Qiyan—was he really determined to cut ties completely? This whole situation left Qing Ye feeling somewhat humiliated and furious.

If it weren't for Qu Bing bombarding her with message after message, she would have called Xing Wu right then to demand what he meant by all this.

She hopped out of the taxi and sprinted toward the west gate. The early September weather was still sweltering, and she was dressed in a short-sleeved trendy T-shirt paired with high-waisted wide-leg trousers that flowed elegantly with her movements. Tall and slender, she carried a bit of August's fiery energy.

By the time she reached the west gate, sweat beaded on the tip of her nose. From a distance, she spotted a group of people standing to the side of the gate. Qu Bing waved at her, and Qing Ye hurried over, slightly out of breath, and began, "Sorry, I had something come up last minute—"

Qing Ye's words cut off abruptly. A gentle breeze played with her long hair as the setting sun cast a reddish glow over the green-brick-and-white-pillar archway. They stood beneath the arched entrance, and Qing Ye's eyes suddenly widened, her jaw dropping in shock. She stared blankly at the crowd behind Qu Bing, where a tall, lean man stood. He wore a crisp white short-sleeved shirt and clean khaki casual pants, his chestnut-brown hair styled neatly. A pair of refined thin-rimmed glasses sat on his nose bridge, and a shy, faint smile touched his lips.

At that moment, only one thought crossed Qing Ye's mind: Had a long-lost twin brother with a vibe completely opposite to Xing Wu's suddenly materialized on the other side of the map?

She even took a frightened step back. Qu Bing, seeing her horrified expression the moment she arrived, awkwardly stepped in front of her and whispered under her breath, "I told you he was handsome, but did you have to be so dramatic? You look like you've never seen a man before. Calm down! Where's your composure?"

Qu Bing's younger brother had already walked over, smiling. "You must be Qing Ye? Hi, I'm Qu Bing's brother, Qu Xing."

Qing Ye's face remained frozen; she couldn't even manage to form an expression. Her gaze was still fixed intently on the person behind Qu Bing. To make matters worse, the sunset glinted off his glasses, creating a glare that made it hard for her to see the look in his eyes behind the lenses.

Qu Xing, seeing Qing Ye's reaction to his roommate—which was even more exaggerated than his sister's—immediately revised his perception of the women at Q University. Weren't they supposed to be aloof? Why did they all act like wolves spotting prey at the sight of a man? And without even trying to hide it? Were they really this blunt?

Smirking to himself, he pulled the man behind him forward and introduced him to Qing Ye. "This is my roommate—"

As the glare faded from the glasses, the man's deep, enigmatic gaze unexpectedly locked with Qing Ye's. A subtle, inscrutable smile curled at his lips as he extended his hand toward her. "Xing Wu."