Chapter 32: Her Boyfriend Wasn’t Her Boyfriend

“Qiqi, your legs are trembling.”

“Are you cold?”

Wei Qingxuan rested a hand on her leg, feeling the faint tremor there, and deliberately asked again, “Or have you run out of strength?”

The clothes she had been wearing had long since been tossed aside by him.

Knowing that Wen Qi was sensitive to the cold, he had made sure the heating was turned up throughout the room.

It was so warm that Wen Qi felt slightly dizzy.

She arched her back and braced both hands against Wei Qingxuan just to maintain her seated position.

Yet even so, Wei Qingxuan seemed intent on making trouble for her, causing her to lose her balance and fall into his arms from time to time.

“I curse you to be impotent in the future.”

Wei Qingxuan merely curled his lips calmly.

Then he lowered his eyes slightly, the strength of the hand resting on her leg gradually increasing.

The rustling of fabric and the faint sound of the sofa cushion slowly rebounding under pressure were especially clear in the quiet room.

Wen Qi had no choice but to grab the backrest of the sofa with one hand and do her best to steady herself.

But it did little good.

In her haze, she even felt as if she were sitting in a wooden boat floating on the sea.

The waves were enormous, tossing her from side to side.

“Wei Qingxuan, stop it right now.”

Wei Qingxuan acted as though he had not heard her.

Seeing how difficult it was for Wen Qi to even sit steadily, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, lightly biting her ear.

“Qiqi, your curse won’t come true.”

“Can you feel it?”

“It’ll be like this in the future too.”

Wen Qi heard his hurried breathing and the rhythmic sounds around them.

She hurriedly covered her ears with her hands.

But his warm breath continued to brush against her shoulder again and again.

It was impossible to ignore.

“Stop breathing like that, and stop moving too. Stop.”

Her words could barely form a complete sentence.

He smiled.

“I can’t stop, Qiqi.”

How was this bastard so incapable of following instructions?!

Wen Qi glanced at the clock.

It was only eleven o’clock.

Judging by how worked up Wei Qingxuan was, was he planning to keep this up all night?

Bastard.

Impotent.

Impotent.

Impotent.

It would be best if he became impotent right now.

Better yet, impotent for the rest of his life.

“Hiss!”

Wei Qingxuan was a complete madman.

Watching Wen Qi frown and her lips tremble, Wei Qingxuan slowly rubbed at the spot before asking maliciously, “It’s here, right?”

Wen Qi bit her lip and stubbornly refused to answer.

Wei Qingxuan’s gaze swept over the stack of A4 papers.

His breathing grew heavier.

Silently, he increased his efforts.

“How far were you planning to run this time?”

“To a place where I couldn’t find you?”

“What a fantasy.”

“I—”

Wen Qi let out a muffled sound and pinched his waist.

“When did I ever say I was going to run?”

“You’re the one imagining things.”

“And who exactly is Damon?”

“Why were you trying to contact him?”

“Aren’t you going to explain that?”

“Damon?”

“Someone unimportant,” Wei Qingxuan replied.

“Do I look that easy to fool?”

“If he’s unimportant, why contact him at all?”

Her gaze landed on Wei Qingxuan’s phone.

Given the chance, she definitely intended to find out what he was plotting.

Wei Qingxuan pressed his lips together.

“You’re trying to distract me.”

No matter how short the construction period was, it was impossible for it to finish tomorrow.

As long as he had not yet taken Wen Qi away, she would investigate Damon.

He still had to keep things hidden.

“Just a friend.”

Wen Qi laughed coldly.

“And aren’t you trying to distract me too?”

“A friend?”

“More like a friend you made up out of thin air.”

Wei Qingxuan: “…”

Wen Qi: “…”

Both of them were worried the other might keep pressing the issue.

For a moment, the atmosphere froze.

By mutual understanding, neither continued the topic.

Wei Qingxuan’s movements, however, never stopped.

Ever since discovering that sensitive point, he had kept focusing on it.

Wen Qi genuinely wanted to strangle him.

At this rate, how was she supposed to go to school tomorrow?

