Chapter 209

For the subsequent sharing sessions, Qiao Suisui listened carefully and participated at appropriate times, even taking some notes. After the sharing ended, there was an informal cocktail party. The CEO who had a good impression of Qiao Suisui found her and invited her on the spot to join his project team; upon hearing she was only a freshman, his eyes were filled with surprise.

He laughed heartily and said, "Truly, each wave is higher than the last; today's young people are incredible. To have a global perspective at such a young age—you have a bright future."

Guan Weizhi was talking with three or five people who had come up to chat. He held a wine glass, his gaze seemingly casual, but in reality, he was constantly keeping an eye on the movements over at Qiao Suisui's side. Seeing the investment manager from Zhonghe walk over to toast him, he said, "Perfect, let me introduce you to someone."

Thus, Guan Weizhi led Larry toward Qiao Suisui. Seeing her chatting animatedly with that CEO, he deliberately used a familiar tone and said, "I thought you would get stage fright; it seems my worries were in vain. You're quite in your element."

The CEO was startled for a moment upon seeing it was Guan Weizhi, then immediately reached out to greet him. After everyone had exchanged greetings, the CEO's gaze shifted back and forth between Qiao Suisui and Guan Weizhi, then he probed, "Do you two know each other?"

Guan Weizhi said, "This is my student." He then pointed at Qiao Suisui and said to the suit-clad Larry beside him, "This is the person I wanted you to meet. A dark horse—you should seize this opportunity."

"Teacher Guan is joking; I'm just a freshman," Qiao Suisui said with a humble smile.

Larry felt a sense of relief in his heart.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. Thank goodness she isn't an illegitimate daughter; otherwise, if that were leaked, the group's stock price would plummet.

On the surface, he remained the picture of a business elite, shaking hands with Qiao Suisui: "I was very impressed by your answer just now. Are you interested in joining the Dark Horse project?"

Larry, as expected, extended an olive branch to Qiao Suisui, promising that her tuition until graduation would be funded by Zhonghe, but 10% of her annual income from her first job after graduation would be returned as repayment. If the total exceeded the tuition, there would be no further payments; if it fell short, payments would continue until the investment was balanced.

It was a very reasonable win-win condition; naturally, Qiao Suisui had no reason to refuse.

It was just that she hadn't expected that by simply attending an event today, she would solve her tuition for the next three years. This instantly lifted more than half of her financial pressure!

Qiao Suisui didn't dwell on whether Larry was investing because of her talent or to curry favor with Guan Weizhi. If one wants to live a life of brilliance, overt schemes are the mainstay, and covert ones are the supplement. Being able to leverage the resources around you to pry open everything and turn what isn't yours into yours—that is the real skill. While her peers, and even some recent college graduates, were still being pretentious about right and wrong, shouting that black is black and white is white, Qiao Suisui had already abandoned that binary set of values.

At this moment, she felt that she was indeed no longer a child. Yet, in a corner of her heart, she still retained some unrealistic fantasies; for instance, at this moment, the more exhilarated she felt, the more she wished Luka and the others could be by her side to share in her joy.

After the event ended, before getting out of the car, Qiao Suisui took an exquisite box out of her schoolbag and handed it to Guan Weizhi.

"What, only now do you think to bribe me?"

Guan Weizhi opened it and discovered it was a pair of exquisite cufflinks inside.

"Teacher Guan, happy birthday."

Guan Weizhi froze. He raised his eyes to look at Qiao Suisui, unsure if he had lost control of his expression at this moment.

"Once before, I accidentally saw your ID card and discovered your birthday is today. I thought this pair of cufflinks suited you, though they certainly can't compare to your taste."

Seeing Guan Weizhi lower his head and stare at the cufflinks in his hand without speaking, as if frozen, she couldn't tell if he liked them or not, so she gave a dry laugh, got out of the car, and said goodbye to him.

Just as Qiao Suisui was walking around to the other side of the car, intending to head toward the entrance of the residential complex, she was called out to by Guan Weizhi, who was sitting in the car.

She turned her head, approached the driver's side window, and asked, "Teacher Guan, is there something else?"

