Only now did Qin Su realize just how valuable a strategy guide would be.
If she had one, she would deliberately choose whichever dialogue option lowered affection the most.
Ji Yuanye looked at her with bright, unwavering eyes.
“You’ve already broken up with Xu Xiao, haven’t you, Senior?”
Qin Su nodded.
“But I have no intention of dating anyone right now.”
She would rather spend that time studying and cultivating.
Ji Yuanye’s eyes continued to sparkle.
For a moment, Qin Su even had the illusion of seeing a wagging tail behind him.
“That’s alright.”
“Since you’re single now, I have the right to pursue you, don’t I?”
Qin Su rejected him without hesitation.
“No.”
“I won’t date someone who’s poor.”
“I only like money.”
With money, she could buy gemstones.
With gemstones, she could cultivate.
Qianjin’s voice echoed in her mind.
“Ji Yuanye’s affection level has increased by five.”
Ji Yuanye’s smile never faltered.
“As it happens, money is also my favorite thing.”
“Senior, it seems we’re truly kindred spirits.”
Qin Su rubbed her face.
This conversation was impossible to continue.
She said seriously,
“No.”
“Because I’ve already accepted someone else’s money and promised them I wouldn’t accept your pursuit.”
“I’m a person with professional ethics.”
“If I take someone’s money, I keep my promise.”
Her ex-boyfriend Xu Xiao might always act like a domineering CEO, but at least he was a normal person with whom one could reason.
This junior, on the other hand, possessed the handsome face of the second male lead…
But his personality was completely bizarre.
In order to stamp out this troublesome romance, Qin Su even admitted that she had accepted money to reject him.
She truly was giving it everything she had just to lower his affection level.
Ji Yuanye was stunned.
After a long moment, he slowly said,
“So that’s another way to get rich.”
“Senior is really smart.”
Faced with such an irrational admirer, Qin Su was completely speechless.
Ji Yuanye asked sincerely,
“How much did they pay you to reject me?”
Qin Su cleared her throat.
“Two million.”
Ji Yuanye frowned, a trace of indignation appearing in his eyes.
“I think I’m worth more than that.”
“They should have added at least two more zeros.”
Qin Su rolled her eyes.
“Give me a break.”
“Someone willing to pay two million for you is already a gift from heaven.”
She had arrived at that price after careful consideration.
Any lower, and it would not be worth her while.
Any higher, and it might scare away the buyer.
That would hardly be a good deal.
Ji Yuanye sighed.
“I understand your difficulties, Senior.”
“I’ll work hard to earn money.”
“I’ll earn enough to buy back my freedom as soon as possible.”
Qin Su no longer wanted to talk to him.
Did all those students secretly in love with Ji Yuanye know he was actually like this?
As though reading her thoughts, Ji Yuanye smiled instead.
His smile was especially pure.
Like a gentle breeze rippling across the surface of a tranquil lake.
“Don’t worry.”
“I won’t make things difficult for you, Senior.”
Almost to himself, he murmured,
“At least now I finally have the motivation to make money.”
He bent down and gently stroked Qianjin, who was completely absorbed in eating its grilled Pacific saury.
Then, without lingering any longer, he left behind nothing but a handsome silhouette worthy of a painting.
Qin Su silently watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance.
Thoughtfully, she asked,
“Qianjin, do you think he was serious about buying back his freedom?”
“He didn’t seem like he was joking.”
Qianjin answered,
“He probably was.”
“Why?”
Qin Su lowered her eyes.
Her long eyelashes cast delicate shadows across her innocent-looking face.
“Then that’s perfect.”
“Once he buys back his freedom, I’ll just sell him again.”
“Next time, I can raise the price by another million.”
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
“If I manage it well, I might even be able to sell him several more times.”
An image involuntarily appeared in Qin Su’s mind.
Ji Yuanye finally earned enough money to redeem himself and came running toward her, overjoyed.
With a mysterious smile, she calmly said,
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve already accepted three million from someone else and promised to stay away from you.”
Then Ji Yuanye would continue working hard to earn enough money to redeem himself again…
And she would simply sell him again.
