Wen, the academic underdog, had no idea that Xie Qian, the two-lifetime academic prodigy, was planning to bring his mother and join her in Rongcheng!
Wen was currently tackling her chemistry exam, aiming for an 80.
Having conquered math and physics, chemistry was her last hurdle. She didn’t need stellar scores—just enough to pass the provincial key school entrance exam.
This time, Detective Luo didn’t let her down, quickly uncovering the link between Zhao Dong and Cai Youlun.
Cai Youlun’s wife was a Zhao, and though Zhao Dong’s family had been abroad for years, upon returning, they reconnected with distant clan members.
By clan hierarchy, Cai’s wife was Zhao Dong’s distant cousin—not close by blood.
Zhao Dong’s return and donations had made local news, and Luo followed the trail to confirm his prior contact with Cai Youlun.
Why Cai helped Zhao? Simple: money. Cai, who’d made his fortune running a brick factory, wanted to break into bigger, more respectable business but lacked connections. Enter Zhao Dong, a returning overseas businessman and his wife’s distant cousin—naturally, Cai latched on.
Cai fawned over Zhao, though Zhao had previously dismissed such small-time operators, as Cai offered no business advantage.
To deal with Wen without alerting Xie Qian, Zhao tapped Cai, whose connection to him was obscure.
Few knew of their tie—least of all a teenage girl like Wen, who’d struggle to trace the scheme.
Zhao didn’t expect that 16-year-old Wen housed a 31-year-old soul, wise to adult tactics.
Without a targeted investigation, finding the mastermind was tough. But once Wen zeroed in, their link was undeniable.
Luo was impressive!
Wen didn’t skimp on praise, boosting Luo’s confidence—he stood taller.
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
“What can I do? Let it simmer!” Wen shrugged.
Luo panicked. “You’re doing nothing?”
Why rush him to investigate then?
The emperor wasn’t worried, but the errand-runner was frantic.
Wen countered, “Has Zhao done anything concrete? He’s Cai’s distant relative—can’t Cai support my uncle?”
If Cai was cozying up to Zhao and Wen confronted him, Cai would deny it.
Zhao would too.
Right now, Wen knew Zhao was behind Shu Guobing, but Zhao didn’t know he’d been exposed—an advantage for her.
She was genuinely curious: what was Zhao’s game?
Funding Shu Guobing to compete with her—then what?
Wen couldn’t grasp Zhao’s logic.
Luo saw it now: he was the only one stressing. Wen was cool as a cucumber!
After confirming Shu Guobing’s actions tied to Zhao, Wen immediately told her friends and apologized, “This mess is my fault—I’ve let you all down.”
Wang Shuang leapt up. “It’s that weirdo!”
She vividly recounted Zhao Xi confronting Wen, concluding, “This is Xie Qian’s messy romance! He bolts back to Beijing, leaving Wen to clean it up.”
Tang Yifeng and Geng Xiao, hearing this for the first time, were floored.
Zhao’s offer to send Wen abroad blew their minds—they’d only seen such moves in dramas!
In shows, the hero’s mom offers the heroine a check to back off.
Zhao’s tactic was the same vibe.
But life wasn’t a drama!
And Wen and Xie Qian weren’t some heroine and hero—their friendship had been smeared by the Zhao siblings.
“Wang Shuang, hold off on blaming Xie Qian—he’s a victim too. Let’s hear Wen’s plan,” said Qin Jiao, the calmest.
Though baffled by a teen girl’s pursuit of Xie Qian escalating so wildly, Qin Jiao guessed Zhao Xi’s grades were likely poor.
A student buried in studies wouldn’t have time for this nonsense!
Wen smiled. “If you guys are okay with it, I’d like to play dumb. I’m dying to know what Zhao’s up to. And Wang Shuang, stop ragging on Xie Qian. He left Beijing in a rush, lost his phone in Rongcheng, and didn’t replace it right away. I’ve reached him now—he says his number won’t change.”
Wen wanted to wait for Zhao’s move.
Qin Jiao figured Wen didn’t want them running to their parents for help.
But could Wen, alone, take on Zhao?
Zhao, a returning overseas tycoon, had resources to crush her easily.
Wang Shuang, less nuanced than Qin Jiao, heard Wen had reconnected with Xie Qian and whipped out her phone to call him.
For days, his number had been off. Now, it rang with a long beep.
No ringtone—Xie Qian was too cheap for one, Wang Shuang thought.
Then he picked up.
“Wang Shuang?”
“Uh…”
Wang Shuang froze.
She’d been furious for days, but now, words failed her.
Embarrassed, she yelled, “Do you know how worried we’ve been?”
Was this a fight?
It sounded oddly like whining.
Wen burst out laughing.
Xie Qian, with sharp ears, caught Wen’s laugh and apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry—I messed up and worried you all.”
He’d meant those words for Wen alone.
But Wang Shuang’s outburst made him realize he had more friends in Rongcheng than just her.
Though less close with Wang Shuang, Qin Jiao, and the others, they were still friends.
Vanishing without a word had hurt them. His apology was genuine, and Wang Shuang quickly softened. “Don’t just say sorry—show it! Are you coming back to Rongcheng? What about Shrimp King?”
“Of course I’m in—I’m still a Shrimp King shareholder, right? You’ll see my sincerity. Say hi to everyone for me.”
Xie Qian hung up.
His sincerity? Transferring to Rongcheng for high school and continuing their venture with friends.
He’d already proposed this to his uncle, Xie Yuping. Yuping wasn’t keen but didn’t flat-out refuse. His grandmother reacted strongly, saying moving to Rongcheng with his mother now would send a bad signal, embarrassing the family.
The Xie family’s face—what did it matter to him?
This mess wasn’t caused by him or his mother, but by the man he’d called “Dad” for over a decade!