Guan Weizhi lowered the entire window and leaned his upper body out of it. The man's powerful hand gently cupped the back of her head, pulling her into his embrace.

In the breezy night, the singing of a street performer rose up nearby—

【Hey, let us, bloom.】

【All so-called reserve is a waste; your dishevelment and charm,】

Guan Weizhi held her, excitement surging in the depths of his eyes. Under the cover of the singing, he asked her with a trembling voice, his face harboring expectation: "Why give me a birthday gift? You know this is crossing the line, you know that, right?"

Qiao Suisui was slightly startled. Seeing him lose his composure like this for the first time, she said, "I just wanted to express my gratitude. Teacher Guan, you have helped me so, so much... and I might not be able to give you what you want."

Guan Weizhi's feelings were laid bare for the first time; he hadn't expected it to be in this way. He understood Qiao Suisui's subtle rejection and instantly went rigid. The street performer was strumming the guitar forcefully at this moment, singing at the top of his lungs—

【Something called love at first sight, makes people cautious】

【I say if it's right, it's right, where does all this affectation come from】

【What I want isn't for you to love me, much less for you to hate me, it's all too damn troublesome—】

【What I want is just simple, just honest, to enjoy the ordinary well—】

Qiao Suisui gently broke free from Guan Weizhi's restraint and took a step back, just about to say goodbye, when in the next instant, she was pulled back by Guan Weizhi.

The wind blew through her long hair, and the man's hand pinched her chin, kissing her regardless of everything.

Initially, he wanted to kiss her lips directly, but at the moment of arrival, he restrained himself and changed direction, landing on her cheek instead.

A dragonfly-touch kiss, containing emotions more of care and cherishing than of force and venting. Like a goodnight kiss given to a child before sleep.

Guan Weizhi whispered in her ear, "No matter what, thank you for the birthday gift, my little potential stock."

After speaking, he sat back in the driver's seat, didn't look at her again, and drove away directly.

The street performer was still singing with eyes closed and deep emotion—

【What I want is just for you to love me, not for you to hate me, where does all this trouble come from】

【What I want is just simple, just honest, to enjoy the ordinary well】

【What I want must be right, because I've missed out, the wounds still ache occasionally】

【It will be fine, it will definitely be fine】

"It will be fine, everything will get better."

Kai wrapped a towel around the soaked Ka'er, constantly saying to him: "If she were here and saw you like this, wouldn't she be sad?"

"Ka'er, endure it, everything will be fine."

"Ka'er, control yourself, don't keep making mistake after mistake!"

In the dim room, the curtains were tightly drawn, cutting off light from the outside world. In a corner of the room, Ka'er huddled in the shadows, his hands trembling, his gaze scattered. If not for Kai constantly restraining him, waves of uncontrollable impulses would have drowned his will, raging within his body.

Every cell in Ka'er's body seemed to be screaming, thirsting for that fatal soothing. In the days after Qiao Suisui left, unable to bear the torment of longing, he had secretly used hallucinogens in his pain and became addicted. His breathing was extremely rapid, cold sweat covered his skin, and he was surrounded by constantly rising anxiety and despair. As he struggled, the towel slipped, revealing large patches of bruises and needle marks on his arms.

He kept looking in one direction, his eyes unfocused.

"Kai, help me turn on the light... help me turn on the light..." Ka'er gasped, looking at the warm orange desk lamp, muttering unconsciously: "You help me turn on the light, I want to wait for her to come back."

Ka'er lay on the ground, smiling silently, a tear sliding from the corner of his eye. Because Qiao Suisui's smiling eyes and voice appeared before his eyes and in his ears again under the influence of the hallucinogen.

——You're really not afraid that I won't come home later?

——Then I'll just wait for you. If you don't come back, I'll keep the light on and wait for you.

Huh? You guys didn't just find out today that I'm famous for writing stories that abuse male characters, did you? Hurry and cast your monthly votes and recommendation votes, otherwise I'll tear up your men (fierce). BGM for this chapter: Mars Radio - Lu Yao Zhi Ma Li. Preview: Tomorrow both chapters will be from the Game World perspective.

(End of chapter)