Chapter 68 Can’t You Understand “Break Up”?

Chapter 68: Don't You Know What 'Break Up' Means?

Zhao Jinyu leaned against the lamppost, studying Qin Shuyi's calm and open expression, and suddenly remarked, "No wonder Xu Yan is jealous of you."

Qin Shuyi was at a loss, but Zhao Jinyu changed the subject with a sigh.

"Today it's Xu Yan, tomorrow who knows which 'Yan' it will be. With this engagement of mine, things are bound to get lively in the future."

But she soon laughed self-deprecatingly, "Xie Muchen is a bastard, and I'm no saint either. We're two of a kind."

Qin Shuyi didn't offer an opinion; she felt Zhao Jinyu just needed an outlet for her emotions.

Sure enough, after the initial silence, Zhao Jinyu was in the mood to chat.

"His taste isn't bad—those innocent 'little white flower' types he likes are quite pretty. But I'm not too shabby either; my ex was the campus heartthrob of our college."

Qin Shuyi responded gently, "Then why did he become an ex?"

Zhao Jinyu's lips turned down, her voice distant. "Because he was poor."

Who hasn't loved a few handsome but penniless campus heartthrobs in their youth?

Good-looking, with a backbone, with ears that would turn red at the slightest teasing—so innocent it was tempting.

But love isn't everything in life.

Waiting for him to make his fortune might take ten years, twenty years, or even longer. After all, many talents end up buried.

Moreover, for one person to match the wealth a family built over generations is nearly impossible.

He might eventually become a success among his ordinary peers, but compared to the Zhao family, the gap would still be worlds apart.

Of course, Zhao Jinyu could have chosen love.

With their abilities, they could have lived a decent life.

"But why should I? The Zhao family holds more than half of my mother's life's work. Why should I hand it over to someone else?"

A curl of contempt appeared at the corner of her mouth. "That stepbrother of mine, supposedly brought by my stepmother—who knows who his real father is? He's only a year older than me."

The Zhao family is well-off, but Zhao Jinyu's mother still married down. While she was alive, Zhao's father at least pretended to be decent.

But less than a year after Zhao's mother passed away from illness, he married his first love.

Zhao Jinyu was born in the third year of her parents' marriage. Doing the math, Zhao's father might have cheated shortly after the wedding.

If Zhao Jinyu didn't fight, who would end up with the Zhao family was anyone's guess.

To make her give up the family fortune, to live a life of love with a doting husband and children but have to beg her stepbrother for dividends, living under his thumb—she'd rather die.

She wanted not only what belonged to her mother but also her father's share, forcing those three to spit it all out.

Didn't she know Xie Muchen was a philandering bastard? Didn't she know love was a rare commodity?

But so what?

Difficulties and love were nothing compared to her ambition.

She also enjoyed the thrill of the fight.

Today, besides Xu Yan, that senior of hers had also been sent over by Zhao Mingcheng.

But he had been tricked into coming.

Before meeting Xu Yan, Zhao Jinyu had rejected his proposal to elope and sent him away.

To be honest, not only did she feel no guilt toward him, but when he suggested she resist the arranged marriage, she felt like laughing—it was a turn-off.

In a way, the equally ambitious and greedy Xie Muchen was indeed a better match for her.

Zhao Jinyu raised an eyebrow and looked at Qin Shuyi, who was listening intently. "So, what do you think? Do we seem terrifying, willing to abandon anything for power and wealth?"

Qin Shuyi's gaze was clear as she shook her head. "Money, power, love, family—their priority varies in everyone's life. There's nothing wrong with choosing what you value more."

On the contrary, she admired Zhao Jinyu's vibrant vitality, her sharp edges and exuberance.

Zhao Jinyu smiled. "Miss Qin, has anyone ever told you you're great at conversation?"

Then, she couldn't help but feel a bit wistful and envious. "It's nice that you don't have to make such life choices."

Qin Shuyi then joked, "Maybe it's because my family isn't rich enough?"

The Qin family's assets weren't substantial enough to make her hesitate between choosing money or people.

If faced with the immense wealth of a family like the Zhaos, she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't make the same choice as Zhao Jinyu.

Zhao Jinyu was taken aback for a moment, then burst into genuine, hearty laughter.

Qin Shuyi was truly a fascinating person.

...

By the time Zhao Jinyu and Qin Shuyi returned to the venue, Zhao Jinyu's mood had completely recovered.

Whether it was her fiancé's former lover causing trouble by drugging, her stepbrother's underhanded schemes, or bidding a final farewell to a past love, Zhao Jinyu vented and then moved on.

In front of others, she was once again the radiant, charming, and effortlessly poised Miss Zhao.

She criticized Shi Qilan for only acting for gain, but she herself was the same, leveraging everything to her advantage.

Taking advantage of the fact that she had just exposed the mess of her family and love life, and that Qin Shuyi felt some sympathy for her, Zhao Jinyu seized the moment to ask for her help in a small game for the latter half of the event.

After the elders and business partners had left, a group of familiar young people moved to the outdoor party for the second half.

It was only then that Qin Shuyi understood what this game was about.

Looking at the red string on her wrist, identical to Ling Jue's, she shot a reproachful look toward Zhao Jinyu, who looked guilty.

"Ahem, this is an engagement party after all, so the games are naturally couple-themed."

She straightened up, speaking with righteous indignation. "It's all that damned fox Xie Muchen's fault. What's wrong with giving me that land in the western suburbs as a betrothal gift? He just had to compete with me.

We made a bet: today, the female representatives from each couple are on my side, and the male representatives are on his. Whichever side scores more points, the other has to give up the competition and foot half the bill.

I've had such a rough day already; you can't possibly want me to lose, right?"

Then she added temptingly, "It's not like we're competing for nothing. I've put up 10% of the shares from my newly established company as the prize. The winners will split it equally."

Fan Chaochao, standing nearby, exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Sister Jinyu, you're so generous!"

I hear her new company's doing really well. Shelling out that much for just a game really doesn't seem like her.

Shi Qilan couldn't help but curl her lip, "Generous, my foot. Zhao Jinyu is the truly cunning one."

The naive college student looked confused.

Qin Shuyi chimed in, "Small investment, big return. It ties their interests to hers."

In today's couples' competition, the men and women are opponents, but since they're all couples, what does it matter who wins?

Whether the man or the woman gets the shares, it basically makes their partner one of her people.

Those invited to the engagement party and chosen by Zhao Jinyu as couples—they're all pretty connected, aren't they?

With just that tiny stake, these shareholders can't really do anything, yet they'll naturally side with Zhao Jinyu in her struggle against her father and brother. They can also pitch in if the company runs into trouble.

Shi Qilan had a point calling her cunning.

Today's engagement party was clearly Zhao Jinyu scouting for teammates, even throwing in gifts as an incentive.

Compared to a simple flirty game, Qin Shuyi was less opposed to helping with this kind of interest-driven game.

But...

"Are you sure Ling Jue is willing?"

He told me not to show my face around him again.

The blind date and the engagement party—one was an accident, the other was due to unavoidable circumstances.

But a couple's game would involve more contact. He should refuse, right?

Sure enough, Xie Muchen hit a wall.

Ling Jue sneered, retorted with his signature sharp tongue, "Are you sick?"

He and Qin Shuyi had broken up.

Was Xie Muchen deaf or something? Didn't he get 'broken up'?

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