Volume One, Chapter 19: The Daughter Is the Second Female Lead in a CEO Romance Novel

“What does it matter? I’m not the one who has a grudge against He Lu. You have no right to interfere with my friendships. Just because we share a dorm, does that mean I can’t hang out with He Lu?” Chen Rui sneered, her eyes full of impatience.

“Let her be,” Li Ning said, pulling Ding Mengjia aside. She no longer wanted to argue. They owed Chen Rui nothing, and these past few days, Chen Rui had been cold and distant toward them.

That day, Shen Tingyu had already behaved quite decently. Chen Rui had chased after him herself and even scolded his girlfriend. Who could be happy about that?

Especially since Chen Rui seemed to know Shen Tingyu’s girlfriend, and with the families having their own conflicts, it was natural for Shen Tingyu to hold a grudge against her.

“Hah, your true colors are showing. I always knew the three of you looked down on me; before, you were just pretending to pity me! Can’t keep up the saint act anymore? Didn’t you all dig into the feud between me and Jiang Ruoxue? Now you’re forcing me to spill it, huh?” Chen Rui tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a bitter sneer.

“The Jiang family is so rich, Jiang Ruoxue has so many dresses, so much jewelry. My grandmother only took a few things for me! Jiang Ruoxue’s father even called the police on my grandmother and made our family pay compensation. My grandmother worked as their housekeeper for so many years, and they showed no gratitude at all. So what if I resent her? Why should she live so well?” Chen Rui’s eyes blazed with wild hatred.

Li Ning and Ding Mengjia exchanged a glance. Before either said a word, Chen Rui had already exposed herself. As for what she said about her grandmother and Jiang Ruoxue, it likely wasn’t as simple as she claimed.

People tend to paint themselves in a better light; theft, in her words, was just her grandmother worrying about her granddaughter, wanting to buy things herself and questioning why she’d take her employer’s belongings.

Li Ning and Ding Mengjia remained silent. Zhao Ting, sitting inside the room, also said nothing. The three of them gathered their things and left the dorm.

Before stepping out, Zhao Ting glanced at Chen Rui standing on the balcony.

“Chen Rui, we don’t know about the things you said. Chen Kang never mentioned them, and Shen Tingyu didn’t say anything about you when he came back to the dorm. We truly considered you a good friend before,” Zhao Ting said before closing the dorm door.

Chen Rui valued herself highly, but Shen Tingyu and his girlfriend couldn’t care less. They had been busy dating all these days, with no time to think about her.

Chen Rui sank to the floor, covering her face as she wept. “What should I do? What should I do? They won’t tell others, will they?”

She couldn’t imagine how others would view her if they found out. Even now, Chen Rui’s main worry was her reputation. She hadn’t given a thought to the relationships and feelings shared in the dorm over the past six months.

From then on, Chen Rui’s relationship with the other three in the dorm grew increasingly distant.

Meanwhile, Shen Tingyu’s dormmates thought that the first meeting between the two dorms had been a bit awkward, but once it passed, they didn’t dwell on it.

***

Before leaving the capital, Jiang Ruoxue had specially invited Shen Tingyu’s dormmates for a meal.

Neither she nor Shen Tingyu cared about Chen Rui and didn’t waste time on irrelevant people.

“I’m off!” Jiang Ruoxue waved reluctantly at Shen Tingyu.

Shen Tingyu ran over and hugged her. “Only a few more days until winter break. I’ll come find you then.”

***

Seven years passed in the blink of an eye. Shen Tingyu and Jiang Ruoxue had been together for seven years.

Shen Tingyu graduated from Capital Media University and became a TV host. He even had his own show, and thanks to his handsome looks, he gained a considerable fanbase.

Though Shen Tingyu was just a host, many fans and paparazzi closely followed his private life.

Especially when some well-known, temperamental celebrities appeared on his show, he was unfailingly respectful and accommodating, answering every question with grace. Rumors began circulating that Shen Tingyu had powerful backing, with whispers that he was supported by a wealthy woman.

Many people were eager to uncover the identity of this mysterious benefactor.

Over these seven years, Jiang Ruoxue had taken over the company from Shi Yan and was now a prominent young entrepreneur in Jiang City. Countless people sought connections with her.

“Got a bite!” Shen’s father was ecstatic as he nudged Shi Yan to reel in the line quickly.

“This fish is pretty heavy; it’ll take some time to pull it in,” Shi Yan said, letting out the line and then reeling it back, battling the hooked fish for over ten minutes before finally bringing it ashore.

“Looks like about three jin—enough for a meal,” Shen’s father estimated, stroking his chin.

“Bucket!” Shi Yan rolled his eyes at him.

“You’re the boss! No sense of subtlety at all,” Shi Yan joked.

“I’m not as lucky as you. With Ruoxue taking over your position, my son insists on becoming a host,” Shen’s father sighed helplessly. He had hoped Shen Tingyu would start learning the family business in college and officially take over after working there for two years post-graduation.

But the boy enrolled in broadcasting, graduated, and became a host instead.

If it weren’t for the youngest son, he didn’t know how long he’d have to wait. He even planned to travel around the country with his wife someday.

“Tingzhuo has already started learning the business. He’s steady and reliable. Just hang in there a few more years, and you’ll get there. You’re only in your early fifties—no rush to retire,” Shi Yan encouraged.

“Easier said than done,” Shen’s father grumbled.

“Let’s head home. Didn’t the two kids say they’d register their marriage today? Perfect timing for an extra meal tonight,” Shi Yan said, carrying the bucket.

“I’ll cook tonight!” Shen’s father called after him.

“Better leave it to your family chef. Let the professionals handle it. You can bring out those bottles of wine you’ve been hiding,” Shi Yan arranged.

“Alright. You’ve had your eye on those bottles for a while, haven’t you? But since the kids are getting married today, we can pop one open to celebrate. The rest are for their wedding day!” Shen’s father agreed.

“Sounds good.”

“Old Jiang, when I officially retire, you and I should travel together with the two of us,” Shen’s father clapped Shi Yan on the shoulder.

“No way. You young folks call it being a third wheel—I’m not going to be a third wheel for you two,” Shi Yan firmly declined.

“Come on, you’ll be bored at home alone. Better to travel with us,” Shen’s father coaxed.

…