QTIMP -Chapter 187 Character Persona – Overachiever (Part 19)

Si Qiu only glanced at him lightly, then took another sip of soup before speaking. “No. After a while, I might move in and live with Tang Chaoyun.”

The smile on Song Huaiyi’s face immediately faded. His eyes, however, remained fixed on Si Qiu. She directly kicked him with her foot.

“What’s with that dead expression?”

As soon as she said it, Song Huaiyi—who had been kneeling on one knee—staggered slightly. But he quickly lowered his head and apologized.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I lost my composure.”

Si Qiu didn’t care whether he apologized or not. She stood up and patted his shoulder. “I’m going to work. If there’s anything, talk to Xu Tingting.”

Si Qiu gave Xu Tingting a look before heading back to her office. Xu Tingting tactfully explained a bit about the deal between Si Qiu and Tang Chaoyun.

Then she left the lounge for him to process things on his own and returned to Si Qiu’s office, watching the person who was already working seriously again.

Xu Tingting found it a bit unbelievable.

“Qiuqiu, don’t you feel any regret?”

Si Qiu kept her eyes on the computer screen without even lifting her head. “Regret? Regret what?”

Xu Tingting stomped her foot. “Oh, come on! Regret compromising with reality and not being able to pursue your own love!”

Hearing this, Si Qiu burst out laughing. She glanced at her briefly, then lowered her head and continued working.

“Sister Xu, even though we’re the same age, you seem to be about half a year older than me, right? And your daughter is already two years old, isn’t she? Why are you still so dreamy? What is love? Money might not be able to buy love. But without an economic foundation, love is like a rootless flower—it blooms and withers just as quickly. Besides, I’ve already passed the stage of chasing love. So the love you’re talking about isn’t important to me anymore.”

Xu Tingting was stunned. “I-is that so?”

Si Qiu stood up, went to the water dispenser, poured herself a cup, then leaned against it—one arm folded, the other holding the cup—as she looked at her.

“Sister Tingting, whether it’s a man or a woman, the economic foundation determines the superstructure. Think about how you were treated at home when you were taking care of your child versus after you started working.”

Following her words, Xu Tingting thought about it. It was true—after she started working, her mother-in-law and husband treated her much more kindly and stopped nitpicking everything.

They also took better care of her daughter.

Even she herself had unconsciously become more assertive. Why? Because even if they divorced, she had the ability to raise her child on her own.

She was no longer someone who had to reach out for money. Without an income, every penny she spent had to be calculated—not because there wasn’t enough, but because she feared spending “incorrectly” and being criticized by her husband and mother-in-law.

As Si Qiu passed by her with the cup, she patted her shoulder.

“Sister Tingting, only those in power get to decide the rules of life. So don’t overthink it—just focus on making money. Love is a luxury flower. Only when you have money can you afford to nurture it.”

Watching her boss sit back down and resume working diligently, Xu Tingting silently set a goal for herself and began working hard as well.

As for when Song Huaiyi left, neither of them paid any attention.

After work in the evening, the two of them drove to meet Nian Suisui. The moment they met, the three of them hugged each other.

Si Qiu took her hand and sighed, “You’ve changed so much!”

Her waist-length hair had been cut into a short bob, her height had grown to 1.72 meters, and her figure was now strikingly curvy—she carried the aura of a cool, commanding woman.

“Ah! I only dressed up like this just to see you guys. You have no idea, these past few years I almost didn’t graduate. Alright, let’s not talk about it—if I say more, I’ll just end up in tears.”

The place they had chosen was a private kitchen restaurant, mainly to satisfy Nian Suisui’s taste.

While chatting, they followed the staff to their reserved private room.

“I ordered based on your old preferences—don’t know if they’ve changed,” Wu Ying said as she began rinsing the tableware.

“Forget hot meals—right now, even if you gave me just pickled vegetables, I’d be over the moon,” Nian Suisui still looked a bit drained, clearly not fully recovered yet.

“Don’t worry, you’ll feel better after eating properly for a few days. So, now that you’re back, are you leaving again?” Si Qiu pushed some pastries toward her.

Nian Suisui didn’t hold back—she took a bite of the pastry and a sip of tea. “No, I’m staying. I’ve built up enough experience. I’ll rest at home for a month, then take a position at a hospital in the capital.”

Seeing how exhausted she looked, Si Qiu felt a pang of concern and thought about letting her go home to rest early—there would be plenty of time to meet again.

But Nian Suisui hugged both of them and started acting spoiled.

“Are you even my best friends? We just met and you already want to leave? I can’t bear it! Come on, let’s go to my place—buy some snacks, barbecue, and beer. We’ll chat and drink. If anyone gets tired or drunk, just crash and sleep!”

With no choice, the two of them gave in. They bought beer and crayfish and headed straight to her home—a modest two-bedroom apartment in an old residential complex.

Once inside, none of them stood on ceremony. One rummaged through the fridge, another through the kitchen, and soon they were all sitting on the carpet by the coffee table in the living room.

No one held back—they ate, chatted, and drank. In the end, none of them even knew when they fell asleep.

Meanwhile, back at the villa, Song Huaiyi sat on the sofa in the living room all night. On his phone screen, their chat showed only his messages asking about her.

There was no reply at all.

The next day, after waking up, Wu Ying ordered breakfast delivery. The three of them took turns using the bathroom to freshen up. Since two of them had no spare clothes, they had to head straight to the company—luckily, they kept backups at the office.

After breakfast, they took the trash downstairs and hurried back to the company, changed clothes, got ready, and began working.

After lunch, at around 2 p.m., they drove to pick up Nian Suisui and headed to Tang Corporation.

As soon as they entered the lobby, the receptionist escorted them straight to the executive elevator and took them upstairs.

They were led into a meeting room. Soon, Tang Chaoyun arrived with a group of people, and both sides began discussing intentions.

Their respective lawyers went all out—it felt less like forming a family and more like a fierce business negotiation. Then they started drafting a detailed contract.

They clearly defined the responsibilities and obligations of both parties. Everything was nearly finalized, but just before signing, Si Qiu stopped them.

Tang Chaoyun placed both hands on the table. “What is it? Still not satisfied?”

Si Qiu smiled brightly—it was obvious she was pleased with the negotiation. “You misunderstand. I just think that before signing the contract, we should do a health check first. After all, you know how chaotic society can be—there are all kinds of viruses and bacteria. Some infectious diseases don’t even require sexual contact. If we’re going to live together, I have to take responsibility for myself.”

Tang Chaoyun’s expression darkened. “I won’t allow you to take my blood for testing.”

The more powerful and prestigious a family is, the more taboo such matters become. Given Tang Chaoyun’s current status, there was no way he would allow them to draw several tubes of his blood for detailed testing.