Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

Yu Zhe: "Just lie and say my leg injury has relapsed, and observe his reaction. If my leg injury has nothing to do with him, then he shouldn't react. If he seems nervous, then ask him what he's nervous about."

"Dad, what are you so nervous about?"

Qi Xinye asked the question as Yu Zhe had instructed.

Qi Yi was taken aback by these words, but he quickly composed himself and said with a smile, "Hahaha... I'm not nervous, I'm just worried. My nephew Yu Zhe's old illness has relapsed, how can I not be worried... Hmm, it seems I should visit the Su family another day."

Qi Xinye continued to recall Yu Zhe's words.

Yu Zhe: "He probably wouldn't attribute his state to 'nervousness,' but rather 'worry.' But I only met your dad once or twice when I was little, so he had no reason to pay special attention to my condition, so..."

So even Qi Xinye understood at this point.

Qi Yi's logic is full of contradictions, which only means one thing.

He has a problem, and indeed, the Qi family did have a problem with what happened back then.

Qi Xinye sighed heavily. At first, she didn't believe that the Qi family could be so bad.

Now it seems that Yu Che was right; I was too naive.

Looking at the hypocrisy hidden behind Qi Yiwen's refined black-rimmed glasses, Qi Xinye suddenly felt very disappointed in her family, and even felt a trace of anger from the bottom of her heart.

This anger is very similar to the feeling that Yu Che and Zi Xiao have; it's anger at others for hurting Yu Zhe.

Even if it is self

Even his own family cannot be forgiven.

However, Qi Xinye did not feel too much guilt because she was also a member of the Qi family.

This was thanks to the last thing Yu Zhe said to himself at school.

Yu Zhe: "Sister Ye, when you confirm the truth, you will be angry and depressed, but I hope you will not blame yourself, because you have no reason to blame yourself. These things have nothing to do with you. Just because your father went down the wrong path, you can't lock yourself in a cage. I hope you can still spread your wings and fly high."

Will you spread your wings and fly high...?

Thinking of Yu Zhe's words, Qi Xinye couldn't help but smile gently. Even in the face of the Qi family, Qi Xinye felt that she could still feel Xiao Zhe's warmth.

At this moment, Qi Yi seemed to have thought of something and said to Qi Xinye, "Xiao Ye, could you please invite my nephew Yu Zhe again? I have some things I want to say to him in person."

But to Qi Yi's surprise, Qi Xinye replied, word by word, "I won't help you."

At first, Qi Yi didn't realize what was happening.

However, Qi Yi, as expected of a great entrepreneur, combined the question Qi Xinye had just raised with her current answer.

He knew that Qi Xinye had discovered and confirmed something.

Suddenly, a surge of inexplicable anger welled up within him, and without warning, Qi Yi slammed his hand heavily on the table: "Xiao Ye! I told you beforehand! I'm doing all this for your own good! Is this your attitude now?!"

Unfazed by Qi Yi's sudden outburst of rage, Qi Xinye remained unfazed.

She remained standing there, still behaving with composure.

She faced Qi Yi expressionlessly and said in a tone that was almost completely flat, "You're doing this for my own good, aren't you? After that incident five years ago, you locked me in the house and wouldn't let me see Xiao Zhe again."

“You lied to me back then, saying that Xiao Zhe didn’t want to see me, but recently he told me that he never hated me.”

“I didn’t even take the entrance exam for foreign schools. It was you who sent me abroad to study after that.”

"I dropped out of school abroad and came back on my own, just to see Xiao Zhe again. You've been trying to send me abroad again recently, haven't you?"

"If you say all this is for my own good, then I'm sorry, I don't accept it."

Qi Yi was stunned.

This was the first time in her life that her daughter had talked back to her like this.

Qi Xinye nodded slightly to him and then turned to leave.

At this moment, Qi Yi roared, "Xiao Ye, let me tell you! I told you to stay away from that Su Yuzhe to protect you! You don't understand anything, I don't know what you've heard, but you must listen to the family's arrangements! Otherwise, you'll regret it sooner or later!"

Qi Xinye turned her back to him and stopped walking.

Do I regret it...? What if I do, what if I don't? As long as Xiao Zhe is safe, do other things matter?

For Qi Xinye now, as long as Xiao Zhe is happy, isn't that her happiness?

He was restricted in his freedom by his family from a young age, and even when he finally met Xiao Zhe, he was injured five years ago because of his involvement in family matters.

She wanted to apologize properly, but instead was sent abroad with no other option, and every day she thought about that silver light shining in her heart.

From beginning to end, even though we were separated by great distances, this sentiment never changed.

When did I start living like a caged bird?

Then I'll listen to Xiao Zhe and break free from this cage, okay?

Soar high with wings outstretched.

She turned around steadily and said to Qi Yi with a serious expression, "Only by doing things without shame and speaking without regret can one live a life of clarity and freedom. This is what you often told me when we were young, and now I'm returning it to you verbatim. The one who should live a life of clarity is you, not me."

