QTIMP -Chapter 249 Character Persona – Vicious (Part 12)

Right after that, Wen Luo swung a punch, landing squarely on the left side of his face.

The cigarette was knocked away. He turned his head and wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand. There was no blood, but the pain in his cheek and inside his mouth was unmistakable.

Wen Luo’s anger didn’t lessen at all. Still, knowing this was a public place, he gritted his teeth and lowered his voice.

“Damn it, I treat you like a brother. You couldn’t possibly not see that I like her. And you’re trying to steal her from me?”

Lan Qing turned his head and looked at him with a faint, mocking smile. “Steal your girl? Have you even asked Si Qiu? Has she acknowledged your status? You’re not even her boyfriend—how am I stealing anything?”

As he spoke, another wave of sharp pain shot through his mouth. He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

“Precisely because we’re friends, I told you in advance. Let’s compete fairly.”

Wen Luo had always known this friend was shameless, but he didn’t expect him to be this shameless—to turn it on him. “Fair competition” sounded nice, but Wen Luo’s own position didn’t even qualify as competition.

That girl, Si Qiu… no matter how much he idealized her in his mind, he knew she was fundamentally selfish. Everything revolved around her own will.

Her bottom line was like a spring—stretchable, flexible, high or low depending on her mood. She had no real principles.

Not to mention she didn’t even acknowledge his status now. Even if they got married someday, she could cheat on him without hesitation.

But what could he do? From the very first moment he saw her, he felt like he had been bewitched—everything about him revolved around her will.

Thinking of this, his eyes turned red with anger.

His usually handsome features now carried a deep sense of frustration.

After all, they had grown up together, and Lan Qing knew how hard it had been for him to get to where he was. He didn’t want to push him into a dead end.

Just as he was about to say something to ease the situation, faint voices drifted over. They were in a park, so that was normal—but both of them immediately recognized one of the voices.

It was Si Qiu.

They dropped all their hostility at once and quietly shifted their steps toward the sound.

There they saw a girl still dressed the same as before, a sweet smile on her face. Opposite her stood a tall, thin man over 1.8 meters.

Beside the man was a bicycle, and judging from his clothes, he also seemed to be from a decent background.

Meanwhile, after returning home, Si Qiu put the pastries into her space and went out again.

She couldn’t be careless about work. She couldn’t handle the hardship of going to the countryside, so she had to settle this matter as soon as possible. Next, she planned to look for Gu Jingnian.

When it came to people she allowed to approach her back then, Yun Zhe was chosen because his parents worked at the post office and could help her handle some matters.

As for Gu Jingnian, his father worked at the Education Bureau and his mother was a Women’s Federation director. Si Qiu felt that if she really wanted to find a job, he could help.

Following the note she had previously received, Si Qiu walked for over twenty minutes and arrived at a small park.

From afar, she saw a tall, slender young man standing there. His skin was fair, his eyes slightly drooping at the corners, giving him a somewhat innocent look.

The moment he saw Si Qiu, his eyes immediately curved upward, and he seemed to come alive.

“Qiuqiu, you really came? I thought someone was just messing with me.”

“Then why did you still come?”

Gu Jingnian smiled a little embarrassedly.

“I just thought… what if it was real?”

“You’re quite sensible. But I called you here today because I have something to ask you.”

“Qiuqiu, what is it? Just tell me. I’ll do anything I can to help you.”

“Isn’t graduation coming up? If I can’t find a job, I’ll have to go down to the countryside. I wanted to ask if you’ve heard anything about jobs.”

The two of them stood behind a tree and happened to hear this conversation. Lan Qing looked at Wen Luo with questioning eyes.

Wen Luo gave a slight nod, indicating it was exactly what he thought—she was asking about a job for Si Qiu.

Then he felt a bit dejected. Si Qiu didn’t trust him. Lan Qing also raised his brows slightly, a mocking expression clearly implied.

On the other side, as soon as Gu Jingnian heard this, he immediately understood what Si Qiu meant. In fact, he had already made plans for this matter and had even found a suitable temporary job for her.

Although it was only temporary work and the pay and benefits weren’t great, the work was easy and respectable—very suitable for her.

As for why he hadn’t mentioned it immediately, that was his own selfishness.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Actually, Qiuqiu, even if you can’t find a job for now, there’s no need to be too anxious. You still have another path.”

When he said this, he looked a bit shy—and also a bit eager.

Si Qiu narrowed her eyes slightly and immediately understood what “another path” he meant. It was the same idea her scummy father had pushed before: marriage.

Without another word, she turned to leave. Gu Jingnian hurriedly grabbed her arm.

“Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu.”

Behind the tree, the two men clenched their fists tightly. This guy had wolfish ambitions—he was trying to take advantage of her situation. They almost rushed out to stop him, worried she might be tricked again.

But then they saw Si Qiu suddenly shake off his hand.

“Gu Jingnian, put away your little schemes. I’m not someone you can covet. With your current job—”

“Can you even support me? Don’t say you can. On what basis?”

“I want to eat eggs every day, drink milk, and have all kinds of meat, vegetables, and fruit without repeating.”

“I want to wear dresses, leather shoes, a watch, gold and silver jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, and perfume.”

“I want someone to clean my house and cook for me, and I want to live in a detached house with a private bathroom.”

“I want everyone to respect me—even fear me—but never dare to criticize me.”

“And I want my man to provide emotional value, to accompany me often, and take care of me.”

“Your 42-yuan clerk salary—what can it afford?”

Gu Jingnian froze, stunned by her words. But he knew he couldn’t let go. If he let go, he would lose everything.

So he stammered, “I—I’ll marry you. My mother will give us some money. My parents both have good jobs and savings.”

“I’m an only child—everything in the future will be mine, so I won’t let you lack money. I’ll do all the housework. You won’t have to do anything.”

“From now on I’ll listen to you about everything. After we have a child, my mother will retire and take care of the baby—you won’t need to worry about anything.”

Hearing this, Si Qiu laughed.

“So you want your mother to pay for the wedding, your mother to support your wife, and your mother to raise your child too?”

“Then I might as well marry your mother. Why would I marry you? To make my life harder?”

“You have absolutely no redeeming qualities. And you still think you deserve to talk about marriage?”

“And you want me to bear your child? What’s so worth passing on about your inferior genes?”

The girl was stunningly beautiful, her eyes filled with arrogance and willfulness on full display. But somehow, with a face like that, wasn’t arrogance natural? Wasn’t being spoiled almost justified?

Who could bear not to indulge her?

Even the man she had just reduced to worthlessness felt, at that moment, that he himself had somehow offended her just by existing.