Chapter 9: Jealousy, Jealousy

"Get in the car, what are you standing there for?" Qin Hao sat in the driver's seat and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Qiu Yingying and Guan Ju'er both looking dazed.

Qiu Yingying finally snapped out of it, pulled open the back door, and climbed in with Guan Ju'er before asking eagerly.

"Brother, where did this car come from?"

Qin Hao signaled for Guan Ju'er to close the door and then stepped on the gas to start the engine.

"I bought it, of course. Did you think it was a gift?"

Qiu Yingying puffed out her cheeks. "But where did you get the money? This car must cost at least several hundred thousand, right?"

Guan Ju'er added, "This is the top-trim Audi Q7. With the purchase tax and everything, the on-the-road price is at least over a million."

"Over a million?" Qiu Yingying was completely stunned.

As the car reached the exit of the underground garage, Qin Hao swiped his access card while casually explaining.

"Didn't I tell you before? I'm working in self-media. I've opened a small company that specializes in self-media operations. The industry is currently booming, so it's easy to make money."

Qiu Yingying realized, "Wow, Brother, you're a boss now? Does that mean you've made it big? No wonder you're renting such a nice place. Does that mean the clothes you wear are real designer brands, and the Rolex on your wrist is real too?"

"You little money-grubber, look at you." Qin Hao couldn't help but laugh and scold her when he saw the way her eyes were sparkling.

Qiu Yingying huffed but didn't argue back. Instead, she grabbed Guan Ju'er's hand. "Guan Guan, pinch me quickly and see if I'm dreaming. My brother is actually a hidden billionaire."

Guan Ju'er suppressed a laugh and gave Qiu Yingying a pinch. The latter let out an "ouch" and said, "I felt that, it's not a dream. Does that mean I'm a second-generation rich kid now?"

Qin Hao gave her a sideways glance, annoyed. "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't even have enough money to be considered financially free, let alone a billionaire. Besides, you're my sister, not my daughter. Legally speaking, you have no inheritance rights, so how could you be a second-generation rich kid?"

"Ah~~~" Qiu Yingying slumped back in the seat, disappointed.

Qin Hao and Guan Ju'er couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her shattered fantasy.

Before long, they arrived at the barbecue food stall.

After Qin Hao parked the car, Andy's car arrived as well. She rolled down the window.

"There don't seem to be any marked spaces here. Is it okay to just park on the side of the road like this?"

Qin Hao patted the hood of his 911 and smiled. "Don't worry, there's no surveillance here, and the traffic police are off duty for the night. We'll leave as soon as we're done, so we won't get a ticket. Look, isn't everyone on this street parking like this?"

Andy frowned slightly at the chaotic scene around them, but since she was already there, she had no choice but to listen to Qin Hao and park on the side of the road.

"You, you're just too uptight. You're missing that little bit of noisy, down-to-earth atmosphere."

Qin Hao led Andy and the others into the food stall. Seeing Andy carefully wiping down the table and chairs with a tissue, he shook his head.

Andy glanced at the bustling night market scene around her, pursed her lips, and didn't argue back.

"What do you all want to eat? I'll go place the order."

Qiu Yingying immediately raised her hand. "I want grilled lamb skewers, the big ones, the more the better."

"Grilled chicken feet for me."

"Grilled chives."

"I'm easy."

Qin Hao nodded and headed to the grill to order. The business was very good, and the owner didn't have time to attend to customers, so they had to write down their own orders.

At the table, Qiu Yingying was whispering into Fan Shengmei's ear.

When Fan Shengmei heard that the Audi Q7 was actually bought by Qin Hao, that it was a top-trim model costing over a million, and that the Rolex on his wrist was real, she was stunned.

"Yingying, is what you're saying true? Is your brother really that rich?"

Seeing Fan Shengmei's skepticism, Qiu Yingying quickly pulled Guan Ju'er over to testify. "My brother said so in the car. If you don't believe me, ask Guan Guan."

Guan Ju'er adjusted her glasses. "Sister Fan, what Yingying said is true. And I told you before that Qiu Yan's Rolex didn't look like a fake."

