Chapter 203: Chapter 200: Someone Looks Down on Me!

He let out a cold, disdainful hum. Qin Fan had no intention of using his departure to escape this established reality. After steadying his breathing, he took large strides upstairs without a single glance in Xu Jiayi’s direction.

This sent a complex and bitter feeling swirling in the depths of Xu Jiayi’s heart.

What kind of blow is this? I am the daughter of the second-in-command of the provincial department, backed by a father who will very likely make his way into Beijing, yet I’m repeatedly ignored and even treated with humiliating contempt.

But faced with Qin Fan’s mysterious and almost heaven-defying assets, she calmly accepted it. She even secretly encouraged herself with the proverb, “Plum blossoms get their fragrance from the bitter cold.”

With Xu Jiayi’s background, finding a match of equal social status would have been easy. Countless scions of powerful families were already lining up for her. But as the daughter of the provincial department’s second-in-command, someone constantly steeped in the world of power, her ambitions had always been several levels higher than her peers. Across all of Qi Middle School, the only one who had ever sparked her desire to forge a connection was Ye Haoyuan.

Unfortunately, Young Master Ye’s words and actions often revealed an erratic streak, which led her to dismiss him as childish.

It wasn’t until Qin Fan’s astonishing resources gradually came to light that she was genuinely moved.

For me, right now, Qin Fan is someone I absolutely must win over! And I will!

“Auntie, it’s said that No. 1 Villa is a symbol of the pinnacle of power in Lingnan. Seeing its magnificent layout for myself, I can say it truly lives up to its name!” Xu Jiayi exclaimed with an elegant smile after a brief tour accompanied by Wei Shuying.

“Pinnacle or not, I don’t really think about those things,” Wei Shuying replied, shaking her head with a gentle laugh like a wise sage. “As long as Xiao Fan can make us proud, and our family of three no longer has to tread on thin ice, bound by the judgment of the world, then I’ll be content. Power is a good thing, but most of the time, carrying it is very, very tiring.”

Throughout their conversation, she never brought up the matter between Xu Jiayi and Qin Fan.

She wasn’t naive. She naturally knew that Xu Jiayi was able to visit their home, and even harbor a budding affection for her son, entirely because of the various talents Qin Fan had recently begun to display.

But she also understood that this was the way of the world, this was life.

There is no such thing as baseless pursuit or admiration in this world, especially not from a chosen one like Xu Jiayi, who was born into an extraordinary family. If Qin Fan were ordinary, she wouldn’t even deign to look at him, let alone develop feelings for him.

She understood all this, but she didn’t mind. In the end, that’s just the way of the world.

“Yes, but as tiring as it may be, the world still looks up to power, worships power, and grovels before power,” Xu Jiayi said, her innocent, good-girl demeanor fading as Wei Shuying touched upon the subject. She spoke word by word, voicing thoughts that seemed far beyond her years. “Though storms—sometimes even catastrophic ones—often follow in power’s wake, for many, it is a pursuit. It is the ultimate, unending pursuit in life. Take the current power pyramid, for example. No one at the top is ever truly satisfied.”

Wei Shuying’s expression changed slightly, surprised by her words. Oh, I seem to have misjudged her! I never expected someone so young to be able to analyze things so astutely! Just based on this, in terms of her values and way of thinking, she has definitely left most of her peers far behind!

But inwardly, she was growing increasingly fond of Xu Jiayi.

Behind every successful man is a wise, forward-thinking woman.

For Xu Jiayi to say such things at her age, Wei Shuying already saw in her the makings of that wise woman.

Compared to Zhou Xueman, this girl is ten, a hundred, even a thousand times better!

“Well, what can I say? With a father like Xu Yaoqi, I couldn’t help but be influenced,” Xu Jiayi said with a small laugh. “Hehe, Auntie, do you think I think too much? I mean, at my age, I should be enjoying my youth, not dissecting so-called life and power.”

“Not at all, not at all!” Wei Shuying beamed, her smile wide. “To be honest, having such an advanced perspective at your age truly surprised me! But surprise aside, whoever marries you in the future will be incredibly blessed, haha!”

“But *someone* looks down on me, not even giving me the chance to have a cup of coffee with him! Hehe!” Xu Jiayi bit her lip, her demeanor returning to that of a young girl.

Hmm? Is she talking about that brat, Qin Fan?

Wei Shuying didn’t call her on it, instead smiling and saying, “Opportunities are something you have to fight for! If once doesn’t work, try twice. If twice doesn’t work, try three times. Feelings are cultivated. Time can often turn passion cold, but it can also turn dislike into like. The difference is all in how you look at it.”

“Really, Auntie?” Xu Jiayi asked, her bright eyes meeting Wei Shuying’s smiling gaze.

“Really,” Wei Shuying said, affectionately tapping Xu Jiayi’s nose. “Everything requires perseverance. People often say that effort isn’t always rewarded, but I believe it always is. The only question is when that reward will appear. But the prerequisite is still perseverance. Do you understand?”

“Okay, then I’ll listen to you, Auntie! Yes—the key is perseverance. I must persevere! Fighting!” Making a small fist, Xu Jiayi held it high and flashed an innocent, adorable grin.

“Haha, alright, all this talking has made my mouth dry. Come on, let’s go downstairs and have some fruit.” Taking Xu Jiayi’s hand, Wei Shuying turned and started down the stairs.

The moment she stepped onto the staircase, Wei Shuying looked curiously at Qin Chu’s figure standing in the middle of the villa’s main doorway. “Qin Chu, what are you doing?” she asked.

But he didn’t reply. He remained silent and motionless, his gaze fixed intently on the world outside the door. Wei Shuying could even see his body trembling faintly.

What’s going on?

Puzzled, Wei Shuying let go of Xu Jiayi’s hand. Her expression grew tense as she walked up behind her husband.

“Qin Chu, what’s wrong?” Wei Shuying asked with a frown, patting him lightly on the back.

When he still didn’t respond, she couldn’t help but raise her gaze to look outside the villa.

The moment she looked up and saw the scene outside the manor, her heart began to pound and her breath caught in her throat. Just like Qin Chu, her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and a look of pure disbelief spread across her face.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep