Chapter 30: Men Are All No Good

After they had rented the apartment, another problem arose. Leaving Ouyang Bingbing, such a stunning beauty, to live here alone—was that really safe?

"Bingbing, how about this? Why don’t we have Brother He Tian stay here with you at night?" Wang Xinrou glanced at Ouyang Bingbing, who was pacing around, already trying to figure out which corner to turn into her studio, and spoke with a sly twinkle in her eye.

"Sure!" Ouyang Bingbing agreed reflexively, but then suddenly realized what she’d just said and quickly added, "Wait, what did you just say?"

"You said sure!" Wang Xinrou batted her eyes, grinning at Ouyang Bingbing with a teasing, knowing look.

"I meant, it's a good idea to turn this place into my studio!" Ouyang Bingbing pointed seriously at a corner of the living room, but her darting eyes betrayed her true feelings.

Her words were at odds with her heart—a classic case of saying one thing and meaning another.

He Tian exchanged a quick, triumphant wink with Wang Xinrou. Yet, even as he tried to tease Wang Xinrou, inwardly He Tian was feeling rather troubled. Could it be that Ouyang Bingbing had really started to like him? Wasn’t that a bit fast? Was his charm truly that overwhelming?

He chuckled to himself. Wherever he went, he always seemed to become the center of attention.

To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. Back in his previous environment, he’d encountered plenty of strong-willed women, most of whom revolved around him. Many of his comrades had envied, even resented, his luck. But despite always being in the spotlight, He Tian had never actually been confessed to. If Ouyang Bingbing were to confess her feelings now, what should he do?

Truth be told, Ouyang Bingbing was an exceptional woman. Her beauty went without saying, but it was her gentle, graceful aura that was truly captivating. From He Tian’s observation, she was the epitome of a caring and capable woman, someone devoted to home and family, who would look after you in every way. Whoever married such a woman would be truly blessed.

But still—

He Tian wasn’t just putting on airs. It wasn’t that he was indifferent to a beautiful woman’s affection; rather, he simply wasn’t ready, nor did he know how to prepare.

So, after giving Wang Xinrou a hard time and earning a fierce glare from her in return, He Tian quickly shifted his attention elsewhere, though his ears remained alert to the conversation between the two women.

"Alright, tell me honestly—have you fallen for He Tian?" Wang Xinrou dragged Ouyang Bingbing away to a far corner, but still feeling uneasy, she pulled her into a bedroom, shut the door, and only then pressed her for an answer.

Outside, He Tian looked helpless and lost all interest in eavesdropping. He retreated to the balcony to inspect the surroundings.

"What are you talking about!" Ouyang Bingbing shook her head fervently. "How could I possibly like him!"

"You're not fooling anyone," Wang Xinrou laughed, pointing at her. "He’s not my boyfriend! In fact, I’ve only just met him a few days ago. You can go after him without any worries!"

"Oh, Xinrou, I really don’t mean anything by it! Hmph... after what he did, I haven’t even settled that score with him yet—why would I suddenly like him?" Ouyang Bingbing put on an expression of complete disbelief.

"Really?" Wang Xinrou looked at her with surprise.

"Of course! Why would I lie?" Ouyang Bingbing shot back immediately.

"Well, don’t regret it then... I’m planning to try my luck with this handsome guy myself in a little while!" Wang Xinrou winked, her tone full of mischief.

"You little minx... could you be any bolder? But you’d better think carefully! I get the feeling He Tian is a very mysterious person—with skills that are frankly astonishing. Do you really think he’s just an ordinary guy? Whatever you do, make sure you think it through," Ouyang Bingbing warned her earnestly.

"I know, don’t worry!" Wang Xinrou wasn’t the least bit worried about He Tian’s background.

Yet, Ouyang Bingbing’s attitude now made Wang Xinrou start second-guessing her own assumptions.

Had Ouyang Bingbing not actually fallen for He Tian? Had it all just been her own speculation? Or was Ouyang Bingbing simply afraid to confess?

Unable to figure it out, Wang Xinrou decided to stop overthinking.

"Bingbing, I really don’t feel comfortable with you living here alone. Let’s go talk to Lin Ying and have her move in as well. It’s not far from the restaurant, so it’ll be convenient, and we won’t have to worry about the dorm closing at night," Wang Xinrou suggested.

"Agreed! I’d be a bit scared living here alone myself," Ouyang Bingbing nodded.

"Great! Let’s tidy up and pick our rooms," Wang Xinrou said cheerily, moving off to get started.

Ouyang Bingbing took a deep breath and patted her chest, feeling her heart hammering wildly.

