Chapter 201 - 169: Jiang Qian

Chapter 201: Chapter 169: Jiang Qian

The homeroom teacher told her the truth. "Lin Zhengran has his own ideas. He said... he said he’s not interested in Stanford University. He wants to attend a domestic university."

Jiang Qian frowned slightly. In fact, her father had come to the school a few days prior to discuss her university choice with the teacher.

They had all but decided that Jiang Qian would be attending Stanford, but after her father left, Jiang Qian had made a point to speak with the teacher again.

She had told her homeroom teacher, "When you talk to Lin Zhengran about his university plans, could you please recommend Stanford? It’s the best option for him, and I’ll help him too. Of course, if he isn’t willing, then just let it be."

The homeroom teacher had a brief chat with Jiang Qian at the time. She didn’t understand what was going on between Jiang Qian and Lin Zhengran.

However, as their homeroom teacher, recommending a good university was well within her duties. Besides, Stanford University would be an excellent platform for these two academic stars.

And that was what led to the scene just now.

But now, when the homeroom teacher stated clearly:

"Lin Zhengran isn’t interested in Stanford. I already recommended it, but he refused quite bluntly. So, Jiang Qian, are you still planning on Stanford? If you want, the recommendation letter and..."

Jiang Qian didn’t hear the rest of it, simply responding, "I want to think about it some more."

"Uh... you still need to think about it?"

"Yes. I’ll reconsider."

Not long after, Jiang Qian left the office. The homeroom teacher watched the departing figure of the Jiang Family’s second young miss.

As an adult, she could sense something was going on. She muttered to herself, ’Are Jiang Qian and Lin Zhengran... dating? But I seem to recall Lin Zhengran usually has a few other female students around him, doesn’t he?’

The homeroom teacher shook her head slowly. ’The lives of these academic prodigies are so complicated. It’s like something out of a TV show.’

Although Jiang Qian’s expression remained cold after she left the office, a hint of indescribable indignation had appeared in her eyes. She returned to the classroom.

She walked up to Lin Zhengran’s desk and stood there. "Class President, I have to ask you something."

Lin Zhengran turned to meet Jiang Qian’s cold, clear eyes staring at him.

Jiang Qian frowned. "Why won’t you choose a better, bigger platform? With your talent, you’d surely achieve greater things. Why are you limiting yourself here? Is it because of those other girls?"

"Huh?" Lin Zhengran looked up at Jiang Qian.

In the distance, Fang Meng stared blankly at the expression in Jiang Qian’s eyes.

The school bell rang.

「That evening, after study hall」

The Rolls-Royce arrived at the gate to pick them up, as usual.

Fang Meng followed Jiang Qian into the car.

The car door closed, and they headed back to the villa. Inside, Fang Meng gazed at the scenery outside the window before turning to look at the silent Jiang Qian.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message. It was from the "Eldest Miss," saying she would be back for dinner tonight. She had also sent two photos of ingredients.

Fang Meng was about to tell Jiang Qian, but as she swiped through the photos, she suddenly stumbled upon an old picture.

It was a photo of her and Jiang Qian, taken when they were children. She often looked at this picture, because there were some things that always weighed on her mind.

She was suddenly filled with emotion.

’To think she and Jiang Qian had met all the way back in second grade. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye.’

It seemed almost dreamlike to recall. When Fang Meng first met Jiang Qian, Jiang Qian had actually been a warm and cheerful girl who loved to help others. She cared about her classmates and had many friends. Although her family was wealthy back then, they weren’t as opulent as they were now.

It was Fang Meng, in contrast, who had been quiet and a bit withdrawn as a child.

Their friendship began when Fang Meng fainted in class from hypoglycemia. It was Jiang Qian who had run to get the teacher.

Realizing Fang Meng had probably skipped breakfast, she even made a special trip to the school store to buy her something to eat.

Only then did the two of them become friends.

After she recovered, a curious Fang Meng asked Jiang Qian, "How did you know I had hypoglycemia? And what kind of illness is that?"

Jiang Qian blinked her pretty eyes. "My grandpa used to be a military doctor, so I learned a few things from him. Hypoglycemia is basically caused by not eating in the morning."

"Oh... you’re so smart."

When they were children, Fang Meng’s family fell into debt due to their business. They tried to borrow money from everyone, but it wasn’t enough, and they couldn’t secure the loans they needed. In the end, to Fang Meng’s surprise, it was Jiang Qian who helped solve the problem.

She had casually mentioned her family’s situation to Jiang Qian. After learning that Fang Meng’s family was in debt, Jiang Qian went to her mother, pleading and coaxing her to see if they could help.

The sum wasn’t actually that large, but no one would lend money to someone they weren’t related to.

Somehow, Jiang Qian managed to persuade her family, and they really did lend Fang Meng’s family the money.

Even Fang Meng’s parents were astonished. They never expected that the one to help them through their crisis would be their daughter’s elementary school classmate.

The two families became friends and grew closer.

And so, Fang Meng and Jiang Qian spent their days playing and fooling around together, just like any other pair of best friends.

A few years later, in the sixth grade, the Jiang Family unexpectedly suffered a major crisis and found themselves in deep trouble.

