Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 22 Xin Mengzhen's Monologue
Xin Mengzhen walked on the path covered with autumn leaves, unintentionally stepping on crisp yellow leaves, crunching softly.

With Yang Qingyue by her side and Chen Xuebing following behind, both of them remained silent. She couldn't act as an eavesdropper pretending to be immersed in her own world as usual, nor could she banter with Chen Xuebing as she had when they first became acquainted a few days ago. So, she walked somewhat bored and truly fell into deep thought, her mind starting to play out a movie.

"Chen Xuebing is a very strange person."

She had only been at this school for a short time when she entered her senior year of high school, and now she had this new classmate. She was a little resistant to him, but Yang Qingyue said he was a nice person, and Chen Xuebing had never bothered her, so she got used to it.

Chen Xuebing and Yang Qingyue chatted all the way, sharing their funny stories. She found them entertaining, and Yang Qingyue subtly encouraged him to study. Chen Xuebing, in his self-righteousness, said he wanted to go out into the world and make a lot of money. To her, this sounded like a nonsensical joke, which she found quite amusing.

For her, everyone at this school was a stranger except for Yang Qingyue, her only friend, and Chen Xuebing was the stranger she knew best.

She vaguely sensed that Yang Qingyue liked Chen Xuebing, and while Chen Xuebing's thinking was somewhat naive, she could tell that he wasn't a bad person and wasn't the type to intentionally fight and commit evil.

In terms of fighting, she didn't think Chen Xuebing was that strong. She was followed in Guangzhou, but the middle-aged man didn't get away with it. She kicked him in the ribs, and he was diagnosed with soft tissue contusion and suspected fracture. The man's family went to the school to make a scene, and her family was afraid it would affect her, so they transferred her to a school where she could live with her father.

She was confident that she could defeat an adult male in one move.

So when Yang Qingyue told her that Chen Xuebing liked her that day, she was surprised and a little nervous. That same night, Chen Xuebing spoke rudely to her, so she found a reason to attack him, which was also a way of warning Chen Xuebing that she had been trained and should not make any moves against her.

Chen Xuebing's nonchalant catching of her kick, and his mockery of her area of ​​confidence, ignited her competitive spirit.

That same day, the conversation suddenly changed. They talked about Hong Kong immigration and studying. Yang Qingyue started praising him and inviting him to study together. She felt that Yang Qingyue was exaggerating and considered deliberately making things difficult for him with a few questions to expose his true abilities.

But at that milk tea shop, she felt completely outmatched. She was sure she would suffer a loss in front of a bunch of thugs, but Chen Xuebing scared them off as soon as he appeared. Then he opened her hand, and the cold sweat that she was trying so hard to hide in her palm, which was a sign of nervousness, was dried by the warmth of his hand.

Her parents were always busy when she was young, so she grew up on her own, wearing a mask of independence and strength. It was the first time she had been protected by a boy, and it felt pretty good.

Chen Xuebing's thoughts and vision gradually piqued her curiosity.

She even called her grandfather and relayed Chen Xuebing's speculations about him in her own words. Because she was nervous about hiding the boy's identity, she didn't relay the exchange rate information completely. However, her grandfather laughed with satisfaction after hearing it and praised her, saying that she would definitely be more successful than her father in the future. He even sent her a new MP4 player as a gift.

She was both happy and sad. Grandpa was actually praising Chen Xuebing, and even compared him to her father.

She didn't even know whether she should share half of that gift with Chen Xuebing.

Fortunately, Uncle Lin was coming. It was the first time she had invited a boy to share a cup of milk tea. Everything was done with great seriousness. However, Chen Xuebing went to an internet cafe by himself. It seemed that he was in a hurry to take a girl to Shenzhen. She thought her enthusiasm was rare and precious, but he didn't have time to accept her.

Yang Qingyue said he liked her, but he just didn't understand her.

I didn't even understand it myself, yet I actually believed it to some extent. I also felt nervous and worried. What if he said something like "I like you" to me someday? How could I refuse him tactfully without seeming too rude, like a girl?

I can't just turn around and walk away or tell those boys to "get lost" like I used to do; I need to be more ladylike.

