Seeing that she remained silent, Lu Ruixuan assumed her words had sunk in, so she offered a few more gentle and soft words of comfort.
But no matter how much she tried to soothe her, the core message always came back to advising her to try and accept Ye Lingyi.
The more Xie Yuqi listened, the more disappointed she became. Suddenly, she said, “Mom, you’ve changed.”
Lu Ruixuan’s expression froze, looking a bit flustered. “Xiao Qi, Mom is doing this for your own good…”
“Is that true?” Xie Yuqi interrupted her. “Mom, if Grandma and Grandpa had forced you to marry someone of despicable character who had also harmed you back then, would you have been willing? If this person was utterly supercilious, arrogant, and showed you absolutely no respect, whether in private or in public, would you still be willing to spend the rest of your life with her and bear her children?”
Seeing her daughter’s eyes reddening, Lu Ruixuan couldn’t help but reach out, wanting to stroke her head.
Xie Yuqi turned her face away. “Mom, I want to be alone for a while.”
Lu Ruixuan knew all too well that pushing too hard would only make her daughter more rebellious. She quickly said in a soft voice, “Sweetheart, Mom isn’t forcing you. Mom only wants you to be happy. Please don’t overthink things. We can talk it through together, alright?”
Seeing the deep worry etched on her mother’s face, Xie Yuqi felt slightly better and nodded.
Lu Ruixuan gave a few more reminders before finally heading out.
But the moment she left, Xie Yuqi grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it tightly against her chest.
She felt incredibly miserable.
What brought her pain wasn’t just being forced into marriage, but the fact that her parents knew Ye Lingyi had hurt her, yet each of them still took turns trying to persuade her to marry the woman.
Why couldn’t they consider her feelings for even a second? How was she supposed to spend her life with someone she absolutely detested?
At this moment, she couldn’t help but think in the depths of her heart: Do they really love me? Or do they care more about the family’s interests?
But this doubt immediately made her feel even worse.
No one wants to admit that their parents don’t love them.
After Ning Che and Shen Qingzhi left the dormitory group chat, the group wasn’t disbanded, but no one spoke in it either.
This afternoon, a notification suddenly popped up in the chat.
Liu Xinxin: [Forwarded a Hot Search link]
Liu Xinxin: “Did you guys see the hot search? The eldest young lady of the Xie family is getting an arranged marriage with someone else!”
Xu Fan: “?” She immediately clicked on the link Liu Xinxin sent, her expression freezing in shock.
Ling Shiya: “I told you guys a long time ago that it was impossible for them to work out. Someone from the bottom tier trying to enter a wealthy family is completely a toad wishing to eat swan meat!”
Fang Lin: “There are even photos. This can’t be real, can it?”
Ling Shiya: “It’s definitely real. Wealthy families only marry into other wealthy families. Even an elite like me will only look for a well-matched elite in the future. Who would degrade their own social class to date a penniless ghost?”
Ling Shiya: “I bet Miss Xie was just playing around, but a certain someone took it seriously and thought they were a phoenix flying up to perch on a high branch.”
Xu Fan: “I say, Ling Shiya, can you stop passing off a toxic tongue as being ‘genuine’?”
Liu Xinxin: “Last time I posted the banquet photos, certain people teamed up to target me. Who knew the slap to the face would come so quickly this time?”
Xu Fan thought to herself that the meal Ning Che had treated them to was truly wasted on these two dogs. She wanted to curse them out, but she was afraid of offending them too deeply, she knew Liu Xinxin and Ling Shiya both came from decent family backgrounds and always prided themselves on being part of the elite class.
Yet, unable to stomach their ugly attitudes any longer, she simply disbanded the group in a fit of rage.
“The group chat has been disbanded.”
Next, she opened her chat window with Ning Che, wanting to ask what was going on. But after typing out the words, she hesitated to hit send.
With the matter blowing up so massively that it made the hot searches, there was no way Ning Che didn’t know. Asking her now would just be rubbing salt into her wounds, wouldn’t it?
She silently deleted every single character.
Right then, Shen Qingzhi sent her a private message.
“Xu Fan, did you see the hot searches?” “I saw them.” “Did you talk to Ning Che?” “What is there to say? She definitely saw the hot searches already.” “Oh, then I won’t poke my nose into it either.” “Yeah, let’s ask her out for a meal another day to comfort her.”
Meanwhile, the main subject of their conversation, Ning Che, was currently in the library reading a book.
She was completely engrossed in it. Whenever she reached a brilliant passage, she would even flip back to reread the previous page.
Because of this intense focus, she completely failed to notice that the atmosphere in the library was a bit bizarre. Many students were frequently stealing glances at her while looking at their phones.
Some students even huddled together, whispering and murmuring to one another.
Even the teacher on duty couldn’t help but look at her several times.
Back when Xie Yuqi had publicly confessed her love to Ning Che, the entire faculty and student body had witnessed it. It could be described as a moment of unparalleled limelight, and Ning Che had become a celebrity at Federal University because of it, most teachers and students knew who she was.
