After listening to Xu Tingyu talk about some past events, Qi Ruixi let out another sigh.
"Wow, he really sounds like the kind of older brother I've always imagined. He can be a bit of a jerk, but he's also really nice. Unlike me, having an older brother is like having none at all."
Hearing her mention her own older brother, Xu Tingyu pulled her thoughts out of the memories.
"Do you have something else you want to ask me?"
No matter how gossipy Qi Ruixi was, she wasn't the kind of person who had no sense of propriety. How could she just call after seeing the news and ask so many questions?
Xu Tingyu had been a bit muddled just now and almost got deceived by this little girl. She actually thought Qi Ruixi was just calling for some gossip.
Qi Ruixi choked for a moment on the other end of the phone, then pleaded pitifully.
"Actually, I just wanted to see if there's still a chance for my brother. I really like you, you know."
"Sister, I really have no ill intentions. Please don't hate me because of this."
After seeing the news, she was really anxious. After all, ever since she saw how her second brother got along with Xu Tingyu, she had been hoping that they would remarry.
But she also knew that it wasn't fair to Xu Tingyu to think this way, so she was too embarrassed to say it directly.
She could only try to ask indirectly.
Now that her intention was exposed, she felt extremely ashamed.
Xu Tingyu wasn't upset at all. "Ruixi, a lot of things in life aren't just black and white. Even if I don't end up with Chen Yan, it doesn't mean there's still a chance for me and Qi Shifeng."
The problems between her and Qi Shifeng had never been about other people.
There were just too many contradictions between them.
Qi Ruixi understood, but still felt a bit regretful. "Okay, no matter what choice you make, sister, I'll always support you."
After thinking for a while, she added, "But no matter who you end up with, remember that I'm your favorite little sister. Can we be good friends for life?"
Hearing this, Xu Tingyu finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Sure, I promise. We'll be good friends and good sisters for life."
"However, it's getting late now, my good friend. Go home and take a shower and get some sleep right away. Staying up late is bad for your health."
In fact, she had long regarded Qi Ruixi as her own little sister. After all, back then in that family, Qi Ruixi had always been kind to her.
The two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone.
Xu Tingyu sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then checked her friend list.
A lot of people had sent her gossipy messages, most of them asking if it was true that she was with Chen Yan.
Even Chen Chunyao had taken time out of her busy schedule to join in the gossip.
But among all these messages, not a single one was from Qi Shifeng.
She wondered how his health was and whether he had been discharged from the hospital.
She pursed her lips, then finally turned off her phone and buried herself under the covers.
She wasn't going to think about matters of the heart for now. She just wanted to manage her company well and take good care of Youyou.
As for the rest, she wouldn't give it a second thought.
After all, she had been hurt too deeply in her previous relationship, and even now, she still had lingering fears.
Moreover, only the money you earn by yourself can be firmly in your control.
What's better than making money?
She had a wonderful sleep. After waking up and having breakfast, she called Shu Shu and the others for a meeting.
Just as the two assistants walked in, Chen Yan pushed open the door of the room.
Apparently, he hadn't slept well. His hair was messy, and he looked rather listless.
Seeing him like this, Xu Tingyu suddenly had the urge to play a joke on him. She squinted at him for a moment, then said casually,
"What's wrong, Young Master Chen? Are you so excited about the scandal with me that you couldn't sleep all night?"
On other occasions, if she made such a joke that clearly put her in the upper hand, he would surely fight back.
But this time, he just glanced at her slowly, then went to grab a bottle of ice water and sat down on the sofa.
"Do you think everyone is as carefree as you?"
Speaking of this, he felt a bit indignant.
Yesterday, because of the scandal, he had been on pins and needles. He wanted to go and talk to Xu Tingyu in person.
He even came up with a brilliant idea.
Since the outside world was speculating about her romantic life, why not have a fake official announcement with him?
This way, they could shut up the gossips, and those people wouldn't keep staring at her.
Moreover, they knew each other well. Even if it was a "fake official announcement", there wouldn't be any psychological burden.
When she wanted to end it, she could do so at any time, and he would never say a single bad word about her to the outside world.
It was simply killing multiple birds with one stone.
When he came up with this idea, he thought he was a genius.
With this kind of relationship, he could do a lot of things in a proper way.
Moreover, Xu Tingyu wouldn't define their relationship as just childhood friends anymore.
Then, if he showed off his charm a bit more and took multiple approaches, was he still afraid that he couldn't break through that thin layer of paper?
So he excitedly went to find Xu Tingyu and even didn't bother to reply to the messages in the group.
But after knocking on the door, he found that the lights inside were off, and Xu Tingyu didn't respond.
Apparently, she had already gone to bed.
He stood at the door with his raised hand hanging in the air. In the end, he didn't knock anymore.
His heart felt a bit aggrieved.
This woman really had no heart!
Even though there was a scandal about them, she actually went to bed so early without any sign of worry.
Only he was on tenterhooks. His heart was like being roasted on a fire one moment and frozen on ice the next.
However, the feeling of grievance only lasted for a moment.
He quickly calmed down and even let out a laugh.
If she didn't trust him completely, how could she have gone to bed so early?
It was precisely because she trusted him 100% that she didn't care about the scandal at all.
After going through so many things, her trust was the most precious thing.
He easily found an excuse for her and then went back to his own room.
But he just couldn't fall asleep. He kept checking the news and looking at their group photos over and over again.
He even registered a small account and visited all the comment sections where people shipped him and Xu Tingyu as a CP.
He even hired some trolls for the comments that said they were a perfect match and got them pinned to the top.
After doing all this, he still couldn't calm down. He tossed and turned in bed and couldn't fall asleep.
It wasn't until the early morning that he finally fell asleep with a hint of sweetness in his heart. But he didn't sleep for long before he heard some noise outside, so he couldn't wait to come out.
As soon as he came out, he saw the refreshed Xu Tingyu and the smile in her eyes.
For a moment, he actually felt quite embarrassed.
This kind of shy feeling was something he hadn't experienced for many years.
But he didn't dare to show it too obviously, so he could only take the opportunity of getting some water to calm himself down.
Who said that distance makes the heart grow fonder?
It was simply nonsense!
He just knew that it was right for him to stay by her side.
Who could resist the charm of his sweetheart smiling at him so early in the morning?