Chapter 131: The Birthday Banquet * Bombshell

  Qin Luoshui smiled and said: "Enjoying good food is just a matter of savoring it with your heart, no need to be too particular about the elegant form."

  Just like today's beautiful scenery and delightful events, our noble host and distinguished guests, this is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

  "For us, who are busy with nothing but busyness, it's enough to occasionally savor the taste. Sometimes, even if it's just a few close friends gathering together and drinking a bottle of Baijiu from B city, we can't help but be moved to tears, cherishing this moment for life."

  Some people nodded in agreement immediately.

  These words fell into Ye Feng's ears, and she vaguely remembered something. In her memory, it seemed that there was such a time when she, Qin Luoshui, and Song Shuyu had just arrived in London to study. The humid and foggy London made people feel depressed. Qin Luoshui brought the old white wine from home, asking them to drink at a domestic restaurant. From then on, she really couldn't find that kind of good-tasting, spicy, and tear-jerking white wine again.

  "This is indeed a glass of champagne that will be remembered for life!"

  Innumerable people sighed in their hearts, why after drinking so much fine wine, only today did they taste such a rich and lingering flavor?

  "This glass of champagne has a much deeper meaning for you, old chap."

  A male waiter standing between Song Shuyu and Sang Hong bowed his head, speaking in a soft voice that only the two of them could hear, and handed a paper with English writing and a red seal to Sang Hong's clean tablecloth.

  Henpecked!

  Only when arguing with Qin Qing would she use such an annoying term.

  Xiang Hong had long been accustomed to this call, and immediately turned a deaf ear, instinctively raising her right hand to make a false strike. When she turned her head to look, she saw that the male waiter behind her had somehow transformed into Qin Qing!

  Xiang Hong suddenly came back to her senses and stared at him with wide eyes.

  It's too late to recall the palm that had been slapped out, while Qin Qing leaned forward with a smile, looking at her without blinking an eye, not even avoiding it, and easily grasped her wrist, winking at her, releasing her, indicating for her to look at the things on the table.

  Xiang Hong cautiously looked around the people at the table, seemingly no one had noticed Qin Qing's arrival, lowered her head to take a look again, and then picked it up once more, only to find that she still couldn't find her voice.

  Ahhhhh - she wanted to cheer!

  How is this possible? This surprise is too big!

  She was actually accepted by the Royal Military Academy of Country Y? And it comes with a scholarship of 30,000 yuan!

  She glanced excitedly at the ladies and gentlemen present, feeling that such news was probably not suitable for sharing here.

  Song Shuyu doesn't know that she has applied to a foreign school, I don't know how he will react, stop it, now is not the time to think about these things.

  Xiang Hong looked at Song Shu Yu in confusion, who was whispering to Qin Luo on the other side. When she turned back, the familiar figure behind her had disappeared. After a moment's search, she saw Qin Qing standing at the entrance of the restaurant, smiling back at her before vanishing from sight.

  All this was just caught by Song Dahu sitting opposite Shang Hong, who asked in a low voice: "Little girl, what's wrong with you?"

  Everyone heard the sound and cast their eyes on her, all feeling astonished that such good champagne would be treated so carelessly.

  Xiang Hong pursed her lips and raised her hands to cover her cheeks, and indeed, her small face was burning hot.

  She smiled and released her hand, calmly putting the notice on the table into her bag, stood up and smiled apologetically at everyone: "I'm going out for a bit, sorry."

  Xiang Hong made a reassuring gesture to Song Shuyu by her side and got up to walk towards the outside of the dining hall.

  As soon as she walked out of the dining room, she was stopped by Qin Qing. He pointed to the sofa in the living room and gestured for her to sit down.

  Xiang Hong excitedly rushed up to him and asked: "When did you receive it? It's so surprising!"

  "This morning, I - somewhat apologetically, because I was too worried about your grades, I privately intruded into this situation - won't cause you any trouble, will it?"

  Qin Qing looked at the service uniform on her body.

  "How come? I'm glad but haven't had time yet, thank you, and what about you? Which department did you get admitted to?" asked Shan Hong.

  Qin Qing lowered her eyes and slowly shook her head, her expression somewhat melancholy.

  "You go ahead and pretend, I was able to get in with my rough and inexperienced self, what about you?" The smile on Sang Hong's face faded a bit, thinking that Qin Qing was joking with her.

  "Alas, I didn't deceive you." Qin Qing's face fell, he lowered his head and inserted both hands into his hair, looking like he was about to suffocate from frustration.

  Xiang Hong felt at a loss for how to adjust her expression, he hadn't been admitted, yet he had specially rushed to deliver the admission notice to her, this kind intention left her deeply moved.

  "Alas, with your exceptional intelligence and capability, if the Royal Military Academy of Y country doesn't accept you, they must be blind. Don't be disheartened, this place is not worthy of us anyway. I originally planned for you to be a backup plan as a special forces soldier, and didn't intend for you to go in the first place."

  "Alright, alright, don't be depressed, I'll accompany you to play a round of music?"

