Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 517 Pei Ning
"Mom, I want to eat candied hawthorn too..."

At the entrance of an alley in Beidu, a little girl who looked only five or six years old, with delicate and beautiful features and black braids, stared at the vendors shouting in the distance and couldn't help but tug at the woman holding her hand.

The woman was quite beautiful, but her face looked haggard. Hearing the little girl's plea, she instinctively wanted to take a step, but then, as if remembering something, her expression turned cold again.

She crouched down, bringing her eyes level with the little girl's, and then said earnestly:

"Peining, do you think Mommy works hard?"

"Mom was always hiding and crying, it was so painful..."

"So if you don't want to suffer like your mother in the future, you can't eat these sweet things now, do you understand?"

Hearing the little girl's answer, the woman's nose tingled and she almost burst into tears again, but she quickly took a deep breath and forced a smile, saying, "You need to have a healthy body so that you won't lose at the starting line, especially in a family like ours..."

As the woman spoke, her gaze unconsciously turned to the depths of the alley, where two vermilion doors were tightly shut and guards stood at the entrance.

As the little girl seemed to understand but not quite, the woman murmured, "Peining, I'm going to take you home now. Your grandparents, uncles, aunts... all your relatives are there, but they won't welcome us. And Mommy has nowhere else to go."

This time, the woman seemed to finally be unable to hold back her tears.

The little girl quickly went up and hugged her, "Mommy, don't cry, I'll listen to you, I won't eat anymore, please don't cry, okay?"

"Hey, Mom, don't cry!"

The woman laughed and cried at the same time. Looking at the girl's obedient and sensible appearance, she patted the little girl's head. "Peining, Daddy went to a very far place and will never come back. Mommy wants to raise you, so I have to bring you back. This way, you will have a very good future. Mommy can't be selfish anymore..."

“But once we step through that door, many things will no longer be within our control. You may have a tough time for a while, and if one day you find this kind of life exhausting, please don’t blame your mother…”

"When you come in, remember to greet people as your mother taught you. Don't accept anything they offer you unless your mother tells you it's okay to accept it..."

"Also, you must remember that you can no longer be called Zhou Peining. Your surname is Qu, and your name is Qu Peining."

After saying this, the woman wiped away her tears, resolutely stood up, and led the little girl deeper into the alley.

The little girl followed the woman, but couldn't help turning back to look at the children passing by, who were happily eating candied hawthorns, and a hint of envy appeared on her face.

……

"Peining, are you free tonight?"

"night?"

In the school classroom, a girl with no makeup, a single ponytail, a clean and neat demeanor, and rare almond-shaped eyes looked up in confusion, "Isn't there self-study tonight?"

"Ugh, Pei Ning, who wants to go to this kind of boring self-study session?"

My deskmate, a girl dressed in a flamboyant manner, said with a grin, "It's Young Master Kong's birthday tonight. He said he's treating us all to some fun at OT. Shall we go together?"

"OT?"

The girl looked puzzled again.

"Pei Ning, how unsophisticated are you? You don't even know OT? It's ONE THIRD in Workers' Stadium, the absolute top nightclub right now..."

Another girl came up from behind and said with a hint of excitement.

"Not interested in."

Upon hearing that it was a nightclub, Qu Peining's brows immediately turned cold, and she refused.

"Come on, Pei Ning, who never skips class?"

"Exactly! Or we could go shopping first. Chanel recently opened a new store in Wangfujing. I heard they have lots of new spring/summer dresses. Let's go check it out together."

However, no matter how the two girls tried to persuade her, Qu Peining remained unmoved. She even buried her head in her book and completely ignored them.

Helpless, the two girls could only get up and leave, muttering something to themselves as they went, their expressions somewhat resentful.

After they left the classroom chattering away, Qu Peining finally looked up again. The air still seemed to linger with their perfume, making the girl feel slightly uncomfortable. But when she inadvertently looked down and saw the athletic pants she was wearing on her tight legs, she looked a little bewildered.

"Is the skirt... comfortable to wear?"

……

"Qu Peining!"

"To!"

"Why didn't you wait for your teammates to arrive at the designated location before taking action?"

In the pouring rain in the mountains, the stern-faced female instructor loudly questioned...

"Report, she didn't show up at the designated location at the agreed time. If I wait any longer, it will only lead to the mission's failure..."

"Excuse!"

The female instructor interrupted her sharply, "You never value teamwork, you only think about individual heroism, and you have no sense of collective honor. Now, run ten laps around the foot of the mountain. You're not allowed to eat dinner until you finish. Any objections?"

"no!"

With her hands behind her back, the spirited young woman, wearing a tactical vest and combat pants, responded loudly and then turned and ran along the foot of the mountain.

The female instructor frowned, hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and let her go.

……

Qu Peining knew she was dreaming, but she found that she couldn't wake up and could only struggle in one nightmare after another.

Those familiar scenes seemed to form a vicious cycle, in which she kept going around in circles, eventually returning to the most tedious yet most memorable five years of her youth.

She was running with difficulty on the rugged mountain road she had traversed countless times. The rain washed over the mountain road, creating countless muddy paths. The dirty rainwater kept hitting her eyes, and she could hardly see the road in front of her anymore.

A feeling of hunger and thirst kept assaulting her; everything else was blurry, but this feeling was crystal clear.

Qu Peining felt so tired that she wanted to just collapse and give up, but whenever she wanted to give up, her mother's words of advice would ring in her ears.

“Peining, you have to be more outstanding than your older brother, older sister, and younger brother. Only in this way can you stand on your own two feet in this family when your grandmother can no longer protect us…”

She knew her mother was always melancholy. In that cold family, she always locked herself in that small courtyard, and it seemed that no one wanted to visit her.

Fortunately, I succeeded.

