Campus Ace Girl

At her words, Chu Yan started laughing. "You’re the only one who can fight! Wang Qin and I are both completely helpless."

Gu Anxi lay down, gazing at the sky. After a while, she finally looked at Chu Yan. "I could teach you. Once you learn, no one will ever be able to bully you."

Chu Yan still laughed. "That sounds really hard."

Gu Anxi tilted her head and said, quite seriously, "It really does hurt a lot. I genuinely wouldn’t recommend a young lady learn it, really."

Chu Yan hummed in response and lay down too, also watching the night sky. After a long while, she spoke. "Anxi, I’m planning on going to England."

Gu Anxi looked surprised and sat up immediately. "Why the sudden decision to go to England?"

Chu Yan lowered her gaze and said lightly, "I’ve wanted to go for a long time. I just couldn’t because of other reasons."

As she said this, she too sat up.

Gu Anxi stared at her.

Chu Yan reached over and took her hand. "Are you upset? I’ll only be gone for a few years, and it’s for my studies."

Her voice was low. "Don’t worry, Anxi. I’m not going because I’m trying to avoid anyone, but because I truly want to go. I’ll be back in a few years. Then, I’m going to start a big company and be my own boss."

"And date the hottest young heartthrobs?" Gu Anxi squinted at her, jumping in.

Chu Yan, somewhat embarrassed, lowered her head and chuckled. "That works too. I do have a thing for good looks."

Seeing Chu Yan was so open-minded about it, Gu Anxi’s mood improved considerably. She opened two more cans of beer, taking one for herself and handing the other to Chu Yan. "To youth! And to your future boy toys!"

Chu Yan swallowed. "Just one is fine."

Gu Anxi laughed. "One’s fine too, as long as he’s handsome and obedient—a proper little puppy."

Chu Yan exclaimed, "I’m only twenty-one!"

Gu Anxi let out a long "Oh..." before slowly saying, "But by the time you’re a big boss, you’ll be over twenty-six. So, if you find someone around twenty, wouldn’t that be your ’little puppy,’ then?"

Gu Anxi had always been quick-witted, and Chu Yan wasn’t a strong drinker. By now, Chu Yan was nearly swayed by her. She’s right, I’ll be older by then, she thought.

After a moment more of thought, she added, "But I wouldn’t marry a ’little puppy.’ They’d only be after my money."

Gu Anxi couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of Chu Yan, the aspiring tycoon.

That night, they lay on the rooftop for a very long time, talking nonsense and laughing.

「」

When Gu Anxi woke up, it was nearly noon. Wang Keru came to get her up for lunch.

Gu Anxi sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Mom, what time is it?"

Wang Keru chided her, "The sun’s already high in the sky!"

Gu Anxi glanced at the time and realized it was indeed quite late. She also remembered there was a small banquet that evening, organized by her older brother.

Then Wang Keru said, "Chu Yan’s flight is at 3 p.m. The least you can do is see her off."

Hearing this, Gu Anxi grew anxious. "Why is she leaving today? She didn’t say anything about it last night!"

Wang Keru chuckled. "Even if she had told you, you probably wouldn’t remember. You two were so drunk last night! And don’t think I’m biased; I already had a word with Yan Yan this morning when she got up."

Wang Keru adopted the tone of a family matriarch, but in reality, she was more reluctant than anyone to see Chu Yan leave. It was rare for such a sweet and docile girl to be part of their household, one who listened so obediently. Where would they find someone like that again?

Wang Keru had always been kept in line by Gu Yuntian. And although Granny Chen didn’t live with them much anymore, every time Granny Chen visited, Wang Keru felt like a grandchild being sternly disciplined. Both Old Wang and Madam Wang tended to correct her, especially Madam Wang, who was quite critical. Chu Yan had been her savior.

Gu Anxi looked at her mother and stretched. "Alright, I’ll get up. I’ll drive her to the airport this afternoon."

Wang Keru nodded. "Good, hurry up. I’m going to help Yan Yan pack some more things."

As she walked towards the door, she mumbled, "This child... Living so comfortably at home, and Beicheng University is a good school too. Why must she go abroad? Is the moon really rounder elsewhere?"

Gu Anxi sat there, shaking her head. Perhaps Chu Yan has truly let go now, she thought.

She got up quickly, ruffling her hair as she went downstairs. She also called Uncle Bo to tell him she’d see him in the evening, as she had to take Chu Yan to the airport that afternoon. Uncle Bo was, as always, very understanding.

