THD Chapter 27

"Oh~"

A chorus of boos erupted throughout the cafeteria. University students were naturally a group that scrutinized any commotion. Qin Nian and his roommates were a large and conspicuous group, and the dining hall offered little privacy, so the entire situation was immediately exposed.

As X University's campus heartthrob, a wealthy young master, and the top student in the School of Pharmacy, Qin Nian was accustomed to attracting attention wherever he went. His roommates also took pride in this and enjoyed the feeling of being admired. But today, he felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles. For the first time, the gazes directed at them were not filled with envy, admiration, or affection, but with undisguised mockery and ridicule.

None of them had ever experienced anything like this before. Grinding their teeth, they looked toward the woman who had caused all of it.

"It was just a joke, junior. Aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?"

Ye Xiqing looked at them with a smile still on her face. "I was just joking too. Did you all really take it seriously?"

"Sorry, seniors. I just like joking around. Don't take it to heart. After all, academic research isn't about talking. It's about ability, isn't it?"

It felt like punching cotton. Qin Nian and his group's expressions darkened even further, which made Meng Xuedong laugh uncontrollably. If she had been one of them, she would have run away long ago from sheer embarrassment. She had not expected these people to have such thick skin.

Seeing them continue standing there with stiff expressions, Meng Xuedong rudely banged her chopsticks against her plate.

"Hey, guys, how long are you planning to stand here? The cafeteria's closing soon. Did you all eat before coming? Even if you're not eating, stop bothering the other students."

Qin Nian shot her a cold glance. Ye Xiqing's lackey was even more annoying. She was one of the main reasons this had happened, so why would he look at her kindly?

Meng Xuedong was not afraid in the slightest. She glared right back.

"What was your college entrance exam score? Why are you standing there acting so arrogant?"

Qin Nian and his group finally slunk out of the cafeteria, leaving in a far more miserable state than when they had arrived.

As they passed Ye Xueli at the entrance, Qin Nian could not stop himself from glaring at her.

Ye Xueli immediately realized something was wrong. Holding back tears, she hurried after him with a pitiful expression.

"Brother Nian, I told you before that my sister has a bad temper..."

"But you never said she was Ye Xiqing!"

Ye Xueli froze. "Does that even need to be said?"

Qin Nian stopped walking, anger rising in his chest.

Of course it needed to be said.

The fact that Ye Xueli suddenly had an older sister was no secret to the Qin family. They had learned about the baby swap as soon as it was discovered, but Qin Nian had never paid much attention to it.

His engagement to the Ye family's daughter had originally been arranged by Mother Ye and Mother Qin, who had been best friends in their youth. They had agreed that if one had a son and the other a daughter, the children would marry and continue their friendship.

Unfortunately, Mother Ye gave birth to three sons in a row, while Mother Qin only had one son. Their wish was finally fulfilled during Mother Ye's fourth pregnancy.

As a result, this engagement was more of a sentimental promise than a serious arrangement. The Ye and Qin families had little conflict of interest, so whether the engagement was accepted or dissolved made little difference. Neither family took it particularly seriously.

But Ye Xueli took it seriously.

From childhood, she had liked following Qin Nian around. Qin Nian had always been proud and disliked playing with girls, yet after years of persistence, he eventually relented and allowed her to tag along. That was the extent of their relationship.

Now Qin Nian finally understood.

Ye Xueli must have known from the beginning that Ye Xiqing was Ye Xiqing. She had simply been too afraid. Afraid that this returned "real heiress" would steal her fiancé.

That was why she had unexpectedly applied to X University. She wanted to make life difficult for the sister who had just returned home, only to end up humiliating herself instead.

He should have realized it sooner.

Unable to accept being surpassed by Ye Xiqing, she had repeatedly encouraged him to break off the engagement. Looking back, she had never actually tried to stop him. Instead, she had deliberately fueled his roommates' hostility.

She could have revealed Ye Xiqing's identity at any time. She could have simply told them that Ye Xiqing was the legendary top scorer who achieved 746 points on the college entrance examination.

Why hadn't she?

She had simply stood by and watched.

Qin Nian could tolerate small schemes from a girl, but he could not tolerate being manipulated himself.

As a result, his gaze toward Ye Xueli turned icy. Without another word, he walked away.

