Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 173: People Who Aren’t Meant to Be Together Won’t Be

"What do you mean by that?"As Jiang Xinyi listened to Lu Hui’s words, her brow furrowed deeply, sensing something off.

Lu Hui quickly feigned surprise, covering her mouth as though realizing she had said too much. "Oh, no! I shouldn’t have said that. Forget it, I misspoke!"

Her exaggerated performance only fueled Jiang Xinyi’s suspicions. She pressed on, her voice carrying a sharper edge. "What do you mean? Say it clearly!"

Realizing there was no way out, Lu Hui sighed dramatically, putting on a show of reluctant honesty. "Alright, fine. Just don’t take it too personally, okay? Everyone agreed not to tell you."

Her cryptic response made Jiang Xinyi’s frustration grow. "What do you mean by ? Tell me what!"

"Well..." Lu Hui began, her voice turning syrupy. "You know how my salary here is 1,000 yuan? Your salary is 1,500 yuan. That’s not because of your education. It’s because your boyfriend thought 1,000 yuan wasn’t enough for someone like you. So, he secretly added 500 yuan to your pay every month. Isn’t that sweet of him?"

For a moment, Jiang Xinyi stood in stunned silence. Her expression shifted through a mix of shock, disbelief, and something unnameable.

Seeing this, Lu Hui’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

Jiang Xinyi, for her part, couldn’t concentrate on her work for the rest of the day.

Later that afternoon, You Changjin sent her a message:

"Our class is going to the movies later. Want to come?"

Usually, Jiang Xinyi would have happily agreed. But today, her mind was in turmoil. Her reply was curt:

"I’m busy with work. Can’t make it."

You Changjin texted back almost immediately:

"That Zhou Yuwen! Doesn’t he know how to respect his teachers? How dare he give you so much work? I’ll give him a good talking-to!"

Jiang Xinyi stared at her screen for a moment, sighed, and put her phone away. She couldn’t bring herself to respond.

By evening, Jiang Xinyi had made up her mind. She left the office and headed straight home.

Her family lived in a luxurious villa near Xuanwu Lake. When she arrived, her grandmother and mother were in the garden enjoying tea. Jiang Xinyi greeted her grandmother warmly, eliciting a delighted smile from the old woman.

Her mother, however, raised an eyebrow. "Well, look who decided to show up," she remarked coolly.

Ignoring the sarcasm, Jiang Xinyi followed her mother into the study.

"Alright, Mom," she said once they were alone. "I need you to transfer me 10,000 yuan."

Her mother crossed her arms. "And why do you need that kind of money?"

Jiang Xinyi hesitated but ultimately told her mother about the situation with You Changjin and the extra money he had been adding to her salary.

Her mother listened intently, her expression unreadable. "Five hundred yuan? That’s it? If he really cares about you, why not five thousand? Or fifty thousand?"

Jiang Xinyi rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom."

Her mother handed her the money, adding, "Now, are you finally going to quit that ridiculous courier job? A thousand yuan a month isn’t worth your time."

"No," Jiang Xinyi replied firmly. "I’m staying. It’s not about the money."

Her mother shook her head in exasperation.

Meanwhile, the Landscape Engineering Class 2 was gathering for their movie night. Chang Hao stood at the cinema entrance, checking off names and handing out tickets. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel·fiɾe·net

"Has everyone arrived?" he asked Gu Yaoyao, who was helping him.

"Everyone except Li Qiang," she replied.

Chang Hao nodded. "Alright, you head in first. I’ll call him and see where he is."

"Yeah." Gu Yaoyao didn’t act pretentiously, nodded, and went into the cinema.

Chang Hao was about to call Li Qiang but saw Li Qiang running over breathlessly. Seeing Li Qiang’s appearance, Chang Hao almost froze.

"Did you perm your hair?"

Li Qiang, wearing Adidas sportswear, pressed his hands on his knees and panted for a while. "Don’t mention it! Damn it, it was agreed to be 150 yuan for a perm, but when I checked out, it was 499! Damn it, Brother Hao, we must not go to the barber shop east of the school, it’s too damn rip-off! It’s 129 for a hair wash! I’ll do it!"