Chapter 061: Her Prejudice, His Arrogance
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Xie Dingyuan continued to observe her.
Originally, he was waiting at the school gate, but when he saw her hurriedly enter a small clinic, he fell into silence.
His fingers, hanging by his side, unconsciously moved…
After all, she was still a high school student. It was his fault… he had been too harsh.
“Hello, my surname is Xie. I am Zhong Ziang’s uncle,” he crossed the street and stopped in front of Jiang Fuyue, introducing himself in a gentle tone.
He seemed like a different person compared to the rough man who had lifted her up and dropped her yesterday.
Jiang Fuyue maintained a cold gaze as she met his eyes.
As he approached, Xie Dingyuan noticed that her eyes were even more beautiful than yesterday, like two swirling whirlpools, possessing a captivating allure that could draw people in at any moment.
“After returning home yesterday, I inquired about the cause and effect from Ziang. It was his fault in the beginning, so… I apologize,” his half-lowered eyelids silently conveyed humility. His tone was calm and steady, showing a cautious demeanor.
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, undoubtedly acknowledging that he was handsome. There was a sense of seriousness between his brows and eyes, and his every movement exuded an air of proper upbringing.
From the moment he spoke his first words, his attitude was gentle, his manners were considerate, and even his facial expressions left no room for criticism.
Apart from “perfection,” Jiang Fuyue couldn’t find a second word to describe him.
However…
Behind his seemingly calm eyes laid a snow-covered mountain, and his warm and humble attitude was merely superficial.
Zhong Ziang’s uncle, surnamed Xie…
Jiang Fuyue had already guessed his background.
Speaking of her relationship with the Xie family…
Well, the past was like smoke, it should have dissipated long ago. In this lifetime, she was Jiang Fuyue.
Just Jiang Fuyue!
“Mr. Xie, is this apology for yourself, or are you conveying it on behalf of Zhong Ziang?”
The man paused for a moment before smiling, “Both.”
“That’s too simple then, without any sincerity. What do you think?” Jiang Fuyue replied.
Xie Dingyuan nodded, “That was my mistake. So, what does it mean to have ‘sincerity’?”
Jiang Fuyue suggested, “How about both you and your nephew apologize to me at the same time?”
The man neither agreed nor disagreed, he simply said, “I heard that you have good grades, but besides burying yourself in studying, you should occasionally look up at the world. This is a small gesture from me, a way to apologize to you.”
As he spoke, he handed a paper bag to Jiang Fuyue, using both hands.
Even in this small gesture, he maintained his politeness and manners.
However, the invisible pressure it created was not something that Jiang Fuyue, a young novice, could withstand.
It seemed that the upper-class circle in the imperial capital enjoyed playing this game, euphemistically called “dignified and noble,” or harshly labeled as “putting on airs.” The class divide unintentionally created easily made the other party feel inferior and timid.
What a clever psychological tactic it was.
Unfortunately, they encountered Jiang Fuyue, a legendary figure from that circle who once resided at the top of the pyramid.
Who could make her feel inferior?
Who had the qualification to make her timid?
Sure enough…
Jiang Fuyue’s calm demeanor caught the man’s attention several times. Her refusal to take the bag also made him raise an eyebrow curiously.
“Aren’t you going to take a look?” Xie Dingyuan asked.
“It’s the latest model of a fruit-themed laptop, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s the high-end version. It’s estimated to cost over 20,000 yuan. Mr. Xie is indeed generous. Unfortunately, price doesn’t equate to sincerity,” Jiang Fuyue remarked.
The smile on the man’s face faded, eventually disappearing completely, leaving behind a deep and silent sea.
He thought that he now somewhat understood Zhong Ziang’s feelings.
Offering you face, but you don’t want it, not knowing what’s good for you… It wasn’t wrong.
He naturally retracted his hand and smoothed out his sleeve creases. Xie Dingyuan lifted his chin slightly, and his indifferent and cold gaze landed on Jiang Fuyue’s face. “It seems that we won’t come to an agreement today.”
