Toastmasters 05

"By the way, don't you dare get any ideas about that airhead," Xue Wanning warned. "Or you'll regret it. What kind of person is she anyway!"

Fang Zhiyi quickly agreed.

Thus, Xue Wanning's daily routine gained a new activity—learning combat skills from Fang Zhiyi.

She was curious about when he had picked up these abilities, but Fang Zhiyi simply said he'd taught himself online to protect her. Xue Wanning didn't question it further.

Since one sheep was as good as two, Fang Zhiyi decided to bring his younger sister along too.

Before long, Fang Zhiyun and Xue Wanning became quite familiar.

Girls inevitably bond over gossip, and soon Fang Zhiyun also heard the rumors about Qin Xiaocao.

The duo of gossip enthusiasts thus became a trio.

Xue Wanning had practically memorized Qin Xiaocao's schedule—who she'd be with on Monday, where she'd go on Tuesday, and her Wednesday dates—all meticulously recorded in a little notebook.

"Little sis, you know what this is? A drama! A full-blown, four-way, soap-opera-level mess!"

Fang Zhiyun stared blankly.

Xue Wanning's urge to share was unstoppable. After relishing the gossip with Fang Zhiyi, she'd embellish it further when retelling it to Fang Zhiyun—double the satisfaction!

The more they observed, the more shocking it became. Qin Xiaocao and her three orbiting suitors were pure entertainment.

Fang Zhiyi, however, was impressively efficient—almost always the first to notify Xue Wanning, allowing them to witness the drama firsthand.

Xue Wanning was practically addicted, often offering commentary.

At the edge of the sports field, a girl mustered the courage to confess to Zhou Han. Amid his friends' teasing, Zhou Han awkwardly accepted the water she bought—only to lock eyes with Qin Xiaocao, who immediately turned and ran. Zhou Han chased after her.

"Xiaocao, listen to me! It's not what you think!"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Just let me explain!"

"No! I won't listen!"

"Really, it's not like that!"

"Zhou Han, we were never anything special. You're free to accept whoever you like."

"But Xiaocao, it's you I like!"

"Don't say that, Zhou Han. I don’t want to ruin our friendship..."

Zhou Han glanced around—no one nearby, except a couple with their backs turned.

"Xiaocao, what do you really want? Am I not good enough?"

"It's not that..."

The two eavesdroppers sneaked a look back. Xue Wanning's face was a mix of excitement and disdain.

"Qin Xiaocao really knows how to string three guys along, huh?"

"Jingxuan, just give me a little more time, okay? I'm not ready to think about this yet." At the dining table, Qin Xiaocao held Fu Jingxuan's hand, their gazes locked. The fire in Fu Jingxuan's eyes dimmed, replaced by resignation before he forced a smile. "Alright. I'll wait."

"Please don’t fight with Mingyu anymore. Both of you mean so much to me," Qin Xiaocao added.

At the mention of Gu Mingyu, Fu Jingxuan's expression darkened, but under Qin Xiaocao's pleading eyes, he finally nodded.

At the table behind them, Xue Wanning strained to catch every word.

"Gu Mingyu and Fu Jingxuan had a falling out? Since when?" She didn’t know this was all Fang Zhiyi's doing.

Fang Zhiyi shrugged. "No idea. I only keep tabs on Qin Xiaocao. Can’t be bothered with those two."

"Fair. They’re love rivals—acting friendly would be weird."

"Honestly, out of the three, Gu Mingyu seems the most normal. Anyone with half a brain would pick him." After the pair left, Xue Wanning shared her verdict.

Fang Zhiyi nodded along. Even the side characters could see it—yet the heroine still made the wrong choice.

Finally, graduation day arrived. Fang Zhiyi felt this school experience had been more exhausting than conquering a country.

At least it ended peacefully. Fu Jingxuan only glared at them when they crossed paths now, having accepted the gap in power. As for competing in wealth? Please—Young Miss Xue wasn’t afraid of him.

Still, graduation was graduation. That day, Xue Wanning dragged Fang Zhiyi straight to Qin Xiaocao, who sat surrounded by her three suitors. All three men frowned as the pair approached.

"Anyway, you made my college life interesting! Congrats on graduating!" Xue Wanning's random declaration left everyone speechless—except Fang Zhiyi, who barely stifled a laugh.

As they walked away, Gu Mingyu mused, "Come to think of it, I’ve seen them around a lot."

Zhou Han nodded. "Same here. They’re always nearby."

Fu Jingxuan scoffed. "Just two flies."

The three men tensed—Qin Xiaocao had promised to give her answer after graduation.

She chose Fu Jingxuan, citing his unwavering presence and attentiveness. Zhou Han forced a smile and wished them well, while Gu Mingyu's face darkened.

"Zhiyi, want to join my family’s company?" Xue Wanning extended the offer.

Without hesitation, Fang Zhiyi replied, "Whatever you say."

"Good. If you don’t go, I won’t either—it’d be too boring otherwise."

Fang Zhiyi sighed. This was the attitude of a true rich heir. Compared to the worlds he’d experienced before, this was a breeze.

Under his guidance, Xue Wanning achieved remarkable results within a year—though most of the work was his. Still, it was enough for her to boast to her parents, who promptly handed over the company and left on vacation.

"How’d it go today?" Xue Wanning asked after dropping her parents at the airport, finding Fang Zhiyi still buried in work.

"Nothing special," Fang Zhiyi said helplessly. This young mistress was truly obsessed—still keeping tabs on Qin Xiaocao even after graduation.

"How could she pick Fu Jingxuan? What terrible taste!"

"Why do you care? If you’re bored, go inspect the production line."

"Fang Zhiyi, are you getting bold now?"

Her tone shifted. "Speaking of Fu Jingxuan, the Fu family’s been snatching our clients lately. At the last meeting, he openly mocked me. If not for your warnings, I’d have punched him!"

Fang Zhiyi smirked. You should be grateful—in the original plot, you’d already be bankrupt.

"How about I hire someone to... you know." Xue Wanning drew a finger across her throat. "He’s getting unbearable."

"That’s illegal."

"Then poison him?"

"Still illegal."

"Cut his brake lines?"

"Miss, if you’ve got a death wish, don’t drag me into it."