Besides, she could barely lift her arms anymore.

“I’m tired.”

“Don’t you ever get tired?”

Wei Qingxuan rubbed against the side of her neck.

Confused, he asked, “I’m the one doing all the work, Qiqi.”

“Why are you the one who’s tired?”

“Besides, I’m getting more energetic as time goes on.”

“Can’t you tell?”

It was precisely because she could tell that Wen Qi wanted him to stop quickly.

If he got any more carried away, he might drag her into staying up all night.

“You think everyone is like you?”

“Want to sleep?”

“Obviously.”

“Ever since I got involved with you, the amount of peaceful sleep I get has only decreased.”

Wei Qingxuan lowered his eyes in thought.

After a long moment, he released his hold on her and slowed down.

“You do it yourself.”

“When it’s over, you can sleep.”

Wen Qi let out an “Ah?”

Then she subconsciously asked, “Who’s going to finish?”

Wei Qingxuan lifted his chin slightly.

“Who do you think?”

Looking at the box beside them, he even felt a little regretful.

Today they had only used two flavors.

Wen Qi straightened her back and sat there blankly.

She did nothing, yet she could still feel the change.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Wei Qingxuan raised an eyebrow.

“The slower you are, the longer it can endure.”

“If you want to sleep, then do it yourself.”

Wen Qi remained seated.

Every now and then, she glanced at Wei Qingxuan, looking as though she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Receiving her look, Wei—

“I…”

Wen Qi fell silent.

It was her first time being in this position.

How was she supposed to know how to make things end?

Wei Qingxuan understood immediately.

Yet he merely said, “Oh.”

Then he slowly bent his arms, resting his elbows on the sofa armrests.

“Go ahead.”

Wen Qi moved slightly.

Her actions were awkward and inexperienced.

They could even be described as completely lacking technique.

Maintaining that posture, he tilted his head back and looked up at Wen Qi sitting across his lap.

Her flushed cheeks.

The thin sheen of sweat at the tip of her nose.

The slight crease between her brows caused by her unfamiliar movements.

His gaze drifted once more toward the stack of papers on the table.

The thought that someone else might one day see Wen Qi looking this alluring—

A violent possessiveness instantly surged through him.

He lifted his leg.

The sudden movement caused Wen Qi, who had only been cautiously keeping her distance, to lose that last bit of separation.

“You—!”

Wei Qingxuan cut her off.

“Qiqi, are you planning not to sleep at all tonight?”

Wen Qi gritted her teeth and slowly searched for a method.

To her surprise, she actually began to find a pattern.

Wei Qingxuan’s breathing lost its steadiness.

His Adam’s apple bobbed more and more frequently.

The heat in his breath intensified, carrying restrained sighs.

The sounds filling the living room were like a private and gentle melody.

Their breathing intertwined.

Wen Qi had no strength left.

Yet Wei Qingxuan still seemed exactly the same.

She was on the verge of tears.

What kind of monster was this man?!

Her exhausted body slid downward slightly.

Wei Qingxuan immediately caught her with one hand.

“Why did you stop?”

Wen Qi ground her teeth together.

“I actually believed your nonsense.”

“You deal with it yourself.”

“I’m going back to my room.”

“Do you even have the strength to walk?”

Wen Qi assumed he was provoking her.

Supporting herself against the sofa, she tried to stand.

But the moment she moved, her legs gave out and she dropped back down.

Wei Qingxuan asked, “Qiqi, was that intentional?”

“Mm.”

“I have to admit, that was pretty effective.”

This time, Wen Qi truly had no strength left at all.

She shot him a glare.

“To hell with you.”

“Intentional my ass.”

Seeing that she was genuinely angry, Wei Qingxuan finally sat upright.

He gently pulled Wen Qi back into his arms and wrapped her hands around his waist.

Patting her back lightly, he said,

“Alright, sweetheart.”

“I’ll stop teasing you.”

“Just hold me for a while.”

“Then you can sleep.”

---

Wen Qi woke up covered in marks.

Fortunately, it was winter.

If it had been summer, dressing that heavily would have made her look like a complete weirdo.

“Wei Qingxuan, if you dare bite me again next time, you’re finished.”

While eating breakfast, Wen Qi complained indignantly.

“Mm.”

“Qiqi can bite me back.”

“Anywhere you want.”

“Get lost.”

“As if.”

“I’ll drive you to school.”

He walked to the entryway and picked up his car keys.

“I switched to a less conspicuous car.”

“And what about your face?”

“That’s pretty conspicuous too.”

Wei Qingxuan paused.

“Should I get plastic surgery?”

“What kind do you like, Qiqi?”

“Go ahead and get it.”

Wen Qi nodded seriously.

“I like squash-shaped faces.”

“And gigantic double eyelids.”

“And ridiculously thick lips.”

“Best if there’s a huge mole on the forehead too.”

“There.”

“Go get that done.”

Wei Qingxuan pictured it in his head.

Qiqi’s taste had become so unique.

No wonder she had never liked him.

Did Jiang Tinghao look like that?

“So you don’t like handsome men anymore?”

Wen Qi continued, “That’s right.”

“I don’t like handsome men anymore.”

“I only like that type.”

Wei Qingxuan set the car keys down and returned to the dining table.

Holding Wen Qi’s face in both hands, he asked,

“Are you still half asleep?”

As he spoke, he looked ready to drag her back to the bedroom for more sleep.

Wen Qi put down her chopsticks.

“Enough.”

“Your face would stand out even if it were covered in ashes.”

“Don’t drive me.”

“And don’t appear in the same frame as me.”

“I don’t want to end up acting in some ridiculous drama again.”

“What if I want to see you?”

He tilted his head and rested it against her shoulder.

“Then keep wanting.”

As long as he didn’t interfere with her goal of taking first place in her major, he could think about her all he wanted.

When Wen Qi returned to the dormitory, only Qian Jinghao was there.

“Ah, Qiqi, you’re back.”

“We haven’t really had a chance to talk these past few days.”

“Come on.”

“I’m treating you to dinner tonight.”

Wen Qi had not expected Qian Jinghao to still be planning that meal after so much time had passed.

If she kept refusing, Qian Jinghao would probably keep thinking about it forever.

“Sure.”

“Just tell me the time.”

“I’m grabbing a couple of books first.”

“I’m heading to the library later.”

Qian Jinghao looked utterly baffled.

“It’s the weekend.”

“You’re still going to the library?”

She had gone to university mainly for relaxation and a degree.

Her family already had a shop prepared for her.

Aside from finals, she wanted nothing to do with textbooks.

“Mm.”

Wen Qi walked past her and took two books from the shelf.

“Just send me the details on my phone.”

Qian Jinghao arranged dinner for eight o’clock on Desheng Street, at a lamb restaurant.

When Wen Qi came out of the library, she happened to see Qian Jinghao standing outside holding two cups of milk tea.

Wen Qi handed her a pair of gloves from her bag.

“It’s freezing.”

“Why didn’t you go inside?”

Qian Jinghao accepted them and passed one cup of milk tea over.

Grinning, she said, “I spotted a handsome guy earlier.”

“I was staring at him and thinking about asking for his WeChat.”

“Then you happened to come out.”

Ever since the argument between Qian Jinghao and her boyfriend, Wen Qi had never really asked about it apart from ordering her a cake.

Hearing her talk about getting someone’s contact information now made her curious.

“Your boyfriend…”

“We broke up,” Qian Jinghao said.

“You broke up?”

Wen Qi was genuinely surprised.

Back when Qian Jinghao first moved into the dorm, she spent at least an hour on the phone with her boyfriend every day.

Wen Qi had assumed they were still deep in the honeymoon phase.

“Trash man.”

“Guess I just didn’t see him clearly before.”

Taking a sip of milk tea, Qian Jinghao spoke with refreshing frankness.

“It’s not like I can’t find someone better.”

“Any man who ruins my mood and makes me miserable deserves to be dumped.”

Wen Qi nodded.

She agreed completely.

There were not many customers in the lamb restaurant.

