Capital City, Qiao Family.
The villa area where the Qiao Family resides was newly built a few years ago, and it's a bit out of the way.
It took nearly fifty minutes for Meng Yan to drive from Fenglin Villa to the Qiao Family's place.
Qiao Yuxian got out of the car, watched Meng Yan leave, then turned and walked toward the house.
When she reached the door, she found it wasn't closed properly, left slightly ajar.
She raised her hand, just about to push the door, but heard voices drifting from the living room. She withdrew her hand and stood still at the doorway.
"It's already past ten, why isn't Qiao Yuxian back yet?" It was her cousin, Qiao Shuning's voice.
"Sister is starting her senior year soon, she has a lot to deal with." This voice belonged to her half-sister, Qiao Lechu.
"Lechu, you keep calling her sister, but does she really consider you a sister?" Qiao Shuning said earnestly.
Qiao Lechu was silent for two seconds, then quietly retorted, "Sister is just not good at expressing herself."
"Lechu, you're too kind, too foolish," Qiao Shuning said. "She's not expressive, yet when she was in our hometown, she was so good at acting cute and making our grandparents happy."
Qiao Lechu said nothing.
Qiao Shuning also quieted for a moment, then said, "Do you still like that guy named Jiang?"
Qiao Lechu remained silent.
Qiao Shuning's voice rose, "If you like him, go after him. Just because this guy likes Qiao Yuxian, you just watch silently and do nothing? Are you dumb? If this guy likes Yuxian now, and in the future she wants the whole Qiao Family, will you let her have it all?"
"Sister won't do that," Qiao Lechu retorted.
"Lechu, let me tell you. Don't spoil her," Qiao Shuning said. "You let her off once, she'll bully you again and again. You..."
Qiao Yuxian stopped listening to what else Qiao Shuning had to say, and simply pushed the door open.
The door was heavy, and it made a loud noise as it opened.
The voices in the living room fell silent immediately.
Qiao Yuxian changed shoes at the entrance, and Qiao Lechu came out.
"Sister, you're back?" Qiao Lechu smiled with a hint of guilt.
Qiao Yuxian finished changing her shoes, stood straight, looked at her, and walked inside: "Mm, have dad and the others returned from the banquet?"
"Not yet." Qiao Lechu walked with her to the living room, "They said it would be after eleven."
"Yuxian, you're back?" Qiao Shuning smiled from the sofa.
Qiao Yuxian glanced at her, did not respond. She then looked at Qiao Lechu, her tone as gentle as usual, but with a slight hint of alienation: "Make sure to close the door properly in the future."
Qiao Lechu looked at her, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
"The door was open just now," Qiao Yuxian reminded.
Qiao Lechu's hand tightened at her side, and she looked a bit flustered.
Sitting on the sofa, Qiao Shuning shrugged with no change in her expression. Her antagonism with Qiao Yuxian had been open since they were young.
Qiao Yuxian treated Qiao Shuning as if she were air, and said to Qiao Lechu, "I'm going upstairs."
Qiao Lechu watched her back, holding her fingers, biting her lip, and frowning slightly.
Qiao Shuning snorted coldly, "She really thinks she's the young mistress, who is she putting on that icy face for."
...
Qiao Yuxian returned to her room, took off her bag, placed it on the cabinet, and directly went into the bathroom to freshen up.
After showering, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe, wearing a hair towel on her head. While doing her skincare in the bathroom, her phone rang outside.
She went out to take her phone and returned to the bathroom.
The phone was placed on the sink, put on speaker, and a female voice came through, dragging her words: "What are you up to?"
It was the one who dislocated her shoulder filming, insisting on staying in a high-end ward for three days.
And because it was just three days, she didn't know about Qiao Yuxian frequently visiting the hospital or Qiao Yuxian's marriage.
Qiao Yuxian applied eye cream, didn't answer her, but asked, "What's up?"
"It's nothing major," the woman said. "The film wrapped up, and I want to play at the beach for a few days, want to join? So you don't have to face the awkwardness at home with your dad, step-mom, and your siblings."
Besides this sister Qiao Lechu, Qiao Yuxian also had a half-brother.
Qiao Lech was four years younger, attending Kyoto University with her, starting her sophomore year in September. Her brother just turned seven this year.
"I have another half a month before school starts," Qiao Yuxian massaged her eyes.
"It won't interfere with school," the woman added, "But seriously, why did you randomly take a two-year break, making you so old and still in school?"
"I'm only twenty-three, how is that old?" Qiao Yuxian finished massaging and applied face cream.
"Yes, yes. You're in your prime, with fair skin and beautiful features, the most gorgeous little fairy," the woman praised excessively, "But really, what were you doing those two years? Not even going to school."
Qiao Yuxian rubbed her hands to warm them, placed them on her face, paused for a moment, then perfunctorily said, "I already told you I went to the mountains for volunteering."
"Xian, you're not being sincere, even hiding from me," the woman huffed.
Qiao Yuxian chuckled, "Let me know in advance when you're heading out to play."
"No problem."
...
Qiao Yuxian mentioned going out to play and left for the beach with her friends the next day.
They happily spent half a month at the beach, leaving Capital City far behind and putting Gu Yanjing out of her mind.
The next time they met was the day before she returned to school.
On the official first day of school, students from all over the country had mostly arrived at the campus.
That evening, the four girls from Qiao Yuxian's dorm went out to celebrate a bit.
All were girls, so they didn't order any alcohol. But it happened to coincide with the restaurant's anniversary, and they were given a free bottle.
The waiter said it was fruit wine, brewed by the hotel itself, with a very low alcohol content and a great taste, almost like a soft drink.
Seeing the other three drank it and praised it, Qiao Yuxian was tempted and had a little herself.
The result... the other three were fine, but after ten minutes, she felt a buzz.
Feeling uncomfortable, Qiao Yuxian told her roommates she was going to wash her face in the restroom to clear her head.
Leaving the room, she walked a bit ahead, feeling a bit dizzy, she leaned against the wall.
Just as she leaned, the door of the adjacent room opened.
Qiao Yuxian squinted and saw a tall, imposing man walking toward her.
It was Gu Yanjing.
He was accompanied by two others.
Gu Yanjing walked ahead while the other two stayed a bit behind, chatting with each other.
They seemed to be his friends.
Qiao Yuxian noticed he had company, glanced at him briefly, then withdrew her gaze, leaning against the wall without moving.
After the three of them passed by, she straightened herself and headed toward the restroom.
After a few more steps, more people came out from another room, creating a ruckus, seemingly also drunk.
Qiao Yuxian didn't pay much attention and kept walking.
But suddenly, a man approached her. Sensing someone close, Qiao Yuxian turned her head, her eyes flashing coldness for a moment.
The man looked around forty, slightly overweight, drunk, with a flushed face and a hazy expression.
He met Qiao Yuxian's gaze, paused, then smiled and said, "Miss, would you like to have a drink together?"
Qiao Yuxian frowned, about to speak, when footsteps sounded behind her.
She and the man both looked over...
Gu Yanjing was back, this time alone, without the two who had been with him.
Seeing him, the sharpness in Qiao Yuxian's eyes disappeared. She raised her eyebrows, leaning against the wall, looking at him...