Wang Shuang clenched his fists.
Peng Green Hair dared to ask who he was?
You wouldn’t find a cooler onion in the entire market!
The two slackers faced off, bickering relentlessly. Li Mengjiao, who had gone to the restroom, returned to find them still arguing. Annoyed by their childishness, she pulled down her mask and snapped, “Are you both three and a half? Have you even asked Xie Qian? Ridiculous!”
Fighting for attention?
Have some shame!
How could Xie Qian belong to slackers? He belonged to her good friend Wen Ying!
It was Peng Guoqing’s first time meeting Li Mengjiao, and he was stunned to recognise her.
Li Mengjiao had been a sensation all last year!
Xie Qian’s Rongcheng friend circle was wild, with bestselling authors and popular celebrities. Peng Guoqing’s bravado faded slightly as Yun Chen and Zhang Yangning, accompanied by their assistants, approached with their luggage.
“What’s going on? Didn’t Teacher Yuan tell you to go ahead?”
Li Mengjiao and Yun Chen appearing together at the airport, even disguised, risked recognition, so Yuan Fenghui had instructed them to split up.
Delayed by Peng Guoqing, Li Mengjiao hadn’t left, and Yun Chen and Zhang Yangning caught up.
Li Mengjiao was exasperated. “These two are fighting over Xie Qian. Isn’t that hilarious?”
Yun Chen’s gaze swept over them. Wang Shuang was already embarrassed, while Peng Guoqing felt numb.
With Li Mengjiao around, Yun Chen’s presence wasn’t surprising.
This was Xie Qian’s Rongcheng friend circle.
If Xie Qian was this impressive, Peng Guoqing’s transfer to Rongcheng was the right move!
But he worried Xie Qian, with such dazzling new friends, might look down on him.
The airport encounter left Peng Guoqing unusually meek when he met Xie Qian.
Xie Qian looked him over. “What were you thinking?”
Peng Guoqing scrapped his prepared speech, lowering his stance. “You know my family situation. My dad’s female secretary isn’t honest, and my mum’s always upset. We’ve gone through so many secretaries, and this one’s showing signs of trouble too. I’m fed up with the capital and want a new environment to study hard. Maybe if I shape up, my dad’s secretary will behave!”
That reason was compelling.
Xie Qian frowned.
Had the Peng family situation deteriorated this much?
He’d thought Mrs. Peng could handle the women flocking to Mr. Peng, but it seemed to have driven Peng Guoqing to flee the capital for peace.
“Your idea isn’t wrong, but it’s only half right.”
If Peng Guoqing excelled, it wouldn’t matter if Mr. Peng’s secretary was honest. Mrs. Peng would be thrilled.
If Peng Guoqing had ability, why would Mrs. Peng need to guard Mr. Peng so fiercely? A good family background was luck at birth, but no one could guarantee the Peng family’s wealth forever. If Peng Guoqing chose to be a lazy rich kid, he and his mother would pin their future on Mr. Peng.
He’d need to burn incense daily, praying for Mr. Peng’s business success and keeping an eye on his fidelity to avoid illegitimate children competing for inheritance!
Everyone in their circle knew Mr. Peng was a ladies’ man. Mrs. Peng’s vigilance wasn’t entirely paranoia. Fortunately, Mr. Peng was more rational than Xie Jinghu, who had illegitimate children abroad. Peng Guoqing remained Mr. Peng’s only child, unless Mr. Peng was better at hiding things.
After clashing with Xie Jinghu, Xie Qian understood deeply: relying on others was inferior to relying on oneself. Family wealth could vanish, but personal ability couldn’t be taken away!
He hadn’t noticed before, but Peng Guoqing had some foresight despite his small smarts.
Transferring in the second semester of senior year, with a worse academic foundation than Wang Shuang’s, Peng Guoqing was almost beyond saving. Why should Xie Qian bother saving him?
Peng Guoqing thought clinging to Xie Qian would win him over, but Xie Qian’s cool attitude made him panic. He fawned over Xie Qian, playing the pity card, bringing up childhood bonds.
“Back when everyone said you were exiled, didn’t I try to lend you money?”
“I really want to work hard, not waste time with Tai Wu and the others.”
“I came to Rongcheng to study.”
Peng Guoqing was amusing, thick-skinned enough to bring up giving Xie Qian an apple as a kid to tug at nostalgia. Yet, true to his promise to Xie Tang, he never mentioned a word about Xie Jinghu’s mistress.
Xie Qian wasn’t warm to Peng Guoqing, which cheered Wang Shuang up. He whispered to Wen Ying, “Does this guy think Xie Qian’s a nanny? If he wants to study, get a tutor. Why come all this way to cling to Xie Qian?”
Thankfully, Xie Qian was clear-headed, not swayed by Green Hair’s pity act!
Wen Ying rolled her eyes at Wang Shuang. “Xie Qian kindly tutored us, and you call him a nanny? You’re done! Don’t talk about Peng Guoqing. You hired tutors too, so why still turn to Xie Qian?”
Because Xie Qian was better than tutors!
Wang Shuang admitted, though his parents didn’t take him on their overseas New Year trip, they spared no expense on his education, hiring great tutors.
Xie Qian was tutoring three slackers, while Wang Shuang’s tutors focused solely on him. So why did his grades improve slowly with tutors but quickly with Xie Qian?
Xie Qian was undeniably smarter, but there was another key factor: Xie Qian could control slackers!
Tutors, paid for their work, turned a blind eye when Wang Shuang slacked off.
Xie Qian, not hired, could kick Wang Shuang out if he got lazy.
Wang Shuang stayed diligent, not wanting to fall behind Wen Ying and Li Mengjiao or risk Xie Qian dropping him with a frown.
“It’s the study vibe…”
Wang Shuang murmured.
Wen Ying nodded, sighing, “Exactly, the study vibe. That’s why Peng Guoqing transferred to Rongcheng.”
It wasn’t about affording tutors. Elsewhere, Peng Guoqing couldn’t find the drive to study, a unique charm and influence only Xie Qian had. The light of a top student could inspire slackers!
Wang Shuang was still unhappy. “That’s no reason for Xie Qian to take on another slacker!”
Might makes right was nonsense; Xie Qian didn’t owe Peng Guoqing anything.
Wen Ying felt the same.
But unlike Wang Shuang’s insecurity, her bond with Xie Qian was solid, unshaken by anyone. She just didn’t want Xie Qian overworked!
Still, she respected Xie Qian’s choices. If she, Wang Shuang, and Li Mengjiao were his Rongcheng circle, Peng Guoqing was his capital circle, his present and past. Neither was superior.
…
In the capital.
The female secretary brought Mr. Peng a coffee, lingering instead of leaving as usual, hesitating to speak.
Mr. Peng didn’t look up. “Something to say?”
The secretary bit her lip. “Mr. Peng, Young Master Peng transferred to Rongcheng, so far from the capital. Is it really okay with no one watching him?”
Mr. Peng finally looked up, eyeing her twice. The secretary felt uneasy but straightened her back.
Why feel guilty? She was just concerned for Mr. Peng!
