Chapter 21: Too Clever for One's Own Good

Guan Ju'er's head buzzed, and she hurriedly denied it: "Not at all, don't talk nonsense. He's just my roommate's older brother; we're just ordinary friends."

"Ordinary friends specifically offer to pick you up?" Michelle asked skeptically.

Guan Ju'er explained in a tone that was almost trying to convince herself, "Brother Qiu is a very good person. He even helped me carry my luggage when I moved in just now."

"Oh, I see," Michelle said softly to Guan Ju'er.

"Sigh, Guan Guan, since you two aren't in that kind of relationship, then I'm making my move. By the way, he isn't married, is he?"

Guan Ju'er suddenly felt a pang of regret and said gloomily, "I don't think so."

"That's perfect! You can't pass up a high-quality, young, and wealthy man like this; once this chance is gone, it's gone for good. Guan Guan, thank you! If we end up together, you'll be my matchmaker, and I'll ask you to be my bridesmaid in the future." Michelle grew more excited as she spoke, as if she were about to go register her marriage right then and there.

Guan Ju'er felt inexplicably sad, but upon reflection, she couldn't find a reason for it. After all, she and Qin Hao had always been just ordinary friends.

Thinking of this, Guan Ju'er suddenly felt a sense of envy toward Michelle. Michelle was fair-skinned, beautiful, very feminine, and extroverted—she could chat with anyone. Unlike her, who was being polite when called introverted, but blunt when being honest: she was just dull.

For the entire afternoon, Guan Ju'er was in a daze. She was distracted even while working, to the point that her manager called her over to give her a talking-to.

As the workday drew to a close, Michelle came to Guan Ju'er's workstation again.

"Guan Guan, that's enough. Pack up and let's get off work."

Guan Ju'er pouted. "I still have a huge pile of things to finish. I'm afraid I'll have to work overtime today."

"Oh, if you can't finish it, just do it tomorrow. Don't you remember? Qiu Yan is coming to pick you up after work," Michelle reminded her.

Guan Ju'er slapped her forehead. "Oh no, I forgot to call Brother Qiu."

"It's too late to call him now. If you really have to, just take the unfinished work home with you," Michelle said, stopping Guan Ju'er as she reached for her phone to make a call.

Guan Ju'er glanced at the time; it was almost six o'clock. She had no choice but to pack her things and prepare to leave.

Once they left the company, Guan Ju'er said gratefully to Michelle, "Thank you. If you hadn't reminded me, I almost forgot."

"It's fine. I just didn't feel like squeezing onto the subway today, so I thought I'd hitch a ride with you."

Guan Ju'er pushed up her glasses and asked in confusion, "But... don't you and I live on opposite sides of the city?"

Michelle chuckled and pinched Guan Ju'er's cheek. "Guan Guan, you are too cute! Hitching a ride isn't the goal; getting more contact with Qiu Yan is the goal."

Guan Ju'er was stunned. She finally understood why Michelle had been so eager for her to take her work home.

Suddenly, she really wanted to stay at the office and work overtime.

Just then, Guan Ju'er received a call from Qin Hao.

"Hello, Guan Guan, are you off work?"

Under Michelle's eager gaze, Guan Ju'er answered obediently.

"Yes, we're off. Um, Brother Qiu, my colleague Michelle also wants to hitch a ride. I was wondering if that would be convenient? If it's not convenient..."

At this moment, Guan Ju'er desperately hoped the answer would be "not convenient." However, Qin Hao's certain reply came from the other end of the line.

"It's fine. It's on the way."

After hanging up, Michelle complained slightly, "Oh, Guan Guan, why did you have to tell him in advance?"

Guan Ju'er looked bewildered. "But, you didn't tell Brother Qiu before you wanted to hitch a ride. Shouldn't you have asked for his opinion beforehand?"

Michelle looked defeated. "Guan Guan, your little brain hasn't quite figured things out yet. If men and women want to take a relationship to the next level, they can't be so 'polite,' do you understand? If you tell him in advance, what if he refuses? If I go with you secretly, once we arrive, it'll be awkward for him to refuse to my face. Then, after he drives me home today, I'll suggest having dinner with him next time to 'express my gratitude.' Through this back-and-forth, we'll naturally become close."

"In the future, if you meet a boy you like, remember: you can't be too polite. You're looking for a boyfriend to date, not an etiquette teacher."

Guan Ju'er's mind struggled to process this. The education she had received since childhood told her these things were wrong, yet she envied Michelle for being so proactive.

When they arrived at the underground garage, Michelle was looking around, and Guan Ju'er had already spotted Qin Hao's vehicle.

Following Guan Ju'er's gaze, Michelle also discovered the Audi Q7, and her eyes lit up.

"Not bad. That Audi Q7 looks like the top-of-the-line model. Although it's a bit below a Porsche or a Ferrari, it's still a million-level luxury car."

Michelle took the initiative to open the passenger door and sat down.

"Qiu Yan, thank you so much. I really didn't want to squeeze onto the subway today, so I'm hitching a ride with you. I'll treat you to dinner next time."

Qin Hao sized Michelle up playfully. In the original story, this woman was a schemer; she had clearly used her own work but claimed to be sick to get Guan Ju'er to sign off on it, and when problems arose, Guan Ju'er had to take the blame. Later, she even engaged in "unspoken rules" with her superior.

"No need to be so polite. Since you're Guan Guan's colleague, it's just on the way."

Upon hearing this, Michelle's expression instantly soured. The words sounded polite, but they were actually a reminder that he was only letting her in because of Guan Ju'er.

Qin Hao drove very steadily. Guan Ju'er took out her laptop to work, while Michelle, unwilling to give up, continued to try and strike up a conversation with Qin Hao. However, the effect was poor, making Michelle wonder if her charm was fading.

At the entrance of the Huanle Song residential area, Qin Hao parked the car. Michelle had no choice but to get out awkwardly, realizing she had been too rushed and that her cleverness had backfired.

As Qin Hao drove into the underground garage and was about to roll up the windows and turn off the engine, Guan Ju'er, who had been silent in the back seat the whole time, suddenly blurted out

"Brother Qiu, do you men all like girls like Michelle?"

Qin Hao froze for a moment. Through the rearview mirror, he saw Guan Ju'er's somewhat resentful little expression, and he immediately chuckled.

"Oh? What kind of girl is Michelle?"

Guan Ju'er pursed her lips. "A girl who is fair-skinned, beautiful, and looks very feminine."

"You think too superficially about men. Being fair-skinned and beautiful is indeed a plus, but as for 'femininity,' that's subjective. Someone who looks delicate isn't necessarily weak inside, and someone who looks tough might actually have a soft heart."

"As for your colleague Michelle, how should I put it... she looks like a very shrewd girl. To put it bluntly: she's worldly. Girls like that are fine for casual dating, but if you're looking to get married, most men wouldn't choose that type, because those kinds of girls can usually enjoy wealth, but they can't share hardships," Qin Hao said with a shrug.

Guan Ju'er blurted out, "Then, Brother Qiu, what kind of girl do you think is suitable for marriage?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Guan Ju'er buried her head. She hadn't even expected herself to ask such a question.

(End of Chapter)