Chapter One Hundred: Overwhelmed by Jealousy

Liu Yunfei really felt defeated today. Along the way, he barely spoke, keeping his head down as he walked. The more Dong Qianqian talked, the more incredible her stories became—how Chen Zhiqiang scrimped and saved, donating his earnings from part-time jobs to dozens of children who had dropped out of school; how he never studied yet always topped every exam; how once, when Dong Qianqian was accosted by thugs, he fought eight at once, endured more than twenty wounds and received 185 stitches, willing to die for her honor. Truly, a rare man—unmoved by wealth, unyielding in poverty, and undaunted by force. Liu Yunfei asked himself if he could ever match up. The more he listened, the gloomier he grew, his heart twisting with envy and bitterness.

“Hey, hey, there’s a bike repair stall at the entrance to the neighborhood,” Dong Qianqian said, finding her own story amusing. She hadn’t expected him to believe it, but seeing him so crestfallen, she felt a pang of sympathy. Still, she thought she was doing this for his own good—if he didn’t focus on his studies and was already thinking about girls at his age, it would bring her less trouble too.

“Oh.” Liu Yunfei stopped walking. He wasn’t stupid; he was just too clouded by jealousy and resentment to care if her story made sense.

The repairman glanced at him. “Come back in half an hour.” It was all part of their routine. He could’ve fixed it on the spot, but if it was too quick, how could he charge more? And how else could he convince you to change parts that didn’t need replacing? That’s why repairmen never wanted the owners around—unless you were getting a pedicure or your nose hair trimmed.

Liu Yunfei didn’t bother with the repairman’s tricks. He simply turned and headed straight for the building where the girl lived. Dong Qianqian caught up, tossing her hair and smiling slyly. “I think I’ve figured you out.”

“Figured what out?” Liu Yunfei asked, a bit dazed.

She found him rather likable and teasing him was fun. “I realize you really do know me.”

“Oh? I don’t even know your name, only that your surname is Dong,” he replied, a bit gruffly.

“Seems like you know quite a bit. You’ve been leading the way the whole time—I never said which building I lived in, yet you headed straight for this complex, and now you know which building is mine. Be honest, how do you know me? Have you been secretly following me?” She was half-joking, but she was truly curious as well.

“Heh, I live in the next building over.” Liu Yunfei pointed with his chin, thinking to himself, I even know about the mole on your neck. He continued, “We’re neighbors. I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh, but there are so many people in the neighborhood. Why do you know me? And how did you know my surname is Dong?”

“I’ve got a good memory. Saw you once and remembered. One of the older ladies in the community said your family name is Dong. What’s your full name? Chairwoman Dong? Dong Cunrui?”

“Go on. It’s Dong Qianqian,” she pouted, her voice soft and sweet.

“Is it the ‘Qian’ from ‘King of Gamblers’ or the ‘Qian’ from ‘thousands of mountains and rivers’?” Liu Yunfei asked.

“Aren’t they the same? It’s Qian with a grass radical. What’s your name?”

“I’m Liu Yunfei.”

Dong Qianqian felt like she’d heard that name before, but she couldn’t recall where. She repeated it to herself, but it still didn’t come to her. As they reached her building, she suddenly remembered Chen Zhiqiang was at home. If she brought a boy back, would Chen Zhiqiang misunderstand? So she said to Liu Yunfei, “Thanks, this is far enough. I’ll carry it upstairs myself.”

“It’s no trouble, I’ll help you take it in.”

“I can do it.” Dong Qianqian reached to grab the boxes herself.

Seeing her struggle, Liu Yunfei had no choice but to let her try, but with two boxes, she couldn’t manage. She barely took a step before setting them back down. If he hadn’t been holding them, the bottles would have crashed and shattered.

“I told you I’d do it.” Without hesitation, Liu Yunfei picked up the boxes and headed straight for the third floor. Dong Qianqian had no choice but to follow, shaking her head.

