For the students of Qinglin High, there were three hot topics of conversation lately.
One was that the newly enrolled school prince had taken a fancy to a commoner scholarship student, and a campus romance of “you chase, I flee” was unfolding.
The second was the Shangguan family’s complicated relationships.
And the third was the “Care for Lin Qi” campaign.
Of these three topics, the first two were merely gossip-level, while only the third gave the students of Qinglin a sense of near-universal participation, with many uploading their own videos of encouragement.
Thanks to Gao Yiren’s involvement, the campaign also received considerable praise online, and many other schools even followed Qinglin’s lead by launching similar initiatives.
However, for the students of Qinglin, the most important event at the moment was the imminent Shangguan family recognition banquet. After all, the rumors about the true and false daughters had been buzzing for days, sparking all sorts of speculation that involved nearly everyone in the family. Tonight, they would finally see what kind of official statement the Shangguans would make.
Of course, the banquet’s value extended beyond the Shangguan family’s melodramatic secrets. For the adults behind these students, the real point of interest was observing who would inherit the Shangguan fortune. While Shangguan Chong would certainly not announce such a major decision at a banquet, it would likely reveal some clues.
On the evening of October 10th, a stream of luxury cars converged outside the Shangguan family’s manor. The estate was located in the suburbs, a sprawling property with beautiful scenery that usually served as Shangguan Chong’s private retreat and was also Guo Yu’s publicly known residence.
Seeing the choice of venue, the arriving guests exchanged glances, already forming a guess as to the likely direction of the evening’s events.
In the banquet hall, Xiang Wanyu moved through the perfumed air and elegant crowd, occasionally taking a delicate sip of champagne. Compared to the sensual image she had cultivated for the media in her younger years, her high-society appearances were far more conservative. She wore a long, black, off-the-shoulder evening gown, her neck adorned with a flawless ruby necklace, as she sat silently in a corner, waiting.
No one there remembered that she had once been Jin Yuan’s close friend. Even her presence at the Shangguan banquet tonight was by virtue of her wealthy husband’s name.
Xiang Wanyu impatiently raised a hand to shield her eyes from the bright crystal chandelier overhead. The girl Weiwei mentioned should be here soon, she thought. I wonder if Weiwei told her I’m Chi Yuan’s mother.
Just as Xiang Wanyu was growing bored, she saw a beautiful young woman in a simple, long white dress approaching her. Xiang Wanyu’s eyes narrowed. If she wasn’t mistaken, this must be the Ye Yuhuan her son was currently pursuing.
Ye Yuhuan offered a polite greeting. She had long heard of Xiang Wanyu; from the legendary career she’d built in the entertainment industry in her youth to her persistent, secret assistance to Shen Wei in the novel’s plot, everything led Ye Yuhuan to believe she was a reliable person.
But that thought was clearly premature.
Xiang Wanyu gestured for a waiter to bring a glass of juice. Ye Yuhuan accepted it with a word of thanks, only for the woman to suddenly say, “My Xiao Yuan often mentions you to me.”
Ye Yuhuan looked at her, confused. Xiao Yuan?
Xiang Wanyu chuckled and explained, “Chi Yuan.”
The moment she heard the name, Ye Yuhuan lowered her gaze, guessing that this so-called “Auntie Xiang” likely held no goodwill toward her.
Chi Yuan was one of the few suitors Song Zhiqing had been unable to fend off. He had just started his first year at Qinglin this semester, and because he and Song Zhiqing had been friends since childhood, he simply grinned and ignored her no matter how much she berated him, continuing to send flowers and chocolates to Ye Yuhuan.
It was enough to make one wonder if his family was in the wholesale business.
Ye Yuhuan found him incredibly annoying as well. The boy seemed to have a screw loose, saying things that made her skin crawl whenever they met. He was a year younger than her, yet his level of sleaze was as if he’d undergone special training.
Furthermore, in the original plot, Chi Yuan was supposed to be Song Zhiqing’s unwavering right-hand man. Now, he was actually fighting with Song Zhiqing over a pretty face—even if that face was her own—making Ye Yuhuan start to question the stability of the characters as they were written.
Xiang Wanyu clearly wasn’t treating her like a potential daughter-in-law, and Ye Yuhuan was thankful for that. She replied coolly, “Is that so? Then I must thank Student Chi for his concern.”
As she spoke, Ye Yuhuan glanced up toward the second floor. Shen Wei’s tests were truly relentless.
The point had been made, and both women understood each other’s position.
A corner of Xiang Wanyu’s mouth lifted. It seemed her son was in for a disappointment.
All the better. If Ye Yuhuan came from a better family, she would have welcomed such an intelligent girl as a daughter-in-law with open arms.
But there was no point in “what ifs.”
Xiang Wanyu took another sip of her champagne. “Did Weiwei tell you what the plan is for tonight?” she asked.
“She told me to play it by ear,” Ye Yuhuan answered calmly. Though now, it was hard to say how much of that “help” was genuine.
Xiang Wanyu gave a noncommittal nod. She really couldn’t see what was so special about this girl. Both her son and Weiwei couldn’t stop singing her praises. Weiwei had even told her to simply assist Ye Yuhuan with whatever she planned to do tonight.
She had to admit, at least in that respect, the girl was certainly clever.
While Ye Yuhuan and Xiang Wanyu sat in mutual silence, Song Zhiqing arrived at the Shangguan manor. Her family was used to her appearing wherever Shangguan Xianxian was, but this time, her eagerness to attend the Shangguan banquet was for someone else entirely.
Song Zhiqing had been stewing ever since Ye Yuhuan told her yesterday that she would also be at the Shangguan banquet. Of course, Ye Yuhuan could go, but why did she have to go through Shen Wei? Was she, Song Zhiqing, invisible?
When Song Zhiqing had asked her, Ye Yuhuan had put on that same profound, troubled expression and said, “It’s a secret.”
Secrets, secrets! So only you and Shen Wei get to have secrets, is that it?
Song Zhiqing clung to Song Chen’s arm, walking briskly. Song Chen chuckled and leaned close to her ear. “No need to rush,” he whispered. “Shangguan Xianxian isn’t out yet.”
Without breaking her stride, Song Zhiqing explained, “It’s not about Shangguan Xianxian. I’m looking for my friend.”
Hmm, what friend could be so important?
Song Chen raised an eyebrow, recalling the person his daughter had been mentioning constantly on the phone lately. “Is it the friend who helped you plan the campaign?”
Song Zhiqing gave a distracted nod. As she spoke, she spotted Ye Yuhuan sitting in a corner of the grand hall. The lights were bright, and under their dazzling glow, the beauty before her was even more striking. The long dress perfectly accentuated her captivating figure. Though still young, one could already glimpse the peerless grace she would possess in the future. Noticing that quite a few eyes were fixed on Ye Yuhuan, Song Zhiqing quickened her pace, forcing Song Chen to offer apologetic smiles to those they passed.
He couldn’t help but muse, Seeing my little girl in such a hurry… this friend of hers is certainly interesting.
Ye Yuhuan saw Song Zhiqing approaching and glanced uneasily at Xiang Wanyu. If Song Zhiqing found her sitting with Chi Yuan’s mother, she would definitely be angry. After all, Song Zhiqing had tried so hard to help her fend off Chi Yuan’s advances, only for her to turn around and be seen chatting happily with the suitor’s mother. Ye Yuhuan knew she’d feel uncomfortable too if their positions were reversed.
Ye Yuhuan quickly stood up and hastily apologized to Xiang Wanyu. “Auntie Xiang, my friend has arrived. I’ll go keep her company.”
Xiang Wanyu frowned. A friend?
Everyone here tonight was either rich or powerful. It was already remarkable that Ye Yuhuan was friends with Shen Wei. And now there was another?
Xiang Wanyu gave a slight nod, her eyes deep with thought. This girl certainly has her methods.
Song Zhiqing, of course, saw Xiang Wanyu. Her gaze faltered for a moment before she quickly took Ye Yuhuan’s hand and greeted the older woman with a smile. “It’s been a while, Auntie Xiang.”
Xiang Wanyu and her mother had been university classmates and had supported each other during their time in the entertainment industry. Gao Yiren had even introduced Xiang Wanyu to her current husband, so their families had always been on good terms.
Xiang Wanyu smiled back and exchanged a few pleasantries with Song Chen.
Seizing the opportunity, Song Zhiqing lowered her voice and asked Ye Yuhuan, “Why were you with Auntie Xiang?”
Ye Yuhuan quickly professed her innocence. “Shen Wei arranged it. I didn’t know she was Chi Yuan’s mother.”
Hearing Shen Wei’s name again, Song Zhiqing couldn’t help but grit her teeth. Nothing involving Shen Wei was ever good.
“You might not have known, but I would have! Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
Ye Yuhuan felt completely wronged. “I tried to tell you,” she reminded her. “I was halfway through explaining when you ran off, and you didn’t answer my messages afterward.”
Of course, Shen Wei’s words had also played a part, which was why Ye Yuhuan hadn’t pressed the issue later. She had thought that perhaps Song Zhiqing wouldn’t really care.
Song Zhiqing remembered now, but she chose to be difficult anyway. “Well, would I have gotten angry if you hadn’t said it was a ‘secret’?!”