Ye Xueli remained rooted to the spot, stunned.

She genuinely did not know what she had done wrong.

Ever since Ye Xiqing returned home, Qin Nian had become her only source of comfort. Her father, mother, and brothers no longer treated her as their one and only daughter. If even Brother Nian abandoned her, what would she do?

The male and female leads always managed to find reasons to quarrel, and for Ye Xueli, the displaced female lead, arguments came even more easily.

Squatting by the roadside, she cried her heart out.

Then a car stopped beside her.

Ye Xueli looked up in surprise.

Had Brother Nian changed his mind?

The window rolled down.

Ye Xiqing stuck her head out and looked at her expressionlessly.

"What are you doing?"

Ye Xueli: "..."

The car drove quickly through the city.

Meng Xuedong sat in the front passenger seat, nervously picking at her toes.

Awkward.

Too awkward.

Why wasn't anyone saying anything?

She deeply regretted agreeing to visit Ye Xiqing's house without thinking. Only after getting into the car did she realize how expensive it was. Worse, there was another person sitting in the back seat.

As someone with poor social skills, she felt unbearably uncomfortable.

Trying to break the silence, Meng Xuedong looked ahead and asked, "Xi Shen, who's this cute little sister? I've never seen her before."

"My sister."

"Oh, your sister!"

The moment she heard that, Meng Xuedong relaxed completely and turned toward Ye Xueli.

"Hello. My name is Meng Xuedong. I'm your sister's classmate and roommate. Just call me Sister Meng."

"I see you're wearing military training uniform too, so you're in the same year as us. Are you and Xi Shen twins?"

"You two don't look alike at all. I couldn't tell."

"Or are you an even bigger genius than Xi Shen and skipped grades?"

"Wow, your family is incredible!"

Ye Xueli was already upset after being reprimanded by her crush. Meng Xuedong's words felt like one knife after another stabbing into her heart.

She did not want to lose face in front of Ye Xiqing, but this Meng Xuedong was going too far.

Was she doing it on purpose?

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Leaning against the seat, she burst into tears.

Even with Ye Xiqing sitting right beside her, she could no longer hold it in.

Meng Xuedong: "..."

What did she even say?

She had only been trying to lighten the mood.

Immediately realizing that socially awkward people should not talk so much, she obediently turned back around.

Silence once again filled the car, interrupted only by Ye Xueli's crying.

Ye Xiqing could testify that Meng Xuedong truly had not said anything wrong. But in this world, she was destined to be a cold and indifferent woman who cared little about the lives or deaths of others.

The awkward atmosphere continued all the way until they reached the Ye family's manor.

The moment they arrived, however, Meng Xuedong instantly came back to life.

X City was a prosperous coastal metropolis, and most of its wealthy residents lived in the seaside district. After all, only the rich could afford luxurious ocean-view properties and ignore the inconvenience of living far from the city center. The wealthy did not need to worry about commuting in the first place.

Tears practically filled Meng Xuedong's eyes as she pressed herself against the window and watched the scenery unfold like a movie.

The sleek black luxury car sped along a broad winding road before finally stopping in front of a dark and majestic castle that looked as though it had come straight from a fairy tale.

The moment the car arrived, a handsome young security guard in a suit shouted excitedly:

"It's Miss! Miss is back!"

Meng Xuedong, like a country bumpkin visiting the city, followed closely behind Ye Xiqing, her mouth hanging open as she looked around. Only one thought occupied her mind: Were there still any openings left for a rich family's heiress? Could she get a few episodes too?

Her excitement was nothing new to Ye Xiqing and Ye Xueli. Not wanting anyone to see her cry, Ye Xueli quickly greeted Wang Ma. "I'm going upstairs!"

Wang Ma wanted to ask what she wanted for dinner, but Ye Xueli had already disappeared. As a principal ballet dancer, her movements were naturally agile.

Having no choice, Wang Ma turned to Ye Xiqing instead. "Why are you two young ladies back so suddenly? Weren't you supposed to have two weeks of military training?"

"We only got a day and a half off. Is my mother home?"

"Madam went to a gathering with Mrs. He and won't be back for a while."

