Chapter 221: Mutual Gossip

Chapter 221: Mutual Gossip

Faced with Liu Yue’s persistent questioning, Qiu Qianwei hesitated, her tone coy and evasive. “Fifth Sister… maybe I’ll tell you later, when the time’s right.”

But Liu Yue wasn’t having it. “Now is the time! Come on, let your Fifth Sister give him a proper evaluation.”

Qianwei shook her head firmly, not budging in the slightest. In her heart, she knew the real reason for her reluctance—she was a professor here at Qingling University, and Wang Haoran… was a student. If this ever got out, it might bring him unnecessary trouble. Their identities made things complicated.

To keep things simple, she decided to lie. “It’s just… things between us aren’t that stable yet. I’ll tell you once it’s more solid, alright?”

Liu Yue gave an exaggerated sigh of frustration. “Seventh Sister, what’s your deal? You found yourself a boyfriend and can’t even tell me? What, you think I’m going to steal him from you or something?”

Qianwei quickly waved her hands. “No, no, it’s not like that!”

“I’m just worried about you,” Liu Yue huffed. “I want to help you judge whether this guy is any good. What’s he like, hmm? Hurry up and spill!”

Caught between the desire to protect her relationship and not hurt her sister’s feelings, Qianwei faltered. She didn’t want to reveal Wang Haoran’s identity, but she also didn’t want to seem like she was hiding something for no reason.

Thankfully, Ji Shuiyao suddenly cut in. “Fifth Sister, whoever Seventh Sister has chosen, I’m sure he’s a good person. You don’t need to worry.”

Liu Yue blinked. “Wait—you know who he is?”

Qianwei turned her gaze as well, startled by the sudden shift.

Ji Shuiyao felt a flicker of panic. Truthfully, she did know. She had her own reasons for taking a teaching post at Qingling, and that reason was very much tied to Wang Haoran. But because she’d acted on personal feelings, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything aloud.

With her heart pounding, she forced herself to speak evenly. “How would I know? But I trust her judgment. Seventh Sister’s not the type to fall for someone unworthy. If she’s made her choice, that means he’s someone exceptional. So let’s not press her. She’ll tell us when she’s ready.”

Relieved, Qianwei immediately chimed in, “See? Sixth Sister gets me!”

Seeing them so united, Liu Yue couldn’t exactly keep pressing the issue. But her curiosity still burned. She held back for a moment, then asked a little more cheekily, “Alright then… what stage are you two at?”

Qiu Qianwei blushed. “Just… holding hands for now.”

It was a lie, of course. But she didn’t have the nerve to say the truth out loud. As soon as the words left her mouth, she found herself glancing nervously toward the door. Fourth Sister Bu Feiyan knew what had actually happened… and she had a big mouth. What if word got out?

Still, Liu Yue didn’t seem to think much of it. She just gave a casual “Oh,” and nodded. Given how outstanding and beautiful Qianwei was, even hand-holding was already a significant step for such a newly budding relationship.

But Ji Shuiyao gave her Seventh Sister a strange glance, and something flickered behind her eyes—a quiet, fleeting sense of satisfaction.

Only holding hands?

Her thoughts drifted back to that day at the resort, and the things that had happened between her and Wang Haoran. Compared to Qianwei, she had gotten… far closer.

No, what am I thinking?

Ji Shuiyao shook her head as if to physically banish the thought. She hadn’t come to Qingling to mess up her sister’s love life. She needed to stay in her lane.

Trying to distract herself, she picked up a book and attempted to read. But the words blurred before her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t calm her thoughts. Closing her eyes didn’t help either—every time she did, his face surfaced in her mind, along with vivid memories of the time she performed emergency aid on him.

The closeness, the tension… it all lingered like a scent she couldn’t shake.

Unconsciously, she licked her lips, the taste of that memory still faintly lingering.

She felt like she was going mad.

The harder she tried not to think about him, the more he invaded her thoughts.

Maybe… maybe it was better not to fight it.

With that, Ji Shuiyao began typing a message. She sent Wang Haoran a text, phrased carefully as a professional inquiry—something about a scientific concept that had been bothering her.

I’m just asking an academic question. It’s purely for knowledge. This isn’t a personal chat. It’s not betrayal. It’s not.

The moment she sent it, guilt bubbled up in her chest, and she began mentally justifying herself again and again.

About five minutes later, her phone buzzed with a reply.

She read it quickly. His explanation was thorough and insightful—it solved her problem instantly. A smile curved her lips. She felt lighter, suddenly.

Then another message came through: “Why are you teaching in the Qingling Marine Biology Department?”

She tensed slightly, but steadied her fingers and typed back: “Teaching is meaningful work. I’ve always wanted to be an educator. I just didn’t have the chance before—the research institute kept me too busy. But now we’ve brought in some new blood, so I finally have the freedom.”

She hesitated, then sent another: “Why didn’t you choose marine biology?”

Wang Haoran’s answer was simple and blunt: “What’s the point? What can I possibly learn from it?”

Her lips curved in a quiet smile. “Fair.”

As she was chatting, Qiu Qianwei finished cleaning up the table and joined her on the sofa.

“Sixth Sister,” she asked casually, “who’re you texting?”

Startled, Ji Shuiyao dropped her phone. She scrambled to pick it up, holding it tight against her chest. “A researcher from my field. She’s a woman.”

Qiu Qianwei raised an eyebrow. “Why the emphasis on ‘woman’? Don’t tell me… you found yourself a boyfriend too? Let me see!”

She leaned in toward the phone.

Panicking, Ji Shuiyao clutched it tighter. “No! It’s not like that!”

Qianwei’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Fifth Sister! Fifth Sister! I think Sixth Sister’s got a man!”

“Seriously?” Liu Yue walked in holding her laptop, clearly intrigued.

Face flushing, Ji Shuiyao stammered, “Ignore her. She’s just talking nonsense.”

But to both sisters, her reaction said more than words ever could.

Still, Ji Shuiyao refused to admit anything.

Qiu Qianwei didn’t push the issue further.

Liu Yue, however, let out an exasperated sigh. “Honestly, you two… What’s so great about men anyway? I really don’t get it.”

Qiu Qianwei just smiled faintly, pulling out her phone again and tapping away.

Ji Shuiyao glanced sideways—and her heart skipped. Her Seventh Sister’s chat screen clearly had “Wang Haoran” at the top.

She immediately lowered her head, pretending to focus on her book.

Across the room, Liu Yue opened her laptop, logged into Weibo, and began typing.

She wasn’t just a professor—she was a top-tier stock market influencer on Weibo, with over 50 million followers.