Ye Yuhuan looked at the girl’s face, slightly flushed with anger, and thought, Maybe Shen Wei was wrong. Song Zhiqing really does care.
She placated her aloud, “I was wrong. It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure to finish what I’m saying next time, no matter what.”
Song Zhiqing raised an eyebrow. “You’re planning on a next time?”
“No, of course not.”
Only then did Song Zhiqing give a satisfied hum. She was about to lecture Ye Yuhuan further about not trusting outsiders like Shen Wei when she heard the voice of her father, who had been waiting patiently nearby. “Qingqing, aren’t you going to properly introduce me to your friend?”
The tips of Song Zhiqing’s ears flushed red. Ah, how could she have been so caught up in talking to Ye Yuhuan that she’d forgotten to introduce her to her father!
All the imperious energy she’d had while interrogating Ye Yuhuan vanished. In a soft, almost sweet voice, she said, “Dad, this is my friend, Ye Yuhuan. She’s the one who worked with me on ‘Care for Lin Qi.’ There were lots of other people, of course, but she did the most!”
Then she took Ye Yuhuan’s hand again. “This is my dad. He’s been wanting to meet you for a while. He’s always telling me I should learn from you.”
Hearing this, Song Chen couldn’t resist teasing, “And I wonder who it is that’s been telling me every single day about the super-amazing friend she’s made.”
Ye Yuhuan squeezed Song Zhiqing’s palm, feeling a strange sense of embarrassment. With her, Song Zhiqing was always either putting on a bossy act or being as petulant as a child who needed coddling. Who would have thought she praised her so highly behind her back?
“Not at all, she’s exaggerating.”
Song Zhiqing didn’t like hearing that. Ye Yuhuan was super amazing. Whether she was acting as her love guru or planning the “Care for Lin Qi” campaign, no matter how wild and imaginative Song Zhiqing’s ideas were, Ye Yuhuan could always shape them into a practical and effective plan.
“But you are amazing, so don’t be modest,” Song Zhiqing said, blinking her sparkling almond eyes. In her red dress, she looked like a rose that had just bloomed at dawn.
Nearby, Xiang Wanyu studied Ye Yuhuan in surprise. She hadn’t realized Ye Yuhuan’s “friend” was Song Zhiqing. The young ladies of both the Shangguan and Song families were close to her, and her own son was pursuing her. Looking at her, Xiang Wanyu suspected her son was far from the only one.
Xiang Wanyu set down her glass and spoke up abruptly, her tone laced with feigned enthusiasm. “Miss Ye is indeed impressive. My Xiao Yuan is completely smitten with her. These days, he’s practically read every book of love poems we own.”
She finished with a helpless smile, as if merely sharing an amusing anecdote about the younger generation, but the warm, cheerful atmosphere was instantly shattered.
On the surface, Xiang Wanyu’s words were a compliment to Ye Yuhuan’s charm. But considering Ye Yuhuan’s family background, so far beneath the station of everyone in this glittering hall, one could detect a subtle mockery.
Besides, praising a minor for her “charm” at a social gathering, especially from someone she barely knew, could hardly be considered a compliment.
Song Zhiqing’s expression soured. She had never seen this side of Xiang Wanyu. In her memory, Auntie Xiang was a gentle, kind woman who would always play with her during visits and bring exquisitely chosen gifts that she adored.
But how could she say such a thing about Ye Yuhuan?
Song Chen was the first to react. He shook his head, trying to smooth things over. “This is the Shangguans’ party. There’s no point in us old folks just talking about the children. My apologies, I’ve been neglecting Mrs. Chi.”
Xiang Wanyu saw nothing wrong with what she’d said. Her intention had been to remind Ye Yuhuan of her place and to focus on helping Shen Wei. But since Song Chen clearly wanted to change the subject, she saw no need to press the matter.
She’s just a child, after all.
Just as Xiang Wanyu was smiling, ready to engage Song Chen in another round of small talk, Song Zhiqing suddenly stepped forward. She looked at the elegant woman with a stubborn, disappointed expression. “Auntie Xiang,” she said coldly, “you should apologize to Ye Yuhuan. She’s done nothing wrong. It’s your son who won’t stop pestering her. You had no right to speak to her that way.”
Ye Yuhuan sighed and took Song Zhiqing’s hand. “It’s not necessary,” she said softly. “I don’t mind.”
Ye Yuhuan had learned exactly what the so-called upper class thought of people from her background within her first month at Qinglin. That was why she could remain composed in the face of Xiang Wanyu’s thinly veiled malice all evening.
But Song Zhiqing, born and raised in that world, could not. She turned to Ye Yuhuan, her clear eyes red with anger and indignation. Her voice was firm. “But I care.”
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