Gu Anxi hung up the phone and went to eat.

Chu Yan seemed to be in an excellent mood. She even told a few jokes that made Mr. and Mrs. Gu laugh heartily, though it also made them feel even more reluctant to see her go.

Gu Anxi hugged Wang Keru. "It’s not like she’s never coming back. We can have her fly back once a month."

Chu Yan quickly agreed. "Yes, yes!"

Wang Keru frowned thoughtfully. "Wouldn’t that be too tiring for you, Yan Yan? How about this: when your Uncle Gu’s health improves a bit, we’ll go to England to visit you. Or perhaps we should buy a house there so we can stay for a while sometimes."

Chu Yan was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but her eyes welled up when she heard the last part. She whispered, "Okay, I’ll buy it then."

But Wang Keru wouldn’t hear of her paying. She immediately took out about twenty million from her personal savings and generously handed it to Chu Yan. "Buy a bigger one, with plenty of bedrooms. We can even throw parties there!"

No Granny Chen in England! That’s fantastic! Wang Keru thought.

Chu Yan accepted the money, feeling a bit uneasy and worried Gu Anxi might get jealous.

Gu Anxi just smiled. "Take it. Once you do, you’re officially my follower, and you’ll have to listen to me."

Chu Yan was speechless.

The meal was enjoyable, but the shadow of her imminent departure loomed over it.

「」

At one in the afternoon, just as they were about to leave, Wang Qin suddenly arrived, brought by Fang Ming.

Fang Ming seemed to have urgent business, so after dropping Wang Qin off and a quick greeting, he hurried away. Wang Qin got out of the car, clearly sad to see Chu Yan go.

Chu Yan looked at Gu Anxi. "Did you tell her?"

Gu Anxi shrugged. "Not exactly. She happened to ask about you when I got up this morning. I couldn’t very well lie, could I?"

Chu Yan then looked at Wang Qin.

Wang Qin’s nose was a little red, making one suspect she might have been crying. Chu Yan gently pinched her cheek. "It’s not like I’m gone forever. No crying, okay?"

Wang Qin sniffled hard. "Then you have to come back."

Chu Yan cleared her throat. "Of course, I’ll come back."

Gu Anxi chimed in, "She’s still quite fond of the young heartthrobs in Beicheng, you know."

Wang Qin’s eyes widened, and her face flushed red...

Gu Anxi put an arm around Wang Qin’s shoulder and said earnestly, "Look, Fang Ming is excellent in every way. Do you really think Yan Yan could bear to leave all these fine young men in Beicheng?"

At this ’consolation,’ Wang Qin’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red. She was probably thinking of something rather indecent.

Wang Keru couldn’t listen anymore and raised her voice slightly. "Anxi, you’re always corrupting them!"

Gu Anxi retorted, "How am I corrupting them? If they’re so easily corrupted, it just means they were inclined that way to begin with! Besides, don’t they say birds of a feather flock together? That just means their nature is similar to mine."

Wang Keru was about to scold her further when Madam Wang walked past, chanting Buddhist scriptures with an air of solemn dignity. "I think Anxi has a point," Madam Wang intoned. "The three of them are quite similar, all good children."

Instantly, Wang Keru deflated like a pricked balloon. "Yes, you’re right. They are indeed very good."

The three girls giggled. Seeing Wang Keru’s subdued expression, Madam Wang also smiled, a rare sight. She even said to Wang Keru with uncharacteristic warmth, "And you, you’re not bad either."

Wang Keru instantly perked up again.

「」

After the younger ones had left, Madam Wang said to Old Wang, "You know, I find that girl Keru to be quite genuine and straightforward. Much better than Tang Yuan."

Old Wang’s eyes widened. "Being good at playing cards and spending money, that’s what you call excellent?"

Madam Wang immediately coaxed, "Well, that’s a skill in itself, isn’t it? Otherwise, could you produce a child like Anxi? Her parents don’t even have to worry about her major life decisions. Just on that point alone, she’s a hundred times better than our own children."

Old Wang was left speechless.

After a long pause, he finally sighed. "Looking at Jingyao, it seems he has no intention of getting married."

Madam Wang also sighed and remained silent for a moment.

After a long while, she finally said, "These things are up to fate. Don’t dwell on it. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll suddenly decide to..."