Perfect.
That was exactly what she would do.
Qianjin’s round eyes widened.
They even carried a hint of condemnation.
Could you really do something like that?
Didn’t your conscience hurt at all?
Qin Su calmly sat down, opened her lunchbox, and began eating.
A conscience?
Could you eat that?
…
Both Qin Su and Ji Yuanye were well-known figures on campus.
Every move they made attracted attention.
They had merely exchanged a few words at lunchtime, yet by the afternoon, classmates were already asking her about it.
Qin Su answered calmly,
“Dating him is impossible.”
“He only talked to me because he wanted to pet my cat.”
Without hesitation, she shifted all the blame onto Qianjin.
Sure enough, everyone’s attention was immediately diverted.
“So Ji Yuanye likes cats.”
“I always thought he preferred dogs.”
“He does like cats.”
“But my Qianjin doesn’t like him.”
“My future boyfriend absolutely has to win my cat’s approval first.”
Seeing how determined she looked, everyone immediately labeled her a devoted cat lover.
After the news spread, quite a few students became eager to get a cat themselves, hoping it would help them get closer to Ji Yuanye.
…
Carrying her backpack, Qin Su looked helplessly at Xin Ying, who was waiting outside her classroom the moment class ended.
The young heiress had clearly heard the rumors as well.
This was her benefactor.
She definitely could not afford to offend her.
With a serious expression, Qin Su declared,
“There’s absolutely nothing going on between us.”
Xin Ying rolled her eyes.
“I know.”
After hesitating for a moment, she asked awkwardly,
“Does Ji Yuanye really like cats?”
As the two of them walked side by side, they naturally attracted countless glances.
After all, both were exceptionally beautiful women.
Together, they were far more eye-catching than the sum of their parts.
Qin Su nodded.
“Yes.”
“He really likes my Qianjin.”
“He even tried feeding it cat food.”
“But Qianjin refused to eat it.”
Xin Ying immediately asked,
“Will you sell it?”
Qin Su laughed dryly.
“Even if I sold it to you, Qianjin would just run back to me.”
After all, it was her natal spirit artifact.
At that moment, Qianjin chimed in inside her mind, eager to make its presence known.
“Su Su, if I became Xin Ying’s cat, would she feed me a whole basket of dried fish every day?”
Qin Su immediately replied with a dry laugh,
“In your dreams. No one could afford to feed you with that appetite.”
She completely ignored Qianjin’s protests.
Xin Ying tapped her cheek with her index finger.
“Hmm, sounds like she’s a pretty good cat.”
“Oh, right. Is your cat male or female?”
“Female.”
Her natal spirit artifact was, of course, female.
“Has she been spayed? It’s best to have the surgery done. Otherwise, she’ll have several litters of kittens every year.”
A pitiful whimper sounded in Qin Su’s mind.
“Humans are terrifying! Su Su, you’re the best! Don’t sell me!”
Qin Su nearly burst out laughing.
She quickly answered,
“She was spayed a long time ago.”
Narrowing her eyes, she looked suspiciously at the suddenly agreeable young heiress.
“Why are you being so friendly today all of a sudden?”
Xin Ying coughed lightly and answered in an entirely justified tone,
“Because I want to be friends with you.”
If she became good friends with Qin Su and stayed by her side all the time, she would naturally have many more opportunities to interact with Ji Yuanye.
At the same time, she could keep an eye on him without raising suspicion.
“Sure.”
Seeing Qin Su agree without the slightest hesitation, Xin Ying suddenly felt a little guilty.
“You agreed just like that?”
Qin Su tilted her head.
“Otherwise… you could give me another hundred thousand yuan?”
If anyone else had heard something like that, they probably would have flown into a rage.
Xin Ying, however, reacted quite differently.
Instead, she visibly relaxed.
“Alright.”
“I’ll transfer it to you later.”
“Then we’re friends from now on.”
She was most accustomed to buying the things she wanted with money.
A transaction based on money reassured her.
There was no need to worry about unexpected complications.
Qin Su could not help smiling.
This young heiress, who seemed to radiate wealth wherever she went, was actually rather adorable.
