268: Chapter 268 Xu Zilin being teased by her senior

Lunch concluded in a pleasant atmosphere, and through this brief gathering, everyone gained a preliminary understanding of one another.

As the group walked out of the cafeteria, Qin Yi naturally draped an arm over Xu Zilin's shoulder and led him over to Zhao Ying and Yoyo.

With the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, Qin Yi spoke slowly, "Zhao Ying, Yoyo, if you two don't have any plans for the afternoon, could you do me a favor and take Zilin around campus to help him get familiar with the environment?"

Facing Qin Yi's request, Zhao Ying and Yoyo agreed almost in unison. Zhao Ying nodded gently and whispered a soft "Okay." Meanwhile, Yoyo appeared much more lively, responding enthusiastically, "Senior, don't you worry. Just leave this little handsome guy to us."

Being called handsome by Yoyo made Xu Zilin feel a bit shy; he subconsciously rubbed his nose as a faint blush crept onto his face. Qin Yi laughed heartily, thanked the two of them, and then looked at Xu Zilin to arrange things. "Then Zilin, you follow these two senior sisters around campus this afternoon. Once we finish up over there, we'll get in touch with you."

Just then, Xu Qian also walked over with a beaming smile and thanked Zhao Ying and Yoyo, "Thank you both. I'll leave my younger brother in your care for now." Although Xu Qian was expressing her gratitude, her gaze remained fixed on Zhao Ying.

Seeing Xu Qian looking at her, Zhao Ying felt a bit guilty. During lunch, Zhao Ying had figured out the relationship between Qin Yi and Xu Qian, and she had already mentally slapped herself countless times.

Unfortunately, in matters of the heart, being one step behind means being behind at every step. There was nothing to be done; since Qin Yi already had a new girlfriend, she could only continue to wait in silence.

Standing to the side, Yoyo sensitively picked up on the subtle atmosphere between the two. she quickly joked, "Sister Qianqian, you're being too polite. Speaking of which, we should be the ones thanking Senior Qin Yi for giving us this job opportunity." As Yoyo spoke, she reached out and quietly tugged at the corner of Zhao Ying's clothes.

Zhao Ying snapped back to her senses, forced a small smile, and chimed in, "Yes, Sister Qianqian, don't worry. It's about time, you guys go ahead and get busy. We'll take care of Zilin."

"Mm, then I'll have to trouble you." After Xu Qian expressed her thanks, Qin Yi's group headed back toward the School of Economics.

Watching Qin Yi, Xu Qian, and the others leave, Yoyo boisterously reached out and patted Xu Zilin's shoulder, saying with a giggle, "Junior, let's go. Shall Big Sister take you to the School of Materials first to get familiar with the environment?"

Caught off guard by Yoyo's pat, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in Xu Zilin's heart. He had never had such close contact with a girl other than his own sister; in that instant, he felt his heart rate speed up a few notches.

It was currently the height of summer, and everyone was dressed quite lightly. Furthermore, Xu Zilin was nearly 1.8 meters tall, much taller than Yoyo. When he looked down at her, his gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of snowy white skin within Yoyo's neckline. Combined with the faint fragrance emanating from her body, the face of this eighteen-year-old boy who had barely seen the world instantly flushed a deep red.

Xu Zilin hurriedly averted his gaze, his eyes becoming somewhat shifty as he stared blankly ahead. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily a few times before he finally cleared his throat and replied in a slightly trembling voice, "O-Okay, I'll follow Senior Sister's lead."

A woman's intuition is very sharp, especially when a man sees something he shouldn't.

Yoyo naturally noticed Xu Zilin's gaze. Combined with his current nervous and shy appearance, it didn't make her feel repulsed; instead, it made her feel that this junior was quite cute and interesting.

Immediately, Yoyo narrowed her eyes, a mischievous smile appearing on her face as she teased, "Junior, looking at you like this... you haven't been in a relationship before, have you?"

Xu Zilin hadn't expected Yoyo to suddenly ask such a question, and for a moment, he was at a loss. He indeed had never been in a relationship; due to his family's circumstances and his father's early passing, he had always been somewhat self-conscious at school. Even talking to female classmates made him feel uneasy, let alone dating.

He scratched his head awkwardly and stammered in response, "Uh, well, I really haven't."

"Wow!" Yoyo exclaimed with exaggerated surprise. "I didn't expect Zilin to not only be a top student but also a pure-hearted little junior!"

As she spoke, she seemed to grow more interested and continued to press him, "Then what type of girl do you like, Junior? Our school has so many beauties, especially the girls in the Acting and Music Departments—every one of them is at the level of a school belle. Do you want Senior Sister to help set you up?"

At this point, Yoyo intentionally paused, lightly flicked her hair with her hand, struck a charming pose, and gave Xu Zilin a wink. She continued to tease him, "Or how about you take a look at me? I've got the figure and the looks~" As she spoke, she even intentionally puffed out her chest as if showing off her assets.

Xu Zilin was made even more embarrassed by Yoyo's teasing; he coughed twice to hide his awkwardness.

"Hehe, is Junior shy?" Yoyo joked with a laugh, but then immediately followed up with, "Don't be nervous, Senior Sister won't eat you... Come on, tell me, what kind do you like? I'll introduce someone to you later."

Xu Zilin waved his hands hurriedly, "No, no... there's no need, Senior Sister. I don't have any thoughts about dating right now. Um... Senior Sister Yoyo, let's go check out the School of Materials first?"

Zhao Ying watched this scene from the side and shook her head helplessly. She stepped in to bail Xu Zilin out, saying, "Yoyo, stop teasing our junior. He's just started university; there will be plenty of opportunities to meet new friends later."