She’d almost let her secret slip!

As a woman, how could she not see through Wang Xinrou’s feelings for He Tian? Perhaps Wang Xinrou herself hadn’t realized, or even if she had, she hadn’t confessed yet. If Ouyang Bingbing were to suddenly interject herself now, what would that make her? Wouldn’t that destroy their friendship?

"My feelings are just an illusion—just a ripple from what happened yesterday," Ouyang Bingbing told herself, trying to rationalize her emotions.

Even if it were true, given her personality, she would only ever keep it buried in her heart.

Such are men and women.

Time, after all, means little. Sometimes, whether man or woman, we simply can’t control our hearts.

And the world’s brilliance is, in no small part, due to the entanglements between men and women.

There wasn’t much to tidy up in the apartment; the furniture was all in place, and only personal belongings and a few kitchen essentials needed to be brought over—after all, used items hold little appeal, especially for those with money to spare.

Wang Xinrou took on the role of quartermaster, drawing up a list of everything they needed to purchase so nothing would be forgotten. She was particularly insistent about getting the highest-spec computers available, and after consulting with Ouyang Bingbing, decided to buy five at once.

He Tian could clearly sense Wang Xinrou’s support and trust in Ouyang Bingbing—how much more so could Ouyang Bingbing herself? She was sincerely grateful. And with Wang Xinrou’s straightforward, easygoing manner, Ouyang Bingbing never felt as if she were being used for profit.

In truth, the word "use" was unfair between them. At its core, Wang Xinrou was helping them—helping them realize their ambitions. Together, they made a complete team: money, manpower, and ideas.

"That’s all for now. Anything else you need?" Wang Xinrou asked Ouyang Bingbing.

"I’ll need to visit a few brokerage firms and open some accounts—spread things out a bit," Ouyang Bingbing replied with a smile. "But I can handle that myself."

"Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?" Wang Xinrou’s concern was genuine.

"Don’t think I’m so fragile," Ouyang Bingbing smiled gently, though beneath her softness was unmistakable strength.

"Alright, you handle it! Let’s go find Lin Ying now and surprise her with her new home!" Wang Xinrou declared with a flourish.

The three of them went downstairs and got into the car.

"Xinrou, look—over there! Isn’t that Qin Long? The guy who’s been chasing after you," Ouyang Bingbing said just as He Tian was about to start the car.

"Where?" Wang Xinrou quickly looked outside. "It is Qin Long! But who’s that woman with him?"

He Tian also spotted Qin Long, but his brows furrowed and he sighed deeply.

Qin Long was holding a woman by the arm—no, to be precise, it was Qin Long holding her arm, not the other way around. If that didn’t say something, then at the very least, the woman looked to be about thirty, perhaps even older if not for the tricks of makeup. Calling her thirty-five wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Still not convinced? Consider her air of arrogance, and Qin Long’s ingratiating smile. Taken together, surely that says something.

"What a waste of a good name," He Tian thought with indifference. He didn’t care about Qin Long himself, just felt sorry for the name.

"So the rumors are true! Qin Long really does have those intentions. Our senior, Shi Ling—the campus beauty, outstanding in every way—Qin Long never gave her a glance. The talk is that it’s because Shi Ling comes from a poor background," Ouyang Bingbing said angrily. "Qin Long is really a piece of work!"

"Disgusting! And to think he keeps chasing after me—after my money, more like! Ugh…" Wang Xinrou looked thoroughly repulsed.

Qin Long was a well-known figure at Tianhai University, admired by many girls. But unfortunately, he was the worst kind of person.

"All men are scum!" Wang Xinrou declared, her words sweeping with indiscriminate force.

"Hey, watch it! Don’t forget there’s still one man here—and a particularly handsome and decent one at that!" He Tian immediately protested, feeling compelled to defend his honor.

"Yeah, right…" Wang Xinrou almost retorted that He Tian was no better, but thought better of it and kept quiet. She didn’t want to give Ouyang Bingbing any ideas.

"Actually, I tried to warn Qin Long. If he could just rein himself in a bit—with his looks and intelligence, and some hard work—he could have a bright future. But he’s always looking for shortcuts," He Tian shook his head. There were plenty of men with that mindset nowadays, but few who actually acted on it. Of course, to take such shortcuts, you had to have some assets to begin with, and Qin Long, with his good looks and physique, did.

Still, He Tian guessed Qin Long had probably exhausted his options at school and was now setting his sights elsewhere. But his choice now… well, it was certainly something.

Truly remarkable—if nothing else.