They needed a huge sum of money to overcome it. Jiang Qian’s mother begged for help to no avail. Finally, with no other options left, she said to Jiang Qian:

"As long as our family can get through this, things will definitely get better and better! Qianqian, Mom and Dad are out of options now. You have to help Mom, too. Those classmates you’re so friendly with, don’t you help them all the time? Ask them to help our family this time. Any amount they can lend is fine. Mom will talk to them."

Her father interjected, "What’s the use of telling Qianqian? How old are her classmates?"

Jiang Qian’s mother, apparently at her wit’s end, replied to her husband, "I’m desperate, aren’t I? We’ve already borrowed from everyone we could. Maybe Qianqian’s good friends’ families can help?"

Before Jiang Qian’s father could speak, Jiang Qian, who clearly understood the family’s situation, spoke up with surprising maturity:

"Okay, Dad! I get along really well with my classmates. I have lots of good friends. I always help them when they do poorly in their studies or get into trouble. I’m sure it won’t be a problem to ask their parents to lend us some money. I’ll talk to them at school tomorrow!"

She even grinned after she spoke, confident of success.

The next day, Jiang Qian returned to school.

At first, things went smoothly. Jiang Qian approached the classmates she was on relatively good terms with, including all the ones she had helped before.

She asked if they could go home and ask their parents to lend her family a little money, promising they would definitely pay it back.

Many of her classmates agreed to talk to their parents.

Fang Meng was among them.

But on the third day, when it was time to report the results, the only news Jiang Qian received was that only Fang Meng’s family was willing to lend them money.

Not a single other person came through.

Jiang Qian asked them, "Did you all talk to your parents?"

They all looked at each other and replied, "We did, but our parents just ignored us."

The intelligent Jiang Qian knew this was no small matter. She tried to console them:

"It’s normal for them to ignore you. After all, we’re just kids asking to borrow money. But you have to pester them a bit! Tell them I’m your best friend, try to persuade them. I’ll have my mom call your parents. Our family will definitely pay it back! Even a little bit helps!"

The others looked awkward.

For most children, if their parents were unwilling to do something like this, there was nothing they could say to change their minds.

None of them would pester their parents the way Jiang Qian had pestered her mother when Fang Meng’s family needed money—arguing endlessly that this was her best friend until she finally secured the loan.

Jiang Qian urged them, "If your families ever need money urgently in the future, I’ll make my parents lend it to you, I promise! Please! Go back and try talking to them again tonight!"

Fang Meng, who was standing to the side, also tried her best to help Jiang Qian borrow money, but it was a drop in the ocean.

And as Jiang Qian kept pressing them, not only did she fail to borrow any more money through her classmates, but her constant nagging started to annoy even some of her previously good friends. The ones who simply avoided her were the kinder ones.

One girl, whom she had even helped in the past, told her bluntly:

"Are you annoying or what?! Why do you keep pestering me every day? I already told you my parents aren’t willing! Besides, my mom said if I lend you money now that you’re poor, what happens when my family needs money? Would you lend it to us?"

Jiang Qian replied, "Didn’t I just say I would? If you have trouble in the future, I’ll beg my mom to help you."

"Who knows if you’re telling the truth? And besides, my family needs money right now. You lend us some. If you lend us money, I’ll tell my mom to lend you some."

"What did you say..."

"See? That’s why no one will lend you money."

Jiang Qian stared at her. She remembered how this same girl had gotten a stomachache during study hall, and how she had been the one to enthusiastically run and get the teacher, accompanying her to the nurse’s office. They had been friends for many years.

Jiang Qian grabbed the girl’s collar, roaring in fury, "How could you say something like that! Aren’t we good friends?!"

"Who wants to be friends with a bleeding-heart like you?! My mom says that after your family goes into debt, you won’t even be able to afford to eat! Who’d be friends with someone like that?"

"Shut up!"

Jiang Qian’s eyes flew wide as she viciously slapped the other girl, leaving her cheek bright red.

The other students were stunned. The girl, startled, burst into tears and tried to hit back. Fang Meng rushed over to help. "Qianqian!"

Later, the school even called their parents. After that incident...

During a break between classes, Jiang Qian asked Fang Meng, "Meng, if I hadn’t made my mom lend your family money back then, would you still have lent my family money this time?"

"I..." Fang Meng hesitated. Back in second grade, it had never even occurred to her that Jiang Qian would be the one to help her family with their debt. They had been too young.

In that moment of hesitation, Jiang Qian’s expression faltered as she looked at Fang Meng. "I see... I guess I really was just a fool for being nice. But in any case, thank you for helping my family. We’re still good friends."

"Qianqian..."

Coincidentally, the Jiang Family’s crisis was ultimately resolved by a sudden windfall. Apparently, an old comrade-in-arms of Jiang Qian’s grandfather, surnamed Lin, had made a fortune with him playing the antiques market. As if by a twist of fate, the crisis was averted.

From that point on, the Jiang Family’s fortunes soared. But as the family prospered, Jiang Qian’s personality changed.

She stopped helping others and started to focus solely on her own strength. In the eyes of adults, this was the correct path. However, her intense personality, combined with her exceptional talent, pushed her competitive drive to an extreme.

Her personality grew colder and more withdrawn.

This continued until she met Lin Zhengran. Finding herself unable to surpass him, she would see the powerful Lin Zhengran surrounded by friends and be reminded of the person she used to be.