108: Nobody likes someone who brings bad news.

When she heard the name Feng Qinmian, Du Xixi's heart skipped a beat. She naturally knew of the two "Golden Flowers" of the second year, Xie Wan and Feng Qinmian, but she hadn't expected Shen Qian to have connected with Feng Qinmian as well, and they were even in the same club.

This caused her not to hear clearly what Shen Qian was complaining about; she only seemed to hear something about Xie Wan making trouble.

"I'm sorry, Shen Qian. I'll take her back right now, and I promise you she won't bother you again."

"It's not important whether she bothers me. What matters is that she just blurted out that Senior Feng was seducing me. How am I supposed to face that senior in the future?"

"Shen Qian, please don't be angry anymore, okay? I'll definitely talk to her and clear things up when I get back."

Du Xixi pulled on Shen Qian's hand and began to act coquettishly. Seeing her like this, Shen Qian could only sigh helplessly.

"Aren't you best friends? Have a good talk and don't fight."

After saying that, he gave Xie Wan another glare and left, leaving the two girls behind.

Facing Xie Wan, Du Xixi didn't know what to say for a moment.

Complaining or apologizing both seemed inappropriate, and thanking her was even harder to say.

"Let's go back to the dorm."

It took quite a while before she managed to utter those few words.

Xie Wan's eyes lit up. They hadn't spoken a single word to each other for a long time. Now that Du Xixi was willing to take the initiative to speak, it meant their relationship had begun to soften.

The two didn't go straight back to the dorm; instead, they found a place to sit not far from the dormitory building.

"Why?"

Du Xixi asked.

"Why help me?"

"Xixi, we're friends."

A girl's friendship might be fragile, but it's also very sincere. With just a simple sentence, both of their gazes softened.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been jealous of you. Growing up by your side, your halo was too dazzling, and it was very painful for me."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have noticed this sooner, but please believe me, I want you to be happy."

"Mhm, let's go back."

There wasn't much more conversation. After all, a rift had truly existed, and it would take time to mend.

As soon as Shen Qian returned to the dorm, he received messages from Xie Wan and Du Xixi.

Xie Wan: "Thank you."

Du Xixi: "Xie Wan did it for my sake too, please don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Shen Qian replied to them one by one. At that moment, Chang Heng also returned, looking triumphant.

"Boss, what's up with you? Did you find some money?"

Without a doubt, if Gao Haitao were to perform cross-talk in the future, he would be an excellent Straight Man; his ability to read the room was top-notch.

Upon hearing this, Chang Heng's grin almost reached his ears.

Shen Qian lay on his side on the bed, looking at him with a smile, and asked:

"What? Did you kiss?"

"Not that fast, but soon. We held hands today, and then, when I walked her back to the dorm, we even shared a hug."

"Mhm, not bad, not bad. It really is coming along. Let me give you a tip: go see a movie. While watching, grab her hand. If she doesn't resist, take the opportunity to put your arm around her shoulder. Remember, it's best to change into clean clothes and spray a bit of cologne that day—not too strong."

"If she leans on your shoulder, whisper in her ear. If she still hasn't shown any resistance by this point, don't hesitate—kiss her."

"Holy crap, Third Brother, you actually have the 'Flame Mantra' and you're really sharing it!"

"Say that again. I didn't catch it all just now; I need to take notes."

Gao Haitao got excited.

"It won't be too late to teach you when you guys actually have girlfriends. So, Boss, do you dare to give it a try?"

"This... isn't it a bit too much of a routine? And what if she gets angry?"

"I'll think about it. But Third Brother, thanks for the advice. If I succeed, I'll definitely treat you to a meal."

Hearing him talk like that, Shen Qian knew the guy most likely didn't have the guts, so he didn't push further.

Compared to the other two in the dorm, Wei Mingtian's mood was somewhat low.

"Third Brother, want to go wash socks together?"

It was almost lights out when Wei Mingtian suddenly sent an invitation to wash socks. Shen Qian knew the other guy probably had something to talk to him about.

"Sure, I happen to have two pairs of socks too."

"I have to say, in this whole dorm, I only admire you two. Isn't it better to save up a week's worth of socks and wash them all at once?"

"I run every day. If I saved them up for a week, the smell would kill you guys."

Shen Qian laughed and left the dorm with Wei Mingtian, and the two walked all the way to the Laundry Room.

"Go ahead, what is it?" Seeing Wei Mingtian's hesitant look, Shen Qian took the initiative to ask.

"I don't know if I should say this."

"Then don't say it."

Shen Qian immediately interrupted.

"Don't be like that, Third Brother."

"Then tell me, is this about you, or someone else?"

"It's... about the Boss."

"Alright, no need to say it. Keep it in. You must keep it to yourself, Second Brother. No one likes the bearer of bad news."

"You don't know about this, and neither do I. None of us know. Even if one day the Boss finds out, we still didn't know. Do you understand what I mean?"

"But..."

"If you really can't hold it in, you can tell him, but I won't know about it."

"You have to understand, as brothers, we can drink with him when he's down, but we absolutely cannot be the cause of his misery. Otherwise, the brotherhood is over."

Wei Mingtian hesitated repeatedly before finally nodding firmly.

"Okay, I understand."

Shen Qian had a rough guess as to what Wei Mingtian had noticed. That He Wenjing didn't seem like the honest type. The Boss was thick-skinned and oblivious, but the Second Brother was very observant.

Fortunately, he was smart and could take Shen Qian's words to heart.

"But, Third Brother..."

"When people feel happy, they lie to themselves. Whether it's true or false, as long as he can feel happy at this moment, that's enough."

Wei Mingtian suddenly felt his mind go blank. He hadn't said anything, yet Shen Qian seemed to know everything. This person's EQ and IQ were simply terrifying.

"By the way, although we can't say it directly, we can drop indirect hints. What you found, the Boss might not necessarily fail to notice."

"We can create some coincidences to let the Boss see for himself."

"I'll leave this to you. If you can't handle it, come find me again."

Wei Mingtian let out a long breath. Just now, he almost felt like he and Shen Qian were from different worlds, with the latter coldly watching their ups and downs.

But now it seemed he just saw the bigger picture and was unwilling to act rashly. There was no arrogance, only more detailed consideration.

"Boss, why don't you join the Guitar Club too? After all, your girlfriend is there."

"Guitar Club? But I've never learned a musical instrument."

"It's exactly because you haven't learned one that you should master an instrument. Believe me, if you learn the guitar well, your girlfriend will love you even more."

"Really!? Okay, I'll go check it out with you later."

Shen Qian listened to them chat in silence, continuously replying to messages from several women. In a few days, he could ask Song Shulu out again. Since he had already gotten close to Feng Qinmian, the plan targeting the other two could be implemented.