Capítulo 17: Bai Qing
More or less five miles away from the Jiang Corporation's building. In an all-female dormitory.
A beautiful and dainty figure reminiscent of a pure white lotus bowed to another girl of a similar age.
While she had a pale and apologetic face that could easily evoke pity and tug on the heartstrings of every onlooker, the one standing opposite her had a furious look on as though, any minute soon, she would start pointing a forefinger to the other.
They were in the lobby where other girls nearby could see them.
Since the dorm was just across from the men's dorm, hot-blooded male youths could also watch and hear them from afar.
"I-I'm really sorry. I didn't know that you liked Senior Feng. I, I will make sure to keep a distance starting from today!"
The white lotus girl said it quite loudly; her words let the people around guess what was happening immediately.
Out of embarrassment for the kinds of stares the other party received from everyone around them, she blushed and angrily exclaimed,
"Bai Qing!!! How dare you!!!"
The woman wanted to tell how inconsiderate and shameless Bai Qing was to do this to her in front of many people.
Unfortunately, that would have to wait until she had gathered enough calmness and composure.
But yes.
The one who just spoke loudly was the currently nineteen-year-old campus belle of J University, Bai Qing — this world's female lead.
And right now, she was apologizing to her dormmate Xia Xinyue for a reason that was actually not her fault.
The senior art student the other liked had just confessed to her...
At least, that was what everyone watching the show inferred from Bai Qing's words...
People knew Bai Qing as an intelligent and lovely young lady born to a talented female designer and a self-made rich fashion and clothing line owner.
Many saw her as a sweet and smart girl.
Whenever she did something like winning a city-wide academic contest or helping an old lady cross a busy street, words about it would immediately reach everyone's ears and become the talk of the university.
Her fanboys, who were overly eager to spread her good and amazing deeds, were the culprits, of course.
She was showered with praise and admiration from everybody.
Men's adoration also never failed to make way for her, at least so far.
Her appearance was the kind that could topple nations, whether from the ancient world or the current one.
No wonder right now, even though no one had heard of what truly happened between her and Xia Xinyue, it was already cemented in everybody's mind that she was wronged.
She was pure and innocent.
Look at her beautiful... or rather, pitiful appearance.
What more explanation or reason was needed?
"That girl must have done something to make Bai Qing apologize even though somebody liking her is not her fault. Tch! Tch!"
"Shameless! Very shameless! Not classy at all! This Xia Xinyue is so evil to do that to her! Poor Bai Qing!"
"I really pity her. Because people are drowning in jealousy and can't accept their adequacies, the world is becoming more and more unbearable to live in!"
"I know, right!"
"Ahem, what did she do?"
A confused nerdy with short hair asked one of the spectators and received replies similar to the ones above.
When that nerdy looked over, the one that appeared pitiful in her eyes was the girl who looked more teary-eyed than furious.
Unfortunately, the favorable opinions of the majority tilted to the other side.
Bai Qing briefly glanced around, and in her heart, a feeling of helplessness sprouted.
She felt so helpless that she was so lovable and charming.
A few hours later, the poor girl whose crush was rat out would surely be known as a bad lady. It was simply the powerful halo of being the favored daughter of destiny.
"I can't believe it!" Xia Xinyue began shaking her head. "You're known as a good and admirable girl. But what's so admirable with a woman distorting facts and loudly shouting about other's affairs in public."
Bai Qing's face paled more, and she stammered out, "T-this... I-I just don't have another choice..."
'Come again? What didn't have a choice?'
Those who heard these words had their imagination worked at full throttle, naturally in a direction only the female lead would like.
"Miss Xia!!! Are you bullying her?"
The one called turned to the left only to see someone she would have preferred never to hear or see this commotion. "Senior Feng..."
Her voice weakly trailed off when she processed how this guy was siding with Bai Qing immediately. Frost covered her heart, and her mind immediately became blank.
Why was she the one receiving hostility? All she did was ask normally if Bai Qing was now dating this guy.
"Senior Feng, it's not like that," Bai Qing tried to smooth over the situation. "Miss Xia did not bully me."
And the soft but awkward laughter that Bai Qing let out etched the opposite in the man's eyes.
The other woman did not really bully.
The part where she said she didn't have a choice was because they rarely meet in the dorm, so she took this chance to apologize.
An apology for being much more likable and beautiful to the boys' eyes...
With worrying expression, the male student told her,
"Qing'er you don't need to be so kind. Just say directly, did she bully you?"
It was annoying that after hearing this, the campus' number one beauty tried to deny it again only to become further cemented as the truth.
Xia Xinyue simply decided that she's done with everything.
The man was a scumbag who didn't even know the basics of asking the side of the two parties involved. She must be blind to like him before.
Thankfully, she had now awakened to the reality of life...
Capítulo 18: Goals And Priorities
From the distance, two other pairs of eyes watched the happenstances at the dorm's entrance.
The two people sat at the painted stone table under a tall, lush tree.
Nearby, there were several stalls where people could buy food and souvenir items.
One of the men looked so handsome and with a presence radiating both power and charm despite being only in a simple white dress shirt and pants.
Many girls passing by never failed to gawk at him for at least five seconds, and not a few made his lips twitch due to the dreamy shrieks they let out as they pointed their cameras at him and took a selfie with him as the background.
No matter how indifferent he outwardly seemed, he felt quite uncomfortable. Who knows what angle they took to play with his image there?
