Su Qing did not pay much attention to what she said. Instead, she turned to Wang Cai’er and said, “What are you thinking? He and I aren’t involved. We’ve just known each other since seventh grade and happen to be fairly close.”
Wang Cai’er rolled her eyes at Su Qing. “Not involved? Su, the school beauty, do you think you can fool me with that? You’re so proud that you won’t even let people drive you to and from school every day.”
“And yet here you are, waiting for that guy with me.”
Wang Cai’er continued, “Besides, I heard he even beat up Lai Xiaolong because of you. That’s Lai Xiaolong we’re talking about. Even the richest and most influential young masters at our school wouldn’t dare offend him, much less hit him.”
“If he wasn’t interested in you, would he have offended Lai Xiaolong for your sake?”
Hearing Wang Cai’er’s words, Su Qing’s thoughts returned to the moment Lai Xiaolong had stopped her. Just when she had been at a complete loss, Lin Fan had appeared and slapped Lai Xiaolong away.
An inexplicable feeling suddenly stirred in her heart.
Lin Fan was different from everyone else. She understood that now. Although she had countless admirers, every one of them was drawn to her current beauty.
Lin Fan was the only exception. Back when she had been plain and unremarkable, she had wiped her runny nose on his clothes every day, and he had merely grinned foolishly at her.
And for her sake, he had even dared to stand up to someone like Lai Xiaolong.
What girl didn’t harbor a little admiration?
A man like that was someone worth falling for.
Thinking this, Su Qing hurriedly shook her head. What was she imagining?
A faint blush appeared on her face. Wang Cai’er noticed it, but inwardly she thought, It was one thing for Su Qing to be caught up in love, but as her best friend, she absolutely couldn’t let an ordinary person like Lin Fan deceive her.
Just then, Lin Fan walked out of the residential compound in a white tracksuit.
Wang Cai’er looked Lin Fan up and down, and her disdain only deepened. He was dressed plainly, and none of his clothes were from any well-known brand.
They even looked like cheap clothes from a street stall, so ordinary that they could hardly have been more ordinary.
How could someone like that possibly be good enough for Su Qing?
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Lin Fan walked over with a smile. Looking at Wang Cai’er beside Su Qing, he asked, “And you are?”
Su Qing introduced her. “This is my best friend, Wang Cai’er.”
“Nice to meet you.” Lin Fan smiled and held out his hand, but Wang Cai’er frowned. She reluctantly shook his hand without saying anything.
Lin Fan found it strange. This was the first time he had met Wang Cai’er, so how had he offended her?
He thought about it for quite a while, but still couldn’t figure it out.
Su Qing also noticed the awkwardness and said, “Let’s go. The bus is almost here.”
Wang Cai’er linked arms with Su Qing and walked ahead. Lin Fan followed behind, listening to the two girls chat.
Wang Cai’er said, “Su, I really don’t understand you. There are plenty of people among your admirers who drive luxury cars. All you’d have to do is say the word, and they’d line up to drive you around every day. Why take the bus?”
Su Qing replied, “No matter how nice something is, it still doesn’t belong to me.”
Wang Cai’er said, “That’s where you’re wrong. This is the real world, and it runs on power and influence. If you have money and connections, everything becomes easier. If you marry someone like that in the future, you can live the life of a rich man’s wife and travel around the world every day.”
“But if you marry some poor nobody, the rest of your life will be miserable. Though I suppose men without money or influence wouldn’t pursue you in the first place, since they wouldn’t want to drag you down for the rest of your life.”
Wang Cai’er’s voice was loud, clearly meant for more than just Su Qing to hear.
Lin Fan wasn’t stupid. She had made her meaning so obvious that she might as well have pointed at his nose and cursed, You poor nobody, you actually think you can reach above your station and marry a swan?
Lin Fan was speechless. Damn it. Other people might not believe him, but he genuinely had no ulterior motives toward Su Qing. If he had to put it into words, he simply regarded her as a younger sister, nothing more.
Su Qing also sensed the implication behind Wang Cai’er’s words and retorted, “Cai’er, money and influence aren’t the only things in this world. People can’t live solely for those things. They should pursue something more genuine, too.”
Wang Cai’er laughed. “Oh, please, Su. Without power and influence, what would you do if Lai Xiaolong came looking for you?”
As they talked, the three of them reached the bus stop. Wang Cai’er pointed at a small shop nearby. “Qingqing, I’m thirsty. Hurry and buy us a few bottles of water.”
“What do you want?”
“Bottled water is fine.”
Su Qing did not think much of it and walked toward the shop.
As soon as Su Qing left, Wang Cai’er’s smile vanished. She turned to Lin Fan and said, “You’re Lin Fan, right? I assume you understood what I was saying on the way here.”
Lin Fan looked at Wang Cai’er and nodded. “Yes, I understood.”
Wang Cai’er said coldly, “Good. Then I advise you not to drag Qingqing down. As her best friend, I don’t want to watch her suffer for the rest of her life.”
Lin Fan said indifferently, “I only regard Su Qing as a younger sister. But even if I did want to pursue her, that would be my business. What does it have to do with you?”
“What does it have to do with me?” Wang Cai’er said coldly. “Looks like you still haven’t figured out your own situation. You have no parents, and you live in such a run-down neighborhood. Can you really give Qingqing happiness in the future?”
Lin Fan asked, “Do you believe happiness consists of nothing but money and influence?”
Wang Cai’er said, “You two aren’t even from the same world. A toad should know its place. Don’t imagine you can actually get the swan.”
Lin Fan smiled faintly and said meaningfully, “You’re right. We really aren’t from the same world.”
Wang Cai’er was about to say something else when Su Qing returned with the water. Looking at the two of them, she asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Toads and swans.” Wang Cai’er’s smile returned as she cheerfully accepted the water Su Qing handed her.
Su Qing furrowed her brows. “Cai’er.”
“Don’t worry. Come on, the bus is here. Let’s get on.”
Wang Cai’er hurriedly changed the subject.
Lin Fan kept his hands in his pockets and did not get angry over Wang Cai’er’s words.
How could sparrows understand the ambitions of swans? Wang Cai’er was right that they were not from the same world. Lin Fan’s ambition was to stand above every genius among the younger generation of the Quanzhen Sect.
How could that possibly be compared with the paltry power and influence of the mundane world? How could Wang Cai’er understand?
Once the three of them boarded the bus, they found it surprisingly crowded. Half an hour later, the bus stopped in front of the school. The three of them got off and walked onto the campus.
“Lin Fan, I’m going to class now. We’ll go home together after school tonight.” Su Qing turned back to him.
Lin Fan nodded. “Okay!”