QTIMP -Chapter 24 Character Persona – Greedy (Part 24)

Xing Huai’en turned his head slightly and fixed his gaze on Wang Kai. Before long, Wang Kai began to feel uncomfortable and folded his arms across his chest.

“Boss, I’m thinking of you here. It’s easy for people to see you together in a place like this. If word spreads, it won’t be good for your reputations.” His words came out haltingly, but Xing Huai’en slowly lowered his eyes.

“You’re right. Then wait for us at the entrance of the alley. You know me—I’m not someone who doesn’t understand propriety.”

Wang Kai glanced back at Si Qiu. She nodded at him. “Brother Wang Kai, just wait for us a moment.”

“Alright then.” Wang Kai walked to the mouth of the alley, leaned against the wall, and lit a cigarette.

Seeing this, Xing Huai’en said nothing. He turned to Si Qiu instead.

“My name is Xing Huai’en. I’m twenty-six years old. I’m currently a battalion commander in a certain military district. My monthly allowance is 135 yuan. My mother has passed away. My father remarried. I have two younger brothers. I hope to become your revolutionary partner, and I hope you’ll agree. With my position, I can apply for family relocation. After we marry, you can come with me to live in the military district.”

“Stop. Stop.” Si Qiu took a deep breath.

“Battalion Commander Xing, I don’t think you’re suitable to be my other half, so I don’t accept your confession. There’s no need for you to continue.”

For a brief moment, Xing Huai’en looked stunned, but he quickly adjusted his expression. After a short silence, he asked calmly, “Why?”

“Why ask why? You think you’re good-looking, well-built, hold a high position, earn a high salary, have high social status, and decent family conditions. So there shouldn’t be any reason for me to refuse you, right?”

Si Qiu took half a step back and tilted her head as she looked at him.

“With your conditions, you can find a very good partner—someone prettier than me, more capable than me, with a better family background than mine. But what does that have to do with me? I’m not rejecting you because you’re not good enough. I’m rejecting you because you don’t meet my criteria for choosing a partner.”

“Criteria for a partner?”

“Yes. For my other half, I want someone with good cooking skills—someone who can cook for me.”

At that, Xing Huai’en’s eyes darkened slightly. Even if he could cook, his skills were only average. And he certainly couldn’t stay by her side long-term to cook for her.

“I want someone who knows how to draw clear boundaries and properly handle the rotten peach blossoms around him. I hate that kind of trouble.”

His heart grew colder. Not long ago, because of Feng Yu’s constant entanglement, Si Qiu had indeed been terribly annoyed.

“I want someone who can perfectly handle his own family matters. Because if it falls to me to deal with them, I won’t care about anyone’s face. I only care about my own comfort.”

Xing Huai’en thought to himself: what a clever girl. With just a few words, she’d already understood the mess in his family.

“To sum it up: you’re very good, and I’m very good—but the two of us aren’t suitable.”

“Even if I don’t currently meet your requirements, I believe I have room to improve. For you, I’m willing to—”

“No. Don’t change yourself for me,” she cut in. “Because one day, when you feel your efforts weren’t worth it, those changes will become the sword you use to stab me. At that time, you won’t think about how those changes were made so you could marry me—and how marrying me was meant to give you a better life. In the end, it would all have been for yourself.”

“Don’t say you wouldn’t. Think back to what you just said.”

“Xing Huai’en, if I ever get married one day, the only purpose of marriage for me would be to live more comfortably than I do now—whether physically or emotionally. But I imagined what life would be like if I married you. I feel that possibility is very small. So we’re not suitable for each other.”

At that moment, the setting sun streamed in from the mouth of the alley. The orange glow made the fine downy hairs on her face visible. The girl was beautiful; when she spoke, her eyes curved slightly, as if always carrying a hint of a smile.

Yet in the way she handled things, she was clean and decisive, her methods measured and orderly.

At first, Xing Huai’en had only thought that a girl like this would be suitable to marry him. But when she clearly pointed out his own demands and shortcomings, the emotion that surged from his heart in that instant was not embarrassment.

Instead, it was something hard to describe—admiration, curiosity, and an uncontrollable urge for closeness and possession.

It was also at that moment that he realized he truly was his father’s son; the inheritance in his bones ran deep.

And precisely because of that, he knew he wanted to have her. This time, it wasn’t merely about being suitable—it was about being perfectly matched. She, Si Qiu, was a flawless fit for him, Xing Huai’en.

Si Qiu watched as his expression changed again and again after she finished speaking. She couldn’t help thinking: He’s not been shocked stupid, has he? Don’t tell me I’ll have to take responsibility. Just like I said, this man isn’t suitable for me.

“I understand what you’re thinking. You’re sixteen this year—you still have two years before you’re an adult. In those two years, watch how I perform.”

After saying that, he glanced toward the deeper end of the alley, then turned and walked toward the entrance.

Si Qiu reached out, wanting to call him back, but he didn’t even turn his head. He grabbed Wang Kai—who had been about to look back and wave—and threw out one last sentence before leaving.

“The address Wang Kai gave you is the same as mine. If you want to contact me, just use a different name.”

“Are you crazy?” Si Qiu certainly had no intention of contacting him again. He was leaving soon anyway; they probably wouldn’t have much to do with each other in the future. One curse was enough.

She adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag. In her bad mood, she decided to go farther away to find something to eat—otherwise she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.

With that, she quickly left the alley as well.

After they were all gone, from the corner at the other end of the alley, Qin Bei stepped out, holding an old aluminum lunchbox in his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the alley entrance.

His lips were pressed tightly together, revealing his thoughts. In the end, he clenched the lunchbox and ran toward the alley mouth.

Feng Yu’s fever had lingered on and off for several days before finally easing. In another day or two, she would be able to leave the hospital. Mother Feng came to bring her food.

“Xiao Yu, I just asked the doctor. In two more days you can be discharged.” She placed the lunchbox on the bedside table.

Feng Yu sat up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Mom, why didn’t my big brother come? Are they still busy?”

“No. Your brother’s matter should already be finished. Just now I had your second brother send him to the train station.” She opened the lunchbox and stuffed the chopsticks into her daughter’s hand.

Mother Feng hadn’t eaten yet either. She picked up a corn flatbread and sat on the stool beside the bed to eat with her, so she didn’t notice the chopsticks slipping from her daughter’s hand back into the lunchbox.

The next second, Feng Yu grabbed her mother’s hand.

“What did you say? My brother left? Then what about that comrade-in-arms of his?”

Mother Feng naturally understood her daughter’s thoughts. Not long ago, her daughter’s pursuit of that soldier had spread far and wide. Because of it, Old Feng had given her a harsh scolding.

Now, hearing her ask again, Mother Feng felt somewhat impatient. But remembering that her daughter was still sick, she forced her emotions down.