Chapter 49 Giving Lucky Money Stride Forward Without Looking Back…

Chapter 49: New Year's Money

Walk Forward and Never Look Back...

"Why is it different?"

Yu Kui said, "I've known him longer than I've known any of you."

"Just that?"

"Yeah," Yu Kui said, "And we get along really well."

"We can't match that, but we understand you better than he does," Shu Jia snorted lightly. "He's a man—can he be as considerate as we are?"

Yu Kui: "..."

"Alright, alright, stop changing the subject," Zhang Jing looked at Shu Jia. "You lost, so pay up."

Shu Jia’s face fell. "Do I really have to?"

"Hurry up, hurry up," Xu Siyue reached out her hand. "Quickly."

Shu Jia handed each of them 100 yuan with a crestfallen expression. "Next time, I won’t lose."

Yu Kui: "..." How could they do this in front of me?

"If he’s truly a good person, then it’s good that you're friends with him," Zhang Jing looked at Yu Kui. "I used to not believe in genuine friendships between men and women, but seeing you two, I’m starting to doubt my previous judgment."

Yu Kui smiled but didn’t know how to respond. Everyone has their own judgment—what matters is that she felt it was right.

Yu Kui put the puppet away and locked it in her locker.

After New Year’s Day, finals were coming up.

Yu Kui spent most of her days in the library, focusing on studying. Xie Xingzhi occasionally joined her.

"What are you listening to?" Xie Xingzhi came in with milk tea and tapped on her earphone.

"An English book," Yu Kui took off one earphone. "Want to listen?"

Xie Xingzhi took the earphone, listened for a few seconds, and handed it back. "I don’t understand."

Yu Kui: "Really?"

"It’s not like you just found out I’m bad at English," Xie Xingzhi sat beside her and pushed the milk tea over. "When do your holidays start?"

"In a week," Yu Kui asked him, "Do you want to go back together?"

"I’m not going back for winter break," Xie Xingzhi was silent for a moment. "I’ll see you off at the airport when the time comes."

Yu Kui also fell silent, thinking about his suffocating parents. She was relieved he wasn’t going back.

"If you’re not going back, where will you stay?"

"At a friend’s place," Xie Xingzhi said. "I plan to find a part-time job over break."

Yu Kui didn’t know what to say but started thinking about how to help him.

"What’s wrong?" Xie Xingzhi mussed her hair. "I’m just not going back—why are you so worried?"

"What about New Year’s?" Yu Kui asked. "Will you stay at your friend’s then?"

"Haven't figured that out yet."

Yu Kui looked at the milk tea in front of her; she felt complicated.

"Keep studying," Xie Xingzhi chuckled. "If you keep this up, I’m afraid I’ll hold you back."

"I’ve mostly finished reviewing," Yu Kui lowered her eyes. "You don’t need to worry about me."

"Then read something for fun instead?"

Yu Kui glared at him. "You study with me."

Xie Xingzhi: "..."

After the exams, Yu Kui booked a flight home for the next day.

That evening, she called Xie Xingzhi and asked him to meet up.

"Wait for me at the usual spot," Xie Xingzhi seemed to be in a noisy place, his voice carrying his usual smile. "I’ll be right out."

"Okay."

Yu Kui waited outside for about five minutes before Xie Xingzhi came striding out. "Why are you in such a hurry to see me today?"

"I’m leaving for the airport tomorrow morning. There’s something I want to give you before I go."

"What is it?" Xie Xingzhi looked down at her.

"Here." Yu Kui took a bank card from her coat pocket and slipped it into his hand. "It’s the allowance I’ve saved up over more than ten years. I hope it can help you."

Xie Xingzhi’s pupils dilated sharply, and he froze. "What did you say?"

"I said, go do what you want to do. Walk forward and never look back."

Yu Kui smiled, her eyes curving. "Take care of yourself out there. If you ever need help, call me anytime. Even though I’m not very strong, I’m your friend—I’ll do my best to help you."

"You—" A flash of emotion, that Yu Kui missed, passed through Xie Xingzhi’s eyes. He studied her face intently, his lashes lowered.

Her skin was fair, her eyelashes long, and her eyes bright as if filled with tiny stars.

"The password is my birthday. You can pay me back later when you have money," Yu Kui withdrew her hand. "I have to get back to campus. You should head back too."

"Okay." Xie Xingzhi clutched the bank card tightly, his voice slightly hoarse. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Yu Kui waved and, like a sprightly rabbit, crossed the street and disappeared.

"Yu Kui..." Xie Xingzhi stared intently at her disappearing figure, instinctively calling her name. Intense emotion swirled in his narrow eyes.

Yu Kui.

He murmured her name silently in his heart, a smile playing at the corners of his eyes that couldn’t be ignored.

"Xie Xingzhi!" A voice snapped from behind. "Huang Qi confessed to you publicly at the dorm—how could you be so disrespectful?"

Xie Xingzhi turned around to face the furious boy. "And that's your business?"

"If you pity her, go find her yourself." "You!" Zhang Ming’s chest heaved angrily. "Huang Qi must be blind to fall for someone as unfeeling as you."

