“Exactly. Qingya’s parents are still alive, and her younger sister is already eyeing her money. I can’t imagine what she’d become if their parents weren’t around.”
Chen Tangguan completely agreed with Cai Xiangxiang’s words. At the same time, she began to worry about Chi Qingya.
“Qingya doesn’t even have enough money just to treat us to a meal. We definitely can’t let her scheming little sister get her hands on it.”
“Given Qingya’s personality, she’ll probably be completely controlled by her sister and end up a sister-supporting demon.”
Wei Yanxi nodded and voiced her opinion.
“Luckily for Qingya, she met us. We can help her guard against her family. Otherwise, she’d probably be miserable for life.”
The three of them decided to head back to the private room, intending to use their actions to awaken Chi Qingya’s conscience.
Chi Qingya had just taken a wrong turn.
As her best friends, they could save Chi Qingya from the deep abyss.
After all, isn’t that what good friends are supposed to do?
When Chi Qingyao saw them come back, she was a bit confused.
She hadn’t really needed to use the toilet anyway—she’d just gone through the motions.
After that, she followed the three back into the private room.
Chi Qingya was also confused when she saw Cai Xiangxiang and the others return.
She had thought her sister might get into a conflict with them.
She had even prepared to call the police.
But she never expected the three to come back.
“Qingya.”
Before Cai Xiangxiang could even speak, she heard footsteps approaching from behind.
Chi Qingya looked worriedly toward the doorway. Only when she saw Chi Qingao walk in unharmed did she relax a little.
Silence returned to the table.
Chi Qingya didn’t have much of an appetite. Seeing that her sister was fine, she just quietly watched her eat.
Cai Xiangxiang and the other two also stopped eating, each scrolling through their phones.
Chi Qingyao, on the other hand, ate with enjoyment.
She didn’t touch the leftovers from Cai Xiangxiang’s group at all. Instead, she ate the food she had just ordered.
She ate whatever was there, and whenever she found something tasty, she would pick it up and put it on Chi Qingya’s plate, urging her to eat too.
Chi Qingya silently watched her sister eat, then glanced at Cai Xiangxiang and the others, who were huddled together, whispering from time to time.
She didn’t say anything.
She had experienced this kind of atmosphere too many times.
She suddenly realized that she had never really integrated into Cai Xiangxiang’s circle.
In the past, she had liked observing the relationships between people this way.
Even among people who ate together often, there would be better friends.
And even between two friends, a choice would be made.
Some people only stayed in touch for a short time. Even close high school classmates would likely drift apart after graduation.
Chi Qingyao had many friends, but Chi Qingya knew that some of them gradually lost contact with her.
Like the friends Chi Qingyao made while playing games—they drifted apart when she stopped playing.
Even someone like Chi Qingyao couldn’t keep her friends.
What about her, then?
The figure of Su Li appeared in Chi Qingya’s mind.
Then she felt a pang of sadness.
She hadn’t been able to keep Su Li.
If it were her sister, could she keep Su Li by her side?
Chi Qingya turned her gaze to Chi Qingyao, who was eating slowly.
As if sensing her stare, Chi Qingyao looked back at her with slight confusion.
But Chi Qingyao still blinked at her.
Chi Qingya embarrassedly looked away.
Maybe other people couldn’t stay by her side, but family was different.
After who knows how long, Chi Qingyao patted her stomach, looking completely satisfied.
“Thanks for the meal, big sisters.”
She said with a smile. Cai Xiangxiang stopped scrolling.
They had been chatting, waiting for Chi Qingyao to leave, but she could eat too much.
And she ate so much without even going to the bathroom.
That gave Cai Xiangxiang no chance to say anything to Chi Qingya.
If she just had a little time, she believed Chi Qingya would understand them.
And then pay for this meal!
“No, no need to be polite. Are you full, little sister?”
“I’m full.”
Chi Qingyao patted her stomach and smiled.
“Why are you big sisters still sitting here? Aren’t you going to pay?”
She looked at Cai Xiangxiang and the other two, who hadn’t moved from their seats, and asked with feigned ignorance.
Cai Xiangxiang’s gaze shifted to Chi Qingya.
Chi Qingya said nothing. She noticed that her sister had suddenly stepped firmly in front of her.
For a moment, the private room was filled with tension.
Chi Qingya didn’t want her sister to get hurt…
She wanted her sister to grow up happily and to protect her.
If a conflict broke out, she…
She and Chi Qingyao might not be a match for Cai Xiangxiang’s group.
Chi Qingya suddenly felt nervous. This atmosphere reminded her of that summer.
A few girls had surrounded her in the classroom while she was doing a test paper.
They threw her paper on the floor.
Said she was acting too pretentious.
She picked up the paper, trying to pretend nothing had happened.
But they still didn’t let her go.
In that moment, she wanted to grab the chair from the desk and smash it against their heads.
Chi Qingya was breathing heavily.
The metallic taste at the back of her throat was more bitter than the lemon water. She clutched the napkin so hard her knuckles turned white.
Those girls who always tripped her chair, those girls who poured chalk dust into her water cup— they all overlapped in the flickering fragments of the chandelier’s light.
She just wanted to study hard.
She wanted to leave her small village.
She didn’t want to stay there forever like everyone else.
What had she done wrong…
Why did being different mean she had to be bullied…
She wasn’t a freak…
Cai Xiangxiang looked at Chi Qingyao, who had an aggressive air about her, then at Chi Qingya, whose forehead was already beaded with cold sweat.
Finally, she looked at Chi Qingya.
“Qingya, last time Xixi treated us to dinner. This time it’s your turn.”
This was the idea she had just come up with.
In the past, Chi Qingya would have understood.
Besides, it was only a little money— nothing to Chi Qingya.
If Chi Qingya was willing to pay, they wouldn’t have to clash with her sister, that country bumpkin.
Given Chi Qingya’s personality, she hated arguments the most.
For her sister’s sake, Chi Qingya would surely make the right choice.
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