"That's good. I'll take my friend upstairs. Let me know when my mother returns so I can introduce her. My friend's surname is Meng. This is Wang Ma. Please prepare a room on my floor. My friend will be staying overnight."

Wang Ma immediately responded warmly, "Of course, of course. I'll have someone prepare it right away. Miss Meng, is there anything you need on your first visit?"

Meng Xuedong's eyes widened.

There really was a Wang Ma?!

She waved both hands frantically. "Anything is fine! Anything is fine!"

What she actually needed was a little socialism.

Unfortunately, the moment she stepped into a capitalist's daughter's house, everything became capitalist.

When she saw the enormous indoor swimming pool on the second floor, she finally broke down.

What even was this?!

Ye Xiqing invited her to sit down. This area had originally belonged to the Ye family's eldest son. As a ruler-type male protagonist, Eldest Young Master Ye was not only domineering but also loved fitness, so the entire floor had been specially designed with recreational and training facilities. Ye Xiqing, as a literary youth, wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about exercise, but she enjoyed reading beneath the shimmering reflections of the water, so she had preserved the design and used it as a reception area for guests.

Meng Xuedong sat stiffly on a recliner with a glass of iced cola in her hands, barely daring to move.

She had always considered herself extremely lucky. She had performed exceptionally well on the college entrance examination and gotten into X University. Then, during dormitory assignments, she had been informed that due to room shortages, she and another student from the Pharmacy Department would be assigned separately.

What incredible luck!

A six-person dormitory had become a two-person dormitory.

Meng Xuedong happily prepared for her wonderful university life, only to discover that nobody had informed her that the other person was Xi Shen.

What incredible luck!

While everyone else was still trying to figure out which class Xi Shen belonged to, she had already become Xi Shen's roommate.

She really should buy a lottery ticket.

She didn't win.

But that didn't matter.

In university, the dormitory was the most basic social unit, and the two quickly became close enough to visit each other's homes.

As an experienced internet surfer, Meng Xuedong naturally knew that Ye Xiqing was the famous "lost heiress" who had spent eighteen years living an ordinary life before discovering that her biological parents were billionaires.

But this level of wealth was ridiculous.

Sitting there like a frightened quail, she lowered her voice and asked, "Xi Shen... why did you bring me home?"

Ye Xiqing looked at her calmly. "Didn't you say you wanted to look for part-time work during the holiday? I happen to have something here."

"Huh?"

Meng Xuedong stared at her in shock.

Did Xi Shen's family need another maid?

When a handsome young man arrived carrying food, Meng Xuedong immediately examined him with great interest, wondering about her future profession.

Was the pay good?

The young man blushed under her scrutiny, set down the food, and respectfully said, "Miss, Miss Meng, please enjoy your meal."

Ye Xiqing waved him away before looking back at Meng Xuedong.

"What are you thinking about?"

Meng Xuedong fell silent.

Wasn't she hiring?

Although becoming her classmate and roommate's "nanny" sounded somewhat embarrassing, if the salary was high enough, anything could be discussed.

After all, she was poor and lacked ambition.

Countless melodramatic scenarios instantly flashed through Meng Xuedong's mind, but Ye Xiqing interrupted her expressionlessly.

"Stop imagining things. I'm asking whether you want to intern at a pharmaceutical company, not become my nanny."

Huh?

Only then did Meng Xuedong finally snap back to reality.

An internship at a pharmaceutical company?

That was a blessing falling straight from the heavens.

Of course she wanted it.

Still, after agreeing, there was one very important issue she had to point out.

"Xi Shen, I really want to go, but you know I haven't taken a single professional course yet."

At present, her understanding of biopharmaceuticals was limited to recognizing those four characters.

Even with the young lady's connections, arranging something like that couldn't be easy.

Ye Xiqing scooped up a large spoonful of milkshake. The light avocado fragrance mixed with the rich scent of milk, making it pleasantly sweet.

"It's fine. My pharmaceutical company hasn't been registered yet."

"Oh, it hasn't been registered yet."

Meng Xuedong immediately relaxed.

If it wasn't registered, nobody could complain that she wasn't qualified.

If it wasn't registered...

Wait.

What?

Xiao Meng: Say that again. Did you just say it's nothing?

Ye Xiqing: I said it hasn't been registered yet. What's the problem?

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