The trio joked and chatted as they entered the hotel and soon spotted Qin Zheng, dressed sharply in a suit. The moment he saw Jiang Li, his eyes lit up, and he smiled as he came over to greet her.
Seeing Qin Zheng leave other guests to speak with Jiang Li, an older man nearby grinned, “Come to think of it, Miss Jiang and Young Master Qin scored the same on the exams this time. That’s quite a coincidence, almost like you’re destined to be together!”
Jiang Li frowned slightly and was about to respond when Tong Youyou, who had just run over, quickly interjected, “My second brother also got the same score as them! If anyone is destined, it’s my second brother and Brother Qin Zheng!”
Tong Youyou’s words instantly drew the crowd’s attention to the young man standing next to the third young master of the Feng family. Most people didn’t know much about Tong Yi, but they knew he had a reputation as a notorious troublemaker in their circle, always causing trouble and leaving it to his uncle Tong Bingran to clean up his messes.
Later, he gradually faded from the public eye after going abroad for school. When he returned after three years, he made a bang by taking the college entrance exam and becoming one of the top scorers in the province. This revealed that Tong Yi wasn’t the spoiled rich kid everyone thought; the old rumors were likely just that—rumors.
In fact, standing next to Qin Zheng, Tong Yi didn’t just hold his own—he even seemed to somewhat outshine tonight’s main star.
Tong Youyou didn’t care what others thought. The little girl walked over and took Jiang Li’s hand affectionately. “My big brother said you’d be coming today, so I came too.”
Jiang Li reached out to poke Tong Youyou’s cheek. “It seems like Youyou has grown quite a bit since I last saw you.”
“Of course! I’m 11 this year, and it’s been a long time since you last saw me, Sister. You don’t even miss me!” Tong Youyou said, puffing out her cheeks adorably.
Jiang Li smiled at her. “It has been a while, but I did miss you. When my grandpa throws me a graduation banquet, I’ll make sure to personally give you an invitation, okay?”
Tong Yi, standing nearby, chimed in, “Why would a pipsqueak need an invitation? I’ll just bring her along.”
Tong Youyou shot him a glare, “Second brother, you’d better not offend me, otherwise…”
Before she could finish, Tong Yi grabbed an apple from a nearby fruit platter and quickly stuffed it into her mouth. “Okay, okay. You’d better behave. If you do, I’ll help you rank up in the game.”
Tong Youyou’s eyes lit up, and she immediately decided not to argue with Tong Yi anymore.
After they sat down, Jiang Li noticed that Qin Zheng’s graduation banquet was quite elaborate, even featuring a ballroom dance. To her astonishment, Tong Xu, who had previously suffered a significant loss at the hands of Feng Bai and Tong Yi at the karaoke bar, approached her with a warm smile and invited her to dance.
Seeing the hopeful look in Tong Xu’s eyes, Jiang Li shook her head. “I can’t dance.”
“I can teach you,” Tong Xu’s warm smile did not falter.
“Heh!” Feng Bai scoffed, “Dancing is not her thing, but she’s pretty good at martial arts. How about you two have a sparring match? I’ll be the judge.”
When Tong Xu asked for a dance, he had already anticipated the possibility of being rejected, and yet he didn’t falter—he just wanted an opportunity to talk to Jiang Li. What caught him off guard was Feng Bai’s unexpected interference and clear display of hostility.
The hostility was so abrupt that Tong Xu was contemplating using self-deprecation to diffuse the awkwardness when Tong Yi arrived with a cup in hand. Tong Yi had been sitting with Jiang Li, and noticing that her fruit drink was finished, he had immediately gone to get her a pear juice. Unexpectedly, he returned only to see his peacock-like cousin trying to show off.
Inserting himself between Jiang Li and Tong Xu, Tong Yi handed the cup to Jiang Li with a smile. “Unfortunately, my cousin here has always been a bit frail. If he really challenges you to a sparring match, I suggest you politely decline. Still, if you can’t avoid it, make sure to go easy on him. Otherwise, I’m worried you might knock him out with one punch, and then my pitiful uncle would have to bury his son at a young age.”
Tong Xu: “…” Tong Yi really excels at making things worse while pretending to be helpful!
Jiang Li glanced at Tong Xu, then at Tong Yi, and finally chose to quietly sip her drink in silence. She wasn’t sure if Tong Xu was really as physically weak as they said, but when it came to verbal sparring, he definitely wouldn’t stand a chance against Big Nephew. Anyway, she decided to let the cousins have their private sparring match while she watched from the sidelines. If Tong Xu somehow gained the upper hand, she could always step in to give Big Nephew some support.
Despite his annoyance, Tong Xu didn’t want to argue with Tong Yi, especially at a banquet where countless eyes were watching. He nodded slightly to Jiang Li and then turned and left. Tong Yi moved closer to Jiang Li and whispered, “My cousin may seem gentle and refined, but he’s attracted quite a few girls. You should see the drama they caused when fighting over him. It’s very exciting!”
Jiang Li raised his eyes to look at him, “Didn’t you say that lots of girls chase after you too? Don’t they fight over you?”
Tong Yi shook his head. “I’m a decent guy and always turn girls down without leaving any room for hope. As long as I express myself clearly, most will give up on their own after that.”
Feng Bai quickly agreed, “Exactly, unlike Tong Xu that old peacock, always showing off his tails everywhere. Xiao Jiang Li, don’t let him fool you.”
Jiang Li saw through their intentions and smiled. “Don’t worry, Third Brother. Tong Xu isn’t my type.”
“So what’s your type?” Tong Yi immediately asked.
Jiang Li thought for a moment and replied, “I’ve only ever liked 2D characters. As for my type, there are too many to list—I can’t really pin it down.”
Tong Yi was puzzled. “2D characters? What’s that?”
Feng Bai clicked his tongue, “You don’t even know what 2D characters are? What are you? Boomers?”
Tong Yi raised an eyebrow. “You know?”
“Of course I know. 2D characters are from anime, games, or novels. Some girls even call their favorite characters their ‘2D husbands.’ Now do you get it?” Feng Bai patiently explained.
Tong Yi nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Jiang Li. “Your Third Brother knows all about what girls like, so he must have a girlfriend, unlike me—I’ve never got close to girls, so there’s a lot I don’t understand.”
Jiang Li chuckled. “Yes, I think Third Brother has a girlfriend too, but he won’t tell me.”
Feng Bai quickly said, “If you trade your secret for mine, I’ll tell you. It’s fair, right?”
Tong Yi said to Jiang Li. “If he doesn’t tell us, I can dig around myself. Give it time, and I’ll find out.”
Feng Bai frowned. “Whose side are you on, Big Nephew?”
Tong Yi immediately pulled Feng Bai aside and whispered, “You asked me to keep an eye on Jiang Xiao Li and make sure she doesn’t get swayed by that old man Tong Xu, didn’t you? I need to gain her trust first!”
Finding it made sense, Feng Bai quickly nodded. “Well, you’re right. That’s indeed necessary.” The more people they had on their side, the better. After all, their Xiao Jiang Li had just turned eighteen, and that old man Tong Xu was already reaching his claws—something they absolutely couldn’t tolerate.
Jiang Li noticed the two boys huddled together, occasionally glancing her way, clearly conspiring about something. But she had no time to worry about them; she had drunk too much juice and needed to visit the restroom.
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