Chapter 22: The Cruel Reality

Chapter 22: The Harsh Reality

Hearing some noise outside the villa, Zhao Yixin turned around and immediately saw Yang Qi carrying his suitcase.

“Rich guy... ah, no, Yang Qi, you’re back.” Zhao Yixin quickly spoke, her expression remaining completely unchanged, as if the words she had just uttered were not hers at all.

Yang Qi was speechless. With such a bizarre roommate, he suddenly regretted his decision to rent this villa. Was it really a mistake?

“I have some things to do, you go ahead.” Zhao Yixin hurried upstairs, and just as she was about to disappear onto the second floor, she suddenly turned back and said, “By the way, you can’t just come upstairs.”

Before she finished speaking, Zhao Yixin’s figure had already vanished upstairs.

“At least this place is suitable for cultivation.” Yang Qi twitched at the corner of his mouth, constantly comforting himself that he only rented the house for convenience in training. As long as it was good enough for that, it was fine.

After tidying up briefly, it was already noon. While Yang Qi was eating in the cafeteria, Shi Dong called. Expressing strong dissatisfaction with Yang Qi’s departure, Shi Dong demanded that Yang Qi immediately order him some takeout to soothe his wounded heart.

Yang Qi spent the afternoon immersed in cultivation. Relying on the vitality within the jade, his internal energy improved considerably.

As night fell, Yang Qi practiced two sets of basic boxing forms by the lotus pond before returning to the villa. After a simple shower, he began cultivating in the living room.

The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered continuously toward him with each breath.

Thud... thud...

After an unknown amount of time passed, faint footsteps suddenly approached.

“Snap!”

The kitchen light turned on. A figure dressed in a white shirt walked toward the refrigerator, rummaged through it for a while, then took out a box of snacks and began eating.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out.

“Who are you? Why are you in my room?” Zhao Yixin looked toward Yang Qi in horror.

Yang Qi’s mouth twitched sharply, both amused and exasperated. “Didn’t you just rent the first floor to me today?”

“Sorry, I forgot,” Zhao Yixin said awkwardly, as if suddenly recalling the matter.

“Ah!” Suddenly, Zhao Yixin seemed to remember something and quickly ran upstairs, leaving behind a white silhouette.

“That is...” Watching Zhao Yixin rush upstairs, Yang Qi’s mouth twitched again. She had come downstairs wearing only a shirt. Initially, the sofa blocked his view, so he hadn’t seen anything, but as she hurried upstairs, Yang Qi caught sight of her long, fair legs and nearly perfect figure, causing a tremor in his heart.

“Oh no, everything’s been seen!” Upstairs, Zhao Yixin’s face burned red. She had been sleeping but suddenly felt hungry and, as usual, went downstairs to the fridge in just her shirt. She forgot she had rented the first floor to Yang Qi, so she came down as before.

“What a loss! I’ve made a huge mistake,” Zhao Yixin lay on the bed, full of regret. She shouldn’t have rented to a guy, even if the floors were divided—it was still inconvenient!

“The lighting was so dim, and I ran so fast. He must have seen nothing, absolutely nothing!” Zhao Yixin comforted herself.

She only turned on the kitchen light, not the living room, so under such lighting, Yang Qi definitely couldn’t see much. Besides, she ran so fast—there was no way!

What Zhao Yixin didn’t know was that Yang Qi was a martial artist with senses far keener than ordinary people. He saw far more clearly than she imagined.

The next morning, while Yang Qi was eating breakfast in the living room, Zhao Yixin came downstairs dragging a suitcase.

“One more rule: no being in the living room late at night from now on!” Zhao Yixin glanced at Yang Qi and snorted.

“Fine,” Yang Qi nodded slightly. Cultivating in the living room or bedroom made little difference. Although Zhao Yixin was startled last night, Yang Qi himself was also shocked. Any interruption during training was extremely dangerous. Last night’s incident served as a good warning.

Zhao Yixin didn’t expect Yang Qi to agree so readily. Slightly surprised, she said nothing and left dragging her suitcase.

Beep... beep...

Just after finishing breakfast, Yang Qi’s phone rang. It was Shi Dong.

“Brother Qi, Lin Chao and Xu Kai are leaving. Tonight we’re going to see them off,” Shi Dong said with a hint of sadness.

Lin Chao and Xu Kai were two classmates from other provinces, both male. Perhaps because they came from outside the province, they had worked hard over four years to integrate into the boys’ group. Over time, their bond grew very close.

“Call me then,” Yang Qi nodded slightly. Graduation was near, and many classmates were no longer on campus—either having gone out to work or intern, or returned home. The only chance to gather the entire class again would probably be the graduation ceremony.

Except for lunchtime, Yang Qi spent the whole day cultivating in the villa. Toward evening, Shi Dong called again.

Lin Chao and Xu Kai wouldn’t return until the graduation ceremony. Most of the boys still on campus were there, and even a few close female friends had come along, including Xu Kai’s girlfriend, Sun Qian, who was also in Yang Qi’s class.

After a simple meal, the group headed to Huang Ge KTV near the school—a place they often visited for birthday celebrations.

Inside the private room, amid the piercing music, it seemed possible to momentarily forget the sadness of parting.

One familiar song after another played, and at this moment, no one mentioned Lin Chao and Xu Kai’s departure, fearing that bringing it up would shatter the fragile mood.

“Brother Qi, come, have a drink,” Xu Kai raised his glass beside Yang Qi.

“Here’s to that,” Yang Qi lifted his glass and drank it all.

“Akai, what about you and Sun Qian?” Yang Qi lowered his glass and quietly asked.

Xu Kai fell silent for a moment before speaking, “I’m the only son in my family...”

Hearing this, Yang Qi was silent too. Xu Kai, as the only son, had to think not only of himself but also of his parents. It was impossible for him to stay in Qingchuan Province. Sun Qian faced the same dilemma; as the only daughter, her family couldn’t accept her marrying out of province, a common concern among the older generation.

Xu Kai took a swig of his drink, then lifted his glass and walked to the others.

“I heard Sun Qian wants to move to Xu Kai’s place, but her family won’t allow it. Since she’s the only daughter, her family disagrees, and Xu Kai’s family is even more opposed,” Shi Dong whispered nearby, his tone tinged with regret.

Over four years, several couples had appeared in the class, but the longest-lasting, most stable pair was Xu Kai and Sun Qian. Yet now, at university graduation, they still had to face forced separation, leaving everyone sighing deeply.

“I hope they can get over it soon,” Yang Qi sighed. There was little the classmates could do; after all, this was not just their problem but a family matter.