Hearing Zhao Ying's words, Yoyo shrugged and spread her hands, letting out a sigh of mock regret. "Sigh, alright. Since Ying'er said so, I'll stop teasing you. But Junior, what I said just now was for your own good. Remember, there are many senior sisters in school who like to toy with the feelings of their juniors. You have to be careful in the future and never let yourself be tricked by those flashy vixens."

As Yoyo spoke, she pointed to a building not far ahead and continued, "Let's go, the School of Materials is over there."

...

Meanwhile, Qin Jianye and his wife were visiting the home of his third younger sister, Qin Jiange.

The house was a small three-bedroom apartment; though not large, it was decorated warmly and comfortably, appearing quite spacious for a family of three.

Around the dining table, five people sat together, with seven or eight dishes of excellent color, aroma, and taste filling the tabletop.

Qin Jiange's husband, Liu Xiongwei, wore a pair of glasses and exuded a refined, scholarly aura.

Liu Xiongwei had just returned from out of town yesterday. From his wife, he had heard about the recent situation of his eldest brother-in-law's family—not only had their debt problems been resolved, but their financial status had reached a new level, and they had even settled down in Shenjiang Bay, a top-tier residential area in Modu. This information had stirred significant waves in Liu Xiongwei's heart, and his feelings of envy were plain to see.

Consequently, for today's family banquet, Liu Xiongwei had uncharacteristically brought out the moutai he usually kept as a treasure.

With a smile of apology on his face, Liu Xiongwei said politely, "Eldest Brother-in-law, I'm really sorry for the poor hospitality. By right, since you came from Jingnan, I should have come back immediately. But as you know, for us foot soldiers, we have to go wherever the leaders point; there's really no way around it." As he spoke, Liu Xiongwei poured a glass for Qin Jianye and then one for himself. "There are no outsiders today, we're all family. Let's drink freely; consider it my way of making amends to you."

Qin Jianye raised his glass and lightly clinked it against Liu Xiongwei's, a smile of understanding on his face. "Eh, it's fine. At your and Jian Ge's age, it's the time to work hard for your careers. We went through that stage too, so we understand." As he spoke, he took a small sip of the wine, the mellow aroma lingering in his mouth for a long time.

At this moment, the little nephew to the side, Liu Yi, was gnawing on a chicken leg. He mimicked the adults by letting out a satisfied "hiss-ha" sound, drawing a burst of laughter from everyone.

Qin Jianye set down his glass, looked at his little nephew with a smile, reached out to ruffle his hair, and asked with concern, "Xiao Yi, is the pressure from school high? Can you keep up?"

Liu Yi nodded with a bitter face. "It's huge. There's so much homework I can't finish it all. When the weekend finally comes, there are all sorts of cram schools waiting. Being a student is really too bitter..." His words made all the adults present unable to stifle their laughter.

Hearing Liu Yi's complaints, the four adults present couldn't help but laugh.

Qin Jiange even rolled her eyes and, pretending to be angry, placed a piece of meat in Liu Yi's bowl, scolding him, "Even eating meat can't shut your mouth. You should be satisfied; back in our day, we wanted to learn but didn't have the resources. I think you just don't know how lucky you are."

"Hmph~" Liu Yi playfully stuck out his tongue, then turned curiously to Qin Jianye and asked, "Eldest Uncle, why didn't Brother Qin Yi come? I wanted him to take me to play games."

Qin Jianye explained, "Your brother is a very busy man now. He's opened a company and is busy recruiting people. He said he was going to Modu University today for a job fair."

"Wow, Brother Qin Yi is so amazing!" A clear look of envy flashed in Liu Yi's eyes.

Qin Jianye laughed loudly. "You little brat, don't forget that your uncle here used to be a big boss too. I even took you to my office when you were little. How come I didn't see you envying me back then?"

Liu Yi scratched his head a bit sheepishly. "Hehe, Eldest Uncle, you're amazing too. But wasn't your factory already... that. My brother can start a new business and become a boss again, so I think he's a bit more amazing..."

Hearing this, Liu Xiongwei pretended to be angry and glared at his son. "Hey, you brat, is your skin itching for a beating again?"

Qin Jiange also hurried to smooth things over. "Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, don't mind him. This child probably heard us mention it before and just blurted it out."

Wu Xiuhua smiled and waved her hand. "Oh, it's fine, it's fine. Children speak without filter. What Xiao Yi said is the truth, so why would we mind?"

Liu Yi also realized he seemed to have said the wrong thing, so he quit while he was ahead. He finished his juice in a few gulps, wiped his mouth, and said with an obedient look, "Mom, Dad, I'm full." After saying that, he hopped off the dining table, picked up his tablet, and curled up on the sofa to play.

Qin Jiange shook her head helplessly and smiled at Qin Jianye and Wu Xiuhua. "This child, he doesn't eat properly and just thinks about playing all day."

Wu Xiuhua replied with a smile, "He's just a child, let him play. It's good for us to talk and chat as well."

Subsequently, the four of them chatted about family matters while enjoying the delicious food. The atmosphere gradually warmed up during their conversation, becoming very harmonious.

During the meal, Liu Xiongwei also appeared quite active, intentionally or unintentionally inquiring about Qin Yi's business venture.

Qin Jianye didn't say much, only telling Liu Xiongwei the company's name and scope of business. As for other matters, Qin Jianye brushed them off by claiming he wasn't very involved, stalling for time.

It wasn't that Qin Jianye was trying to guard against his brother-in-law; it was mainly because the company belonged to his son after all. If his brother-in-law had a request, it wouldn't be easy for Qin Jianye to make the call. Therefore, he simply pretended to know nothing to avoid making things difficult for his son later.