Inside, Liu Yunfei finally saw the legendary paragon Chen Zhiqiang. But he wasn’t as frugal and plain as Dong Qianqian had described. He was wearing a domestic designer shirt, gold-rimmed glasses, and was half a head shorter than Liu Yunfei. He looked gentle and bookish, and aside from a few pimples, he could pass for a pretty boy. He didn’t talk much, seeming quite shy. As for whether he had any injuries, Liu Yunfei couldn’t tell; he couldn’t very well strip the guy to check.

Dong Qianqian’s mother—who was the woman who’d swatted Liu Yunfei with a flyswatter before—greeted him warmly from afar. “Xiao Chen, let Xiao Liu have a seat.” This made Liu Yunfei uncomfortable; it was clear she already regarded Chen Zhiqiang as a prospective son-in-law, treating him like family.

“It’s alright, Auntie, I’ll check on Uncle,” Liu Yunfei said, heading into the bedroom. He saw old Mr. Dong lying in bed, receiving an IV drip, looking truly unwell. He barely had the strength to speak, just rolling his eyes in greeting. Liu Yunfei asked, “Does a nurse come by every day?”

“No, Qianqian’s mother used to have a chronic illness, so she learned to do it herself. She handles all the injections,” Chen Zhiqiang replied politely.

“Oh, you seem to know a lot,” Liu Yunfei said, not bothering to hide his irritation toward this ‘good man.’ If you’re so capable, why don’t you take care of him yourself?

“Um, hehe.” Chen Zhiqiang caught the hint of hostility and laughed awkwardly.

Liu Yunfei made a round of the house, found he had nothing in common with them, and decided to leave. He’d thought about leaving some money, but worried it would embarrass Dong Qianqian, so he said nothing and headed home. Along the way, his heart was full of anger and jealousy. “I was going to pay for your father’s treatment, but forget it. Let’s see if Chen Zhiqiang can do it. If he’s so capable, let him pay. Stealing my girlfriend—Chen Weak! Chen Simpleton!” He spotted a tree ahead—damn thing looked like Chen Zhiqiang—so he kicked it. He saw a dog—damn thing even walked like Chen Zhiqiang—so he kicked it too. He saw a car—well, that probably had nothing to do with Chen Zhiqiang—he was about to kick it when—

“Hey, hey, Xiao Fei, why are you kicking your father’s car?” called the old lady from next door.

“Oh, it’s my own car, never mind then.”

When Liu Yunfei got home, his parents were sitting on the couch discussing something. Seeing their son’s dejected expression, his mother, Hu Li, called out, “Son, have you eaten? What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

“Not hungry, don’t want to eat.” Liu Yunfei flopped onto the center of the couch.

“We’re discussing the charity fund,” Hu Li said, barely glancing at him. “Your father says donations should only go to children with potential; no point in helping those who do poorly in school. But I think that’s wrong. We should help poor children, and eligibility for aid should be based on family income, not academic achievement.”

“What’s the point in giving money to failing students?” Liu Hongbing insisted. “If we donate to promising ones, they’ll succeed in the future. That benefits not just us, but the country as well.”

“Is charity the same as business? Do you have to calculate costs and profits? Are we doing it for a purpose? If you’re helping someone but still thinking about what you’ll get in return, is that really helping?” Hu Li argued, her voice rising.

Liu Hongbing didn’t seem to care, but Liu Yunfei was struck to the core. Was his jealousy so out of control? Did he want to help old Mr. Dong only to win his daughter? If she weren’t pretty, would he even care? Even if the plan worked, would Dong Qianqian be happy? Would he be content? What had become of him, harboring such selfish and shameless thoughts? That Chen Zhiqiang really was a decent, honest guy. And besides, they were classmates—they knew each other first. How could he call it stealing his girlfriend?

With that realization, he stood up, ready to go to Mr. Dong’s house and take him to the hospital. Hu Li saw her son come home, say barely two words, and now head out again. She called after him, “Hey, son, wait! You’re the chairman of the fund, say something!”

“We’re a charity, not a venture capital firm,” Liu Yunfei replied, tossing the words over his shoulder as he hurried out the door.