Chapter 2031 — Wang Xinyan's Thoughts

"It's fine—so long as you play along with me. Thanks, Dad!" Zhang Duopan was overjoyed. That one call had not only cleared away all his troubles, but made the trip to the Tiger Park look all the more promising...

"That's not the point. What you need to do, you little rascal, is get yourself a girlfriend and carry on the family line. That's the matter of the first importance. Have you got that?" said Zhang Jufeng.

"Got it. Don't worry, Dad—I'll get the job done!" Zhang Duopan said, beaming.

With the matter settled, Zhang Duopan's face was wreathed in smiles, and he had quite shaken off the shadow of yesterday's swindle.

That afternoon, Wei Zhao and Bai Weituo went together to the Biology Department's teaching building for class. Walking into the lecture hall, they saw You Panhu staring at their side with a look of eager expectation.

Wei Zhao smiled faintly, held up the materials in his hand, bared his teeth at You Panhu in a grin, then paid him no further attention and went to sit down beside Wang Xinyan.

"Damn it, what's with the swagger? So he thinks he's something special just because he got Bai Lingtou's true teachings?" You Panhu cursed in annoyance. "Just wait till I go home and fetch a fine treasure—you won't refuse to trade with me then! Hmph!"

"That's right, Young Master You. That Wei Zhao fellow has never seen anything of the world. Anything decent from our hidden You family would have him drooling. He won't dare not to trade!" Yellow-Hair nodded.

"Exactly. What's two or three days?" Purple-Hair chimed in.

Wei Zhao took his seat. Wang Xinyan raised her head and glanced at him, then said, "Wei Zhao, Meiyue was saying just now that she'd like to invite us to the Tiger Park this weekend... Are you free? If not, I'll just decline, and I won't go either..."

"Why wouldn't I go? Classes every day are tiring enough—a little relaxation over the weekend would do us good!" Wei Zhao laughed. "Or is it that you don't want to go with me?"

"I... I never said that... I'm just afraid... that Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu might not like us going out together, and it'd cause you trouble..." Wang Xinyan said, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"Together, then..." Wang Xinyan, for some reason she could not name, felt a sudden pang of disappointment, but she nodded all the same. "All right, I'll tell Meiyue tonight and have her pass it on to Zhang Duopan... But you should talk to Bai Weituo. Meiyue said she's afraid Zhang Duopan might be up to some nasty scheme again."

"Ha... Why doesn't she say so herself? Why have you relay it?" Wei Zhao asked with a smile.

"Meiyue... well, the truth is she's still not sure whether she can be with Bai Weituo, and she and Zhang Duopan were classmates in high school. If she just tipped Bai Weituo off like this, and Zhang Duopan found out, wouldn't it seem a bit like betraying an old classmate?" Wang Xinyan shook her head.

Wei Zhao frowned. He Meiyue really was indecisive to a fault, but this was Bai Weituo's business, and he could hardly say much about it. So he said, "Fine, I'll pass it on."

"Mm!" Wang Xinyan nodded and returned to her book...

Wang Xinyan did not know whether what she was doing now counted as playing with fire. Ever since the military training trip had ended, her relationship with Wei Zhao had grown inexplicably closer. She did not know how others would see it if things went on like this, but she herself knew that she had already come to rely on Wei Zhao, faintly, in some small way...

Every day in class, once she reached the lecture hall, she would only feel at ease after he had come and sat down beside her. Though they exchanged few words, Wang Xinyan felt it was a kind of tacit understanding.

But... whenever she thought of her betrothal, Wang Xinyan's heart sank, and a vague unease crept over her.

Though Wang Xinyan felt Wei Zhao was formidable, the Kang family was no longer the Kang family of old. Word had it that the Kangs had found themselves a patron of tremendous power—otherwise, even the Xiao family, backed by the hidden Pi family, would never have pressed so hard for a marriage alliance to win the Kangs over.

Alas... Wang Xinyan sighed and turned her eyes back to her textbook.

These headache-inducing matters could be set aside for now. One day of happiness at a time—at least for the moment Wang Xinyan was happy and at peace, and she savored these hours spent sharing a desk with Wei Zhao, attending class together.

When class let out that evening, Wei Zhao called Bai Weituo aside and told him of Zhang Duopan's plan, passing on He Meiyue's words as well.

"Did Meiyue really ask you to relay that to me?" Bai Weituo was visibly thrilled at Wei Zhao's words.

"Really," Wei Zhao said, somewhat at a loss. He Meiyue could not tell him herself, and yet he was this happy to hear it secondhand?

"Heh heh, wonderful. In my rivalry with Zhang Duopan, I still hold a slight edge..." Bai Weituo laughed.

Wei Zhao was briefly taken aback before he understood why Bai Weituo was so pleased.

He had been overthinking it. He Meiyue was not like his own girlfriend—Xiaoxiao had pursued him of her own accord back then, and with unmistakable purpose, so Wei Zhao had never had any rival to speak of, nor had Xiaoxiao ever shown interest in other boys. That was why he had been somewhat critical of He Meiyue's behavior.

But on reflection, He Meiyue and Zhang Duopan were the ones who were truly old classmates; Bai Weituo was the latecomer. Judged by that alone, He Meiyue had already been more than good enough to Bai Weituo!

After school that day, Wei Zhao did not leave Han Jingyi waiting in vain again. Instead he called her over and walked with her straight to the parking lot. Han Jingyi was overjoyed that he had thought of her this time.

"Brother Wei Zhao, you finally remembered Jingjing—that's wonderful!" For once, Han Jingyi did not huddle over her tablet, scribbling and sketching; instead she struck up a conversation with Wei Zhao.

"About yesterday... I'm truly sorry," Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile. Had it not been for yesterday's incident, he would not have taken it so seriously.

"It's nothing—I've just got a bit of a cold... Achoo!" Han Jingyi sneezed. It had been barely noticeable that morning, but by the time school let out it had grown steadily worse.

"You've caught a cold?" Wei Zhao frowned at once at the sight of her condition. "Take some medicine when you get back. Hmm—how about this: I'll come over and treat you myself. There's something important I need to tell you tonight!"

"All right!" Han Jingyi nodded. "Brother Wei Zhao, what's this important thing you want to tell Jingjing?"

"You'll know when we get back!" Wei Zhao said.

"Oh..." Han Jingyi nodded.

The two of them reached the parking lot together. Wei Zhao opened the car door, and he and Han Jingyi got in, quietly waiting for Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, Han Xiaochao, and the others.

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