As soon as the words left her mouth, everyone present froze, including Qin Yumo himself.
Since childhood, no one had ever dared to demand an apology from him.
He didn’t even know how to write the word "apology."
A smile appeared at the corners of his lips—one of those calculating, scheming smiles.
It made Yun Shifei hesitate, wondering if she should just drop it. After all, she was unfamiliar with life in Beijing, and provoking him wouldn’t end well for her.
She just wanted to live her modest, quiet little life.
But before she could decide, a girl’s voice suddenly rang out from below: "I think this young lady made a good point. If even Young Master Qin can’t bring himself to apologize, then what qualifications does he have to inherit the Qin Family’s business in the future? If word got out, who would dare work with such an irresponsible company?"
Yun Shifei glanced toward the source of the voice. It came from an opulently dressed girl who exuded a strong and assertive presence, the kind that hinted at being a charismatic, boss-like figure.
Yun Shifei instantly felt she was in danger—there was no mistaking it, she was being used.
The man before her was using her to extricate himself from this dinner with ulterior motives, while that girl was using her to pressure Qin Yumo.
Clearly, they were the couple arranged to be married.
As for the man before her, he probably couldn’t vent his frustration on the girl and had instead fixated his piercing gaze on Yun Shifei, as though he wanted to see right through her.
Yun Shifei grew angry.
She might have demanded an apology from him, but she certainly didn’t want to be used as a pawn in someone else’s game.
So she flashed a smile and said, "Mr. Qin, is it? No need to apologize to me—I wouldn’t dare accept it. The person you really need to apologize to is Miss Wen, your soon-to-be fiancé... Behaving this way, isn’t it awkward for everyone? Never mind me being embarrassed, but don’t make things difficult for her."
On the surface, Yun Shifei smiled brightly, but inside she was utterly exasperated.
Their issues should go right back to them. She didn’t want to be trapped in the middle like some sort of sandwich filling.
After finishing her piece, Yun Shifei made a hasty exit.
Once outside the hotel, she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like she had faced quite the scene. She figured that whatever situations lay ahead might not rattle her so much anymore.
But then she thought about how she had gotten dragged into this mess just for a measly hundred yuan. She resolved not to chase after such insignificant amounts ever again and to explore other ways to earn money.
It really was as expected—wealthy people’s money isn’t easy to make.
Back at the dorm, her senior Xu Yue came to find her after hearing about what happened, apologizing to her in person.
"Shi Fei, I’m really sorry. I had no idea things would turn out . Don’t worry, I won’t let them bully you."
"It’s fine, Senior Sister. This wasn’t your fault," Yun Shifei replied. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N0velFire.ɴet
Xu Yue wiped her forehead nervously, saying, "How could it not be my fault? I didn’t do a good job looking out for you."
The conversation flowed for a while until it somehow ended up becoming Yun Shifei comforting Xu Yue instead.
Watching Yun Shifei’s gentle demeanor, Xu Yue couldn’t help but think that this junior of hers truly was a gem. Beautiful, kind-hearted—despite being the one wronged, she was still able to console others.
Unable to resist, Xu Yue asked, "Do you have a boyfriend, Junior?"
Yun Shifei shook her head.
"How about I introduce you to someone? Don’t worry, I’d never mislead you," Xu Yue offered with a smile.
Yun Shifei chuckled. "No need, Senior; I already have someone I like."
"What a shame then," Xu Yue sighed.
Though inwardly, Xu Yue couldn’t help but wonder who the lucky person might be, to have earned Yun Shifei’s love.
Just before bed, Yun Shifei suddenly realized she hadn’t called Cheng Lie today.
She hurried to the balcony and dialed his number.
The call was answered quickly.
Could it be that he had been waiting for her? Yun Shifei pondered for a moment, then dismissed the thought—it was probably just coincidental timing.
"Cheng Lie, what are you up to?"
A calm voice came from the other end: "Just finished taking a shower."
Yun Shifei glanced at the clock—10:30.
"I was just about to go to sleep when I suddenly realized I hadn’t called you today," she said apologetically.
She proceeded to tell Cheng Lie about playing piano earlier that day.
"The people there are so wealthy; the venue was decorated magnificently."
She had deliberately chosen the pleasant details, omitting the incident with Qin Yumo entirely.
Though, truth be told, she found herself thinking her conversation was incredibly dull.
Talking about how stunning everyone’s attire was at the soirée, how delicious the cake was, how charming the makeup artist was...
Bored with herself, Yun Shifei quickly shifted the topic and said, "Time for bed—I don’t want to disturb my roommate."
Cheng Lie listened quietly to her recounts, regardless of how mundane they might seem. To him, he loved hearing anything Yun Shifei had to say. But as she cut the conversation short and prepared to hang up, he couldn’t help but ask, "Shi Fei, are you sure there wasn’t anything bothering you?"
She’d only spoken about the cheerful moments, her tone bright and lively. But was it really true that there was nothing bothering her? From what Cheng Lie knew about her, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.
Hearing his question, Yun Shifei suddenly felt a lump rise in her throat. All the grievances she had suppressed throughout the evening, all the forced strength she had shown before others, threatened to spill out in a torrent.
But she didn’t want Cheng Lie to worry. Once, Cheng Lie had been someone she could share her emotions with—a wonderful listener. But now, he wasn’t the same. He had his own work and responsibilities, likely busy with his own life. Besides, ever since his recovery, there seemed to be an invisible wall between them.
For these reasons, she couldn’t confide in Cheng Lie the way she used to.
"Nothing’s wrong. You see, ever since I got to Beijing, everyone around me just loves me. I mean, I’m so adorable—who’d ever bully me?"
Hearing her slightly coquettish comment, a faint smile appeared on Cheng Lie’s previously cool lips. Normally indifferent and cold, even his gaze now held traces of warmth.
Perhaps it was true—her newfound liveliness proved her current life was going well.
Still, he couldn’t agree with her final comment. Such an adorable girl—didn’t he just want to tease her until she cried?
After class, Yun Shifei was heading back to her dorm with her classmates when a luxury sports car caught her eye, parked along the tree-lined avenue.
Sports cars were rare these days, which naturally drew the attention of several passing students, everyone sneaking glances at it.
Yun Shifei and her dormmates glanced at it too.
But, who would have guessed, the car door suddenly opened.
Long legs stepped gracefully out of the vehicle. The man, wearing sunglasses, leaned casually against the car door, sizing her up from head to toe before curling his lips into a slight grin. "Finally caught you!"
Seeing his teasing expression, Yun Shifei’s face chilled, and she walked forward without saying a word.
"Shi Fei, Feifei... are you really going to ignore me so coldly?" Qin Yumo’s voice sounded from behind her, his affectionate tone causing Yun Shifei to bristle with goosebumps.
This guy—could he be a creep?
She just wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible, but he grabbed her arm before she could.
"Why? Are you afraid of me?" Qin Yumo removed his sunglasses, his peach-blossom eyes locking unyieldingly onto hers.