Ye Ling knew that the resolution at hand couldn’t possibly be so simple. Now hearing her father explain the specific reasons, Ye Ling finally understood and couldn’t find any words to refute. She was secretly resentful of Shen Bin; no wonder he had been so confident, as the real reason was this.
"Dad, if that’s the case, I’ll help this time, but I’m still mad. I’m just helping, not for real," Ye Ling said, staring closely at her father.
"Silly child, of course, it’s just helping," Ye He Ping said with an indifferent expression.
Ye Ling kept her eyes on her father’s expression. Seeing that he was telling the truth, she nodded, "Then other than the heads of the school and the company, nobody else should know about this matter. Also, there should be a time limit for this. Although I’m not in a hurry to get married, I can’t delay Shen Bin, he is not young."
"Don’t worry, during this period, I’ll also look for a suitable introduction for Shen Bin on my end. He made up this lie because of you and will waste a few years. After all, he has to wait until you’ve graduated before moving on," Ye He Ping had already analyzed the situation thoroughly, "He can’t be dating while you’re still in school, otherwise, if the school suspects, it won’t be good for either of you."
"Alright, I understand," Ye Ling thought to herself, with three years still left, "Dad, Shen Bin is only here for advanced studies, right? I heard he was only going to be here for two years?"
"Yes, just two years, so the important thing is you. You still have three years in school, so study hard during these three years," Ye He Ping didn’t elaborate further.
He was afraid that directly telling his daughter not to date would hurt her pride, as the school doesn’t allow dating. His daughter had someone she liked but was being used; now, Ye He Ping could only hint gently, hoping she’d understand.
Ye Ling’s face occasionally flushed, "Dad, don’t worry, I understand."
Thinking about having lived two lives and still being schemed against, Ye Ling felt ashamed, especially regarding matters of the heart. Once bitten, twice shy, Ye Ling knew she wouldn’t easily get involved in emotional affairs.
Seeing that his daughter understood, Ye He Ping also breathed a sigh of relief. After talking with her father, Ye Ling didn’t feel pressured about agreeing to Shen Bin. After all, it was a fake arrangement, and Shen Bin would return after a year. Even though their relationship at school seemed real to the school authorities, they didn’t have any obvious interactions, and this couldn’t be made public. Ye Ling didn’t usually go back to her hometown, so there was even less to worry about. In a year, when Shen Bin left, she wouldn’t have anything to worry about while still at school.
So, once this matter was resolved, Ye Ling also felt relieved. When she met Shen Bin in private, she wasn’t embarrassed and even specifically told him to quickly find a partner after returning to the company from his studies. Shen Bin cooperatively nodded without saying anything else, which satisfied Ye Ling. For now, she focused on her recovery.
Now that her hearing was returning and the bruises on her body were fading, it wasn’t considered a serious injury. Ye Ling let her father go back, as she had Zhao Guodong and the others taking care of her. After a week of injections, she could be discharged to rest at school. Ye He Ping, who had rushed over quickly, didn’t say much more. He thanked Zhao Guodong, Sui Gang, and Yang Hui properly and was sent to the train station by Shen Bin. For the next few days, Shen Bin continued in the evenings, while Zhao Guodong, Sui Gang, and Yang Hui took over during the day.
The seven days flew by, and after being discharged, Ye Ling went straight back to the dormitory. Since it was within the school, she didn’t have to worry about people gossiping behind her back. On the surface, Ye Ling seemed calm, but she privately sighed with relief. Yang Hui didn’t go home and straightforwardly stayed at the school to accompany Ye Ling. Unable to go out for work, they could only pass the time by reading. Ye Ling didn’t want Yang Hui to feel obliged to accompany her, as it was a whole summer vacation, and who wouldn’t want to play and relax for a bit?
Yang Hui said with a mysterious smile, "Don’t rush, even if you make me stay in the dorm, I can’t sit still. You’ll find out tomorrow, but I won’t tell you today."
Ye Ling laughed, "Are you guys planning a trip or something? Well, forget it, you guys go, I won’t go."
"Is it because it costs money?" Yang Hui added, persuading her, "Ye Ling, I’ve never seen anyone spend the maintenance allowance we get. During winter and summer vacations, we work jobs to save money. What’s the point of saving so much? You should learn to enjoy life, and your life is too simple—just making money and studying, with no leisure time at all."
Ye Ling thought for a moment, "Is it really like that?"
Actually, she just didn’t have anywhere to spend money, not that she liked hoarding it. Besides, who ever hates having too much money? If not for fending for herself during high school, she wouldn’t have known how to scrape by. Unable to depend on her family, Ye Ling became accustomed to having money on hand so she wouldn’t have to rely on others in times of need.
"It really is like that. To your classmates, I’m guessing they see you as stingy with yourself," Yang Hui wasn’t joking, "Ye Ling, this time you won’t have to pay to go out, but you usually don’t like to owe people favors. So we should just split the travel costs, and once we get there, Sui Gang’s family will handle the food and lodging, so everything will be on him."
Ye Ling knew these few couldn’t possibly stay still. After everything that happened, when Yang Hui mentioned it, Ye Ling realized how solitary she’d been before, "Alright then, at least tell me where we’re going, right?" For more chapters visit novel•fire.net
A monthly maintenance allowance of eight dollars, although she’d saved some money, wasn’t much. Plus, girls always have more expenses than boys. Ye Ling was planning long-term, thinking about living in the army and renting a place when on leave, so she never dared to spend her money. Now, having made these friends, it seemed saving would be difficult.
"We’re going to Dalian," Yang Hui said, winking, "You’ve never seen the sea, right? It’s great to go to the seaside in summer; don’t worry, Sui’s family has a house by the sea. It’s a five-minute walk to the beach, and we’ll make our own food there, so we’ll have plenty of freedom. No one will control us; we can do whatever we want every day."
"Does your family agree?" Ye Ling only knew that Yang Hui’s family was well-off but didn’t know much else.
Besides, Ye Ling thought well-off families usually wouldn’t let their daughters travel recklessly.
"Don’t worry about my dad," Yang Hui laughed, "I’ve already informed him. On the day we leave, my dad will come to see us off and bring my stuff."
It wasn’t until they reached Dalian that Ye Ling realized why the three insisted on coming here. It turned out Feng Yue and Dong Minghui were also here. (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)