Chapter 50: Chapter 50: What Kind of Family Goes Out with Bodyguards?

"Why don’t you ask her, the one standing right next to you, if I give a damn about the Xia Family taking me back?

I couldn’t even get into the Xia family patriarch’s birthday banquet. What on earth gave you the delusion that I want to return to the Xia Family?

Was it the daily brainwashing from Miss Xia?"

As Yun Zijin spoke, she glanced at Xia Jiajiao. The mockery in her eyes made Xia Jiajiao’s face turn pale.

"Sister, you’ve misunderstood. I...."

"That’s enough. Stop your sniveling. Anyone who didn’t know better would think I did something terrible to you.

Don’t try to get attention from me. I don’t like you, and I’ve made that perfectly clear since the day we met."

The moment Yun Zijin finished speaking, tears streamed down Xia Jiajiao’s face. An unknowing bystander would have thought Yun Zijin had committed some unforgivable crime against her.

"Jiao Jiao, what are you crying for? You were invited by the Lu Family to attend the head of the Lu Family’s birthday banquet. You don’t need to care what other people think.

I bet Mr. Lu gave you that invitation personally!"

The "Mr. Lu" the girl mentioned was Lu Yunque, the current president of the Lu Family corporation.

"Mm... Brother Yun Que did give me an invitation. I’ll be attending Grandpa Lu’s birthday banquet with my mom, dad, and older brother."

As she spoke, she shot a sidelong glance at Yun Zijin, her provocation all too obvious.

Yun Zijin: ...

’As if I didn’t get an invitation too.’

Unwilling to watch their pretentious display, Yun Zijin turned and left with Zero One and her people.

"Hmph, I’d say she’s just jealous of you! She’s clearly dying to go back to the Xia Family but is too proud to admit it. Well, now the door is shut for good. She couldn’t get back in even if she wanted to.

The Lu Family’s banquet isn’t just any ordinary party. Jiao Jiao, you’ll definitely outshine everyone there and win Mr. Lu’s favor!

Then we’ll see if that country bumpkin Yun Zijin still dares to be so arrogant!"

The girl linked her arm with Xia Jiajiao’s, her words brimming with confidence, completely oblivious to the fact that Xia Jiajiao’s expression was slightly off.

’Because I was so clingy last time, Brother Yun Que got the wrong idea about me. This time...’

Xia Jiajiao wondered if she could salvage her image in Lu Yunque’s eyes and reclaim a place in his heart.

Meanwhile, as Yun Zijin sat in the car, the more she thought about it, the more something felt off.

’It’s normal for the Lu Family to send an invitation to the Xia Family. But from the way Xia Jiajiao put it, did the Lu Family also send her one separately?’

’It can’t be that Lu Yunque is really into Xia Jiajiao... right?’

’Surely Mr. Lu’s taste isn’t that bad?’

The mere thought of Lu Yunque with Xia Jiajiao by his side, walking arm-in-arm, gave Yun Zijin goosebumps.

’No matter how you look at it, those two just don’t seem like a good match...’

"Miss, where to now?"

Yun Zijin had yet to give a destination after getting into the car, so Ling Qi hadn’t driven off.

"To... let’s go to Dijing University."

Yun Zijin had brought along a bottle of the Rose Essential Oil she’d successfully created, mainly because she wanted to have someone run some tests on it.

Her goal was to prove that her unlicensed product was completely pure, natural, and pollution-free, and possessed excellent whitening and moisturizing properties.

That way, if she gave it as a gift in the future, she’d have proof to reassure people if they asked.

She was a student at Dijing University, so it was the one place she had some connections.

Receiving Yun Zijin’s answer, Ling Qi stepped on the accelerator and drove off.

On the way, Yun Zijin messaged a senior she knew from the chemistry department. She only relaxed after he confirmed he was on campus.

It was July, so the students were on summer break. But this particular senior was so outstanding that his advisor had conscripted him to work in the lab.

Besides, plenty of graduate students don’t go home for winter and summer breaks, so he was hardly the only one.

If not for that, Yun Zijin wouldn’t have been able to find anyone to run the tests for her.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

「Dijing University.」

"What’s with that dopey, lovesick grin? Did a pretty junior come looking for you?"

Hearing someone tease him, He Jingwen’s face flushed an even deeper red.

"Whoa! I actually guessed right?"

Zhou Li hadn’t expected his casual comment to hit so close to home for his junior.

"Who is she? Spill! Maybe your senior here can cook up a plan to help you win the girl!"

"It’s... a junior I met in a club when I was a sophomore. She should be doing her internship now.

She messaged me yesterday saying she needed help with something and is on her way over."

In his heart, He Jingwen knew that Yun Zijin’s feelings for him were purely the respect a junior has for a senior, with not a trace of romance.

’But hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?’

"You mean... you haven’t won her over in three years?"

Zhou Li was stunned. If He Jingwen met her when he was a sophomore, that meant she was a freshman joining a club. From her freshman year until now, when she was off on her internship—that was a full three years.

Next year would be her fourth, and she would graduate.

"My junior... she’s just a bit of a late bloomer, I guess."

’A late bloomer? She hasn’t bloomed at all!’

It wasn’t what He Jingwen wanted, but that’s just how things had developed. There was nothing he could do about it.

"Well, your chances are looking slim, then."

Zhou Li didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t exactly force them to get together; that would be unfair to the junior.

"By the way, what did she need your help with?"

Zhou Li figured this might be a good angle.

"She said she made some Rose Essential Oil herself, but she doesn’t have a production license or anything like that. She wants me to help her run some tests and issue a report, just to prove the stuff is a natural, harmless, green product."

It was a simple task that anyone in the lab could handle.

"Rose Essential Oil?"

And she made it herself? Zhou Li couldn’t quite wrap his head around that.

Still, it was a minor matter, so Zhou Li didn’t press for details.

Soon, He Jingwen’s phone rang. He pulled it out and saw the caller was Yun Zijin.

He Jingwen quickly answered. "Hey! Junior Sister Yun, are you on campus? Okay, I’ll wait for you at the lab entrance."

With that, He Jingwen hung up.

"That’s it?"

Zhou Li had been hoping to hear more, but the call was over in two sentences.

"My junior drove here. She’s coming straight to the lab building, so I just need to go out and get the sample."

"Isn’t she just an intern? She already has a car? Is she a Dijing local?"

Otherwise, Zhou Li couldn’t imagine what kind of person could afford a car during their internship.

After all, intern pay was low, the work was tedious and overwhelming, and there was always the risk of being exploited.

"I don’t think she’s a local. Anyway, stop asking so many questions. Senior, have you recorded your data yet? The professor is coming to check it this afternoon!"

Zhou Li: ...

’We could have still been friends if you hadn’t brought up the lab data.’

Meanwhile, Yun Zijin spent a long time negotiating with the guard at the university gate. She finally had to pull out her student ID to prove she was a student currently away on an internship before she was allowed to enter.

"What kind of family is she from, bringing bodyguards with her?"

The guard muttered under his breath, eyeing the men in the van behind her.

Yun Zijin had, after all, studied at Dijing University for three years. Plus, He Jingwen had told her when his advisor recruited him into the lab.

Relying on her excellent memory, Yun Zijin successfully directed Ling Qi to the parking lot near He Jingwen’s advisor’s laboratory.