  Xiang Hong regarded Qin Qing as a brother and saw that he was uncomfortable about it. She immediately thought of various ways to comfort him.

  Qin Qing hung his head in shame, looking like he didn't dare show his face.

  Xiang Hong got up helplessly, sat down beside him from across the table, and punched his shoulder hard: "Qin Qing, the Qin Qing I know is not such a coward. If we didn't pass, then so be it. It's not worth getting this angry. Besides, I wasn't planning on going anyway. Who are you putting on that depressed-to-death face for?"

  Qin Qing's shoulders shook and heaved, could it be that this tough guy was actually crying?

  Xiang Hong was shocked, when had she ever seen this guy shed a single tear?!

  "Did you really give up going to school for me?" Qin Qing's voice came out somewhat muffled.

  "What did you give up for? I was just lucky enough to apply at that time, and as I just said, that was my second choice—"

  The persimmon's face was twisted in knots as it spoke.

  "No, wife, I just want you to say it's because of me that you gave up." Qin Qing lowered his head and stubbornly picked at his fingernails.

  Xiang Hong thought that a big old man like this was really unbearable, so she said with a disdainful expression: "Okay, okay, Qin Qing, I gave up the opportunity to study abroad for you, is that enough? Don't look like you're about to die."

  Qin Qing burst out laughing and raised her head, her beautiful face flushing bright red: "Hehe, how come it's so hard for you to say one true word?!"

  His face was twisted in a scowl, and his smile was as bright as a flower. As soon as Xiang Hong saw it, she began to tremble with fear. When had she ever seen Qin Qing smile so shamelessly?

  Is it that I haven't been admitted and this emotional knot has driven me a bit crazy?

  She hastily jumped back, quickly got up, and was thoroughly frightened: "Qin Qing, don't smile like that, it's so creepy! Let's just not go, let's pretend nothing happened."

  "Silly girl, how can you be so gullible? I was just tricking you. As people always say, 'adversity reveals true feelings'. I just tested you a little bit and your reaction was completely predictable, no surprise at all."

  "Okay, now for the good news - I got accepted into that school's forensic science department. I like logical reasoning and this major suits me just fine."

  Xiang Hong blinked her eyes: "Qin Qing, I'm asking you which sentence is true and which sentence is false?"

  "Of course, what I'm saying now is true. The school says it will start on the 28th of February, and time is tight. It's said that it's very hard to rent a house over there. Although we applied for the school dormitory in advance, currently there are no vacancies. We need to go there first and get familiar with the environment. I've already booked the plane ticket, three days later at 3 pm, let's meet at the airport."

  Qin Qing said, raising her hand to grab Sang Hong's wrist, which was still in a daze: "Womanizer, can't we just leave together now?"

  Xiang Hong understood his meaning and hastily opened her hand, but this time Qin Qing grasped it tightly, without any intention of letting go.

  He gazed deeply at her and said clearly:

  "Sang Hong, you are a girl who is extremely lacking in security, but has an exceptionally strong soul;"

  You are a person who loves freedom more than anything, someone with a heart full of wanderlust, someone who yearns to set foot in every corner of the world. How can you give up such a great opportunity and pin all your life's dreams on a middle-aged uncle who has been hurt by love?

  All love will change after talking, all sweet words will become tedious after listening, that familiar face which makes you miss and worry, will also become annoying after looking at it for a while, and the steps that were once in sync will slow down and eventually disperse.

  I understand your hard work all this time, is it just to stand by Song Shuyu's side?

  How many days of your youth can you afford to squander like this? How much confidence do you have to withstand the constant onslaught of romantic entanglements that come with being a charming person?

  "The number of women he's been with since adulthood is greater than your age, what makes you confident that you can keep up with him forever, and defeat one extraordinary rival after another without getting tired, to defend the love you've paid everything for?"

  Qin Qing obviously knew how to speak, to undermine Sang Hong's confidence in Song Shu Yu, and make her inner confusion and unease grow infinitely. In order to let Sang Hong understand the importance of studying abroad for her life, he felt that even if it made her sad, he had to try his best once.

  "That's enough! Let her go!"

  A low, ominous voice echoed into the living room, where Song Shuyu's thin lips were pursed tightly, his eyes fixed intently on their clasped hands as he stepped closer, his tense body seeming to crackle with electricity, exuding an aura of terror that made the living room feel like it was shrouded in dark clouds.

  Xiang Hong immediately saw Song Shu Yu, and in a fluster, she used her hand to pry open Qin Qing's grip on her fingers, running towards him: "Shu Yu, don't misunderstand, the truth of the matter isn't what you're seeing."

  Song Shuwei's face was shocked, his eyebrows twisted, and he pinched her chin with his big hand, lifting up her face, making himself see her face clearly, see her eyes clearly.

  "Word for word, I asked Sang Hong: 'The truth is not what I see, nor is it what I hear. So, dear, can you tell me, apart from human sight and hearing, are there other ways to perceive the truth?'"