Chapter 140: So, Does That Make Me an Idiot?

Chapter 140: Am I Just an Idiot, Then?

Colorful fabrics, exquisite carpets, and refined French wall hangings all contributed to the elegant and extraordinary atmosphere of the hall.

Hanging behind the sofa in the main hall was "The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin," a classic work by Jan van Eyck, the father of oil painting. If the painting were an authentic piece, its value would be immeasurable.

Although it was only late autumn, the servants had already filled the fireplace with logs and lit a fire. The wood crackled and popped, casting a cozy warmth throughout the house.

Ji Weilian sat on the sofa with a calm expression. Seeing Qiu Hongtu walking down the stairs, he quickly stood up to greet him, asking, "Uncle, how is Yihan's illness? Is she feeling any better now?"

"Yes, Weilian, you've come," Qiu Hongtu said with a smile. "Yihan's illness is nothing serious. She just got caught in the rain and wind, a minor cold. A doctor has already been here and prescribed medicine. She should be fine once she finishes it."

"How did she end up getting caught in the rain?" Ji Weilian asked, his voice full of concern mixed with a hint of reproach. "Yihan doesn't know how to take care of herself; she must be suffering quite a bit at school. Why not let her stay at home instead? I don't have much to do, so I could pick her up and drop her off at school every day."

Qiu Hongtu gestured toward the sofa, signaling for Ji Weilian to sit and talk. "There is no need for that. Yihan has already dropped out of Nanda University."

"Dropped out?" Ji Weilian was shocked. When he had called to pay his respects to Qiu Yihan’s grandmother earlier and heard about her illness, he had rushed over immediately. He couldn't understand why she would withdraw from university just because of a cold and fever. "What happened?"

"Sigh," Qiu Hongtu sighed, saying, "I never expected this. I truly never expected that my daughter, Qiu Hongtu's daughter, would do such a foolish thing."

"Uncle, what did Yihan do to make you so angry?" Ji Weilian was even more confused. The man before him, who had always felt a sense of guilt toward his daughter, was the one who pampered and loved her the most. Even if Qiu Yihan had poked a hole in the sky, it was impossible for him to say such harsh words about her.

"Nanda held a student gala. She actually got up on stage in front of countless people to apologize and confess her feelings to a boy. It’s shameful. I, Qiu Hongtu, have had my face dragged through the mud because of her," Qiu Hongtu said with a helpless, bitter smile. "My daughter—why would she ever need to be so humble?"

Ji Weilian was secretly alarmed. He thought to himself that he hadn't been paying enough attention to Qiu Yihan, as he hadn't even noticed what she had been up to at school.

She went on stage to apologize and confess to a boy? Who was that boy?

"Yihan is innocent and doesn't understand much. She was probably incited by those students, which is why she did something so foolish," Ji Weilian said, feeling very uncomfortable but still taking the initiative to excuse her.

"That may be so, but it is still hard to accept. It would be one thing if people didn't know, but those who know she is my daughter... I can only imagine how they are mocking me," Qiu Hongtu lamented. "Over ten thousand people... she went on stage in front of over ten thousand students. Tell me, how could this little girl have such courage? By the way, what was that boy's name... Tang Zhong? Do you know him?"

Tang Zhong?

Ji Weilian's eyes sharpened, and he replied with a smile, "I know him. When Yihan had that incident at Jade Maiden Peak, she was with him. I’ve looked into it; it’s said that he even took down a killer. It even caught the attention of the Municipal Public Security Bureau chief. He also appeared at Yihan's birthday party, but there were so many guests that I didn't pay him much attention, assuming he was just one of her ordinary classmates. As for why she went on stage to apologize to him, I am not aware of that. Uncle Qiu, I’m sorry. I have failed to live up to your trust. I should have taken better care of Yihan."

"This is not your fault. Her legs are on her own body; it's not as if we could tie her up, could we?" Qiu Hongtu waved his hand. "Would you like to go upstairs and talk to Yihan?"

"Yes, I'll go check on her," Ji Weilian said.

"Go ahead," Qiu Hongtu nodded. "However, have her grandmother put in a good word for you first. The little girl is in a bad mood right now and won't see anyone. She won't even see me..."

"It's just a child's temper; she'll be fine in a couple of days," Ji Weilian said.

"I hope so," Qiu Hongtu said, taking a cigar box from under the coffee table and gently kneading it.

Ji Weilian did not linger and turned to head upstairs.

Qiu Hongtu’s gaze shifted from the cigar to Ji Weilian’s retreating back, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

He looked like a giant python that had set its sights on a fat deer.

As expected, Ji Weilian was stopped at the door of Qiu Yihan's room by Zhang Yun.

"Aunt Zhang, I heard Yihan is ill, so I came to check on her," Ji Weilian said, greeting her politely.

