QTIMP -Chapter 14 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 14)

“You’ve got to be kidding. With your brain, the most you can realize is that you’ve been tricked by some small-time con artist. If it were a big con artist, you’d probably sell yourself to them just for some counting of money.”

Si Qiu had a close relationship with her, so words like that slipped out without thinking.

Li Qingxue was annoyed and gave her a light tap on the arm—but not very hard.

“Qiu Qiu, I’m already in this state, can’t you say something nice to comfort me?”

Si Qiu pushed the cup toward her. “Fine, I’ll comfort you. But tell me—who tricked you? What did they trick you about? Was it money, or was it your pride?”

Meanwhile, Feng Fan, Xing Huaien, and Wang Kai quietly took a seat in the other room just a window apart. Upon hearing Si Qiu’s words, their expressions differed slightly.

Li Qingxue pouted and twisted the handkerchief in her hands, then began to recount the story about that man.

Actually, it was a simple story. One day, after school, Li Qingxue was passing through an alley when a few hooligans blocked her way.

At that moment, Qin Bei happened to pass by. He stepped forward, defeated the men, and saved Li Qingxue. She was immediately attracted by his sense of justice and his refined, handsome appearance.

At this point, her face unconsciously flushed slightly.

Si Qiu raised her hand to stop her. “How many people blocked you?”

“F-four?” Li Qingxue was confused. She asked again—why? Hadn’t she made it clear?

“What about Qin Bei’s height and weight?”

“He’s over 1.7 meters tall. As for weight… he’s a bit slim, fair-skinned, wears glasses, looks very refined.”

Si Qiu gave her a look that said it all. Sometimes, listening to these people speak gave her a subtle sense of exasperation.

Li Qingxue felt insulted. “What’s with that look?”

Si Qiu took a sip of water, glanced at Qiao Shengnan, and said, “Sister, you explain it. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from hitting her.”

Li Qingxue turned her gaze to Qiao Shengnan. Shengnan took a sip of water as well, then said, “Qin Bei’s height and weight gave him no advantage against four men. He hadn’t trained in martial arts or any military-style fighting. So how could he defeat four people so easily? Haven’t you ever thought about that?”

Li Qingxue froze. Of course, she had never thought about it before. It was only today, after this incident, that doubts like these arose in her mind.

“Are you all height and no brains? Before someone treats you well, you need to think: why? On what basis? There’s no such thing as hatred without reason, and there’s no such thing as love without reason. You can’t just believe whatever some stranger tells you. If you can’t handle it, cry a little more, then control the flood of nonsense in your head.”

Li Qingxue pouted under the scolding, but no tears fell. She mumbled, “I haven’t finished my story yet. Are you even going to listen?”

Seeing Si Qiu’s chest rising and falling in anger, Qiao Shengnan patted her arm, then gestured for Li Qingxue to continue.

“So after that, he would always pick me up after school, saying he was afraid I’d encounter danger. Bit by bit, I began to think he was a really good person. Gradually, I wanted to spend more time with him. Knowing that his family wasn’t well-off… his family… I thought maybe I shouldn’t continue studying. I should find a job instead, so that the two of us could work together to support a family. Who would have thought that today, when the two of us went to the park, we ran into that little hooligan again? That guy got knocked down in two hits, and he actually tried to offer me to those other hooligans in exchange for leaving safely.”

Hearing this, Qiao Shengnan looked at her in speechless disbelief.

“Aunt Li has raised you for twenty years, and you didn’t listen to her. Someone you’ve only spent less than twenty days with—you believe whatever they say?”

“That… that’s not it. He’s always taking care of me, considerate in everything, and even said he’d give his life for me.”

“Ha! Taking care of you? Taking care of what? Washing your clothes? Cooking for you? Solving your problems? Walking you to and from school is considered taking care of you? Considerate? Following your every word is considerate? Real consideration means solving problems for you, not creating them. If someone truly cared for you, they’d clear the path for you to have a better future. From him making you work instead of letting you attend university, it’s obvious he’s selfish. The only thing he’s taking care of is his own happiness and interests.

And he says he’d give his life for you—just for those useless things. Why doesn’t he say he’d give you his money? He’s probably afraid that if he said it, you’d actually accept it. That’s why someone as naive as you believes whatever he says.

He says his family’s situation isn’t good. Does that mean that all the expenses between the two of you during this time were paid by you? Even the poorest man won’t show his weakness in front of the woman he loves.

Of course, if he doesn’t love you, then it doesn’t matter.

You’re reluctant for him to spend money, so he’s happy to have you spend yours instead? Spending your money while claiming to love you?

Tell me, have you lost your mind? For both men and women, love follows money. Someone willing to spend money on you doesn’t necessarily love you, but someone unwilling to spend on you definitely doesn’t.

Someone who’s unwilling to offer a little genuine effort and concrete action for you—while you’re pouring your heart out for them—is just taking advantage of your naïveté. Your brain must be full of mush!”

At this, Li Qingxue finally let tears fall. “I… I… I didn’t think that far at the time.”

“Didn’t think that far? You overthought it! Nothing is unsolvable. You have your mother, your father, your elder brother, and if needed, you have me as a friend. Who could harm you? That money isn’t the end of the world. You should have let Aunt Li investigate properly. Marriage isn’t just about two people; it’s about two families. With their family’s complicated situation, do you think you can manage after marrying in? A sick father, an unreasonable mother, a mischievous younger brother, a headstrong younger sister-in-law… And then there’s Qin Bei, such a completely irresponsible man. You’re not marrying someone; you’re stepping into a disaster!”

“Alright, alright, stop talking. She already knows she was wrong. Just have some water to soothe your throat,” Qiao Shengnan said, seeing Si Qiu getting a bit worked up, and quickly poured her some water.

“Don’t cry either. Drink some water. Luckily, this was discovered in time, but you should also tell your family and handle it quickly. Don’t let rumors spread—it won’t be good for you.”

Li Qingxue took the cup Qiao Shengnan handed her and softly said, “Th-My second brother has returned. He said he’ll handle it, so I don’t have to worry.”

“Then make sure to tell your second brother to keep a close eye. From the way Qin Bei behaves, he’s unscrupulous—he won’t hesitate to exploit you. You need to watch him carefully.”

Si Qiu couldn’t help but add a few more words.

Li Qingxue understood the point. Upon hearing this, she nodded firmly. “When I return, I’ll remind my second brother again.”