Fan Shengmei looked at the dim-witted Qiu Yingying. She had to admit, she was jealous. Among the three of them sharing the apartment, Qiu Yingying had the worst background—graduated from an ordinary university in a small town, wasn't pretty, and was lacking in both IQ and EQ.

Yet, who would have thought she'd suddenly have such a capable brother? Thinking of her own brother, who was like mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall, she felt a wave of distress. Truly, people have different fates.

A while later, Qin Hao returned. The skewers would take a bit longer, so he brought back some small side dishes, drinks, and a bottle of mineral water.

"Thank you." Andy took the mineral water, a flicker of warmth in her eyes. She had only mentioned once in the elevator that she only drank mineral water, and she hadn't expected Qin Hao to remember. This feeling was completely different from the care she received from friends like Old Tan.

After Qin Hao arrived, Qiu Yingying felt embarrassed to show off to Fan Shengmei openly, so she pulled Guan Ju'er aside to whisper.

Fan Shengmei, however, took the initiative to start chatting with Qin Hao.

"Actually, with someone like Sister Fan's qualifications, you could definitely earn a higher income. Have you ever thought about doing something else?"

Qin Hao was actually quite sympathetic to Fan Shengmei's situation. Many people stood on a moral high ground to criticize her, but in reality, before the Fan family's crisis, she hadn't done anything excessive. On the contrary, as a young girl, she had shouldered the burden of supporting her family after graduating from college—something many men couldn't even do.

Looking at it from Fan Shengmei's perspective, she grew up in a family that favored sons over daughters. Under the long-term psychological manipulation of her parents and brother, it was inevitable that she would develop a pathological dependence on her family. This dependence drove her to be constantly bled dry by her brother without knowing how to resist.

As for people calling her a "gold digger," just imagine: with Fan Shengmei's looks and figure, if she were really that unscrupulous, how could she be so financially strapped? Many "sea queens" lived much more carefree lives.

When it came to relationships, Fan Shengmei was indeed very realistic, but wasn't society itself realistic? Which woman doesn't require a man to have a car and a house when going on a blind date? Moreover, Fan Shengmei didn't string along those who didn't meet her criteria; she rejected them directly. Compared to those "sea queens" and socialites, wasn't her attitude much better?

The only person Fan Shengmei truly owed was Wang Baichuan.

Wang Baichuan had misjudged the problems of the Fan family and kept giving Fan Shengmei unrealistic hope. Facts proved that "simps" never had a good ending.

Having worked in HR for so long, Fan Shengmei naturally understood the subtext of Qin Hao's words.

"Are you saying you want me to work with you?"

Qin Hao nodded. "I opened a small company and am currently planning to develop a live-streaming sales business. It's similar to TV shopping, but we promote products through live streams. With Sister Fan's appearance, you're perfectly qualified. Plus, this industry pays well and the hours are flexible. If you're interested, you can come to my company for training first and do some live-streaming in your spare time. It won't interfere with your regular job."

In Qin Hao's view, Fan Shengmei had just chosen the wrong direction. She wasted a lot of time on blind dates while ignoring her own reality. Even if she found a man with decent conditions to marry, it would be hard to avoid her family's exploitation after marriage. Besides, human greed is endless; no matter how much money she gave them, they would never be satisfied. The collapse of the marriage would be an inevitable result.

Fan Shengmei was tempted. "It's the weekend, why don't I go check out your company tomorrow?"

Before Qin Hao could speak, Qiu Yingying clapped her hands. "Great, great! I haven't been to Brother's company either. Guan Guan, you're not working tomorrow, right? Let's go together."

"Well, alright. I don't have anything to do on the weekend anyway."

After Guan Ju'er finished speaking, Andy noticed that everyone had turned their eyes toward her. Andy had originally wanted to refuse, but when she met Qin Hao's gaze, she found herself inexplicably agreeing.

"Alright, what time should we meet tomorrow?"

"Ten in the morning, so we can all sleep in."

"Hehe, that's great. I can definitely wake up by ten."

Watching Qiu Yingying's silly, happy expression, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

(End of chapter)