Meanwhile, Xin Ying was already muttering to herself about asking her lawyer to draft a formal contract.
Qin Su suggested,
“To celebrate becoming friends, let’s go out for dinner together!”
After all…
There was no way she would be the one paying.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
…
After dinner, Xin Ying’s family chauffeur drove her home.
“You’re back, Xiaoying.”
The exhaustion hidden beneath Mrs. Xin’s gentle features was impossible to conceal.
Her appearance resembled Xin Ying’s by about thirty percent, though her features were softer and more graceful.
Xin Ying nodded.
“I went out to dinner today with a new friend.”
Mrs. Xin looked at her daughter with eyes full of affection.
“It seems you’ve finally made a good friend.”
“That puts my mind at ease.”
Xin Ying asked,
“Mom, is Cousin still not feeling better?”
Mrs. Xin rubbed her temples.
“He’s been unconscious since yesterday.”
“The hospital still hasn’t been able to find the cause.”
“You should go visit him at the hospital later.”
Xin Ying nodded.
“Alright.”
“I’ll go change first.”
Some soup had accidentally splashed onto her clothes during dinner.
There was no way she would visit a patient dressed like that.
If she embarrassed the Xin family, it would be terrible.
The Xin family had only risen to prominence within the last twenty years.
Many people still considered them nouveaux riches.
Because of that, Xin Ying paid particular attention to her manners and appearance.
She changed into a light pink dress.
Her gaze fell upon the peony resting on the table.
To her surprise, although it had been picked from the branch more than two days ago, the flower remained just as vibrant and beautiful as when she had first received it.
Not a single petal had withered.
She had no idea how Qin Su had preserved it.
A thought crossed her mind.
She picked up the peony.
Its faint fragrance surrounded her, instantly lifting her spirits.
Hmm.
She might as well bring it with her.
She hated the smell of disinfectant in hospitals.
The flower’s fragrance would help mask it.
She pinned the peony to the collar of her dress.
It matched today’s outfit surprisingly well.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
…
At the hospital.
Xin Ying looked worriedly at her cousin Gao Wu, whose face was pale as he lay unconscious in bed.
She had spent much of her childhood at her uncle’s house and had always been close to him.
Before coming to the hospital, she had even suspected he was pretending to be sick.
But after seeing him in person, she could not help feeling ashamed for thinking so poorly of him.
Unable to hold back, she asked her aunt,
“Did Cousin show any warning signs before he fell unconscious?”
Mrs. Gao’s eyes were swollen from crying.
Her voice trembled as she answered,
“When he came home, he said his shoulders were sore and his chest felt tight.”
“He said he wanted to rest.”
“I thought he was just making excuses, so I ignored him.”
“And then he collapsed.”
Seeing her aunt in such distress made Xin Ying feel terrible as well.
She comforted her softly.
“Cousin has always been lucky since he was little.”
“I’m sure he’ll be alright this time too.”
“I hope so.”
Mrs. Gao sighed.
“I won’t force him anymore.”
“If he doesn’t want to work, then he doesn’t have to.”
“Our family can certainly afford to support him.”
She regretted everything now.
If only she had not listened to her husband and forced their son into the family business.
Xin Ying sighed as well.
She casually sat down on the chair beside the bed.
Suddenly, the peony pinned to her collar shifted.
It slipped free and landed directly on Gao Wu’s chest.
Just as Xin Ying bent down to pick it up…
Gao Wu, who had been unconscious for an entire day and night, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Holy crap.”
“I almost thought I was never going to wake up.”
Mrs. Gao stared at her son in astonished delight.
Xin Ying was stunned for a moment before punching him lightly.
“Look at you.”
“You scared Auntie half to death!”
As she spoke, she lowered her head and reached for the peony to pin it back onto her collar.
However, Gao Wu suddenly looked as though he could barely breathe.
His face flushed bright red.
The next second, he grabbed hold of the peony.
It was as though he had truly come back to life.
He let out a long, relieved breath.
Looking at the flower with burning enthusiasm, he exclaimed,
“Little Sis, give me this flower!”
“It just saved your brother’s life!”