Zhang Yun smiled reluctantly and said, "Weilian, it’s not that I want to turn you away. Yihan is in a bad mood right now, and apart from her grandmother, she doesn't want to see anyone. Why don't I go in first and ask for you?"

"That would be a bother, Aunt Zhang," Ji Weilian replied with gentlemanly grace.

"Just wait a moment," Zhang Yun said, then gently knocked on the door before pushing it open to enter.

In the pink room filled with various dolls, Qiu Yihan was lying in bed. She had covered her head with the quilt, in a posture that suggested she wanted to isolate herself from the world.

Her grandmother sat at the head of the bed, chattering away, trying to grab a corner of the quilt to uncover her head, saying that sleeping like that was bad for her health.

Qiu Yihan refused to let go, and the two were in a standoff.

Zhang Yun walked softly to the bedside. Even though Qiu Yihan couldn't see her, she still kept a smile on her face and said, "Yihan, Brother Weilian has come to see you. Can Mom let him come in to keep you company for a while?"

"No," came Qiu Yihan’s muffled voice from under the quilt.

"Yihan, be a good girl and listen. Brother Weilian is a guest... didn't you love playing with him before?"

"No," Qiu Yihan replied with the same two-word mantra.

"Hanhan," her grandmother chimed in. "Your Brother Weilian came all this way to see you; you should at least see him and say thank you. I never taught you to be impolite, did I?"

"I won't see him." Qiu Yihan pulled the quilt down, revealing her beautiful, pale-red face, and said angrily, "I won't see Tang Zhong. I won't see him either. I don't want to see anyone."

"It's fine not to see Tang Zhong. But Brother Weilian cares for you so much, and he is Uncle Ji's son... My sweet baby, won't you see him just once?"

Qiu Yihan's eyes began to well up with tears. "Grandmother, why don't any of you like Tang Zhong? He's a good person."

Seeing that Qiu Yihan was about to cry again, her grandmother’s own eyes grew moist. "Alright, alright. If you don't want to see him, then don't. Don't cry, Hanhan. Seeing you cry breaks your grandmother's heart."

Qiu Yihan wiped away her tears and said, "Grandmother, I won't cry. I will never cry again. Crying is the most useless thing there is."

"Yes, yes. It's good not to cry. My baby Hanhan should smile every day. You look so cute when you smile," her grandmother said, trying to coax her.

"Also, I'm not going back to Nanda. I want to work," Qiu Yihan said.

"Work?" Her grandmother was shocked. "Hanhan, you're so young, what kind of work would you do? Besides, work is so tiring; how could your body handle it? Listen to your grandmother, if you don't want to go to Nanda, then don't. There's nothing special about that place anyway. Let's let you rest for a while and recover from your illness. Then let your mother send you to Yanjing to study... or if that doesn't work, go to France, to your aunt's place. Our family doesn't need you to earn money to support it. You just need to be happy every day."

"No," Qiu Yihan shook her head firmly. "Grandmother, I must work. I dropped out of Nanda specifically to work. Not to go abroad. I only now realize how sheltered my life has been... just you and me. I don't understand anything. I don't want to be like this. I want to change. I want to work, I want to step into society, I want to learn many things, and I want to be able to distinguish between good people and bad people... In the future, I also want to be with the person I like."

"That won't do," Zhang Yun refused. "Yihan, you are so young, how can you work? What can you do right now? You can't do anything."

Sensing that her tone was a bit blunt, Zhang Yun softened her voice and said gently, "My dear daughter, if you want to work, that's fine. After you graduate from university, or return from studying abroad, Mom will let you work as my secretary at the company—how about that? Didn't you always love being a secretary? Didn't you like wearing Mom's uniform? Mom will promise you that when the time comes."

"Yes, exactly," Qiu Yihan's grandmother agreed repeatedly. "Hanhan, listen to your mother. What she says makes sense, and it's all for your own good. What kind of work would you do now? Even if you want to work, you must study first. Either go to Yanjing to study, and I'll go with you to take care of you, or I'll go with you to France to find your aunt—in any case, you cannot work now. Why change? Why would you need to change? The Hanhan we have right now is the cutest Hanhan, and there is nothing that needs to change."

"Grandmother. Whether or not I change should be for me to decide." Tears rolled down Qiu Yihan's cheeks in large droplets. She wiped them away and said, "I said that was the last time I'd cry... and I'm crying again. I have enjoyed nineteen years of comfort; now I should be allowed to endure some hardship—to let me understand more, to let me see if life in this world is very difficult, to experience the suffering I have never known. I don't want to be a blank sheet of paper now and remain a blank sheet of paper later."

"If I were to remain a blank sheet of paper for my entire life, then am I just an idiot?"

Zhang Yun and her mother looked at each other, both of them at a loss for words.

The little girl had started saying 'no'?