The Young Miss Refuse To Love-Chapter 78: It’s the right person, just…the wrong time.

"Have you finished writing?" He Zeqing asked the moment he settled into the couch, his eyes sharp with curiosity.

Qi Jianyi rolled her eyes, sipping her tea. What was wrong with this cousin of hers? Ever since she had casually mentioned she was working on a manuscript, He Zeqing had been relentless, pestering her with questions and attempting to pry every detail.

Now, as if he could sense she was done, the young president had appeared at her door without warning.

"It’s done," she replied offhandedly, hiding her amusement.

Feigning indifference, He Zeqing stretched out his hand. "Hand it over."

"What?" Qi Jianyi raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his confidence.

"Where is it? Let me read it. Who knows? I might even invest in your manuscript," he said with that unwavering confidence of his.

Qi Jianyi laughed at his audacity. "Cousin, it’s not time for you to read it just yet."

"Why not?" he asked, clearly displeased.

"Didn’t I tell you before that my manuscript already has a first reader lined up? That person hasn’t even laid eyes on it yet. How could I let you read it before him?" She leaned back, enjoying his reaction.

He Zeqing’s face darkened, a bad premonition settling over him. "Please don’t tell me that your first reader is that jerk."

Seeing his expression sour, Qi Jianyi couldn’t help but flash a wicked smile. "Oh, you guessed it right."

Qi Jianyi watched as He Zeqing’s expression shifted from a simple frown to unmistakable displeasure.

His eyes narrowed, glinting with a look that bordered on betrayal, as if her choice had struck a nerve he hadn’t expected.

"I’m your cousin," he uttered, his voice almost hurt, leaving Qi Jianyi wondering if she was imagining the hint of vulnerability in his tone.

"Yes, you are," she replied with a slight nod, keeping her tone light but feeling a twinge of guilt at his reaction.

"Then why let him be your first reader and not me?"

Tilting her head, she gave him an innocent smile. "Because Song Chengfeng asked first. He wanted to read my work before anyone else. So... first come, first serve."

She didn’t feel bad about choosing Song Chengfeng—he had, after all, genuinely been the first to express interest. Qi Jianyi wasn’t one to go back on her word, even if it meant disappointing her overly competitive cousin.

Seeing He Zeqing’s face darken further, she tried to soften the blow. "What’s with that look? I didn’t say you can’t read it. I’m just saying you’ll read it after him."

But instead of easing the tension, her words seemed to deepen his scowl. She almost laughed at the sight—her stern, dignified cousin sulking like a child deprived of his favorite toy. If only he could see how ridiculous he looked, maybe he’d laugh too.

He Zeqing muttered in annoyance, "I really shouldn’t have invited him to Zejin’s birthday party."

Qi Jianyi simply shook her head at his words. "Things have already happened," she replied, her tone calm and slightly amused.

The party had come and gone; Song Chengfeng had attended, and they had met. It was all in the past now.

Nothing could change the fact that their paths had crossed, almost as if they were destined to.

With a smirk, she added, "He’s your friend, after all."

He Zeqing shot her a glare, scoffing. "Friend? I never expected that he’d be so eager to become my cousin, too. As if being a friend isn’t close enough."

He shook his head in exasperation. "Now I’ll even have to see his face at every New Year’s gathering?"

The thought of having Song Chengfeng intrude on his family’s gatherings grated on his nerves.

It was bad enough being dragged around by him everywhere and now he’d have to endure Song Chengfeng’s presence at family events too.

"What makes you so sure he’ll be part of your family?" Qi Jianyi interrupted, frowning in confusion. As far as she knew, she hadn’t accepted Song Chengfeng—not yet, anyway.

He Zeqing gave her a flat look, his expression as dull as if he were questioning her common sense. "With the way you let him do whatever he wants, I doubt you’ll turn him down," he scoffed, his tone laced with a trace of disdain.

