"You’re the one who needs to watch your back from now on. Keep an eye out for schemers!"

He Qingran poked the uninjured side of Xia Zhaoyun’s cheek. It was so soft and bouncy, with a warm, smooth feel. Even a baby’s skin wasn’t this good. Poking it was addictive!

’I must just be taken with this girl’s pretty face,’ she thought. ’Why else would I be spending all this time and energy worrying about her?’

Xia Zhaoyun slapped her mischievous hand away and raised an eyebrow. "I was only gone long enough for a trip to the hospital. Has the news really spread that fast?"

"This isn’t the workshop, where no one can ever step away. We’re in the main office building," He Qingran said with a pout. "Anyone can just make an excuse, hop on a bike, and start flapping their gums. They could spread a story about you farting in your sleep and make it sound like a huge scandal! And besides, that whole mess of yours has been common knowledge for ages. Everyone’s been waiting for a show, and now they’ve got some fresh, hot gossip. You think they wouldn’t go all out publicizing it?"

"They call it ’clearing the name’ of that what’s-her-name, Miss True-Gem-or-Fake-Gem, but it’s really just those petty, jealous little things who can’t beat you at anything and can only try to tear down your reputation, right?"

"But still, what’s the deal between you and this ’Gem’?"

Xia Zhaoyun scoffed. "What else could it be? She’s after my man. She wants me kicked out of the Song Family, figuring that without their support, I won’t be able to go through with this marriage."

"Saddle me with a reputation for being intolerant and ruthless, and she can just take my place, continuing the marriage alliance between the Song Family and the Tong family."

"So you’re not going to clear your name? Your future mother-in-law is a formidable woman who cares more about appearances than anything. She might actually agree to this," He Qingran said, starting to worry.

Father Tong was the head of the security department, and Mother Tong was a salesclerk at the factory’s supply and marketing co-op. Compared to the dazzling Xia Zhaoyun, who outshone everyone, Tong Yuanbin was what you might call a "model child"—he was as gentle and refined as his name suggested, did well in school, and had even received the factory’s recommendation to attend the Industrial and Agricultural University last year.

Mother Song and Mother Tong had been best friends for decades and were delighted at the prospect of their children getting together. Half-jokingly, half-seriously, they had arranged the engagement for the two of them right before Tong Yuanbin left for university.

Tong Yuanbin absolutely doted on Xia Zhaoyun. Ever since they were children, he had wanted to be at her beck and call. It was widely assumed he’d been bewitched by her stunning, pixie-like face.

Initially, Mother Tong had been very pleased with Xia Zhaoyun. She probably felt that having a daughter-in-law coveted by all the factory directors’ wives brought great prestige to her family, as if she’d been gilded in gold herself.

But even so, Mother Tong had never given up on trying to persuade Xia Zhaoyun to leave the performance troupe for a simple office job with a less complicated work environment.

But now that Xia Zhaoyun’s reputation was in tatters, Mother Tong would surely be the first one to jump up and object to the marriage!

’If the engagement goes through, the poor girl will be caught between her husband and her mother-in-law. But if it falls apart, her situation will be even worse.’

Xia Zhaoyun pursed her lips, glancing at the watch on her left wrist with a flash of irritation. She held out her arm. "Help me take this off. If someone else wants a mama’s boy, they can have him."

"You’re not heartbroken?" He Qingran shot her a look as she unfastened the watch. Shaking her head with a smile, she said, "I really wasted all my worrying on you. Even a stone would have warmed up after being cherished for over ten years."

"They haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re already shutting him out in the cold so heartlessly?"

"Tsk, tsk. Now I’m actually starting to feel sorry for your childhood sweetheart."

Xia Zhaoyun finished her meal and poured herself a glass of water. After just one sip, she frowned and looked listlessly at He Qingran. "Ranran, I’m afraid I’ll be living the hard-knock life with you from now on."

He Qingran patted her shoulder with a gloating smile. "Don’t worry." Seeing the girl’s brow begin to unfurrow, she immediately twisted the knife with a smug look. "I’m not like you. Even though I’m living on a fixed salary and my real dad has become my stepdad, I’ve got my grandma and my older brother who dote on me. Not to mention all the red envelopes my relatives stuff me with during the holidays, and the dowry my mom started preparing for me ages ago."

"If my grandma wasn’t afraid I’d spend money like water and decided to save all my red envelope money for me to add to my dowry, would I ever need to cry poor in front of you?"

"You could say that as soon as I get married, I’ll be a little heiress," she said, proudly tilting her chin and eyeing Xia Zhaoyun, her expression practically screaming, ’Come on, suck up to me.’

Xia Zhaoyun laughed in exasperation. "Haha, you really are a mean-spirited woman. So unlikable!"

He Qingran huffed twice, then took out her half-finished container of malted milk drink. After scooping out three generous spoonfuls for herself, she climbed onto the bed to help her friend pack. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

She didn’t stop talking, resuming the pestering she’d been keeping up for days. "You can’t practice your dancing looking like this, can you? Why don’t you get a temporary transfer to our Publicity Department for a few days?"

"The city’s holding a Golden Microphone competition. Your pronunciation is perfect, you have a beautiful voice, and your writing skills are top-notch. It would be a real shame if you didn’t compete."