Chapter 501: Chapter 498: Come Out and Meet
"At that time, I had just returned home, and my parents heard from somewhere that there were quite a few wealthy kids at the school I attended."
"They also said I should build good relationships with all of you, as one day they might come in handy."
"You know I disdained to do that. I told them I had already come back, which meant that sooner or later my relationship with you guys would break off."
"From now on, I would only develop my career around my hometown and no longer drift to the big cities."
"But my parents said, ’How could four years of classmates be cut off just like that? At the very least, send a message during the holidays.’"
"’Let them not forget you. A message costs just a few coins. How could we shamelessly ask you guys for help?’"
"To dispel this idea from my parents, in a fit of anger, I cut up that SIM card."
"I got a new number, and I haven’t logged into my old social media accounts since then."
"It’s really heaven’s grace that I met you just after I came back, but we must not let my family know about it."
"Once they find out, their ideas will sprout like weeds, quickly taking root."
"You know how my good-for-nothing brother still doesn’t have a proper job."
"You see, I’m about to get married soon, and he hasn’t even had a girlfriend yet. If my parents knew we were back in touch,"
"they definitely would desperately push me to find you guys and get him a decent job."
"They might even ask you to help him find a girl from the city to marry. How could I possibly push an innocent girl into a fire pit?"
"I barely managed to jump out of this fire pit myself; I can’t just watch others jump into it too."
He Qianhui felt gratified to hear Liang Xin speak like this.
"So that’s what you were thinking. Okay, but isn’t your wedding going to be in your hometown?"
"If I go, surely your parents will know."
Liang Xin, propping her chin with her hand, smiled and said, "But by then I’ll already be married, living at my in-laws’. Even if she wants to trouble me, I can’t possibly turn my elbow outwards."
"Fortunately, my husband knows the kind of family I come from, and he’s willing to stand up against it with me."
"All these years, my parents haven’t stopped making money for my brother, but sadly, my brother keeps failing to attract any girls."
"Even if he owns a house, in the end, he’s still a bachelor."
The two talked for a long time in the cafe and then went somewhere else to eat.
He Qianhui planned to drop Liang Xin off where she was staying, but Liang Xin refused.
The reason was that the hotel she was staying at was too shabby and cramped, and being seen there would be embarrassing.
Even though He Qianhui said he wouldn’t tease her, Liang Xin came back with, "I have my pride; I don’t want to be looked down upon."
Fortunately, He Qianhui was soft-hearted and believed her words, not insisting further.
The two went their separate ways at the restaurant door, but He Qianhui felt something was off about Liang Xin today.
After some hesitation, he still followed her, thinking her place must be quite far from here.
But just after crossing two intersections, he saw her turn into a hotel.
After she went in, He Qianhui hurried to follow, only to be stopped by the receptionist: "Ma’am, are you looking to stay?"
Looking at the young receptionist, He Qianhui quickly shook his head and said, "The person who just came in is my friend; she’s staying in room number ..."
The receptionist said, "Sorry, we can’t reveal the privacy of our guests."
"If you really need to see her urgently, you can call her to come down and she can take you up with no problem."
He Qianhui thought to herself that since she had followed here, calling Liang Xin would be like trying to hide one’s ears while stealing a bell.
However, now that she knew where she lived, it would be convenient to come here directly if there really was an issue.
But then she thought about how she would be leaving the day after tomorrow, and she might only have two more nights here.
He Qianhui hesitated somewhat, but in order to avoid drawing Liang Xin’s attention, she chose to leave the hotel first.
That evening, when Zhang Hao got home, He Qianhui told him about what had happened during the day.
Zhang Hao looked thoughtful, "You’ve already given her the money, yet she wouldn’t let you see where she lives, that’s really strange."
"I have this really odd feeling now, that those fifty thousand yuan are definitely going to be wasted."
He Qianhui was a bit defiant, "Can’t you have a little faith in my classmate?"
Zhang Hao disagreed, "It’s not that I don’t have faith in your classmate, it’s her repeated actions that make me suspicious."
"But since she did say she wants you to come to the wedding, we might as well go, and just treat it like a trip, how’s that?"
He Qianhui disdained, "A trip there, to that backwater place? Be careful, you might not be able to come back if you go."
"Besides, I never really planned on actually attending her wedding. Maybe when the time comes I’ll just transfer the gift money back via mobile phone and just send a few congratulatory words."
Zhang Hao leaned back, "Are you two really good friends? Is this how good friends behave?"
He Qianhui didn’t respond and stood up to start cooking in the kitchen.
Just then, her phone suddenly rang.
"I’ll get it." Zhang Hao said.
He Qianhui responded nonchalantly, her mind thinking that the call was probably from a colleague or a client, or maybe just a spam call.
But when Zhang Hao answered the call, he heard a man on the line.
The number was from another region, which made him suspicious, "May I ask who this is?"
Initially, Zhang Hao thought the caller was one of He Qianhui’s former clients.
Perhaps they wanted to sign a contract again, so they called ahead to inquire about the situation.
"Are you He Qianhui’s boyfriend?" the man on the phone asked.
Zhang Hao stared at the phone number somewhat lost in thought.
He Qianhui, curious, came out of the kitchen and asked, "Who’s calling?"
"I don’t know, strange number. And he asked for me by name. Have you mentioned me to anyone?" Zhang Hao asked.
He Qianhui shook her head, "Even if I mentioned you, it would be to friends we both know."
"Besides, this is a strange number, unless the caller is Liang Xin."
Actually, at first Zhang Hao also thought that it might be Liang Xin.
Or possibly a friend of Liang Xin’s, but given the tone and attitude of the person speaking, it didn’t seem very friendly.
Zhang Hao hesitated, then the man on the other end of the line shouted loudly again, "Are you He Qianhui’s boyfriend?"
Upon hearing the tone, He Qianhui immediately snatched the phone from Zhang Hao’s hand.
"May I ask who this is?"
Once the man on the phone heard her voice change, his tone also became more gentle.
"You are He Qianhui, right? Do you know Liang Xin? I’m her brother. I heard you’re working around here, are you available to meet?"
