Chapter 229: Liu Qingqing's Boyfriend

Because he had drunk alcohol, Chen Yang didn't drive himself; instead, he rode in Shen Anna's car back to the family dormitory of the teachers' university attached middle school. When he reached the bottom of the rental building, he saw Liu Qingqing chatting with a stylishly dressed man.

Seeing Chen Yang arrive, Liu Qingqing proactively linked arms with that man and said, "Senior, let me introduce you—this is my boyfriend, Liang Kuan."

Hearing that, Chen Yang suddenly felt as if he had lost something, feeling uneasy. However, reason told him he was a married man. Liu Qingqing had the right to pursue her own love. He forced himself to stay calm and extended his right hand toward Liang Kuan.

"Hello, I'm Chen Yang, Qingqing's senior at Xingcheng University."

"Liang Kuan not only had no intention of shaking hands with Chen Yang, but he also wore a look of contempt and said, 'Mr. Chen, do you also call Qingqing that? Look at your impoverished appearance—it's like a toad wanting to eat swan meat, utterly overreaching.'"

"Mr. Liang, you look quite wealthy—how much money are you prepared to throw at me to make me leave Qingqing?" Chen Yang hadn't expected Liang Kuan to be such a snob who looks down on people; not only did he not get angry, he couldn't help but want to tease him.

"Liang Kuan hadn't expected Chen Yang to ask him for money; he stared for a moment, then started cursing: 'Someone as poor as you—even giving you a hundred bucks would be too much; get lost!'"

"So in your heart, Qingqing isn't even worth a hundred bucks to you?" Chen Yang smiled, pulled out two bills of Mao from his pocket and handed them over, saying, "Here's two hundred bucks—disappear from my sight right now!"

"Get lost—do you think I'd care about your petty cash?" Liang Kuan shouted at Chen Yang while explaining to Liu Qingqing: "Qingqing, don't misunderstand; in my heart you're definitely worth more than a hundred bucks."

Upon hearing Liang Kuan scold Chen Yang, Liu Qingqing had already let go of his hand and now gave him a cold stare. "I'm tired; you go back first!"

"Qingqing, you really are worth more than a hundred bucks!" Seeing Liu Qingqing truly angry, Liang Kuan reiterated solemnly.

"Then how much am I worth? Two hundred? Or three hundred?" Liu Qingqing hadn't expected Liang Kuan to have such poor character and negative emotional intelligence; her tone grew even colder.

"Five hundred!" Liang Kuan, trying to salvage his image in Liu Qingqing's heart, decisively offered a generous figure: "Qingqing, you're worth at least five million!"

Liu Qingqing directly slapped him, called him a lunatic, and then went upstairs.

Liang Kuan stared blankly at Liu Qingqing as she went upstairs, unable to figure out what he had said wrong again.

Seeing his plan succeed, Chen Yang whistled while following Liu Qingqing's back upstairs.

"Hey Chen, stop right there!" Liang Kuan, seeing Liu Qingqing storm off in anger, redirected all his fury at Chen Yang. Seeing Chen Yang about to follow Liu Qingqing upstairs, he threw a punch from behind.

Although Chen Yang had drunk a bit, his consciousness remained clear. Hearing the wind behind him, he immediately dodged to the left.

Liang Kuan's punch hit air, he lost his balance, staggered, and fell flat on the ground at the stairwell entrance.

Coincidentally, a pile of unburned honeycomb coal was stacked at the stairwell entrance. His fall not only smashed the coal but also left his face blackened.

Chen Yang laughed and teased, "Mr. Liang, it's not even New Year's yet—who are you planning to pay a New Year's visit to with that soot on your face?"

"Hey Chen, this isn't over!" Liang Kuan scrambled to his feet, furious from embarrassment, and charged at Chen Yang again.

Chen Yang didn't want to get smeared with black from him; he ran while shouting at the courtyard, "Hey, someone's stealing coal balls!"

His shout immediately drew many residents of the family dormitory who came running. Together they subdued and tied up Liang Kuan. Coincidentally, one household's female owner was the proprietor of the honeycomb coal. Seeing her coal scattered everywhere, she grabbed a broom and gave Liang Kuan a fierce beating while shouting, "Where did this little thief come from, dressed all respectable, yet stealing coal balls!"

"Stop hitting me! I didn't steal the coal balls..." Liang Kuan dodged while explaining, "I just tripped and fell onto the coal balls."

The honeycomb coal owner snapped, "If you didn't steal the coal balls, why are you running? Pay up, or I'm sending you to the police station."

Upon hearing that, Liang Kuan strained with his bound hands to pull out a hundred dollars from his pants pocket, angrily telling the coal owner, "I've got plenty of money—would I even bother with your lousy coal balls?"

The coal owner flared up at once: "Rich, huh? I don't want your money for the coal balls. Everyone, take him to the police station!"

Upon hearing they'd send him to the police station, Liang Kuan immediately gave in: "Fine, fine, fine—I was wrong. You don't need to give me change for this hundred bucks."

Seeing the coal owner somewhat swayed, Chen Yang quickly warned, "Sis, don't just take money from this kind of person. Later he might hire a lawyer to sue you for extortion—you'd not only have to repay him but also be detained."

The honeycomb coal owner is a people's teacher and still knows a bit of law. After hearing Chen Yang's words, she decided to forgo Liang Kuan's huge demand for a hundred dollars in compensation: "My coal balls cost five bucks to buy, and they're basically all smashed. Just pay me five dollars."

Liang Kuan indeed had the idea of suing the coal owner back; hearing this, he glared fiercely at Chen Yang. Then he struggled to feel his pockets and finally pulled out a ten‑dollar bill.

The coal owner took the money, gave Liang Kuan five dollars in change, and then let everyone release him.

Seeing he was outnumbered, Liang Kuan dared not vent his anger on Chen Yang anymore and left resentfully.

After he left, everyone went home separately. The coal owner especially thanked Chen Yang.

Chen Yang waited until everyone had returned home, then slowly climbed upstairs.

Just as he reached his doorstep, Liu Qingqing's room door suddenly opened.

She slowly walked toward Chen Yang and whispered, "Senior, in your eyes, how much am I worth?"

Chen Yang replied without thinking, "You're priceless—how could money describe you?"

Liu Qingqing's face instantly lit up with a smile. "So you still like me, then?"

Afraid she might misunderstand, Chen Yang immediately shook his head. "Qingqing, between us there is only priceless friendship—nothing more."

Liu Qingqing suddenly clung tightly to Chen Yang's waist, burying her head deep in his embrace; her delicate body trembled slightly, as if she were exerting all her strength to hold onto this fleeting warmth.

"I don't want just friendship...... I only want to be your lover. From the moment I first saw you in freshman year, my heart has belonged to you."

Chen Yang shoved Liu Qingqing away forcefully; he certainly understood her feelings, but that was all in the past. After choosing Lin Wei, he was destined to disappoint Liu Qingqing.

"Qingqing, don't do this. I'm already married, and you have your own boyfriend. We should both be responsible for our feelings and not do anything immoral."

"Senior, don't misunderstand—I was just trying to provoke you on purpose." Liu Qingqing hurriedly explained, "That Liang guy is a petty person; I never looked at him at all. It's my dad who insisted on pairing me with him."

Chen Yang sighed and said, "If you don't think highly of him, you can go find a better partner. Between us, it's truly impossible."

"I don't believe you and Lin Wei can grow old together!" Seeing Chen Yang's firm attitude, Liu Qingqing, unwilling to accept it, threw out that line and then ran back to her room.

Chen Yang watched her disappearing back, his heart filled with mixed feelings.