Chapter 333 - 164: A Few Years of Sweetness, a Lifetime of Bitterness

Chapter 333: Chapter 164: A Few Years of Sweetness, a Lifetime of Bitterness

Aunt Luo composed herself and forced a smile. "I’m sorry, I lost control for a moment. I don’t know why, but I just feel like talking when I’m with you."

"Yeah, you should try to look on the bright side and not resign yourself to fate. I’m not resigning myself to it anymore, either."

The Xie Yiren of today certainly wasn’t resigning herself to fate. ’She’d even given up her status as the Saintess, so why would she accept her fate now!’

Aunt Luo said, "Oh, by the way, I saw you holding a resume earlier. Are you looking for a job?"

Xie Yiren replied, "Yes, I am."

Aunt Luo sized up Xie Yiren. She had a keen eye for quality. She immediately recognized the high heels on Xie Yiren’s feet were a custom-made pair from Salvatore Ferragamo worth tens of thousands of US Dollars—it was Audrey Hepburn’s favorite brand. Then she saw the jacket she was wearing was a newly released spring piece from Gucci, priced at 80,000 RMB. She didn’t need to look at anything else. The outfit alone was worth hundreds of thousands.

"Are you short on money? That outfit of yours isn’t cheap. Are you just doing this for the experience?"

"I... I..."

"Oh, I see. Your boyfriend must have bought them for you."

"Yes." Xie Yiren nodded. Su Ran had paid for everything, and he was particularly fastidious about the high heels on her feet. "I... I don’t want to use his money anymore. I want to earn my own. I don’t want it to seem like I’m some kept woman."

"You want to earn it yourself? What about your parents?"

"I don’t have parents. I only found out a while ago that I’m an orphan. My boyfriend feels even more sorry for me because of it. He bought me all these clothes, and he paid for my tuition. He doesn’t want me to get a job because he’s afraid I’ll be bullied, but I don’t want to use his money..."

Aunt Luo watched the young woman, head down, fidgeting with her fingers as she spoke her mind. ’Indeed,’ she thought, ’everyone in this bustling world has their own tragic story.’

"For your boyfriend to do all that, it’s clear he loves you very much."

"Yes, he treats me very well. Even though I don’t have any family left, I consider him the closest person I have."

"I hope your boyfriend continues to treat you well."

"He will."

"That’s good."

Aunt Luo knew that a man who appeared in Xie Yiren’s life at a time like this was like a beacon of moonlight in her darkest hour. If that light were to ever leave her, she would simply vanish along with it...

The two continued to stroll for a while longer until Aunt Luo grew tired. Xie Yiren walked her to the university gate, where a male assistant got out of a parked Mercedes-Benz and opened the car door. Aunt Luo had taken a liking to the young lady, so she offered to exchange WeChat contacts. "Weren’t you looking for a job? I know a few people in the dance industry. If a suitable position opens up, I can introduce you. A woman has to rely on herself. If you live off a man and use his money, you have no say in anything."

"Right, that’s exactly what I was thinking. He even gets stern with me now, and I don’t have the confidence to talk back."

"Hehehe, bye-bye."

Watching the Mercedes drive away, Xie Yiren felt her spirits lift considerably. She started humming a tune as she walked back toward the campus.

In the back seat of the Mercedes-Maybach, Aunt Luo watched the retreating figure and felt as if she were seeing a younger version of herself. They were exactly alike.

"Ah Wei, make the call."

"Right away."

Ah Wei was the assistant. He made a note of it and would contact a dance studio to find a job for Xie Yiren. For a powerful figure of Aunt Luo’s status, if someone kept her company and chatted with her, she would thank them in her own way when she was pleased.

Ah Wei asked, "Aunt Luo, where are we heading now?"

"To the airport. We’re returning to the Imperial Capital. Su Ran is coming to the Imperial Capital tomorrow. Heh, I’m quite eager to meet this ’little friend’ who refuses to add me on WeChat and insists on talking through email every day."

...

「Jiangning.」

「At the university gate.」

Su Ran had previously mentioned that Shen Qingning always wore jeans and that he wanted to see her in a skirt. Shen Qingning had remembered this. To thank Su Ran for the life-saving favor, she had gone out and bought a black silk half-skirt, which she paired with a white chiffon blouse—a classic black-and-white combination. She waited at the university gate for a while. The traffic light ahead turned green, and an army of electric scooters surged forward. SCREECH... A Yadea electric scooter stopped right in front of her. "Class President?" Shen Qingning stared at the rider in surprise. It was Su Ran.

"What’s so surprising? The traffic is terrible, so I didn’t take the sports car. An electric scooter is more convenient."

"What’s with that look? Am I not fit to ride an electric scooter?"

"You are."

"’Eeyore’? Are you calling me a gloomy donkey?"

"No! I said ’you are’! As in, you are fit to ride it!"

Su Ran chuckled. He was just teasing. He looked Shen Qingning over. "New skirt?"

"Does it look good?" She lowered her head, a little shy, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, hoping for a compliment from Su Ran.

"The hemline goes to your mid-calf. Way too conservative. Thumbs down!"

"It’s not that bad, is it? The saleswoman said this skirt was gorgeous and that it was a perfect match for me."

"You actually believe what sales assistants tell you? Sigh, get on. Let’s go eat."

Shen Qingning mumbled an "oh," feeling quite dejected. ’Too conservative?’ She was indeed an overly conservative girl, the type who would blush just from touching a boy’s hand. Needless to say, she was blushing even harder now, sitting behind Su Ran with one hand wrapped around his hard, eight-pack abs.

"Class President, is this skirt really that ugly?"

"It’s alright. Has a real ’70s or ’80s vibe."

"You..."

The electric scooter moved through the streets, braking suddenly when a car in front slammed on its brakes, and stopping for red lights. Every time it came to an abrupt halt, Shen Qingning would be thrown forward by inertia, her soft body bumping into Su Ran’s back. Her face grew redder and redder. When they finally arrived at the restaurant, Shen Qingning noticed two distinct, clean circles on Su Ran’s back. It was a good thing it wasn’t summer. If it were, and those two spots were damp, that would have been truly embarrassing.

Shen Qingning had chosen the place to eat: a seafood buffet that cost 500 per person. Su Ran didn’t really care what they ate, but Shen Qingning was grateful to him for lending her the money to save her grandmother, so she felt this meal couldn’t be a cheap one. A 1,000-yuan meal for two was still not cheap for an ordinary university student, but she was doing what was within her means.