QTIMP -Chapter 15 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 15)

The three of them were talking here, while the other three quietly listened in. When Wang Kai heard Si Qiu scolding his sister, he didn’t feel any annoyance; on the contrary, he kept nodding inwardly.

His sister was only discovered after his mother and father divorced, so he had cherished and protected her like a precious jewel. But in doing so, she had become somewhat overly innocent.

He nudged Feng Fan with his elbow, lowering his voice as he said, “Your sister is really feisty. If only someone had scolded that Xue’er girl earlier, my mom wouldn’t have gone off like a cannon.”

Although Feng Fan agreed in his heart, he was too lazy to respond. Both of his sisters were remarkable in their own ways, and as the eldest brother, he neither doted excessively nor enforced strict discipline.

From the moment Si Qiu had started scolding, Xing Huaien had a smile in his eyes, thinking that if this girl came to their house, that bunch of troublemakers would be straightened out quickly.

He then shook his head, and the group tacitly remained silent, continuing to listen to the three girls chatting over there.

Si Qiu had also been shaped by the internet, and when she spoke her seemingly reasonable thoughts, it surprised both the two girls and the three men.

Her talking didn’t stop until the food arrived; after all, nothing could delay her enjoyment of a meal—this was her principle in this life.

The restaurant they were at didn’t serve local cuisine but Hunan cuisine, which was famous for its exquisite knife work, diverse cooking techniques, and wide variety of ingredients.

Today, the dishes were especially to Si Qiu’s taste.

Si Qiu loved bold-flavored food, so she was particularly fond of this private kitchen. Once the dishes arrived, she abandoned lecturing, and the three girls didn’t hold back either.

Si Qiu went straight for the chopped chili fish head—the spicy sensation followed by the fresh aroma of the fish. Mao-style braised pork and spicy chicken made it impossible to put the chopsticks down.

Li Qingxue didn’t like the beef tripe with scallions, as she disliked offal, but Si Qiu and Qiao Shengnan kept eating bite after bite.

They ate quickly and noisily, never letting their chopsticks rest.

“Is it really different from what my dad cooks?”

“It’s a different cuisine. The cooking methods and ingredient choices are naturally different. But Uncle Qiao’s cooking is very tasty too.” Si Qiu, though picky, had a wide range of tastes and rarely disliked anything.

The only condition was that the food had to be delicious.

“Although I don’t handle spicy food very well, I still love eating here. It’s just that my wallet can’t really take it, and with the current situation, things are tight.”

Li Qingxue stopped mid-sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

“Exactly. Half a month’s salary at one go.” Si Qiu also felt a bit wistful. Thinking about the coming days, she realized that even if she wanted to spend all her earnings on food, it wouldn’t be so easy.

She absentmindedly scooped up another bite, thinking that while she could eat now, she might as well eat as much as possible.

“By the way, aren’t you going to the capital to see your dad this year?”

“No. Those two younger daughters of his, as Qiu Qiu once said, each seems like they’re gravely ill—so abstract, it’s hard to even think of them as humanly possible.”

Li Qingxue didn’t hide her criticism. Meanwhile, her second brother, in another room, nodded in agreement to confirm it with the others—it was exactly as his sister said.

“But I had my dad send me quite a few pastries. Qiu Qiu, I specifically got some for you; I’ll send them over when the time comes.”

Originally, Si Qiu had been quite annoyed at her best friend for some of her idiotically love-struck behavior. But the moment the topic of delicious food came up, seven-tenths of her anger naturally dissipated.

Li Qingxue also noticed the subtle change in her expression and exhaled a long sigh of relief in her heart. “I even told him that I’m going to repeat a year, and asked him to mail the tuition fees over to me. Just like Qiu Qiu said—if I don’t spend my dad’s money, someone else will. Might as well be me!”

Qiao Shengnan slapped the table. “That’s exactly the right way to think. Never be stubborn—if you refuse the benefits now, when trouble comes, they absolutely won’t let you off. So grab whatever advantages you can while you can.”

Although she didn’t go into details about Li Qingxue’s family situation, even from a few snippets, one could catch a glimpse. After just one meal, she had already treated Li Qingxue like a close friend.

Naturally, she helped people she was close to, not those who were just right.

After being brainwashed a bit by her two friends, Li Qingxue felt she had leveled up. Men—what were they? Fatherly love—what was that? Only what she could grasp with her own hands truly belonged to her.

So, although she had originally thought that since her home was close to school, she wouldn’t need a bicycle, she now decided to tell her dad to prepare both a bicycle and a watch.

She couldn’t let those two crazy girls have things she didn’t. While her mother would make sure she and her brother got the essentials, her father’s resources weren’t guaranteed to go to anyone in particular.

After finishing the meal, Si Qiu wanted to pay the bill, only to be told by Lin Ye that Li Qingxue’s second brother had already settled it. He had even packed a box of pastries for each of the three girls.

Li Qingxue was a little surprised to hear her second brother was here. She then saw three men walk out from the next room.

All over 1.8 meters tall, with straight posture and handsome faces. Coming from well-off families, their demeanor reflected their upbringing.

Qiao Shengnan’s eyes widened as they stepped out.

“Xiaoxue,”

“Little sister,”

Wang Kai and Feng Fan spoke at the same time, though the responses they received were quite different. Li Qingxue quickly ran over to her second brother and grabbed his hand, thanking him for treating them.

Seeing his sister so happy, Wang Kai no longer felt hurt—he thought the money was well spent.

Si Qiu, as if she hadn’t heard Feng Fan’s greeting, smiled and thanked Li Qingxue’s second brother. Anyone who fed her delicious food was automatically a good person in her eyes; providing emotional value was the bare minimum.

Qiao Shengnan also took a moment to admire the handsome men, then quickly averted her gaze. After all, in this era, leering openly was considered perverse. She knew how to control herself and joined Si Qiu in expressing thanks.

“You’re too polite. Thank you for guiding Xiaoxue. She seems soft, but she’s been stubborn since she was little. The fact that she can now recognize her shortcomings is thanks to your help.”

Li Qingxue, hearing her second brother bring up her matters in front of outsiders, felt embarrassed and pinched his arm hard.

Wang Kai pretended to grimace, but the smile on his face was impossible to hide. Feng Fan, however, realized he was completely ignored by his younger sister, and his expression turned helpless.

Qiao Shengnan knew about Si Qiu’s situation. When Feng Fan called out “Little sister,” she immediately confirmed his identity, quickly retracting her admiring gaze.

Seeing his demeanor, she stepped between the two men, keeping a cautious glare fixed on him.

Xing Huaien, observing everything, silently approved of Si Qiu’s taste in friends.