Zhao Qiang said, "What am I supposed to prepare? Why would a man be afraid of a woman being exposed? Anyway, we're the ones who get to feast our eyes, so I certainly won't say anything."
Chen Xinyu giggled: "But you shouldn't stare at people like that, that's very impolite."
Zhao Qiang said, "With you here, I'm not that thirsty yet. Fresh graduates aren't very attractive."
Just then, Chen Xinyu started knocking on the door. The sound of her leather shoes clattering as she ran over, and the door creaked open. Li Qingqing saw Chen Xinyu at a glance and happily pulled her into the room, saying, "Help me decide what to wear."
Chen Xinyu said, "I suggest you don't wear anything."
Li Qingqing exclaimed in surprise, "You really do understand me! It's a pity today's occasion isn't right. I have the will but not the guts; I'm afraid my parents will kill me... It's you!" After saying several sentences, Li Qingqing finally noticed Zhao Qiang behind Chen Xinyu. Upon closer inspection, Li Qingqing jumped up and screamed, pointing at Zhao Qiang, almost crying with emotion, "You...you actually dared to come to my house!"
Chen Xinyu was startled. This was the first time she had ever seen Li Qingqing behave so out of control. She grabbed Li Qingqing's arm, afraid that she might do something, and asked, "What's wrong, Qingqing?"
Li Qingqing struggled desperately, shouting, "I'm going to kill him! Let me go!"
Chen Xinyu said, "You want to kill him? You'll have to ask me first."
Li Qingqing then realized that the person was brought by Chen Xinyu. She turned to Chen Xinyu and questioned, "Cousin, tell me, who is he? He's the one I asked you to fix for me last time."
"Ah!" Chen Xinyu was even more surprised: "How did you two become enemies? Zhao Qiang just came to Beijing."
Zhao Qiang hadn't expected things to be so coincidental. Chen Xinyu's cousin turned out to be the girl in the bellyband they had met before. Surprisingly, she was actually quite nice after reverting to her original appearance, though she had a bad temper. Zhao Qiang said to Chen Xinyu, "How should I know? She's probably just crazy."
Li Qingqing jumped up: "You rogue, villain, murderer, if you escape this time, I'll change my surname to yours. This is what they call finding something you've been searching for but never actually doing, and then it just happens to you. You've walked right into my trap, so don't blame me for being impolite."
Chen Xinyu was about to cry, "What's wrong with you two? What hatred makes you want to fight to the death?"
Zhao Qiang said, "A few days ago I went to eat roast duck, and she and a friend went too. We had a few words in our mouths."
Li Qingqing said, "That was just arguing! You were practically assaulting us! You're not manly enough, cousin! Let me go! I'm going to call for help—what if he runs away and I can't find him?"
Chen Xinyu shouted, "Li Qingqing, shut up!"
Seeing her cousin get angry, Li Qingqing was also scared and could only behave herself. Chen Xinyu said, "He's my boyfriend. If you want to do something, come at me."
Li Qingqing was dumbfounded: "You, your boyfriend? Are you sure you have good taste? How could you, Reporter Chen, actually be interested in a man like that?"
(Thanks to Royal Ancient God for the 200 coin reward, thank you to Lone Goose=Death for the 100 coin reward, and thank you to I'm Helpless, Black Angel, and Ice River in N Lines for their monthly ticket support.)
Volume 2 [560] Strike
[56o] Strike
Zhao Qiang was very embarrassed. He actually thought he was quite handsome, but in Li Qingqing's words, he was a piece of junk that no one would even glance at. How could he stand this? But he couldn't very well fight with a woman.
Chen Xinyu was also very unhappy. She was deeply in love with Zhao Qiang. Although Zhao Qiang was not good-looking, he had completely won Chen Xinyu's heart in Africa. Now it was impossible for Chen Xinyu to leave him.
Looking at their expressions, Li Qingqing said, "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm telling the truth, cousin. Do you know how angry he is? He definitely won't treat you well. Also, this guy is a lecher. He's definitely after your beauty. Don't fall for it."
Chen Xinyu said, "Li Qingqing, I know my own situation. It's not up to you to decide who's good and who's bad. If you're unhappy that I came, then we'll leave. But if you mention hiring someone to deal with him again, I'll sever all ties with you from now on."
