Half an hour later.
Bo Jingming and Bo Siming stood by the roadside, sweating profusely.
"It should have been dropped near the villa we just passed."
Bo Siming glanced at his watch. It was almost noon. He needed to pick up Shen Shiyu from Longjing Apartment and take her to a lunchtime booze - up. She was supposed to drink on his behalf for this business deal which was crucial for him to win over his own influence. He had to attend.
"Turn around. Let's go back and look for it again."
Bo Jingming was reluctant to give up. He opened the passenger - side door and was about to get in.
"Wait!"
Bo Siming forced a smile and said, "How about I take you to the hospital first? It'll take a while to handle Grandpa's transfer procedures. I'll come back later to retrieve the lost item. Don't worry. I'll find it even if I have to dig three feet into the ground."
"You've got something on your mind?" Bo Jingming was sharp - eyed.
Bo Siming looked embarrassed. "Well... I do have something to attend to."
"Alright then. Make sure you find the item."
"Absolutely no problem!"
This was the first time Xiao Shujing had a hangover since she entered university four years ago.
She propped up her weak body and forced her eyes open. The bed around her seemed to be spinning. She felt dizzy, had tinnitus, and her stomach was churning. She felt nauseous but couldn't vomit.
Creak. The dormitory door opened.
"Shujing? You're awake." Yan Yueyue pulled aside the curtain of her bed.
"Water..."
"Okay, okay. Right away."
She quickly mixed some warm water and handed it to her, frowning with concern.
"If I hadn't stopped you, you would have finished the whole case of drinks."
"Sorry for the trouble."
At this moment, Xiao Shujing felt extremely cold and was breaking out in cold sweats.
"What are you talking about? You helped me a great deal back then. This is nothing. Do you need anything else?" Yan Yueyue asked, looking at her with care.
"Has the result of the mini - exam come out?"
Yan Yueyue rolled her eyes. "You mention studying as soon as you open your eyes. You're really a good student. Aren't you afraid of becoming a bookworm? Don't worry. You're still the first, outscoring the second - ranked student by over twenty points."
Xiao Shujing heaved a sigh of relief. She rubbed her temples and turned on her phone.
Ding - dong, ding - dong.
The phone kept buzzing for almost a minute. Even Yan Yueyue sensed something was off.
"My goodness. Is there something urgent?"
Xiao Shujing squeezed her sore eyes and replied to the messages one by one. Most of them were reminders from the company or advertising cooperation invitations from some small - scale companies. She was about to delete them all at once, but when her finger scrolled to the bottom, a message caught her attention and pulled her back into her thoughts. She read it again.
Entertainment Report in Yancheng -
In the early hours of last night, Mr. Su, the heir of the Su Group, was seen in an intimate situation with Ms. Tian, a popular artist under the group. Are they a couple?
Xiao Shujing's lips trembled, and she had difficulty breathing.
Buzz, buzz. The phone rang again.
She picked it up mechanically. "President..."
"Teacher Xiao, I'm so glad you finally answered my call! When are we going to start the public - welfare publicity? You didn't come this morning and didn't even give us a heads - up. Everyone has been waiting."
She had completely forgotten about this.
"I'm sorry, President. I'll go right away."
Xiao Shujing's eyes turned red. She was dizzy and tried to climb down from the upper bunk. She slipped and almost fell, but luckily Yan Yueyue caught her in time. Otherwise, she would have definitely gotten injured.
"Don't come! The patients need to rest now. The hospital has a strict schedule. There's nothing you can do even if you come."
The president's complaining tone made her feel even worse. She apologized a few times and hung up the phone.
"Shujing... Are you okay?"
Yan Yueyue saw her kneeling on the floor bare - footed, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Did that guy surnamed Su say something to you?"
She rolled up her sleeves angrily. "I'll go and get you justice!"
Just as she was about to rush out of the door, Xiao Shujing choked back sobs and stopped her.
"Don't go! Don't look for him... It has nothing to do with him."
Yan Yueyue couldn't stand seeing her suffer. "What do you mean it has nothing to do with him? Will he even notice you crying here?"
"I think you should be brave just once! Go and confess your feelings to him. Whether it works out or not, at least you won't have any regrets. What's the use of torturing yourself like this?"
Xiao Shujing shook her head and sobbed. "I can't, I can't..."
"If you keep acting like this, I won't want to care about you anymore!"
Yan Yueyue was a straightforward person who never hid her feelings. If it weren't for her tough attitude, she would never have known about Xiao Shujing's inner struggles and the difficulties she faced.
"Did the chairman really say that?"
Xiao Shujing took the tissue Yan Yueyue handed her and nodded blankly.
"Damn capitalists!"
Suddenly, Yan Yueyue remembered the post she saw this morning. "Wait. I have good news for you."
Xiao Shujing looked up blankly, still in a daze from her previous emotions.
"This is it."
It was an announcement about a design competition at Yancheng University.
"I'm busy with the public - welfare advertisement recently. I don't have time to participate." Xiao Shujing glanced at it and refused.
"But you're not going to be a contestant. You'll be a judge."
Yan Yueyue smiled wickedly. "I know you might not like such a showy event, but this is the best way for now."
"Let other men be attracted to you. I'm sure that guy surnamed Su will get jealous. If he has feelings for you, he'll definitely come."
"But the public - welfare advertisement..."
Xiao Shujing was interrupted again.
"The competition is at night. Your work is during the day. You'll have enough time."
This wasn't her usual style. She would rather spend a day in the library reading a book quietly than show off in front of the cameras.
Seeing that she was still hesitating, Yan Yueyue put her hands on her hips and goaded her.
"If you don't take action, that guy surnamed Su will be snatched away by that woman. By then, it'll be too late even if you cry your eyes out."
"Why can she win people over so quickly? It's because she's bold and proactive. She says what she thinks. If it weren't for A Yuan, I wouldn't have gotten to know you in our four years of college."
"Shujing! You need to change your personality!"
Xiao Shujing listened to her rambling and thought about it carefully. It seemed to make sense.
At first, she disliked Su Minghan for being frivolous and promiscuous. Then, she was gradually attracted by his charm. She got jealous because of Shen Ximan, and now there was Tian Danni. She was still wavering. But she really didn't have the courage to get closer to him. Her once - passionate feelings were gradually cooling down. What if she was forcibly fired by the company? She would never have a chance to contact him again.
"Yueyue, please help me."
"Have you made up your mind?" Yan Yueyue looked at Xiao Shujing seriously.