Qi Jianyi felt a surge of offense rise at both his tone and his words. Since when had her cold and composed cousin become so talkative, throwing out comments that were as irritating as they were blunt? It was strange.

He Zeqing and Song Chengfeng both seemed different lately, as though each was dropping their usual masks in her presence.

"President He," she shot back, her voice sharp, "if you want to maintain that ’high and mighty’ aura of yours, you’d better stop talking. Every word you say makes you sound less and less... dignified."

She watched his reaction, half-expecting him to take offense, but He Zeqing merely shrugged, clearly unfazed. "I don’t care what people think about me," he replied, unbothered.

The corners of his lips tugged into a slight smirk, as though relishing her irritation.

Anyway, he thought, with a nonchalant air, he wasn’t the one in love trouble here.

"My... whatever... relationship with Song Chengfeng has nothing to do with you, okay? Stop speculating about us," Qi Jianyi said with an exaggerated eye roll.

She was getting tired of people asking about Song Chengfeng’s confession and what she intended to do about it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to do anything about it—she just didn’t know what to do.

Desperate to change the topic, she blurted, "So, what’s going on between you and Xia Ning?"

The question was a gamble, but anything to get He Zeqing off her back. Yet, she should’ve known better—distractions didn’t work on He Zeqing. Still, he seemed momentarily caught off guard, his brow creasing as he processed her words.

"What about her? There’s nothing between us," he replied coolly, his expression darkening.

When Xia Ning’s name was brought up, He Zeqing’s face twisted into a subtle frown. The more he thought about her, the more he felt... something close to disgust.

"Didn’t she like you?" Qi Jianyi raised a brow, half-expecting him to scoff in response.

Truthfully, she wasn’t surprised by his reaction. Over time, she’d begun to question her understanding of this world.

Since she knew that the novel she had transmigrated into was written by the original Qi Jianyi, everything seems so unsure.

Perhaps, many events from that so-called "novel" were merely figments of the original Qi Jianyi’s imagination.

Yet, the mystery remained: some scenes from the novel had eerily unfolded in this world.

Qi Jianyi couldn’t understand how the original Qi Jianyi had written events that seemed to mirror real life, as if she’d somehow lived through them. Yet, knowing she’d never find an answer, she pushed the unsettling thought aside.

"I just thought you’d want to give Xia Ning a chance," Qi Jianyi said, an innocent smile tugging at her lips. She could see the look of pure irritation on He Zeqing’s face, yet she couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire.

His cold expression grew even icier as he glared at her. "Why would I ever want to give someone who’s only interested in my wealth a chance?"

"Oh? I didn’t realize my cousin was such a hopeless romantic, looking for true love," Qi Jianyi teased, raising an eyebrow playfully.

He Zeqing didn’t flinch, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "I’m looking for someone who brings me peace. Someone who lets me breathe, instead of constantly demanding something. You wouldn’t understand."

For a moment, his words settled between them, and silence filled the space. Qi Jianyi could somewhat understand his sentiment, though.

Who would want to come home to someone who only ever seemed to take, who made every conversation about their own needs?

The thought crossed her mind—a relationship like that would drain anyone. Being reduced to a provider, a means to an end, with no deeper connection... no one would want that.

"Then maybe you should ease up a little and stop looking so cold. With that glacial stare, who’d even have the courage to approach you?" Qi Jianyi remarked, setting her tea down with a slight smirk.

He Zeqing shot her a look, unamused. "If she can’t handle me with my cold face, what makes her think she deserves my attention?"

It was a point he felt strongly about. Over the years, he’d received countless confessions from admirers, yet few had dared to actually approach him in a way that held his interest.

Some stumbled through their words, while others shrank back at his mere presence, and any conversation quickly became tedious.

The few women who had shown courage seemed to come into his life at inconvenient times.

Just when someone intriguing crossed his path, he’d be buried under business matters and unable to spare any focus on them. By the time he was ready to give them attention, they’d often moved on.

"Sometimes," he said, almost to himself, "it’s the right person, just... the wrong time."

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