I think too much.

At this moment, Xin Mengzhen, like a self-reflective person, suddenly felt that Chen Xuebing hadn't done anything wrong. He was just like that. Yang Qingyue also said that he had been in love before and was an experienced womanizer who knew how to tease girls. Perhaps he didn't consider holding a girl's hand to be anything too important. Even if he liked her today, it was normal for him to change his mind tomorrow. It was all just her being self-absorbed and embarrassed. Why should she take her anger out on him?

No, no, why use "like"? We're just friends who chat a few times.

He and Yang Qingyue might still be...

Xin Mengzhen felt annoyed that she couldn't control her thoughts.

Get away from me, get away from me.

In her mind, Chen Xuebing was like a computer icon that she dragged to the corner, but in reality, Chen Xuebing walked closer.

“Um… Xin Mengzhen.”

"Ah!" Xin Mengzhen was startled by Chen Xuebing.

"Ah!" Yang Qingyue was startled by Xin Mengzhen.

Yang Qingyue was also caught in a conflicted inner monologue, but her monologue wasn't as conflicted. Chen Xuebing's computer icon remained in the center, but she always felt that the icon was moving away from her, running towards Xin Mengzhen's panel and in a direction she couldn't see.

She secretly used the mouse to drag him back, but she didn't dare to be too obvious.

"...What did you two eat together this afternoon? You even burped at the same time?" Chen Xuebing said speechlessly. "I ate you! You big pig's trotter! When are you leaving?" Yang Qingyue said fiercely.

Ignoring the tone, this statement is too ambiguous.

Chen Xuebing, who had been a seasoned womanizer for over two decades, began to feel slightly intimidated by this young woman, Yang, as if he owed her something.

On the contrary, Xin Mengzhen always felt that she owed her something.

However, regarding that cup of milk tea, the other person meant well, and I seem to have missed the opportunity yesterday. Let's keep things separate.

"Um...I'm leaving tomorrow. I just wanted to ask Xin Mengzhen if there are any good restaurants in Shenzhen that you could recommend?...Guangzhou is fine too, it's not far."

Xin Meng was a clever child; she instantly understood his meaning. A flood of delicious food rushed through her mind, but the thought of Huo Xiaowen being with him meant she would definitely try everything and bring it back for her. Suddenly, all her interest vanished.

"Don't bring it for me, I don't want to eat it. If you're taking your friends out to eat, go for the stir-fried rice noodles."

There were many stalls selling stir-fried rice noodles, which was also something she really disliked eating.

Chen Xuebing's mouth twitched: "Rice noodles? Why didn't you recommend rice noodle rolls to me?"

Those two things are just like fried rice in Guangdong, aren't they?

Mixing staple foods with staple foods: a carbohydrate revolution?

“I love rice noodle rolls…” Xin Mengzhen blurted out, then quickly swallowed the word “eat.”

This is burying one's head in the sand.

Yang Qingyue laughed, but Xin Mengzhen was concerned about the verbal trap she had set.

She said, "If you take your friends to eat there," and Chen Xuebing did not refute her.

Chen Xuebing was speechless.

I'm tired, I'm not going to serve you anymore.

We've reached the crossroads where we'll part ways.

"Then I'll just take whatever I want. I'm going to the internet cafe now. I have to go. Goodbye."

Chen Xuebing was about to leave when he said that.

Upon hearing "bring whatever you want," Xin Mengzhen immediately panicked. If it's just "bring whatever you want," it'll definitely be leftovers from him and that girl. She'd rather he make a special trip just for her!

Yang Qingyue also remembered a question she wanted to ask.

What exactly are you going to Shenzhen for?

"Glutinous rice balls!"

The two girls spoke at the same time.

Chen Xuebing had already disappeared from view; he merely raised his hand to make an "OK" sign and waved it, without answering the other question.

Yang Qingyue's smile was taken away by Chen Xuebing after she didn't get an answer, and she looked as aggrieved as an eighteen-year-old child.

Chen Xuebing really wasn't showing favoritism this time.

I'm a man of principle; I'll talk about it after I've succeeded in starting my own business.

……

(End of this chapter)