Chapter 155 - 154: Shi Changying: Cui Jinghan Will Yield
Chapter 155: Chapter 154: Shi Changying: Cui Jinghan Will Yield
Of course, Yan Sinian didn’t dare say he hadn’t taught Shi Changying a single thing, and that he had made all that money just by watching shows, playing games, and sightseeing every day. If he said that out loud, his seniors would definitely beat him to death.
[Third Brother]: Xiao Yan, this is where you lack tact. Besides us brothers and sisters, and at most one teacher, there are no other living people around Senior Brother.
[The Only One]: Remember the girl from the office next door who invited Senior Brother to dinner last time? She ended up leaving in tears. Senior Brother has absolutely no idea what romance is! Good thing he doesn’t consider these things at all, otherwise how could I be "The Only One"?
[Second Sister]: Show off your love, and you’ll break up fast!
[Ninth Brother]: Come on, come on, place your bets. If Xiao Yan can really get Senior Brother to eat with his student, I’ll cover all the office chores from now on.
[Fourth Sister]: If Sinian fails to have this meal with Senior Brother, he has to split all the extra cash he’s earned these past few days with us.
[Fifth Brother]: I agree. Who knows how much extra cash this kid made going to Jianghuai. We must make him cough it up.
[Seventh Sister]: Year-end bonuses are coming soon. I’m betting my year-end bonus.
Yan Sinian stared in dumbfounded silence as his seniors finalized the bet. He cursed inwardly, "What a bunch of dogs."
[Yan Sinian]: It’s a bet! Whoever backs out is a dog!
But as soon as he sent the message, Yan Sinian felt a pang of regret. Senior Brother’s temperament was indeed exceptionally cold. Every time he went to the office to look for Cui Jiu, he would always see him staring blankly at the moon outside the window. The aura around him was distant and freezing, practically screaming at strangers to keep away. People involved in arts and culture like them were indeed a bit abnormal. After all, the dean was a complete lunatic.
As Shi Changying finished a set of test papers, she noticed Yan Sinian looking heartbroken again. "Did another person in your sect find a partner?"
"No," Yan Sinian let out a long sigh. "Blame my youth and ignorance for joining such a shameless sect." He showed her the group chat history, mourning the cash that was now gone with the wind.
"Alright," Shi Changying raised an eyebrow. "Since we’re betting, let’s bet bigger. Otherwise, doesn’t it lose the meaning of a gamble?"
Before Yan Sinian could react, he saw Shi Changying use the voice-to-text function to send a message to the group, betting another hundred thousand yuan.
[The Only One]: Ha! I knew you made a lot this time. You were hiding it just now!
[Seventh Sister]: I’m feeling a little upset now. We must win this bet!
[Third Brother]: Is the Xu Family really that rich? No, I mean, are they really willing to give you such a high salary? Most importantly, did you pay your taxes?!
Yan Sinian was startled. "Miss Shi, it’s one thing if I lose the money I earned, but I can’t possibly lose yours too, can I?"
"Lose?" Shi Changying crossed her arms. "In the dictionary of my life, that word is not allowed to exist." She wanted to win, and she only accepted winning. Because if she lost even once, her life would become completely meaningless.
"But my Senior Brother... Sigh, what if he really won’t eat with us?" Yan Sinian pulled his hair, muttering, "I wouldn’t dare go against Senior Brother."
Shi Changying held out her hand. "Do you know what this is?"
After a moment of silence, Yan Sinian asked hesitantly, "Zero? Or ten?"
Shi Changying said, "A fist."
Yan Sinian remained somewhat confused.
Shi Changying spoke leisurely. "My temper actually isn’t very good, because I prefer to let my fists do the talking."
"So?"
"If he refuses to go, I’ll pin him to the table."
"..."
Yan Sinian broke into a sweat. "S-Senior Brother wouldn’t yield, right?"
"Don’t worry, he will," Shi Changying replied.
Yan Sinian thought to himself, "How can I possibly not worry?" Overcome with sorrow, he worried for his future.
This sorrow vanished into thin air the moment he received a payment transfer from Xu Zhao Yu. Over the phone, she said, "Master Yan, it’s been really hard on you these past few days. Changying is difficult to teach, so please bear with her."
Yan Sinian was elated. "You’re too polite, far too polite."
Xu Zhao Yu’s smile deepened as she asked, "I wonder how Changying’s handwriting is coming along? Does she have the ability to participate in a calligraphy competition?"
"A calligraphy competition?" Yan Sinian paused, then said tactfully, "That’s a bit hard to say!"
Although he had judged that Shi Changying’s brush control was exceptionally strong, he hadn’t actually seen her earnestly display her calligraphy skills. However, with such formidable brush control, she would definitely place at least in the top three among a group of teenagers, if not first.
However, this answer took on an entirely different meaning in Xu Zhao Yu’s ears. She sighed softly. "Yes, I figure a skill like calligraphy takes at least five to ten years of practice just to grasp the basics. I’m just afraid she might make a fool of herself at the competition."
How could Yan Sinian not hear the underlying meaning in her words? He smiled faintly. "Miss Xu, you really worry endlessly about your niece."
"It’s what I owe Changying. I don’t know how to make it up to her to make her happy," Xu Zhao Yu sighed again. "It’s so late, and Master Yan has just endured another two hours of hard work. I won’t disturb you any longer."
The call ended, and the smile on her face vanished without a trace.
From Meng Shuyan, she had already learned of Shi Changying’s results in the latest mock exam. They were too horrible to look at. Aside from a pretty face, she had absolutely zero redeeming qualities. Still, Xu Zhao Yu had to admit that Shi Changying’s luck was exceptionally good; she had actually managed to save one of Xu Yunfan’s officers at the flood disaster site.
Sure enough, she was right. From the moment she first laid eyes on Shi Changying, she realized that her true opponent wasn’t Ming Chengli, but rather his good-for-nothing daughter. As for kicking this father-daughter duo out of the Xu Family, she would have to take it slow and plan carefully.
The next morning, just as Xu Zhao Yu was about to leave the house, she received a call. "Hello?"
"President Xu, I have some rather bad news." The person on the other end sighed. "We weren’t able to secure the fragrance materials you wanted."
Xu Zhao Yu owned her own company as well. It was a perfume brand jointly invested in by the Xu Family and the Meng Family. However, it didn’t operate under either of their corporate groups; instead, it was fully independent and managed solely by Xu Zhao Yu. While it couldn’t quite compare to international luxury brands, it was still a major trump card in the perfume industry.
Xu Zhao Yu’s expression turned cold. "You searched for so long, and you still couldn’t find them? Why? I told you, money is not an issue!"
"It’s not that we didn’t find them. We actually located the supplier, but..." The other party hesitated for a long moment before saying, "Someone already pre-ordered this batch of ingredients, and they aren’t willing to share even a tiny portion of it."
Xu Zhao Yu frowned. "Who? Who’s acting so domineering? Is it one of the major conglomerates from the Southern Region? Surely they wouldn’t refuse to part with even a little bit?"
The other party slowly replied, "The Rose Queen."
Xu Zhao Yu’s expression changed, and she cried out in shock, "It’s actually her?"
The title of the Rose Queen was incredibly renowned in the Fragrance Industry. There was no one who didn’t know her name. She was globally recognized as one of the top three perfumers in the world today.