Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

After obtaining his ID card and student registration, Shen Mingchao booked a flight to Hangzhou.

"Alright, that's enough for now."

Shen Mingchao stood at the airport security checkpoint and spoke to Xie Yuchen and Huo Xiuxiu.

"Have a safe journey, Mingchao. We'll contact each other again by phone." Huo Xiuxiu said with a smile, then glanced at the man beside her who was in a daze and subtly nudged him with her elbow.

Xie Yuchen snapped out of his daze. Noticing their gazes, he coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment, then instructed Shen Mingchao, "Be careful on the road, and remember to let us know when you get off the plane."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. You guys go back now, I'm leaving, bye-bye!" Shen Mingchao waved and turned to enter the security checkpoint.

Watching the girl's departing figure, Huo Xiuxiu couldn't resist her gossipy nature.

A dark glint shone in her eyes as she teased, "Little Flower Brother, this isn't like you."

Xie Yuchen's strange behavior had been obvious for a long time.

These days, rumors are circulating throughout the Heavenly Realm that the head of the Xie family is keeping a mistress in a golden house. The rumors are getting more and more rampant, and they have even reached her.

On the way to the airport with Shen Mingchao, Xie Yuchen was also very uneasy.

"If you're so reluctant to part with it, why not stay? You two clearly had so many opportunities to be alone together. I thought you would just come clean."

Huo Xiuxiu and Xie Yuchen were childhood friends, so it was impossible for her not to see what he was up to.

To her surprise, Xie Yuchen didn't say anything.

"Indecisiveness isn't your style."

"Could it be an age issue?"

There is indeed a significant age gap between them and Shen Mingchao, so Xie Yuchen's hesitation and indecision are understandable.

"Xiuxiu, it's not just this problem."

After a long silence, Xie Yuchen finally reacted, letting out a long sigh as if he had encountered some problem.

Huo Xiuxiu had rarely seen Xie Yuchen look so troubled, so she frowned as well, thinking of a more serious possibility.

"Could it be that she has a boyfriend in the Ming Dynasty? Or someone she likes? Could it be that she likes Xiao Ge?!"

Huo Xiuxiu and Shen Mingchao haven't known each other for very long, but judging from the last welcoming banquet, Shen Mingchao does seem to have an inexplicable closeness to Zhang Qiling.

If the competitor is Xiao Ge, it would indeed be a headache for Xiao Hua Ge. But Xiao Ge seems to have nothing to do with romance, so Xiao Hua Ge still has a chance of winning.

Huo Xiuxiu began brainstorming.

Although the Jie and Huo families had considered arranging a marriage between them, that was all in the past. Later, they both went through many things, and gradually saw through some of their feelings.

Over the years, they had all become part of that terrifying plan, unable to consider their own interests. Now that everything has settled, she hopes more than anyone that her brother Xiaohua can find happiness.

However, Xie Yuchen still shook his head. He didn't want to hide it from Huo Xiuxiu, so he told her the whole story in the car where no one was around.

Huo Xiuxiu was completely bewildered, feeling increasingly distant from the person she was listening to. She certainly wouldn't believe it if Wu Xie or Hei Xiazi were telling these stories, but this was Xie Yuchen.

Little Flower Brother would never make such a joke.

Huo Xiuxiu opened her mouth, as if to say something, but in the end, she didn't say anything.

Xie Yuchen looked down at the creased hundred-yuan note in his hand and suddenly said, "Xiuxiu, I think I'm getting deeper and deeper into this mess."

Huo Xiuxiu hadn't fully processed the matter yet. She pursed her lips and asked another question that was difficult to answer.

"Brother Xiaohua, if all of this is true, do you genuinely like Mingchao, or have you become unconsciously addicted due to being influenced or treated by him?"

"..."

After that sentence, the car fell silent for a moment.

Xie Yuchen thought that this question shouldn't only be asked of him; all those people should be asked the same question: can they really tell the difference?

After a moment of silence, Xie Yuchen answered truthfully, "What I can say for sure is that I don't dislike her; in fact, I might even say I have some feelings for her. But..."

"Those images and feelings were indeed a catalyst for my emotions. They dominated my mind, constantly disturbing my thoughts and subtly changing my behavior."

At this point, Xie Yuchen leaned back weakly, as if a thin mist had clouded his vision.

"Xiuxiu, I don't reject these."

Huo Xiuxiu really didn't know what to say; her worldview had completely collapsed.

She had one last question: "So, Wu Xie and the others are all like that? Even Xiao Ge is??"

Seeing that Jie Yuchen nodded slightly, Huo Xiuxiu's eyes went black. She thought her rival was Xiao Ge, but it turned out there was a whole bunch of rivals!

No wonder you're so restless.

When things get complicated enough, people will choose to give up. Huo Xiuxiu rubbed her temples, then suddenly veered off-topic, thinking of something that would be beneficial to her.

Does that mean there will be lots of gossip to enjoy in the future? She'll be the most beautiful gossip in the gossip field then.

Thinking about it this way, Huo Xiuxiu felt that all of this wasn't so hard to accept.

In the end, Huo Xiuxiu said to Xie Yuchen, "Brother Xiaohua, no matter what, I will support you unconditionally."

Meanwhile, Shen Mingchao was sending messages in the waiting area.

The first person they contacted was Xie Yuchen.

During the days she spent eating and drinking for free at the Xie family's house, she realized one thing: this man was a true domineering CEO.

She felt a little guilty at first and transferred money to Xie Yuchen before leaving. But the moment the message popped up, the man, who had been smiling gently, suddenly turned cold.

"Ming Dynasty, fine, you won't accept my card, but do you have to be so calculating about such a small amount of money?"

"You're already registered under the Xie family name, so you're one of us. Don't be so formal with me."

Having said all that, Shen Mingchao ultimately didn't transfer the money a second time. She opted for a more humane approach.

Based on Shen Mingchao's observations over the past few days, Xie Yuchen seems to have a strong liking for sweets, but he eats them very restrainedly.

For example, last time she brought tiramisu, she kept glancing at the cake, and after handing it to him, she waved her hand and refused.

He's a very self-disciplined domineering CEO.

Once his thoughts returned to normal, Shen Mingchao sent a message.

[Little Flower Brother, I made a rose and lychee cake and put it on your desk. Consider it a belated birthday present. Don't worry, I didn't put in much sugar.]

Consider it a little surprise she left behind.