Chapter 494 - 299: Everyone Looks Down on You, and You Still Fail to Live Up to Expectations
Chapter 494: Chapter 299: Everyone Looks Down on You, and You Still Fail to Live Up to Expectations
Lin Jiang took out his phone and sent He Siyao a message, asking her to pick up a package for him.
After waiting another ten or so minutes, he saw Shen Qingqiu walking out of the police station in high heels.
Beneath the hem of her cashmere coat, her legs were wrapped in thick, black stockings.
Her tall figure and captivating charm made her stand out from the townsfolk, as if she were from another world entirely.
"Is everything taken care of?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded gleefully, her happiness plain to see.
To her, moving her household registration meant she had completely broken free from this place.
Afterward, the two of them went back to say goodbye to her aunt and uncle, then embarked on their journey home.
The town grew smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror, and Lin Jiang found himself lost in thought.
’In the grand scheme of things, the environment and people here seem a generation behind the big cities. Leaving was probably the best choice Shen Qingqiu could have made.’
’Take Shen Ziquan and Liu Qianglong, for example. They actually thought a hastily scribbled IOU could make Shen Qingqiu their woman.’
’It was all so absurd when you thought about it.’
It was already past four in the afternoon when they reached the provincial capital.
Normally, they could have bought plane tickets to leave that night, but since they had a car to ship, they needed to contact a logistics company and booked flights for the following day instead.
Lin Jiang drove leisurely to their hotel. After dropping off their luggage, the two of them went out for dinner.
After sampling the local specialties, they weren’t in a hurry to return to the hotel. Instead, they drove around the city to explore.
Shen Qingqiu was in an exceptionally good mood, taking Lin Jiang to the local night market and even to her old high school.
"This is where I went to school. It’s the best high school in the whole province. Pretty impressive, right?" Shen Qingqiu said with pride.
"So you started boarding at the school then."
"Mhm, it’s a private school. My scores on the high school entrance exam were pretty good back then, so to recruit me, the school waived my tuition and gave me a 500-yuan monthly stipend. That’s why I ended up studying here."
The cold wind tousled Shen Qingqiu’s hair. As she gazed at the brightly lit academic building, her eyes filled with a sense of release.
"If the school hadn’t given me that offer, I probably couldn’t have even afforded to attend high school."
Shen Qingqiu could now speak of her past hardships with a sense of calm.
She had finally weathered the storm, and no sentiment could have been more fitting.
"See? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And talent... it’s like a pregnancy. You can’t hide it forever."
Shen Qingqiu smiled playfully. "Thank you, Boss, for providing such excellent emotional support."
"Just keep working hard and create even more value for me in the future."
"I will devote my life to the accumulation of your capitalist wealth," she declared.
With that, Shen Qingqiu pulled Lin Jiang along. "Come on, come on, I’ll take you to get something good to eat."
A few dozen meters to the left of the school gate was a fried chicken shop. Judging from the sign out front, it had been there for many years.
"Boss, one burger."
"You got it. Six yuan."
Shen Qingqiu paid, and the two of them waited inside the shop.
Lin Jiang glanced around. The shop’s decor was ancient, and the chairs had a greasy sheen from years of use.
The burger was ready quickly, and they took it back to the car.
"Have a taste."
Lin Jiang first looked at the wrapper, then took out the burger. He saw that it was completely ordinary, inside and out. There was nothing special about it.
He took a bite, banking on the principle that bad movies can have killer soundtracks and hole-in-the-wall joints can have amazing food.
"So, how is it? What’s the verdict?"
Lin Jiang chewed thoughtfully. It gave him the feeling of someone who everyone looks down on, but who doesn’t quite manage to prove them wrong.
"My verdict is..."
Lin Jiang looked at Shen Qingqiu. "Do you want me to be honest?"
"Of course."
"It tastes pretty ordinary. Nothing special about it." Lin Jiang looked at Shen Qingqiu. "Did you think it was really good?"
"The taste is a bit ordinary, I’ll admit, but it’s cheap."
"I wouldn’t buy it for 10 yuan, but for 6 yuan, it’s a really good value."
"This shop has been here for many years. Back when I was a student, I wanted to buy a burger every time I passed by. I was so curious what one even tasted like, but I could never bear to spend the money. Then, I got into Jiaoda. After I won a scholarship my freshman year, I came back home and bought one of every flavor they had. But after I tried them, I realized... they really are just ordinary."
Lin Jiang looked at the burger in his hand, feeling that it was now imbued with an extraordinary meaning.
Shen Qingqiu was treating her childhood self to a long-awaited meal, and in doing so, she had brought him into the story of her past...
...
The next morning, Lin Jiang contacted a logistics company to arrange for the car’s shipment. Afterward, they took a taxi to the airport.
Before checking their luggage, they both changed back into the clothes they had arrived in. The temperature in Zhonghai was above freezing, so their current warm outfits would be unsuitable.
The woolen coat accentuated Shen Qingqiu’s figure, making her curves all the more pronounced. Passersby in the airport couldn’t help but sneak a few extra glances—though some were looking at Lin Jiang, of course.
By the time they arrived back in Zhonghai, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Lin Jiang drove Shen Qingqiu home.
"Do you have plans tonight?"
"I’m free. Why?"
"Want to grab dinner together?"
"Sure."
BUZZZ—
On the way back, Shen Qingqiu’s phone buzzed. It was a video call.
"Sister Shen, hope you had a good trip!"
After she answered the call, a familiar and cheerful voice came through the speaker.
Lin Jiang glanced at the screen and saw that the caller was Zheng Wenqi.
He found Zheng Wenqi’s way of addressing Shen Qingqiu rather interesting.
At the graduate level, the way students address their professors tends to vary.