She gained the approval of her maternal grandfather and uncle, finally escaping from that hellish place. Her mother moved into a large house and had a doctor and servants to take care of her. Qu Peining also knew that as long as she wanted, she could go to a new place and take on an important position at any time.

But... why do I still not feel happy at all?

It seems that apart from the brief moment when her mother hugged her with a proud look, Qu Peining could no longer feel any excitement. Until later, during her time relaxing at the performing arts troupe, she unexpectedly met a girl.

She was unlike anyone Qu Peining had ever known. She was quiet and kind, and it seemed that no matter what, she was always so indifferent and aloof, like the first snow, never tinged with any other color.

It was as if her gray life had suddenly been tinged with other vitality. From the first day she met her, Qu Peining unconsciously wanted to get close to her and protect her.

How can there be such a perfect woman in the world?

Qu Peining often thinks about it.

Perhaps what she envies most is that she can pursue anything she wants.

"Senior, I sometimes envy you."

"Why do you envy me?"

"I envy you... for living your own life."

This conversation took place one afternoon after a performance. Jiang Mo, who had just stepped off the stage, seemed a little confused as to why she had asked her that question. Her bewildered expression was somewhat endearing.

Qu Peining simply smiled slightly and offered no explanation.

Because Jiang Mo in front of her was like herself in another dimension, Qu Peining felt a sense of relief and ease every time she was with her.

until……

She realized that Senior Jiang's life wasn't so perfect after all.

Just like her poor mother, she was trapped in the empty lie called "love," placing all her hopes on a certain "scumbag" and unconditionally trusting him.

But the result?

She didn't know what would happen to her senior, but she had already witnessed her mother's tragic fate.

She didn't want her senior to repeat her mother's mistakes, so she resolutely came to Shanghai alone, even if it was against the rules and she might have to pay a price, she was determined to protect her senior's life, just as she had secretly promised her.

But where did things go wrong?
Qu Peining was also confused, because she couldn't remember what happened next.

But she was back in this nightmare, and it seemed that no matter how hard she ran, there was no end in sight to this exhausting road.

But... I'm so tired!

Besides being tired, that burning, thirsty feeling seemed to have returned.

Moreover, Qu Peining found it strange that while she should have been very cold during the heavy rain in the dream, she also felt as if a flame was burning inside her, making her extremely uncomfortable.

In a daze, Qu Peining seemed to touch something. The warm touch made her want to get closer, so she groped her way over and hugged the other person tightly.

A sense of security washed over her, and the coldness in her body seemed to dissipate, but the dryness of her mouth and tongue began to protest against her body again.

"Water, I want water..."

In a daze, Qu Peining saw a human face. Some strange subconscious told her that this was the "water source" she was looking for.

So she raised her snow-white neck and leaned her head closer, trying to relieve her thirst in this way.

"Hmm..."

She got what she wanted and unconsciously began to explore slightly, trying to seize the sweet rain in a somewhat clumsy way.

However, the feeling of thirst was not relieved.

why?

Qu Peining couldn't understand it, but she was unwilling to let go, so she was caught in a vicious cycle, and could only hold the other person tightly, with the intensity of the embrace increasing.

Her movements finally alerted "Water Source," and in the darkness, after a moment of surprise, the other party began to respond to her.

But soon, "Water Source" seemed to realize something was wrong and pushed her away again. Just as Qu Peining was about to follow him in frustration, the other party returned.

This time, Qu Peining finally drank real water, and the refreshing coolness instantly restored her clarity.

But she still couldn't open her eyes, until a new taste entered her tangled mouth.

It was light and sweet, just like the seafood porridge her mother used to cook for her. The shrimp, fresh and sweet without any MSG, melted in her mouth and she swallowed it.

This time, Qu Peining's consciousness finally broke free from the infinite chaos. She fluttered her eyelashes and realized with surprise that there was indeed porridge flowing in her mouth.

After swallowing subconsciously, before Qu Peining could even open her eyes, her mouth was blocked again.

This time, the feeling was so real, as if I had experienced it countless times in my dreams—that wondrous, soul-stirring thrill.

Qu Peining finally opened her eyes and gradually saw the scene before her.

The dim light of the bedside lamp illuminated the bedroom, where she was curled up in a man's arms, her arms wrapped around his neck, her smooth thighs draped around his waist, clinging tightly to him.

It seemed like they were only a hair's breadth apart. The young man's face had distinct features, and his handsome face had a touch of roguishness. Qu Peining, who had never paid attention to a man's appearance before, felt her heart flutter for the first time.

She then realized something was wrong.

Their faces were pressed together, and the wonderful sensation came from their touching lips.

The young man didn't seem to realize she was awake immediately. Instead, when Qu Peining tried to push him away, he suddenly let go of her.

"so troublesome……"

The young man muttered something, then slightly rose and scooped a spoonful of something from a clay pot, then fed it to himself. Then, in Qu Peining's wide-eyed gaze, he lowered his head and took it into his mouth.

Qu Peining finally realized that while trapped in those dreams, she had been trying to relieve her thirst in some way.

She felt panicked, indignant, shy, and embarrassed, with an indescribable feeling swirling in her heart.

It was this feeling that made Qu Peining quickly close her eyes again, choosing to avoid the young man's gaze.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. How could she continue to pretend to be asleep at this time and let the other person take liberties with her? She should have fought back or taken this opportunity to subdue the other person.

Isn't this the thought that has been lingering in her mind for the past two days?
"I... I must be going crazy..."

Qu Peining murmured to herself.

Immediately, her eyes, which had been tightly closed, involuntarily opened her mouth, trying her best to cooperate with the other person, swallowing what was probably the most complex and indescribable bowl of porridge she had ever tasted since birth...

(End of this chapter)