What if tomorrow, he became trending in social media for being somebody else's husband without him knowing?
What a scary possibility.
The other guy was in his early thirties, with a high face value, too. He was single, filthy rich, courtesy of his real job, and with a huge house and a whole garage of cars. Sadly, he worked at this university hence the students knew him and his perverted quirks.
This one had just arrived with two cups in hands.
"Boring."
The other man held out a cup of coffee that Jiang Li reluctantly accepted.
Right. It was Jiang Li. Naturally, the open pervert working in this university whom he met up with was Hao Gang.
It was already the next day after the farce with his uncle.
Jiang Wen's first attempt failed, which had taken so much time and planning just to topple Jiang Li's father off his pedestal. The culprit was naturally Jiang Li, who, despite being so disinterested in the actual scene, had tossed out a record of tax evasions and faked documents from the finance department, all legally stamped and signed by his Second Uncle beforehand.
He didn't plan to know how the war between the two middle-aged Jiangs would end. Anyway, he had faith in his father. And more faith in Jiang Wen's foolishness.
This was why, after the meeting, he took his mind off the clan and company matters. The first thing he checked himself was how Bai Qing was doing. And whether this younger woman already interacted with the male lead, Cheng Yijun.
It might be two years earlier but double-checking wouldn't hurt.
Jiang Li didn't go to the office today on the pretext of looking for Hao Gang. Or actually, it was not just a pretext. He did want to see the professor for a request.
The pervert hacker ran off almost everywhere, and thus, he chose to wait at this spot where he had chanced upon the uninteresting scene of the female lead staging mischief against someone he also knew. He witnessed everything from the beginning!
"Hey. I didn't make you wait so long this time. And I even made it up to you with this expensive cup of coffee. Don't show me that expression anymore!"
Jiang Li's attention subconsciously went to the to-go cup in his hands when he heard the other's excuse for being late.
Hao Gang never failed to amaze him. This person assumed waiting for this guy to arrive bored him? Nice. He finally knew.
But where was the expensive coffee? Didn't he shoot some coins into the vending machine there in front? It didn't seem impressive for a machine-brewed coffee for a high earner like him.
"You're such a puzzle, Sir. Why is it that your IQ is only with you if you're in front of a computer..." He shook his head and helplessly looked back to what he was watching.
"Jiang Li, your visits here become increasingly infrequent as time passes. So what brings you here this time?" Hao Gang asked.
The young man gulped a mouthful of the bitter coffee. Afterward, he said, "To visit you, why else?"
Hao Gang sat down across from him.
Before the professor replied, his eyes went toward the girl's dorm for a while. He teasingly laughed.
"Hehe, I caught you watching that spectacle, so I thought you were here for your fiancee!"
"Ex-fiancee."
Jiang Li nonchalantly clarified.
"I had that whatever engagement canceled six months ago. That girl also didn't know that the engagement existed."
Hao Gang laughed. "Even though this Miss Xia doesn't look as goddess-like as my sister or that girl she's confronting now, she's still a beauty and from a respected family of scholars. Why did you call it off?"
Jiang Li took another gulp.
"This is the problem with society. Why would I be tied to someone I'm unfamiliar with?"
"Business interest."
Jiang Li laughed.
It was rare for him to talk about foolish things like this.
But he felt quite close to this mentor and friend of his; thus, he answered,
"I'm a bastard. But not to the point that I'll compromise the happiness of someone innocent like that little lady. From the very start, I know my goals and priorities."
'... It's completing missions and returning to repay the betrayers from his past life.'
With an amused, almost self-mocking grin, he added,
"Marriage didn't come to mind yet. Or maybe, will never do."
Hao Gang laughed at him and slapped him on the back.
This professor was the only one with the guts to do this to the young COO of a big company.
"Stop the pessimism, my student! The end of that corporation that preyed on your precious cousin is near. Once that giant conglomerate is ruined, you'll have all the time to plan for your happiness. We only live once, you know? Don't tell me you plan to spend your next 50-plus years wrestling with papers. Damn. That's so uncool!"
Jiang Li's lips twitched. He almost said,
'Wrong, respected Sir. I don't care about Jiang Xinyi, and I will exit this world as soon as possible to go to the next one.'
"By the way, even though the two of you will no longer be in a relationship in the future, that girl seemed to be in trouble. Would you like me to call that student over and say it's for something academic?"
Jiang Li's eyes were directed at a figure that appeared on the opposite side who seemed to be heading towards the dormitory too.
This was the reason why his answer came late. Still, his reply was said in an insulting manner.
"Respected Sir, by any chance, have you ever considered what would happen if you, a pervert, do that?"
Hao Gang suggested that earlier, out of goodwill; hence, he almost choked on his coffee when he heard his former student's reply. He glared at Jiang Li.
"... For someone who seeks me out for a favor, your remarks are pretty scathing... I feel hurt!"
"You're not. And we don't need to act since somebody else is already on it. If I'm not mistaken, my batch's magna cum laude is heading towards that woman."
Jiang Li's eyes went to the glamorous socialite in a red long-sleeve button-up shirt and white gauze skirt who was currently making her way to the girl named Xia Xinyue.
A question popped up in his mind.
'When did my former fiancee have any intersection or relation with Zhu Li, the only princess of the Zhu Corporation?'
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES
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