Afternoon.
Two tutoring students, each with their own thoughts, met up.
Wen Ying was thinking that Xie Qian would definitely refuse, and after pretending to persuade him a bit, she could report back to her aunt and Teacher Lin!
The timing of the invitation had to be just right.
After finishing physics, there was a twenty-minute break—perfect time to bring it up.
Xie Qian, on the other hand, was wondering if rejecting Wen Ying outright might dampen the enthusiasm of a struggling student.
No wonder Wen, the academic underachiever, was so excited today—turns out she’s going to Longtan Lake for a barbecue tomorrow!
Wen Ying’s hesitation, in Xie Qian’s eyes, looked like fear of rejection—though it wasn’t a big deal. He would indeed refuse, but surely Wen Ying wasn’t so timid she couldn’t even ask.
So, with their own thoughts, they finished the physics tutoring.
During the break, Nanny Wang brought in some fruit again.
Today’s break-time fruit was watermelon.
Auntie Wang had cut the watermelon into small cubes, making it easy for Wen Ying and Xie Qian to eat with forks. To keep the study clean, she’d even thoughtfully removed all the seeds.
The watermelon was slightly chilled.
Wen Ying ate one piece at a time, feeling very satisfied.
Eating daintily with small bites?
She wasn’t trying to impress Xie Qian, so there was no need to pretend.
Watermelon was meant to be eaten in big, hearty bites—that’s what made it fun!
Xie Qian’s manners were more refined than Wen Ying’s. With so many admirers, it wasn’t just his good looks but also that cool, aristocratic air about him.
That kind of aura was rare in today’s restless society, making Xie Qian a unique, untouchable prize in the eyes of his fans—a lofty flower beyond reach!
Watching Xie Qian eat was a genuine pleasure. Wen Ying felt like the watermelon in her mouth tasted even sweeter.
This must be what they mean by “a feast for the eyes”!
If she ate every meal with Xie Qian, losing weight would be utterly impossible.
Xie Qian ate a few pieces and set his bowl down.
“Are you trying to invite me to the Longtan Lake barbecue?”
“Yeah.”
Wen Ying nodded dazedly, still charmed by his looks. At first, she didn’t register what he was asking. Just as she started to snap out of it, she heard Xie Qian accept the invitation: “Alright, I’ll go. Next time, no need to go through my cousin. You can just tell me directly.”
“Huh?!”
Xie Qian agreed to go to Longtan Lake?
That wasn’t the point—the point was he’d clearly misunderstood.
It was Lin Lin who’d asked Chen Li, who then tasked Wen Ying with arranging it. But from Xie Qian’s mouth, it sounded like Wen Ying wanted to invite him but was too shy and had used Lin Lin as a middleman… Hey, no way! When had Lawyer Wen ever been a coward?
Wen Ying wanted to explain, but looking at Xie Qian’s face, the words stuck in her throat.
Saying she didn’t actually want him to go—come on, open your eyes! This was her teenage idol sitting across from her. How could she say that?
Wen Ying could only smile and passively accept the misunderstanding.
If danger came up at Longtan Lake, she’d just step in front of Xie Qian.
Yep, Li Mengjiao’s pursuit counted as a danger too.
—They were all just fifteen or sixteen. Not focusing on studies was the real waste of youth. She couldn’t let Li Mengjiao drag Xie Qian down!
Wen Ying shifted her mindset and quickly smiled, admitting fault: “I overthought it. If I’d known you’d agree so easily, I wouldn’t have gone to Teacher Lin. Next time, I’ll definitely invite you directly!”
Hm?
Something felt off.
Wen Ying’s tone made it sound like she was certain Xie Qian would agree the next time she asked.
Xie Qian caught her sneaky wordplay and tried to correct it, but the twenty-minute break was over. The chemistry teacher walked into the study to start their lesson, and Xie Qian didn’t get a chance to set things straight.
Two hours later, the day’s tutoring was done.
Wen Ying suddenly realised she didn’t have Xie Qian’s phone number. “Do you use a mobile here in Rongcheng? We’re heading out together tomorrow morning—we’ll need to stay in touch.”
Xie Qian gave her a string of numbers. Wen Ying saved it, feeling a mix of emotions.
In her past life, she’d secretly fangirled over him on forums for so long but never got his number.
Not just her—probably no one in class knew it either.
At school, everyone used phones discreetly. Since no one saw Xie Qian with one, they assumed he didn’t have one and never thought to ask for his number.
During holidays, contacting Xie Qian was via QQ. The class leader had made a group and added him, but Xie Qian rarely spoke in it.
After a year and a half of high school in Rongcheng, when he transferred away, his QQ profile stayed grey, never lighting up again.
Countless times, Wen Ying had opened his QQ space, trying to glimpse his recent life. But after transferring, he seemed to abandon the account—no new updates. Thinking back, maybe the QQ he used in the class group was just a spare?
He was too aloof. He’d planned to cut ties with his year and a half in Rongcheng from the start. Once he returned to his real world, everyone and everything from Rongcheng was left behind.
Getting Xie Qian’s number had initially thrilled Wen Ying, but now it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her, chilling her heart.
What made her think she could alter Xie Qian’s fate or save him from his tragic early death?
Her life and his had only briefly intersected. She had no way of knowing the details of his life after leaving Rongcheng or why, with all his brilliance, he’d ended up on a tragic path—
Wen Ying started doubting herself.
Their height difference let Xie Qian see every shift in her expression.
She’d been happy a moment ago, then suddenly downcast.
Girls’ thoughts were indeed hard to read.
Xie Qian didn’t like giving out his number. Late-night confessions from unknown numbers had been a headache for him these past two years.
But after Wen Ying got his number, she didn’t send him a single message by 9 p.m.—leaving Xie Qian a bit puzzled.
Tomorrow at Longtan Lake—what time were they leaving?
How was the trip planned? Would they stay overnight?
Not knowing these details threw Xie Qian, who liked everything organised, off balance.
…
At 9 p.m., Wen Ying and Deng Shangwei still hadn’t left the Qin family’s place.
After dinner there, Mrs. Qin had chatted with them for a while. Then Mr. Qin invited all three into the study.
Mr. Qin shared the latest news with Wen Ying and Qin Jiao: his people had been watching Yu Wenhao closely. Yu Wenhao hadn’t done anything odd, but his son had taken a few friends and driven to Longtan Lake.
“They’re staying overnight at a farmhouse near Longtan Lake.”
Wen Ying couldn’t make sense of it.
Yu Wenhao had handed this off to his own son?
If something happened to Qin Jiao, Yu Wenhao wouldn’t be able to dodge the blame!
Wen Ying had to rethink things. “Uncle Qin, Yu Wenhao’s interest in Qin Jiao is for profit. If he sent someone to kidnap her, how much ransom could you pay?”