Li Qingqing's eyes widened: "You can't be serious, you'd even abandon your family for him? Does he have that much charm?"
Chen Xinyu said firmly, "Yes, he has that much charm. What do you want to do about it?"
Li Qingqing was furious. Actually, this was because Chen Xinyu knew her too well, so she came out with a firm and unwavering stance, giving Li Qingqing no hope whatsoever. Otherwise, Li Qingqing would never have given up today. Her face flushed crimson, Li Qingqing finally said, "Fine, I'll let you off this time for my cousin's sake. But knowing who you are makes things easier. The moment you step out of my door, I'll have someone deal with you again." This was a definite, unwavering threat.
Zhao Qiang glanced at Chen Xinyu, and Chen Xinyu nodded to Zhao Qiang, meaning that they should wait until they could "get through" today. Why think so far ahead about the future? Anyway, they wouldn't be spending much time with Li Qingqing.
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "Then I thank Sister Li for letting him go. Since we no longer have any hatred between us, I wish you a happy birthday."
Li Qingqing swallowed hard, as if she wanted to devour Zhao Qiang, and said coldly, "Thank you."
Someone knocked on the door: "Sis, sis, we have a guest. Please come out and greet them."
Li Qingqing pulled Chen Xinyu's hand and said, "Cousin, come with me. It must be my friend who's here, otherwise she wouldn't have invited me out."
Actually, quite a few guests had already arrived by this time, but those guests didn't need Li Qingqing's personal greeting. However, Zhou Wan's arrival required Li Qingqing's personal welcome, because she was Li Qingqing's best friend. When Zhou Wan saw Zhao Qiang next to Li Qingqing, she was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth.
"He, he..." Zhou Wan, heavily made up, trembled with excitement, her fingers shaking uncontrollably, unable to speak clearly.
Li Qingqing slapped her finger down and said, "Alright, stop getting excited. His name is Zhao Qiang, and he's my cousin's boyfriend. There's nothing I can do; I have to give my cousin face tonight. We'll talk about it after he leaves my house." This Zhou Wan was naturally the heavily made-up girl who ate roast duck with Li Qingqing; if you swept off her face, the makeup would weigh about two ounces.
Zhou Wan said, "What's going on? Your cousin's boyfriend? What kind of taste does she have?"
Chen Xinyu was a little embarrassed, and Zhao Qiang also felt quite depressed. He thought he had come to relax, but who knew he would end up with more unhappiness. He had no idea that Chen Xinyu's cousin would be his 'enemy'.
Li Qingqing echoed Zhou Wan's words, deliberately speaking in Chen Xinyu's direction: "Yes, I also doubt her judgment, but you know how cunning this guy is. He probably tricked my cousin out of her virginity, and then my cousin had no choice but to submit to him."
Chen Xinyu was furious. She knew the truth; countless girls were lining up, crying and begging Zhao Qiang to take their virginity. But was Zhao Qiang that kind of person? If it weren't for the chance encounter in Africa, Chen Xinyu probably wouldn't have had this opportunity. After all, there are plenty of beautiful girls in the world.
Zhou Wan said, "No way, what's so great about virginity that I could fool? Even if he asked me to give it to him, I'd still kill him afterwards."
Zhao Qiang was sweating profusely. Are girls these days so casual? If he wanted her, he should just give her his virginity. Chen Xinyu angrily pulled Zhao Qiang away. Staying with these two girls was just asking for humiliation. Just then, a man walked over and greeted Li Qingqing, "Sister Qingqing, happy birthday!" He handed her his birthday gift, a small but exquisite box with the mark of a jewelry company on it, which looked quite valuable.
Chen Xinyu quickly lowered her head when she saw the man, and Zhao Qiang also lowered his head, because he knew this man. He used to be Chen Xinyu's photographer. His name was Cui Xinyu, and Zhao Qiang had injured him before. The two had some grudges.
He lowered his head not because Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu were afraid of him, but simply because he didn't want to cause any trouble, since this was Chen Xinyu's cousin's business banquet.
However, Chen Xinyu and Zhao Qiang did not avoid trouble because of this. Cui Xinyu may have seen them before, so after giving Li Qingqing the gift, he turned around and called out to the two who were about to leave.
