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墨書 Inktalez
"Please give my phone number to your classmate and have her contact me when she arrives in Beijing. I will pick her up and take care of her during her stay here," he said, quickly packing up his things without hesitation.
"Oh, that's fine, but how do I explain this to Xiang Yuanqiu?" Qinglan had already taken out her phone to send a message to Xiang Yuanqiu.
"What do you need to explain? I'm the one who will be facing her, so I'll handle it. Just tell her that you have something urgent and have been assigned by your company, so you're not in Beijing."
"Oh." Qinglan thoughtfully deleted and rewrote the message on her phone, likely considering her words. Given her personality, telling such a blatant lie was indeed more difficult than stealing.
After sending the message, Qinglan took out the key to the apartment she had rented with An Shaojie and handed it to Xu Wen. Xu Wen looked puzzled and asked, "What for?"
"Take the key. When she arrives, I'll arrange for her to stay there for a few days instead of wasting money on a hotel."
Since moving in together, Qinglan and Xu Wen had been living in a quasi-cohabitation situation. Except for occasional work commitments when Xu Wen had meals at the office or stayed up late, he acted like a homemaker, returning home daily to buy groceries and cook for Qinglan. He managed almost all their living expenses. Initially, when she saw him buying groceries and daily necessities, she hurriedly offered him money and asked how much he had spent. Xu Wen never mentioned it or accepted her money.
As time went on, Qinglan felt embarrassed about the situation. What was going on? Unbeknownst to others, it seemed like she was being supported by him, yet he was still a student himself and hadn't started earning money. Moreover, given Qinglan's current situation... even if it were true that she was being supported, this arrangement felt too awkward. She not only felt guilty but also somewhat ashamed. Those who didn't know might genuinely think Xu Wen was her boyfriend; in the future, if they had children, she couldn't imagine how others would perceive them. Furthermore, Xu Wen had become accustomed to spending freely. Although his family provided him with more living expenses than most of their peers, he used to spend that money alone. Now their expenses were akin to those of a small family. Even though his family continued to support him financially and his internship provided some income, it was hardly enough given Xu Wen's spending habits.
Qinglan had also noticed that Xu Wen used to be quite frugal; he often bought tasteful high-end items and clothing that reflected his style. For instance, he loved wearing suits and paid great attention to ties—whenever he bought a suit, he would get several ties to match. Even when eating at the school cafeteria, he would occasionally treat himself to coffee or invite friends out for karaoke. However, now he seemed to have discarded those little luxuries.
Qinglan also observed that he rarely wore suits anymore; instead, he opted for jackets. In a jacket, he appeared less refined than before but exuded more maturity and ease. While he lacked the dazzling charm of his previous self, he now seemed more composed and wise.
Perhaps his previous outward brilliance had overshadowed his inner qualities, causing classmates and friends to be deterred by his glamorous appearance without understanding who he truly was. People often assume that those with looks lack intelligence—especially someone like Xu Wen from a well-off family; while his exterior was appealing, outsiders often speculated about what lay beneath.
He must be trying to save money now, Qinglan thought.
So later on, Qinglan simply handed her bank card to Xu Wen and said, "We're living together now; rent and living expenses add up quickly. I don't have much money compared to you, Young Master Xu. I'm giving you everything I have now; if it's not enough later on, you'll cover the rest. I won't hold back."
Because she was worried that Xu Wen would not want her card, Qinglan deliberately spoke with a tone of righteous indignation, aiming to make Xu Wen accept her card. She had already taken advantage of him in many ways; if he refused to accept her card now, it would seem like he was pitying her, which would hurt her pride. Wouldn't that mean she was truly being supported by him?
Xu Wen understood the implication of her words. In the past, when they often ate together in the cafeteria, she would leave her meal card with him. Their three-plus years of friendship had created a tacit understanding between them, so he did not refuse her again and slipped her card into his pocket.
Qinglan smiled slightly, "The password is my student ID. Remember it? No need for a reminder, right?"
He surely remembered her student ID and wouldn't forget it so quickly. Previously, she always relied on him to carry her books to the library and classes. Every book she owned had her name and student ID written on the title page. She recalled a time when he joked about her student ID, saying, "Are you preparing for a solitary university life?" Qinglan's student ID was 211. At that time, she had just started school and appeared very aloof; after military training ended, several boys in the class were turned away by her.
Xu Wen had also noticed her then; he was testing her.
Qinglan did not back down and replied, "You're not much better off. Don't call me brother; at least I have company as a single person. You're not only single but also all alone." Xu Wen's student ID was 1, the first one.
Xu Wen pretended to glare at her angrily, "You're so lazy that you can't even think of a password? I guess all your passwords are your student ID, right?" Qinglan smiled and said, "Yes." But after that, she lowered her head and became lost in thought. Xu Wen's statement was both right and wrong; his assumption was based on the fact that her QQ and email passwords were also her student ID. However, he did not know that after she officially got together with An Shaojie, she had changed all her passwords to An Shaojie's birthday. The password for this card was modified at the bank just before she decided to hand it over to him. Nevertheless, whether it was her previous student ID or now An Shaojie's birthday, Xu Wen still thought it required no brainpower to come up with such passwords.
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