“Is it so difficult for you to apologize at the same time as Zhong Ziang?” Jiang Fuyue chuckled.
“Heh… Is all you want an apology?” the man sneered, seeing it as nothing more than disguised humiliation.
He hadn’t expected a high school girl to have such complex thoughts. Perhaps her relationship with Zhong Ziang wasn’t simply a matter of one-sided pursuit.
Who knew if she was intentionally playing hard to get? Was she trying to keep people in suspense?
If that was the case, then Zhong Ziang really couldn’t outplay her…
There was a trace of scrutiny in the man’s eyes, mixed with seven parts disdain. Jiang Fuyue didn’t know what he was imagining, but her intuition told her it couldn’t be something good.
She immediately restrained her smile and met his gaze head-on. “If it weren’t for Zhong Ziang’s fault in the first place, you wouldn’t have made this trip. Your apology is merely a matter of courtesy and not heartfelt. In other words, you apologize with your mouth, but in your heart, you don’t believe that using force was wrong, at least not entirely your responsibility.”
Xie Dingyuan remained calm, and the slight curve of his raised chin carried an unattainable air of dignity and arrogance.
“Because I laid a hand on Zhong Ziang and you had to save him, you decided to lay a hand on me. Ultimately, I was in the wrong, and your actions were based on that premise. So, what was originally a mistake becomes somewhat understandable. And the reason you’re here, lowering yourself to apologize to me, is simply because you are willing, benevolent, and magnanimous,” Jiang Fuyue pierced through his facade with a sharp observation.
In the end, she retorted, “Since you don’t have much sincerity, why should I take it seriously?”
Xie Dingyuan sized her up for the first time, a very young girl still wearing her school uniform, not even in her twenties, but her words were sharp and piercing.
Her unfiltered remarks had indeed struck a chord with him.
“You have prejudice against me,” he said.
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow, sounding casual. “Perhaps.”
“That’s not right,” the man replied seriously, appearing as meticulous as a scholar.
She became slightly interested. “So what? Are you going to teach me how to be a person?”
His reserved chin involuntarily lifted, and his gaze turned disdainful as he looked at her, each word enunciated clearly. “Please retract your prejudice.”
“Okay, when you let go of your arrogant pride,” she retorted.
The conversation ended without a resolution.
Xie Dingyuan sat in the car, and the partially lowered window revealed the man’s cold and stern profile. “Old Zhang, drive.”
Jiang Fuyue calmly turned around, her figure upright.
A person who confined themselves within a frame, seeking perfection but succumbing to hypocrisy, dared to talk to her about “prejudice”?
How laughable!
…
Zhong Ziang took a day off today and didn’t go to class.
In the morning, Dr. Tang came over to examine him. Aside from the unsightly bruises around his neck, his trachea, lungs, and heart were all fine.
In the end, Dr. Tang left a tube of blood-activating and stasis-dissipating ointment before leaving.
Zhong Ziang looked at himself in the mirror, left and right, and the more he looked, the more he felt like a dog wearing a collar.
“D*mn it!”
He threw the ointment away and angrily laid back on the bed.
When he woke up from a nap, the sun was setting outside the window.
Knock, knock, knock—
“Who is it?” he asked impatiently.
“Young Master, Mr. Xie has returned. He’s calling you to the living room,” it was Liu Ma.
Zhong Ziang didn’t want to delay and quickly washed his face before going to the living room.
“Uncle.”
“Mmm.” Xie Dingyuan sat on the sofa, wearing a dress shirt and trousers, immaculately dressed.
“Did Dr. Tang come?” he asked Liu Ma.
“Yes, he came. He came early this morning and said that Young Master has a superficial injury and will recover in a few days.”
Xie Dingyuan nodded slightly. “You may go and attend to your tasks.”
“Alright.” Liu Ma turned and left.
His gaze fell on Zhong Ziang, and after a momentary pause, he spoke. “Half an hour ago, I met Jiang Fuyue.”
Zhong Ziang was taken aback.
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