Chapter 21: Zhao Qingyao’s Welcome

After dealing with Zhao Qingyu… er, after shooing Zhao Qingyu away, Zhao Qingyao wore an apologetic expression.

“Sorry, Shen Anyue. My brother is always up to no good. He troubled you again today.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“Then this…” Zhao Qingyao shifted her gaze to Cheng Yiyi, paused for a while, then asked, “Who is she?”

“My older sister.” Shen Anyue and Cheng Yiyi’s clasped hands were already a bit sweaty, but she didn’t let go. “She’s the true daughter of the Shen family.”

“Oh, I see” Zhao Qingyao extended her hand, smiling gently, and said, “My name is Zhao Qingyao, the sister of that useless guy just now. Nice to meet you!”

Cheng Yiyi was startled for a moment, then used her free hand to shake Zhao Qingyao’s hand. “My name is Cheng Yiyi.”

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, Zhao Qingyao began to feel it on her own.

“There’s a thin layer of calluses on the knuckles, but it’s not a big deal. They’ll smooth out over time.”

She let go and asked, “Cheng Yiyi, did you do a lot of manual labor before?”

“Like part-time jobs?”

“Yes.” Cheng Yiyi hadn’t expected this sibling pair to be so skilled at reading people, one judging by temperament, the other by touch.

“You’ve had a hard time. The Shen family has been looking for you for years. From now on, they’ll take good care of you.”

“Let go of your past worries and face the future!”

“By the way, Shen Anyue, if my brother ever comes to bother you again, just call me. I’ll drag him home.”

“No need to bother you with that…” Shen Anyue had a decent impression of Zhao Qingyu and didn’t want to embarrass him in public.

Being so strictly controlled by his younger sister wasn’t exactly a flattering thing.

“He knows his limits. He’ll leave when it’s time.”

After all, that guy stuck to Shen Anyue so persistently because he liked her.

And from beginning to end, Zhao Qingyu had never overstepped any boundaries; he was very gentle.

He was actually a true romantic at heart.

It’s just too bad that the one he loved didn’t love him back.

After Zhao Qingyao left, Cheng Yiyi asked Shen Anyue what she thought of Zhao Qingyu.

For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

“What do you think of Zhao Qingyu as a person?”

“He’s a good person…”

As soon as she said that, Zhao Qingyu, who was literally on supermarket duty (buying soy sauce) nearby, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

He muttered to himself, “Geez, why do I feel like someone just sent bad vibes my way?”

The stall owner overheard and got upset. “What’s not good?! I’ve been selling soy sauce for over twenty years, pure hand-brewed. How dare you say it’s not good?!”

“Sir, you misheard…”

“You’re the one who’s hard of hearing!”

“…”

Moving back to the two girls.

Shen Anyue continued, “Zhao Qingyu is actually a great person and a top student.”

“Sister, don’t let his goofy appearance fool you. He’s not an idle rich kid.”

“His raw college entrance exam score already reaches the expected cutoff for Huaqing University.”

“And he’s the child of a martyr, so he gets a few extra points.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Cheng Yiyi thought that with money and good looks (hard fact), Zhao Qingyu was already quite impressive.

After all, these days, wealth and appearance satisfy the requirements of most people of the opposite s*x.

And Zhao Qingyu’s grades were good too.

Even if he acted like an obedient puppy around Shen Anyue, he had a great overall aura.

If he went out among strangers, they’d probably mistake him for a domineering CEO.

“Actually, I really disliked him when I was little.” Shen Anyue walked on with Cheng Yiyi toward the school.

“He was always pestering me.”

“In elementary school, whenever I wasn’t in the girls’ bathroom, he’d be hovering near me.”

“But as he grew more mature, that gradually diminished. He didn’t chase me around as relentlessly as before.”

Cheng Yiyi asked, “So he became normal from then on?”

“No.” Shen Anyue shook her head. “As you can see, he’s still pursuing me now.”

“It’s just that from then on, he started hounding his parents to send a marriage proposal to our house.”

Cheng Yiyi: “…”

That kid was sharp. He knew marriage was the real ticket!

During their earlier conversation, Zhao Qingyu had also revealed that the marriage proposal was sent ten years ago.

Which proved he was wise beyond his years at eight. Truly impressive!

“So in the end, Zhao Qingyu is a friend I get along with pretty well.”

Shen Anyue’s grip on Cheng Yiyi’s hand tightened, and she stressed again, “Really, just friends!” (a line that would be over the head of anyone who’s never been in love.)

Cheng Yiyi, being only half a novice, didn’t grasp the meaning.

She nodded thoughtfully and said, “With Zhao Qingyu’s excellent qualifications, hasn’t any girl confessed to him all these years?”

“He’s had plenty, actually…” Shen Anyue seemed to recall something she rather not, unconsciously clenching her teeth.

“But he kept using me as a shield. He’d say, ‘My heart has no room for anyone but Xiaoyue.'”

Shen Anyue felt awkward even repeating it, and she paused.

“When asked what type of girl he likes, he modeled his answer after me.”

“Saying things like, good-looking, good grades, a bit short, with a girl-next-door figure…”

Hearing that, Cheng Yiyi still didn’t see a problem.

“Preferably surnamed Shen, because a fortune teller said it’s the best match for his astrological sign, and her name must contain ‘yue’…”

Now that was over the top.

“Then, um…”

“Ah…”

Neither spoke for a while.

Shen Anyue was too embarrassed to recount those old mortifying incidents, while Cheng Yiyi was simply in awe of Zhao Qingyu’s shamelessness.

With all those specific demands, why not just read her ID card out loud?

But then again, Zhao Qingyu had done something like that… when even Shen Anyue couldn’t remember her own ID number, he could recite it from memory.

As her third brother Shen Xingyao had said, the Shen residence wasn’t far from Huaqing University. The two had already caught sight of the impressive main gate while chatting.

Huaqing had many gates. The campus was vast enough that if only one gate existed, students living on the far side would be dead tired just walking out, let alone risking starvation to get takeout.

The gate in front was the main one, also the east gate. It was covered in granite and featured an open, roofless top, with eight tall stone pillars standing on both sides.

A large, light stone wall lay flat on the circular lawn outside the gate. Its face wrote “Huaqing University” in strong Mao-style calligraphy.

The entrance offered an exceptional, wide view, blending classical elegance with a modern feel. Somber and grand.

At the moment, many people gathered at the gate, mostly in groups, often parents with kids on touring visits.

Of course, some were already admitted and wanted to get a head start, but they were turned away at the door and had to queue up.

Though the gates stood open, the security personnel around were not to be taken lightly!

Because humans are omnivores, the security big brothers also need to eat meat.

Cough. In truth, it was because the school was so famous that too many visitors would disrupt campus operations.

Plus, there was the risk of bad actors sneaking in, so reservations and ID verifications were required.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

What Should I Do When Girls Keep Trying to Win Me Over After Rebirth?

CampusRomanceHaremlove

Read Now →
Not interested