Huang Qi, the campus belle of the Foreign Languages Department, had liked Xie Xingzhi since the beginning of the semester. She often ran into him on campus and repeatedly showed him affection, but Xie Xingzhi ignored her every time.

Unexpectedly, Huang Qi took it to the next level this time—she arranged roses in a heart shape in front of the dormitory and, holding a bouquet, made a last-ditch confession.

After learning that Xie Xingzhi was the one she confessed to, many students gathered to watch, egging him on to say yes to Huang Qi.

After all, Huang Qi was a perfect catch in terms of looks, grades, and family background. If Xie Xingzhi could be with a beauty like her, it would be a blessing of eight lifetimes.

In less than half an hour, almost everyone on campus had heard the news. People called Xie Xingzhi out to give Huang Qi a proper response.

Xie Xingzhi initially didn't want to deal with it and hoped she would leave on her own, but as the situation escalated, he had no choice but to come out to handle it.

"Xie Xingzhi, I like you."

Seeing Xie Xingzhi come out of the dorm, Huang Qi walked up to him with the flowers, her face flushed, and said, "Will you go out with me?"

"No," Xie Xingzhi replied expressionlessly. "I don’t like you. Don’t come looking for me again."

"Why?" Huang Qi couldn’t understand. "What’s wrong with me? I like you so much—why are you treating me like this?"

Having pursued Xie Xingzhi for a whole semester, Huang Qi genuinely liked him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have thrown caution to the wind and made such a grand gesture.

She knew she was taking a gamble, but she couldn’t wait any longer. She needed a response from Xie Xingzhi.

"No particular reason," Xie Xingzhi said bluntly. "Keep your distance from me from now on."

"Do you have any heart at all?" Huang Qi’s eyes reddened. "Even if you reject me, you should at least give me a reason."

Xie Xingzhi frowned, glaring at her with irritation. "Is 'not liking you' not reason enough?"

"If you don’t like me now, you might in the future."

Xie Xingzhi ignored her and turned to go back to the dorm, but Huang Qi grabbed his sleeve. "Do you have to be like this? Do you have any idea how many people will laugh at me tomorrow because you rejected me in public?"

"What does that have to do with me?" Xie Xingzhi shook her hand off. If she chose to do something like this, she had to face the consequences. This isn't a charity case—why should he save her face?

"You—!"

"What’s going on?" bystanders whispered among themselves. "Is Xie Xingzhi really rejecting Huang Qi?"

"Does Xie Xingzhi even have any taste? Huang Qi is a perfect catch—he could’ve saved himself twenty years of struggle."

"But Huang Qi brought this on herself. She knew Xie Xingzhi didn’t like her yet still made this move. She asked for this."

"Wasn’t she just trying to pressure him? Too bad he didn’t even bother with her."

"I feel worse for Xie Xingzhi than Huang Qi. He did nothing and still became the school’s 'celebrity.' Huang Qi really went all-in."

"..."

Just as Huang Qi was getting desperate, Xie Xingzhi’s phone suddenly rang. He answered it, then immediately left everyone behind and headed toward the campus gate.

"Who was that on the phone? Should someone go check it out?"

"Must be someone special, right? Otherwise, why would he be in such a hurry?"

"Are you following? I’m going anyway."

"..."

Xie Xingzhi walked quickly, but a few people still followed him. Zhang Ming was one of them. He and Huang Qi were in the same major, and he had always had a crush on her. He never expected Xie Xingzhi to hurt her like this.

"What’s your relationship with that girl?" he demanded, glaring at Xie Xingzhi. "If you already have a girlfriend, why didn’t you tell Huang Qi? Do you enjoy the feeling of her chasing you? You scum!"

Xie Xingzhi: "Get yourself some help if you’re sick."

He was in a good mood and couldn’t be bothered arguing with someone as thoughtless as Zhang Ming.

"See that?" a few others whispered. "That girl just now—isn’t she from Yanning University across from us? Xie Xingzhi even smiled at her. That’s rare."

"Yanning University is way better than our school. That girl looks familiar—I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere."

"It’s Yu Kui!" someone exclaimed. "I’ve seen her host events. She’s the pride of Yanning University now. I even tried to add her on WeChat before..."

"Wow, it’s actually Yu Kui! What did Xie Xingzhi do to deserve her?"

"No wonder he smiled. If I were facing Yu Kui, it’d be hard not to smile too."

Everyone quickly shifted the topic to Yu Kui from the rival school, impressed by her and feeling envy and jealousy toward Xie Xingzhi.

Yu Kui: "..." That's not necessary.

That night, the school forum was buzzing with rumors that Xie Xingzhi liked Yu Kui and that Huang Qi was completely out of the running.

Huang Qi returned home crying and went on the forum demanding why Xie Xingzhi hadn’t just said he liked someone else—did he get off on watching her suffer?

Xie Xingzhi logged on and replied: "Was it fun staging this whole drama and getting emotional all by yourself?"

Huang Qi: "..." This made Huang Qi cry again, furious at Xie Xingzhi.

The incident became huge, and word even reached Shu Jia, who asked Yu Kui on WeChat: "Do you know Huang Qi?"