The two of them picked a table at random and sat down.

Qian Jinghao was in an especially good mood today.

Li Haoyi and Zhang Jing both had their own close circles of friends.

They spent as little time in the dorm as possible.

Qian Jinghao did not know many people in class either.

Very few of them made her want to talk.

After feeling lonely for so many days, she had finally been waiting for Wen Qi to come back.

When she first met Wen Qi, she had thought the girl looked cold and difficult to approach.

She also seemed mysterious.

Qian Jinghao often overheard her talking on the balcony about things like “location tracking” and “where he had searched.”

Like some kind of secret agent from a movie.

Qian Jinghao had been a little scared of her.

Later, when Wen Qi caught her eavesdropping on a phone call and did not get angry, Qian Jinghao realized she was not nearly as frightening as she had imagined.

After the cake incident, she even felt Wen Qi was quite gentle.

Recently, after being scolded by Professor Wu several times in class, and then having Wen Qi help her with assignments, she became completely convinced that Wen Qi was a wonderful person.

The only problem was that Wen Qi rarely stayed in the dorm.

Most of their conversations happened through WeChat.

Qian Jinghao still had plenty left unsaid.

Now that she finally had the chance, she talked nonstop for half an hour before even touching her food.

“Oh right, Qiqi.”

“Did you know our university is hosting a joint social event with several other schools?”

“There’s a gathering on Sunday night.”

Wen Qi shook her head.

Qian Jinghao looked astonished.

“Senior Jiang didn’t tell you?”

“Jiang Tinghao?”

“Oh, no.”

With a lunatic like Wei Qingxuan constantly hovering around, she would be asking for trouble if she dared contact him.

“That’s strange.”

“Students from four universities are organizing it together.”

“It’s being held at Tinghui Hotel.”

“There’ll definitely be a lot of people.”

“A bunch of us have been trying to get invitation letters.”

“Such a big event?”

Qian Jinghao finally remembered to eat some meat.

“I heard someone is sponsoring it.”

“Um…”

She looked a little embarrassed.

“Qiqi, could you ask Senior Jiang to get me an invitation?”

“I’m willing to buy one, but nobody will sell.”

Wen Qi was stunned again.

“It’s really that popular?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I don’t know about anyone else.”

“But I’m going there to meet handsome guys.”

“Start a new relationship.”

“And begin a new chapter of life.”

“Are the guys at our university not good enough?”

“Of course not.”

“At most, we can chat a little.”

“Otherwise, how awkward would it be if we ran into each other after breaking up?”

Qian Jinghao said.

“Of course, you and Senior Jiang are definitely going to last forever.”

“I’ll ask him for you, then.”

When the two of them returned to the dormitory that evening, Zhang Jing and Li Haoyi were already back.

Yet the room remained unusually quiet.

After washing up, Wen Qi lay on her bed and opened her chat window with Jiang Tinghao.

– Do you still have any invitations for the networking gala?

Jiang Tinghao replied almost immediately.

– Yes. I saved one for you.

– It’s not for me. A friend of mine wants one.

Jiang Tinghao replied,

– Then are you going?

– I probably won’t have time.

Jiang Tinghao replied,

– Alright. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.

The next day, while Wen Qi was still in class, she spotted Jiang Tinghao standing outside the classroom door.

Fortunately, there were only five minutes left before class ended.

As soon as the bell rang, she headed outside with Qian Jinghao.

Wen Qi had only told her that someone would be bringing the invitation.

The moment Qian Jinghao saw that it was Jiang Tinghao, she immediately found an excuse to slip away.

She had no interest in being a third wheel.

By the time Wen Qi had spoken a single sentence, Qian Jinghao had already vanished without a trace.

Wen Qi laughed helplessly as she watched her flee.

“Just give me the invitation.”

“I’ll pass it to her.”

“Thanks for making the trip.”

“Oh, right.”

Jiang Tinghao handed over the invitation.

“Why are there two of them?”

Wen Qi ran her fingers over the exquisitely crafted invitations in her hand.

“This event really does seem pretty grand.”

“So, do you want to go?”

The words ‘I want you to go’ were rationally suppressed before they could leave his mouth.

It had only ever been a transaction.

He should not entertain unnecessary thoughts.

That was what he kept reminding himself.

Wen Qi enjoyed having fun too.

But she was not sure whether Wei Qingxuan would suddenly lose his mind and come looking for her at that time.

So she said, “I’ll see if my schedule works out.”

Hearing the uncertainty in her tone, Jiang Tinghao’s brows lifted slightly.

“Alright. The venue is a little difficult to find. If you get lost, just call me.”

The gala was scheduled for nine o’clock on Sunday night, one week later.

Wen Qi had already agreed with Wei Qingxuan that she would stay on campus that day.

Even so, at seven o’clock, he still made her stay on a video call with him for over an hour.

It was incredibly annoying.

Especially because he was taking a bath at the time.

Worried that he might accidentally expose something he should not, Wen Qi packed up her books and hurried back from the library.

Coincidentally, she found Qian Jinghao in the dormitory, busy deciding what to wear.

“Qiqi, did you change your mind and decide to come?”

“Hurry up.”

“Help me decide what to wear.”

Wen Qi pressed her phone against her chest.

“You keep looking. I need to finish a call first.”

“Sure.”

Only after walking to a secluded corner did Wen Qi take her phone back out.

On the other end, Wei Qingxuan had already finished bathing.

He was wearing a bathrobe.

Though honestly, it might as well have not been there.

As if afraid she could not see clearly enough, he had deliberately tied the belt loosely.

“Can you stop video-calling me at this hour in the future?”

“What? Am I interrupting your date with Jiang Tinghao?”

Wei Qingxuan’s tone was icy.

Wen Qi had no idea what had set him off this time.

Seeing Qian Jinghao walking toward her, she hurried to end the conversation.

“I’m hanging up. If there’s something important, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Qiqi, are you done yet? Hurry over. I have so many outfits. Help me choose one.”

Wei Qingxuan stared at the disconnected call and let out a short laugh.

‘In such a hurry to go on a date?’

‘Couldn’t even wait a little longer?’

Since she had already left the library anyway, Wen Qi stopped overthinking things and simply changed clothes.

After putting on a light touch of makeup, she looked striking without needing much effort.

Qian Jinghao could only watch with envy.

She had spent ages coordinating her outfit.

Meanwhile, Wen Qi looked like a runway model just by casually putting something on.

When they finally arrived, Wen Qi realized Jiang Tinghao had been extremely polite when he said the route was “a little complicated.”

She and Qian Jinghao wandered around twice and still could not find the place.

In the end, they had no choice but to call him.

Tonight, Jiang Tinghao was dressed very formally.

The suit diminished some of his youthful student-like appearance.

Instead, it gave him a more mature air.

Qian Jinghao repeatedly nudged Wen Qi with exaggerated looks.

Wen Qi pretended not to notice.

Once inside the hall, she declined Jiang Tinghao’s offer to stay and accompany them.

Instead, she told him to go take care of his responsibilities.

She and Qian Jinghao wandered around casually.

With her outgoing personality, Qian Jinghao quickly spotted someone she liked.

The moment she learned which university he attended, she struck up a conversation.

Meanwhile, Wen Qi headed straight for the drinks section.

She had no idea who the sponsor was this time.

But whoever it was clearly had excellent taste.

The selection seemed to consist entirely of her favorite drinks.

From a corner of the room, someone’s eyes had followed Wen Qi the moment she entered.

When he saw her walking toward the drinks area, he smiled in satisfaction.

Just as he was about to approach her, another man reached her first.

His expression darkened.

His fists slowly clenched.

Wen Qi had only taken a couple of sips when Jiang Tinghao appeared beside her.

“If you’d like, I can recommend something.”

“No need.”

“I know all of these.”

She swirled the wine in her glass and drained it in one swallow.

“Aren’t you busy tonight?”

Jiang Tinghao paused.

“Not really. I just wanted to chat with you.”

Remembering the kiss he had witnessed beneath the umbrella that day, he stiffened slightly.