After two hours of brewing, that trending topic which dominated the top of the charts had been seen by countless students at Federal University. Some of them who had added Ning Che as a friend rushed to spy on her WeChat Moments.
They wanted to see if she had been utterly crushed and had posted long, heartbroken essays about her lost love.
Unfortunately, they were disappointed.
Ning Che’s Moments were set to only show the last six months. During this half-year, she had only forwarded news from Federal University, Federal current affairs, and several book notes. There wasn’t a single post sharing anything related to her personal life.
At the same time, even more people were discussing the matter fervently in various student and alumni group chats of Federal University, desperately hoping to dig up the latest gossip regarding Ning Che and Xie Yuqi.
Interestingly enough, throughout this grand feast of gossip, Ning Che’s roommates, classmates, and those who had her added as a friend or knew her personally didn’t dare to flaunt it in front of her face.
This was because back then, Xie Yuqi had used ruthless methods to handle four students who had mocked Ning Che. Those four weren’t just expelled, they also had “defamation” recorded into their permanent files, making it difficult for them to ever make a comeback in this lifetime.
Gossip was good, but one’s future was far more important!
Furthermore, the hot search terms had suddenly disappeared collectively. Behind this, it was highly likely that either the Xie family or the Ye family had intervened. As for the reason why, it was anyone’s guess.
In short, the other party didn’t want this matter to continue receiving public exposure. Wouldn’t sticking their necks out now just be asking for trouble?
With a cautionary tale already ahead of them, these people naturally didn’t dare say anything to Ning Che’s face. In fact, they even began to secretly admire her. Her girlfriend had been publicly confessed to by someone else with such high profile that it made the hot searches, yet she could still sit there so calmly. She truly deserved to be called the number one “soft rice eating Alpha” of Federal University!
At 11:30 AM, Ning Che closed her book. She checked her phone first, there was still no reply from Xie Yuqi. She quickly packed her backpack and walked toward the library exit.
When she returned the book, the teacher gave her a meaningful look. “You finished reading this book in just two days?”
Ning Che smiled. “Yes, teacher. This is my second time reading it, so I read it quickly.”
She walked outside, and people kept greeting her along the way. “Hi, Ning Che.” “Hello, Senior Sister Ning.” “Is Senior Sister Ning going to see Senior Sister Xie?”
Ning Che was quite surprised. She didn’t know any of these students, but she politely responded to each of them nonetheless. “Hi.” “Hello, Junior Sister.” “No.”
After she went downstairs, a group of people leaned over the railing, all talking at once. “She’s so calm even after being dumped? Truly badass!” “To be chosen by the eldest young lady of the Xie family, she must have some capability after all.” “The capability to eat soft rice? Hahaha.” “I heard wealthy families play around a lot. Could it be that she knew all along she was just a parasite, so she doesn’t care at all?”
Completely oblivious to all of this, Ning Che had already hurried downstairs and quickly scanned a shared bicycle.
She wasn’t going to the cafeteria for lunch today; instead, she was going to the Xiang family’s house to eat.
She was truly terrified of Xiang Wan’s sharp tongue. Last time, because she didn’t stay for dinner, Xiang Wan had said in a passive aggressive tone. “Your girlfriend isn’t even here, yet you’re still guarding your chastity arch just to eat a meal?”
Outside was a snack street. It was right at the peak of the lunchtime rush, and it was packed so tightly that water couldn’t even leak through.
From time to time, students would pop out to greet Ning Che.
Ning Che found it slightly odd, usually, not this many students would strike up a conversation with her, but she didn’t take it to heart.
About fifteen minutes later, she arrived at the Xiang residence.
Xiang Chen complained, “Didn’t we agree you’d come early? I’ve been waiting until my stomach is stuck to my back.”
Xiang Wan, wearing an apron, quickly laid the dishes out on the table, then placed a set of washed bowls and chopsticks in front of Ning Che. “Don’t stand on ceremony.”
Ning Che smiled timidly. “Okay.”
The three of them began to eat.
After a while, Xiang Wan glanced at her. “Did you look at the news today?”
Ning Che was in the middle of picking up food with her chopsticks and asked casually, “I’ve been reading books the whole time. Did something big happen?”
Xiang Chen couldn’t help but chime in, “A war didn’t break out, did it?” She was only a dozen or so days away from the unified examinations, her phone, tablet, and computer had long been confiscated, and she had been disconnected from the internet for ages.
Hearing this, Xiang Wan knew instantly that Ning Che had absolutely no idea about the hot searches. She couldn’t be bothered to talk too much either, so she said faintly, “It’s nothing. Just eat.”
Xie Yuqi locked herself in her room and didn’t even come out for dinner. During this period, Lu Ruixuan came to knock on the door and deliver food, but she was rejected.
By eight o’clock in the evening, Xie Yuqi grew increasingly stifled and restless, so she made up an excuse to head out.
