Chapter 360 - Banquet
?”Mr. Su, are you in Eastsea?” Su Qiu asked, her voice tinged with astonishnt.
Su Ming chuckled, “I'm an Eastsea University alum, and I've been working here since graduation. I'll be there shortly; let's et at the school gate.”
Su Qiu confird and ended the call, still struggling to process the news. It had been over a decade since they last spoke, and the prospect of seeing him again was disorienting. Yet, the call from Su Ming had lifted her spirits from their nadir.
It took her a while to compose herself and don her coat before she rushed to the school entrance.
?”Mr. Su?” The sight of Su Qiu dashing out left her dorm mates exchanging puzzled glances.
“Who's this Mr. Su?”
“I have no idea. Never heard of him.”
“Could he be her secret boyfriend?”
“Rember when Young Master Ye was pursuing her? She insisted she had a boyfriend. We thought she was bluffing, but what if she was serious?”
“It's likely. We should tell Young Master Ye right away!”
The news quickly reached Ye Fenglong, who responded with a derisive snort. He doubted a girl from a humble mountain village could land an impressive boyfriend. He was acquainted with all the wealthy heirs in Eastsea City, and none bore the surna Su. They were probably just as impoverished.
Su Qiu ran to the school gate and spotted a car in the distance with a sowhat familiar figure standing beside it. Approaching cautiously, she inquired softly, “Mr. Su?”
Su Ming, engrossed in his phone, looked up, startled. Before him stood a beautiful, slender girl with a pallid complexion. Su Qiu had changed imnsely over the years, yet he could still discern traces of the girl he once knew.
“You've really grown up; you're not the little girl who used to tag along with anymore,” Su Ming said with a warm smile.
“Mr. Su!” Su Qiu's face flushed with embarrassnt, and she quickly averted her gaze. At the school gate, the possibility of classmates witnessing their exchange made her feel self-conscious.
?Su Ming's smile broadened as he observed Su Qiu, realizing that her life had been challenging and that she was battling severe depression.
He needed to distract her with this topic to lighten her mood.
“Get in the car.”
Su Ming invited Su Qiu to join him in the car.
Yet, Su Ming didn't rush to start the engine.
He reached over to the seat and picked up a bottle.
?Inside was the Body-stretching Pill, along with a Chinese herbal dicine known for bolstering health.
Su Qiu paused, taken aback.
Was this ink? Did Mr. Su want her to practice her calligraphy more?
“Thank you, Mr. Su.”
Despite her confusion, Su Qiu graciously accepted the dicine bottle.
Seeing the look on Su Qiu's face, Su Ming realized she had misunderstood: “This isn't ink; it's dicinal and ant to be drunk.”
Su Qiu was montarily stunned.
This was drinkable?
?”Give it a try,” Su Ming said with a smile.
Had anyone else given her this bottle, Su Qiu would have been skeptical. But she trusted Su Ming completely.
Without a second thought, she opened the cap and took a sip.
Expecting a bitter taste, she was surprised to find the dicine pleasantly aromatic.
A warm sensation spread through her limbs, revitalizing her once frail body with newfound energy.
Her previously heavy heart felt significantly lighter, and the suicidal thoughts that had lood over her began to fade.
“Mr. Su, what is this?” Su Qiu asked, astonished.
“A friend gave it to ,” Su Ming replied with a smile, offering no further explanation.
Just then, Su Qiu's phone rang again.
She checked the caller ID, and her face fell.
It was a call from Ye Fenglong.
?”Who's calling?” Su Ming inquired, noting the change in her deanor.
“It's a senior from my university,” Su Qiu replied, hesitating.
?”Does he often bother you?” Su Ming asked, understanding the situation from her expression.
?Su Qiu nodded.
“Hand the phone,” Su Ming said, taking the call with a calm smile.
“Su Qiu, tonight's banquet will host many VIPs. I rember you don't have any suitable attire. et on the pedestrian street later; I'll buy you a nice outfit,” Ye Fenglong's voice suggested over the phone.
?Incredibly, the man had spent no more than ten minutes in the hotel.
“No need, I'll buy it for her,” Su Ming said with a smile.
“Who are you?” Ye Fenglong was startled, but he quickly regained his composure. “Are you Su Qiu's boyfriend, the one who's never made an appearance?”
“Yes,” Su Ming replied with a serene smile.
“Where are you working now?” Ye Fenglong asked, his smile broadening.
“I've just graduated and am currently job hunting,” Su Ming inford him.
“Join Su Qiu and tonight; I'll help you find a job. Let's et at five o'clock sharp,” Ye Fenglong offered before abruptly ending the call.
?As soon as the call ended, the smile vanished from Ye Fenglong's face. “A poor man trying to compete with for a woman!” he scoffed.
“Young Master Ye, there's no need to get upset over soone like that.”
“Let's ignore him and continue our shopping,” the two won suggested soothingly, though they felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. His sexual performance was disappointing, failing to satisfy either of them.
Su Ming handed the phone back to Su Qiu, glancing at the well-worn device. “I'll get you a new phone, along with a laptop and a desktop computer,” he offered with a smile.
?Su Qiu quickly shook her head in refusal. “I haven't reached out to you in years, and I didn't even send you a gift when you went to college.”
“If you're still hesitant to accept them, then wait until you're employed and earning. You can pay back then,” Su Ming suggested with a smile.
?After a mont's pause, Su Qiu bit her lip and nodded, the resolve in her eyes strengthening. The dicine Su Ming had given her, along with his words, had given her a new reason to keep going. She was determined to live well and repay Su Ming.
?”I'll go with you to that banquet,” Su Ming declared as he started the car.
?”Mr. Su, I can go to the banquet by myself,” Su Qiu interjected.
?”The man on the phone believes we're a couple. He'll be let down if I don't show up,” she explained.
Su Ming gave a nonchalant smile. “Besides, if I don't make an appearance now, you'll continue to be bothered by him. I'll take this chance to ensure he never dares to trouble you again.”
“Really?” Su Qiu paused, her voice tinged with disbelief.
How could that be?
Ye Fenglong was the son of the principal.
No one at Eastsea University dared to cross him.
Not even the vice principal would risk offending him.
“When have I ever deceived you?”
Su Ming said with a smile, gently ruffling Su Qiu's hair.
Su Qiu beca sowhat lost in thought.
It was as if she had been transported back to that worry-free ti from over a decade ago.
Back then, she was blissfully unaware of poverty and hunger.
Despite wearing old clothes every day and having als of just potatoes and pickles, she was genuinely content.
Even though it had been years since she last saw Su Ming, Su Qiu knew he was not one to lie.
A renewed sense of hope began to blossom in her heart.
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