Then he added,

“You don’t mind, do you?”

Wen Qi shrugged.

“Not at all.”

After all, that man was probably busy discussing Mingye Club’s future development plans with Uncle Lin right now.

He likely had no time to bother with her.

“Xiaodong already has professional caregivers looking after him.”

“Thank you.”

It seemed Uncle Zhang worked very efficiently.

Zhang Yan was the hospital director and a close friend of Wen Qi’s parents.

He had watched her grow up.

Since he and his wife had chosen not to have children, they had accepted Wen Qi as their goddaughter.

The moment he received her call, arrangements had already begun.

Wen Qi lowered her head, selecting different liquors to mix together.

“How is he adapting? How’s his condition?”

“At first, he struggled. He cried constantly and needed me around. But later he stabilized quite a bit. Now he can stay quietly even when I’m not there.”

“I delayed his treatment before.”

“There’s no point regretting the past.”

“As long as Xiaodong keeps getting better, that’s what matters.”

Wen Qi dropped an ice cube into her glass.

Just as she was about to drink, someone else arrived.

“Jiang Tinghao, so you’re here. I’ve been looking for you.”

The newcomer turned toward Wen Qi.

A flash of amazement crossed his eyes.

“Hello. My name is Wen Qi.”

She introduced herself politely.

The man suddenly realized something.

“Oh! Now I remember.”

“I’ve heard your name before.”

“You’re Jiang Tinghao’s girlfriend.”

“He and I were classmates in high school.”

“I asked him for your photo before, but he refused.”

“So it turns out it’s because you’re this beautiful.”

“Sorry. I’d never met you before, so I didn’t make the connection.”

Wen Qi nearly spilled her drink.

“It’s fine.”

The man nudged Jiang Tinghao.

“You really know how to hide things.”

Jiang Tinghao glanced at Wen Qi.

Seeing no sign of anger on her face, he quietly relaxed.

Then he smiled awkwardly.

“What did you need me for?”

Qi Gaoyi slapped his forehead.

“Look at my memory.”

“I came to introduce you to our sponsor.”

“Did you know he’s the same age as us?”

“He’s even a student at Huai University.”

“It’s incredible.”

“He’s so young and already owns a company.”

A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Wen Qi’s chest.

Even so, she calmly continued mixing her drink.

That man never attended social gatherings like this.

He had far too many responsibilities.

Sometimes when she woke up in the middle of the night, she would still find him sitting on the sofa handling documents.

She had no idea where he got all that energy.

Footsteps gradually approached.

Wen Qi’s hand trembled.

The ice cube she had been about to drop into her glass slipped and rolled across the table instead.

Standing in a relatively secluded corner, she had hoped to make herself invisible.

The newcomer stopped.

Qi Gaoyi shifted aside and introduced Jiang Tinghao to the person behind him in a respectful tone.

“President Wei, this is Jiang Tinghao. He’s the person in charge of tonight’s event.”

“And beside him is his girlfriend, Wen Qi.”

The moment she heard the introduction, the third ice cube slipped from Wen Qi’s fingers and missed the glass entirely.

She looked up.

At exactly that moment, she met Wei Qingxuan’s gaze.

Cold.

And boiling with anger beneath the surface.

Unfortunately, Qi Gaoyi remained completely oblivious.

“I only left Jiang Tinghao alone for a little while, and he immediately ran off to find his girlfriend.”

“You two must be really close.”

“You’ve made this single dog insanely jealous.”

“But I’m going to have to interrupt you for a moment.”

“We need to discuss some business with Jiang Tinghao.”

Seeing that nobody was speaking, he suddenly addressed her directly.

“Wen Qi, we’re borrowing your boyfriend for ten minutes.”

“That’s not a problem, right?”

Wen Qi’s entire body stiffened.

At that moment, every possible response felt wrong.

She quickly glanced at Wei Qingxuan.

He was smiling.

But the smile existed only on the surface.

The oppressive chill radiating from him felt like an invisible net slowly tightening around her.

“Looks like Student Wen and her boyfriend have a really good relationship. Can’t be apart for even a second.”

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