The moment she left the residential compound, she dismissed her driver and drove out onto the road alone.
Should she go find Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng?
Xie Yuqi thought about it and gave up on the idea. Her family was forcing her to marry someone she loathed, talking too much about this kind of thing would only make her look utterly useless, and her self-esteem wouldn’t allow it.
She drove her car, steering aimlessly through the night.
The night breeze was cool, yet it couldn’t blow away the haze in her heart.
The bustling streets gradually faded into the distance, and the places she passed became more and more secluded.
She finally came to a stop.
The surrounding scenery felt inexplicably familiar. Looking around, she realized she had arrived at the West Mountain viewing platform.
This platform was located halfway up the mountain, at an altitude of about six or seven hundred meters, possessing an excellent vantage point. Gazing out from here, more than half of the city could be taken in at a glance.
She opened the sunroof, leaned against the car body, and gazed at Yanjing under the shroud of night.
She had first come to this place when she was in middle school. Later on, she would often make plans with her close friends to meet up here to smoke, drink, and drag race, wantonly squandering their youth.
Later still, whenever she was unhappy, she would drive up here by herself to look at the scenery for the better part of the day.
Buzz. Her phone rang. She ignored it.
Buzz, buzz. The phone rang again. Xie Yuqi still ignored it.
She wasn’t in the mood to care about anything. At this moment, she only wanted to be left alone.
After a long while, the phone rang yet again, playing a melodious piano piece.
This was the ringtone she had specially set for her mother.
Xie Yuqi hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer key.
After a brief exchange, she found an excuse to hang up the phone.
She casually checked the messages she had received just now. There were two, one was from Xia Li, and the other was from Ning Che.
Without any hesitation, she opened the one from Xia Li.
“Xiao Qi, what’s going on with today’s hot search? Did Ye Lingyi bully you again?”
Xie Yuqi stared at it for a moment. That word “again” made her instinctively resistant, making her recall that year when she was thirteen years old all over again with uncontrollable force.
“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Xia.”
After a short while, Xia Li replied. “You’re welcome.”
Two brief and concise words. No further questions, no prying. Xie Yuqi felt inexplicably relieved.
She liked people who knew when to advance and when to retreat, and who understood proper boundaries.
Just as she was about to close the chat interface, another message popped up.
“Yuqi, do you feel any better?”
The message remained anchored at the top.
Xie Yuqi casually tapped into it and replied, “No.”
Only after sending it did she notice that Ning Che had sent her eight messages today, and she hadn’t looked at a single one.
Glancing over them, they were still very mundane, containing nothing urgent. Just as she was about to close the dialogue box, she saw “The other party is typing…” displayed at the top.
In the next second, a new message appeared.
“Yuqi, I know you’re unhappy. If you’re willing, I can call to keep you company.”
Xie Yuqi stared at the screen.
Ning Che was also staring at her screen.
She actually hadn’t held onto any hope at all. Xie Yuqi rarely replied to her messages, instances like today where she received a timely response were few and far between.
She began to prepare herself mentally. If there was no reply after ten minutes, she would put her phone down.
Right at that moment, Xie Yuqi sent a location. “I’m here.”
Ning Che hurriedly clicked it open and discovered it was West Mountain in the suburbs. Her heart instantly filled with both shock and fear. It was almost ten o’clock now; what was Yuqi doing running up a mountain?
She wouldn’t do something foolish, would she?
She didn’t have time to think about anything else and immediately called her.
The phone kept ringing. Ning Che’s heart hung in suspense, terrified that she wouldn’t pick up.
A few seconds later, Xie Yuqi answered.
But she didn’t speak, remaining silent. Ning Che said anxiously, “Yuqi, I’m coming to find you right away.”
Xie Yuqi still didn’t say a word.
Ning Che: “Yuqi, if you don’t want to speak, then don’t. Just leave the phone line open.”
Xie Yuqi heard movements.
Ning Che putting on her coat, putting on her shoes, closing the door, entering the elevator, opening the car door, and starting the engine.
“Yuqi, I’m on the road now.”
Ning Che kept talking throughout the drive.
Xie Yuqi listened silently the entire time. After a while, she heard Ning Che quiet down and put on a song.
The singing was melodious, floating through the night like an invisible ribbon, linking her on the mountainside with Ning Che, who was speeding along in her car.
Roughly forty minutes later, the sound of an engine echoed from behind, rapidly drawing near before cutting out.
The car door opened, and Ning Che ran over with hurried steps.
Xie Yuqi didn’t turn around, still looking at the hazy night view of Yanjing City before her eyes.
Ning Che wrapped her arms around her from behind, her arms tightening around her back, pulling her securely into her embrace.
“Yuqi, in the future, wherever you want to go, just tell me. No matter where it is, I’ll accompany you!”
Xie Yuqi caught the fresh scent on her body, alongside a racing heartbeat mingled with rapid, breathless pants.
She could perceive a deep, profound worry radiating from her heartbeat and her breath.
She admitted, she liked this moment a little.