"Xinyu, it's been a long time." Cui Xinyu had been transferred to another department, and Chen Xinyu was out interviewing every day, so the two had never met.
Chen Xinyu could only turn around and greet them, since they were all colleagues, "Yeah, I didn't expect you to come too."
Cui Xinyu said, "Of course, Sister Li Qingqing is my friend."
Li Qingqing looked at Cui Xinyu. He was tall and strong, and more importantly, he spoke in a pleasing manner, unlike that old rogue who was so annoying. She knew that Cui Xinyu had once pursued her cousin, so she decided to help Cui Xinyu out. Even if the matchmaking didn't work out, it would still annoy Zhao Qiang. So Li Qingqing said, "Cui Xinyu, why haven't I seen you and my cousin doing interviews together lately?"
Cui Xinyu said, "I've been transferred to another department."
Li Qingqing said regretfully, "Oh dear, how can that be? I'll ask my uncle to transfer you back to my cousin's side. I think the two of you would be a perfect match working together. By the way, you are a college graduate?"
Cui Xinyu was very happy. Even if Li Qingqing was just saying it casually, it was still a kind gesture. He said, "I studied at Cambridge."
As Li Qingqing's best friend, Zhou Wan knew exactly what Li Qingqing was up to, so without Li Qingqing reminding her, she took the initiative to ask Zhao Qiang, "Comrade, which university did you graduate from? Judging from your appearance, it's the Agricultural University, right?"
Chen Xinyu was a little angry, but Zhao Qiang was all smiles and said, "Where? I never went to university."
Zhou Wan smacked her lips and said, "Not having gone to university is really shameful. How can you think you can pursue our Sister Xinyu like this?"
Chen Xinyu defended Zhao Qiang, saying, "Zhao Qiang's knowledge is far beyond what you can compare to. Don't talk nonsense, okay?"
Li Qingqing said, "Cousin, how could we be talking nonsense? I'm being extremely serious today. You dare to associate with him without even going to university? Aren't you afraid my uncle will scold you? A family like yours, with its scholarly tradition, doesn't need migrant workers."
Chen Xinyu shouted, "Who said Zhao Qiang didn't go to university? He graduated from Donghai University!"
Zhou Wan asked Li Qingqing, "Which university is Donghai University?"
Li Qingqing shrugged. She was wearing a low-cut top today, and her ample breasts swayed with the movement. "I don't know. Who knows which backwater, some third-rate university it is? Even I graduated from Tsinghua University. I'll go to Harvard for further studies later. Look at our diplomas. Unlike some people who clearly have no ability but still try to put on a show."
Chen Xinyu was so angry that she actually laughed. She felt that she had been very childish just now and almost argued with Li Qingqing and the others. But she realized that she knew very well how knowledgeable Zhao Qiang was, so was it necessary to explain to these people?
Li Qingqing, however, assumed her cousin agreed with her idea, and she spoke even more enthusiastically: "Cui Xinyu, where do you work, and how much do you earn a month?" After saying that, Li Qingqing deliberately looked at Zhao Qiang next to her, as if to say, "You listen to this."
Cui Xinyu cooperated and said loudly, "The CCTV News Department must have an income of tens of thousands of yuan a month now."
Zhao Qiang didn't know exactly how much CCTV paid a month, but as a reporter, if you knew how to have fun, earning tens of thousands of yuan a month was definitely not a problem. Even if Cui Xinyu continued with his old profession of photography, his income probably wouldn't be low.
Zhou Wan gave Cui Xinyu a thumbs up: "Not bad, Cui Xinyu, your salary is higher than mine." Zhou Wan's family is wealthy, but that doesn't mean she has a high income. She's a typical second-generation rich kid, similar to Li Qingqing.
Chen Xinyu and Zhao Qiang watched the three acting with smiles. Li Qingqing thought they were just putting on a brave face to ease the awkwardness. She was happy as long as Zhao Qiang was in trouble, so she asked Zhao Qiang, "Hey, what kind of classmate from Donghai University are you? Where do you work? How much do you earn a month? Oh, I'm trying to figure out if you can make my cousin happy."
