"He bought Zheng Ze a Bugatti last year, but this year he told me the funds weren't available and asked me to pick an Audi," Zheng Xiao said disdainfully. "Anyway, I never wanted him to buy me a car. I have my own investments and can afford one. Even if I can't afford a luxury car, I can afford a regular commuter car. Why should I bow to him for a car?"
Xie Yinuo was somewhat surprised. "This Zheng Ze is quite capable! Didn't you expose his mother's fake lung cancer report last time? How is he still with your family?"
Zheng Xiao shook his head helplessly. "Do you really think Old Zheng doesn't know the lung cancer report was fake? Or that Zheng Ze is completely clueless? How is that possible! They've all shifted the blame to Wang Yifeng, washing their hands of it. My mother thinks she won just by kicking Wang Yifeng out of the country. She even thinks Zheng Ze is innocent, believing that children shouldn't be punished for adult matters. In the end, she tacitly allowed Zheng Ze to stay."
"Bugatti..." The three words sparked a memory in Xiao Wenqiang. She recalled that in "The Perfect Life of the Fake Heiress," it was Zheng Xiao's accident while driving a Bugatti that broke his leg. It seemed she needed to find a way to warn Zheng Xiao.
"Auntie is just too kind, that's why things are like this!" Xie Yinuo said.
"No, no, you can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep," Zheng Xiao said, his sarcasm evident. "My mother feels that with Zheng Ze around, her relationship with Old Zheng is even smoother. After all, Zheng Ze is sunny, kind, and filial, often acting as a lubricant between them!"
"This Zheng Ze is too calculating. Brother Xiao, don't be fooled by him," Xiao Wenqiang warned.
"Yes, I know! I've seen through his tricks long ago."
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about unhappy things. Let's go!" Xie Yinuo started the car and drove off...
It was September again, the start of the new school year. This time, Xiao Wenqiang had to report to Yunbei City No. 1 High School by herself, as Zheng Xiao and Xie Yinuo had already left for universities in other cities.
She arrived at her dormitory and was surprised to find only Chen Xiaoyan had arrived ahead of her. This was unexpected, as she and Wang Bingjie were usually inseparable, like two peas in a pod.
Seeing Xiao Wenqiang enter, Chen Xiaoyan nodded and continued her phone conversation. "Why do I always have to apologize? This time, she went too far... Mom, can you not be so subservient... Yes, Dad works in her family's company, but he earns his money through his own efforts. We're not inferior to the Wang family... Forget it, I don't want to talk about it. Goodbye!"
After hanging up, Chen Xiaoyan couldn't help but cover her face and cry.
Xiao Wenqiang felt a bit awkward but still offered her a pack of tissues.
Chen Xiaoyan took them, wiped her tears, and blew her nose forcefully. She asked Xiao Wenqiang pitifully, "Can you listen to me talk?"
Xiao Wenqiang nodded, pulled up a chair, and sat beside her, ready to hear Chen Xiaoyan recount her story with Wang Bingjie.
Chen Xiaoyan and Wang Bingjie had been in the same class since elementary school. However, Chen Xiaoyan's father was a sales manager at Wang Bingjie's father's company. Her mother always told her to maintain a good relationship with Wang Bingjie so that her father's work would be smoother. When they were younger, she didn't think much of it; they were classmates, and getting along well seemed normal.
But as time passed and they grew older, their perspectives began to differ. Whenever they had disagreements, her mother would always tell her to apologize first, saying that since her father worked for their company, they couldn't offend the boss's daughter. So, although they had been friends for years, Chen Xiaoyan had mostly just been a yes-woman to Wang Bingjie.
This time, their argument stemmed from a boy.
Chen Xiaoyan and Wang Bingjie, as usual, accompanied their elders to a business reception. Many other young men and women of their age were there with their guardians.
In such settings, Chen Xiaoyan usually had to play the role of Wang Bingjie's follower. If Wang Bingjie needed to socialize with other daughters of prominent families, Chen Xiaoyan would be left to linger in a corner.
One day, the daughter of a business owner accidentally spilled red wine on Chen Xiaoyan's dress. Although the dress was expensive and she was heartbroken and embarrassed, she didn't dare to confront the other girl.
It was then that a boy appeared. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over her, saving her from her mortification. Then, in a rather cliché turn of events, Chen Xiaoyan fell for the boy who had played the hero.
Later, she bumped into that boy again at different business receptions and learned his name and identity. After much consideration, she felt their social statuses were somewhat comparable, which made her feelings even stronger.
Chen Xiaoyan shared her budding romantic feelings with her good friend Wang Bingjie. To her surprise, Wang Bingjie not only didn't support her but mocked her for her wishful thinking.
Even worse, Wang Bingjie went and told the boy that Chen Xiaoyan had a crush on him, which deeply embarrassed Chen Xiaoyan. It was only later that she found out the boy already had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was on good terms with Wang Bingjie, which led to this situation.
"Actually, I know it's wrong to covet someone else's boyfriend, but she could have just told me directly. I would have given up then, instead of humiliating me like this," Chen Xiaoyan started crying again, sobbing, "You actually know his girlfriend too."
"Oh? Who is it?" Xiao Wenqiang, intrigued by the gossip, was suddenly involved with someone she knew and felt curious.
"It's Mao Wenjing. That boy is Zheng Ze, Zheng Xiao's older brother." Chen Xiaoyan was part of this social circle and was aware of the gossip surrounding the Mao and Zheng families.
"Okay... you like Zheng Ze..." Xiao Wenqiang thought to herself, wondering if this was the charisma of the male protagonist in the book, able to capture a girl's heart with just one action.
"It's not really that I like him that much," Chen Xiaoyan answered honestly after some thought. "It's more like when you're helpless, and someone helps you, that person seems the most handsome at that moment!"
"There are plenty of fish in the sea. Once you get to university, you'll encounter a wider world and meet more outstanding men. You won't have trouble finding a boyfriend then!" Xiao Wenqiang patted her shoulder to comfort her.
"You already have Zheng Xiao, so of course, you wouldn't be interested in Zheng Ze. After all, Zheng Xiao is the legitimate heir of the Zheng family," Chen Xiaoyan grumbled.
"Hey, hey, don't talk nonsense. There's nothing between Xiao Ge and me. We're just good friends," Xiao Wenqiang stated the fact, but for some reason, her ears turned a little red.
"Just keep lying to yourself. Who in the entire school doesn't know that Zheng Xiao likes you? Look at him, besides you, has he ever been this nice to any other girl?" Chen Xiaoyan pouted, clearly not believing her.
However, no matter what, talking to Xiao Wenqiang today had made her feel much better.