Chapter 218

Some were rumors, deeply ingrained and often repeated. Others, even if witnessed firsthand, might have been misunderstandings that couldn't be explained at the time. Xia Yan wasn't only with his girlfriend, and she didn't place her hopes for a closer relationship on a natural conflict Xia Yan that girl. Who cheated? Who had a mistress? Who was hiding something? Who was after whom? Once the seed of suspicion is planted in someone's heart, no matter how much time passes or how much forgiveness is shown, it will silently grow in some small corner of their soul, waiting to rekindle that memory one day. Even if the methods were despicable. Lin Qingyu didn't think she had done anything wrong. Whether it was pursuing love, career advancement, or a treasure everyone coveted, as long as she got her hands on the goal, no matter how despicable the methods, no one would say anything once she got it. "Oh, right..." Lin Qingyu, who had just turned around and taken a few steps, suddenly heard a voice behind her. Her steps naturally halted because of him. Ah... had he changed his mind, or did he want to say something more to her? Today, Xia Yan hadn't even said the polite "Let's have dinner together again next time," and his tone was completely different from before. Thinking of this, Lin Qingyu felt a faint bitterness slowly rising in her heart. How could she not understand the distance that comes with having a girlfriend or boyfriend and maintaining a certain distance from the opposite sex? Whenever that girl was mentioned, Xia Yan's tone would involuntarily soften. But why couldn't that girl be her? "What's wrong?" Lin Qingyu asked softly, staring blankly at Xia Yan. There weren't many people coming and going around. It was during class time, so the students walking around outside were only going to the cafeteria in twos and threes, not gathering in large groups near the teaching building. But then Xia Yan's words, accompanied by the slightly desolate sound of the wind, seemed to transcend many things and deeply strike her heart. Lin Qingyu's pupils constricted slightly, lost in thought. "After I finish this," "I'll apply to the Student Council to withdraw from the department." Why? These three words involuntarily surfaced in her mind. Was it because of her? Or was it instigated by that girl? Was her possessiveness towards Xia Yan so extreme that she didn't even want him to stay in a department where he would interact with the opposite sex? Xia Yan would actually go to such lengths for that girl? Lin Qingyu didn't know what to say for a moment, but she knew that remaining silent was the worst outcome. Xia Yan's expression was very calm. So calm that it made her feel a sense of unfamiliarity that easily aroused panic. "What's the reason?" After a long while, she finally said. "Probably because I want to spend my time on other things." "Like spending time with my girlfriend." Xia Yan smiled and said this. 164. How long does it take for a person to save up one million? 3k2 "If you're free, you can work as a delivery driver to save up some money." "Otherwise, you'll regret it when you can't afford a dowry of 300,000 yuan and a car and house to get married, and you'll have to use a thin plastic cord for your wedding ring." "I'm really worried about you..." Hua Xin leaned back on the sofa, her body noticeably stiff, but when facing Xia Yan, only her mouth remained firm. "Could it be..." Xia Yan's eyes showed a slight surprise. He didn't understand the girl's implied meaning, took the menu from his hand, and revealed his face. Then he said with a smile, "Wife, you lowered your dowry standard to 300,000 yuan for me??" "???" Although she really wanted to retort with "Who's your wife?", she felt indebted to him... She had already gotten a free barbecue from Xia Yan, so she couldn't treat him like this, could she? If he secretly used the excuse of going to the toilet to run away in a fit of anger, the girl would really have to wash dishes here all day. "One million." "If you can't do it, then forget it." Hua Xin let out a slightly disordered snort, intending to use this huge sum to make Xia Yan back down. The hurried, high-intensity journey had almost ruined the girl's already sluggish body, but fortunately, the distance between the cat cafe and the Foreign Language University wasn't too far, allowing her to hurry over before being exposed. The girl silently felt sorry for herself for a while. Although she finally managed to arrive by using the excuse of going to the bathroom... (It wasn't because she had never been here before and almost got lost as soon as she entered.) Xia Yan didn't show any regret in his eyes, but continued to ask softly, "Beef ribs or pork belly?" "Beef." The girl answered Xia Yan's question without hesitation, and her earlier teasing turned into an affirmation of the upcoming dinner. All dissatisfaction vanished in the joy of choosing meat. Xia Yan put down the menu he had already chosen, his expression completely different from when he was with Lin Qingyu outside. That lingering tenderness and doting seemed to never disappear. "What class did you have tonight? Why did it take so long to finish...?" he asked curiously. "University professors rarely run overtime, right?" he then called the waiter and handed him the menu. Inside the barbecue restaurant at dinnertime, the lively conversation and the sizzling sound of oil on the grill mingled together, but the partitioned booths kept other customers out of sight, preventing any sense of annoyance. The two sat facing each other, the atmosphere clearly pleasant. This was their first meeting since the New Year; it had been almost a month. Hua Xin's face stiffened. Her head, resting on the sofa, didn't look at Xia Yan, but stared straight at the ceiling. Her fair, slender neck was thus exposed to Xia Yan's view. If some perverted serial killer with a peculiar fetish saw this, he'd probably already be planning how to cut her... cough cough. Unfortunately, Xia Yan wasn't a perverted serial killer, nor was he Hannibal Lecter. He just wanted to leave hickeys all over this girl's neck; that couldn't be considered perverted, could it? "I went to the toilet," the girl said calmly. However, given her slightly conflicted tone, this should be interpreted as "going to the toilet isn't the same as going to the toilet; it means doing something in the toilet." Xia Yan was about to ask a question when the girl noticed something amiss. She immediately sat up, glaring at him with unfriendly eyes, and said quietly, "Don't play dumb." Now, whenever Xia Yan slightly raised his head, Hua Xin could immediately tell where he was looking. Wasn't Xia Yan just pretending to be stupid to tease her? "Well, it's probably best not to drink anything cold today." Xia Yan showed no embarrassment at being exposed, but instead asked with a normal expression of concern. "Heh heh... Shrimp Head is dead." "And shouldn't I be asking you why you came here?" "You don't mind coming all this way? Next time you come, I won't talk to you." The girl looked at the dishes that had been served first on the table with some boredom.