Zhao Qiang said, "Me? I don't have a job. As for my income, there's no need to talk about it." Zhao Qiang was telling the truth. He was indeed a vagrant, someone who wandered around aimlessly. However, Zhao Qiang himself didn't know about his income, and there was no need for him to tell these people.
Zhou Wan said sarcastically, "Oh my, you're really something. No wonder Sister Xinyu took a liking to you. You're so unique."
Just as they were teasing Zhao Qiang, someone else came over, and it was someone Zhao Qiang recognized—Li Hongying, whom he had just met at the cosmetics store, Li Qingqing's cousin. She said, "Qingqing, what are you two talking about that makes you so happy? Here, this is my gift. Happy birthday!"
Li Qingqing opened the gift box, and Zhou Wan peeked in from the side: "Wow, a diamond corsage, it's so beautiful! Hongying, you're really rich!"
Li Hongying smiled and said, "It's my cousin's birthday, so I can't be stingy with gifts. By the way, Xinyu, who is this...?" She was in a hurry while driving, so she didn't stop to ask.
Chen Xinyu answered frankly: "My boyfriend."
Li Hongying said, "Oh, you're quite energetic, young man. By the way, I just saw you coming out of a cosmetics store. Did you go on an undercover investigation? Are you going to report on counterfeit and shoddy products again? I wonder if the stock prices of domestic cosmetics manufacturers will drop. If so, you should let me know in advance, don't leave me out. I recently lost tens of millions in the stock market and am waiting to recoup my losses."
Chen Xinyu said, "No, I'm not interested in reporting on cosmetics. I went to buy a gift for Qingqing."
Li Qingqing, no longer caring about mocking Zhao Qiang, said, "Cousin, let me see your gift quickly!"
Zhao Qiang pushed the plastic bag he had been carrying forward forward: "It's here."
Li Qingqing's gaze was somewhat fixed: "Really? There's not even any packaging?"
Chen Xinyu said, "Don't look, or you'll regret it."
Volume 2 [561] Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?
【561】Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?
Chen Xinyu was so mysterious, and her identity was also unusual, so Li Qingqing really didn't dare to look at the plastic bag. However, before she could check it, Zhou Wan snatched it away, opened it, and peeked inside: "My God, what is this? Bottles?" Inside were indeed a bunch of unlabeled bottles.
Chen Xinyu said, "It's cosmetics, a birthday gift for Qingqing."
Li Qingqing snatched the plastic bag from Zhou Wan and dumped it all onto the table next to her. There were a lot of bottles and jars, but they didn't look like high-end products at all. What's more, there wasn't even a label. These were products without any manufacturer's name, address, or production date.
Cui Xinyu's eyes, which had been wide open, almost burst out laughing. Li Hongying asked doubtfully, "Really? You went into that cosmetics store and bought this? That's a roadside shop. Even Qingqing's workers might not buy cosmetics there." Li Hongying had no intention of looking down on Chen Xinyu; she just couldn't help but tell the truth.
Li Qingqing's face turned bright red: "Cousin, what do you mean? You...you didn't team up with that guy to deliberately provoke me, did you?"
Chen Xinyu said, "Qingqing, there are some things you can't just look at on the surface. You have to see through the surface to the essence, understand?"
Li Qingqing said, "I don't understand. If he doesn't have money, he can choose not to give me a gift, but there's no need to use these things to appease me."
Zhou Wan chimed in, "Yes, I think this guy is deliberately trying to annoy us."
Li Qingqing's face turned cold as she said, "Zhao Qiang, right? You're not welcome in our home. Please leave."
Cui Xinyu looked at Zhao Qiang smugly. Zhao Qiang chuckled, and Chen Xinyu pulled him up, saying, "Let's go. Since some people don't know what's good for them and don't appreciate our efforts, there's no need for us to stay any longer. I'll cook for you when we get home."
As the two left Li Qingqing's house in full view of everyone, Zhou Wan whispered to Li Qingqing, "Should we send someone to follow him and deal with him?"
Li Qingqing said, "Do you think it's okay if my cousin is with him?"
Zhou Wan said, "It is indeed difficult to make a move, but we cannot suffer this humiliation for nothing."
Li Qingqing swept a pile of bottles and jars off the table with one hand: "I'll get my revenge sooner or later."
Zhou Wan pointed to the bottles and jars and asked, "What should we do?"