After saying this, Qi Xinye walked steadily out of the main hall, closing the door behind her.

Qi Yi was left standing there, stunned.

46. ​​Qin Ruoke's thoughts

Qi Xinye wasn't the only one who felt that today was different from usual.

And Qin Ruoke.

She has felt preoccupied ever since she got home from school.

Unlike the Qi family's courtyard-style manor, Qin Ruoke's rented small apartment, although not remote and relatively close to the school, seemed too small compared to Yu Zhe's upscale apartment.

There is only one bedroom, and outside is a rather narrow living room and bathroom. There is no TV in the living room, or rather, just a sofa and a small coffee table.

However, the necessary living facilities are quite complete. Although it is small, Qin Ruoke has cleaned it very well, and it is almost spotless.

Qin Ruoke quickly made herself a simple vegetarian dish in the small kitchen next to the living room, and then ate the steamed buns she had bought downstairs.

This is what she eats for dinner every day.

After clearing away the dishes, she walked through the living room back to her small bedroom. Because the bedroom was so cramped that there wasn't even enough room for a table, she sat on the edge of the bed to work on her study plan for the day.

She loosened the small blue leather cord that held her hair back, and her long pink hair, which had been tied into a single ponytail, fell naturally like cherry blossoms. She gently tossed her hair to both sides a few times.

When Qin Ruoke wears her hair in a single ponytail, she appears to have a strong personality. However, when she lets her hair down, it complements her cherry-colored eyes, creating a delicate and natural beauty.

With her hair hanging down, she looked rather pitiful as she looked down at her homework.

Yu Zhe was right when he transferred here; Qin Ruoke really does look good with her hair down.

The environment was as quiet as usual, but for some reason, an hour had passed and Qin Ruoke hadn't absorbed much knowledge, nor had she done many problems.

She is now thinking

My thoughts are in a mess.

The life I had gotten used to.

The words Yu Zhe spoke today stirred up a long-forgotten surge of emotions within her.

Looking at the simple decorations in the room and the cramped living room outside, Qin Ruoke, who was all alone, suddenly felt a sense of desolation.

It wasn't like this before. How long has this kind of life been going on?

It's been about four years...

Qin Ruoke's family used to be just an ordinary family, but they were considered relatively wealthy.

Her father was doing business outside and made a lot of money. Although her mother and father had a bad relationship and argued every now and then, Qin Ruoke felt that life was pretty good.

At least you have a home.

But one day, when Qin Ruoke was in her third year of junior high school, her father failed in an investment and was burdened with a large debt.

My mother divorced my father right then and there and left the family without a second thought.

Qin Ruoke and her father were left in their previous home. Qin Ruoke continued to attend school as usual, while her father continued to pay off debts.

Although living standards have declined sharply, things seem to be relatively stable.

To make matters worse, not long after that, my father got into trouble in business because of previous debts and was arrested.

Qin Ruoke felt very unfortunate at the time and was troubled by it for a while.

But no matter how much she complained, life had to go on. In order to help her father pay off his debts and get him out of jail as soon as possible, she mortgaged her previous property and rented this small apartment.

He studied hard and got into the best high school in the city.

She worked tirelessly, using most of her wages to pay off her father's debts, leaving only a small amount to support herself.

She saves every penny, which is why she only eats one steamed bun every day at noon.

How many years would it take to pay off the debt? She had calculated that if things remained the same, it would take at least twenty years. She didn't want to waste that much time, as she saw no way out.

Therefore, she set her sights on the top spot in her grade at Fenghai No.1 Middle School. If she could get first place in the college entrance examination, she would be guaranteed admission to university, and her life would definitely change as a result.

She always felt that she was strong enough.

But it wasn't until she met Yu Zhe today and heard what he said, and her own subconscious reaction, that she realized how insecure she really was.

He only meant well and wanted to help her, but she misunderstood Yu Zhe because of her inferiority complex.

No... to call it a misunderstanding, Qin Ruoke knew that it was just an excuse, an excuse to cover up her insignificant inferiority complex.

She looked at the math workbook in her hand. She had been working on this problem for a long time, or rather, she hadn't really thought about the solution at all.

Since just now, all I can think about is what Yu Zhe said: "You just need to have some basic trust in me."

Trust...

I have no complaints about my current life. People get used to things, but they also seek change.

However, Qin Ruoke really longed for friends. She hadn't had a single friend since junior high school because she had to do everything she could to survive.

Maybe... I could become friends with Su Yuzhe? Just the kind of friend I can talk to occasionally.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Qin Ruoke quickly shook her head, dismissing the unreliable idea.

They were from completely different worlds, and this college entrance exam was too crucial for her. Now that she was almost in the final year of high school, she couldn't afford to be distracted. After all, there were many smart people, and if she relaxed even slightly, she would probably be overtaken.

Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Qin Ruoke tried her best to focus on the math problem in front of her.

Study time is precious; I can't keep getting distracted like this...