Chapter 44: Messed Up (Requesting Monthly Tickets!!!)

Guan Ju'er and Qiu Yingying returned to Room 2202 acting as if nothing had happened, but Fan Shengmei was quite sensitive; in her eyes, the acting skills of these two little girls were still far too amateurish.

However, Fan Shengmei did not expose them. She had always presented herself as the "big sister" of Room 2202, and she did not want to reveal her vulnerable side in front of her two younger friends.

Fan Shengmei's nonchalant behavior actually made Guan Ju'er and Qiu Yingying even more worried—was Classmate Wang truly out of the picture?

In the afternoon, Fan Shengmei went to work as usual. Wang Baichuan's deception regarding the car rental only strengthened her resolve to buy a house through her own efforts, and she performed even more diligently at work.

After Fan Shengmei left, Guan Ju'er and Qiu Yingying leaned against the living room sofa and let out a sigh of relief.

"Sigh, Guan Guan, I can barely keep up the act. I want to check on Sister Fan, but I'm afraid she'll see through me. Acting is really hard," Qiu Yingying sighed.

Guan Ju'er nodded in deep agreement. "Yeah, I don't understand how some people can lie as easily as they eat. I get so nervous whenever Sister Fan's gaze lingers on me for more than three seconds."

"But for Sister Fan's happiness, we must endure."

"Mhm."

The two comforted each other for a while before returning to their respective rooms. After closing her door, Guan Ju'er hesitated for a long time before finally taking out her phone.

"Hello, Mom."

Guan's mother was somewhat surprised to receive her daughter's call. "Oh, Guan Guan, why are you calling Mom at this hour? Are you working overtime again? That company of yours is really killing you..."

Guan Ju'er quickly explained, "No, Mom, the company is off this weekend. I have something else I want to tell you guys."

"Oh? What is it?" Guan's mother shot a glare at her husband, who was trying to lean in to listen.

Guan Ju'er explained the matter regarding the laser vision correction surgery. "Mom, I went to see a doctor today. The doctor said the surgery can correct my vision so I won't have to wear glasses every day, but the surgery fee is over twenty thousand yuan..."

"That's a good thing! I've been wanting to take you to an ophthalmologist for a long time. When is your appointment?"

As soon as Guan's mother finished speaking, Guan's father grew anxious. What was going on? Why did she need surgery?

"What's happening? Our daughter needs surgery? Is it serious?"

Guan's mother gave him a sidelong glance and said into the phone, "Laser vision correction surgery."

Guan's father clearly breathed a sigh of relief, but he still asked concernedly, "It's still a surgery, though. We can't let Guan Guan go alone. Ask her when the surgery is; we'll take the opportunity to visit her in Shanghai."

"Now you know how to show concern? If it weren't for your daughter, would she be going to Shanghai all by herself?" Guan's mother huffed.

Guan Ju'er thought the line had gone dead due to a poor signal because of the long silence, until her mother's voice came through again.

"Mom, the surgery is scheduled for next weekend..."

Guan's mother thought about next week's work schedule. "Guan Guan, I just discussed it with your father. We won't feel at ease with you undergoing surgery in Shanghai alone. We'll go to Shanghai next weekend to accompany you."

Guan Ju'er's mind felt like it exploded. This was not the script she had envisioned.

"Mom, I'm not going alone. My roommate will go with me. Besides, laser correction isn't a major surgery; there's no need to trouble you guys to make the trip."

Guan's mother was displeased. "You child, what are you saying? How can your matters be a 'trouble' to your parents?"

Guan Ju'er was on the verge of tears from anxiety. If her parents came, what about Qin Hao? What if they saw that she was dating? What if they didn't like Qin Hao?

As countless "what ifs" flashed through Guan Ju'er's mind, her mother finished by instructing her to rest early and not stay up late, then hung up.

Guan Ju'er was stunned. It seemed she had messed things up.

"Yingying, I'm going downstairs to take out the trash," Guan Ju'er said, rushing out the door.

Qiu Yingying looked at the empty trash bag in Guan Ju'er's hand, her head full of question marks.

Qin Hao was just about to take a shower when he heard a knock. Looking through the peephole, he was surprised to see it was Guan Ju'er.

"What, did you miss me that quickly?" Qin Hao smiled as he pulled her inside.

Guan Ju'er kept her head down, not daring to look at him, and stammered through the explanation of what had happened.

Qin Hao was speechless. He glared at her. "So, even over twenty thousand yuan, you insist on being so clear about splitting things with me, is that right?"

"But it's different..." Guan Ju'er lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes.

Knowing her personality, Qin Hao sighed and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "So, what do you plan to do now?"

"Then... I'll just have to wrong you," Guan Ju'er said with a sheepish laugh.

"Hmph, I can't let myself be wronged for nothing then." As he spoke, Qin Hao planted a punishing kiss on her thin lips.

Perhaps out of guilt, Guan Ju'er was quite proactive this time, responding eagerly and even unconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck.

With the experience gained over the past few days, Guan Ju'er held out for a while before panting and pushing him away.

Qin Hao lifted her chin and said fiercely, "That was just collecting interest. If you ever dare to act on your own again, just wait and see how I deal with you."

With a *smack*, Guan Ju'er felt a tingling sensation in her buttocks and nearly lost her balance.

Guan Ju'er pouted, but considering her mistake, she could only accept this "punishment."

"Ah! How long have I been here? I told Yingying I was just going out to throw away the trash. I have to go back!" Guan Ju'er hurriedly fled from Room 2102.

Watching her retreating figure, Qin Hao chuckled. This girl was truly pure to the point of being adorable.

A new week began, and Guan Ju'er returned to her busy life as a corporate drone. She was overwhelmed by heavy workloads every day, and the other interns still treated her with the same exclusion. However, Guan Ju'er no longer cared; she treated whatever they said as if she hadn't heard it. If they went too far, she would simply think to herself: *None of your damn business.*

Meanwhile, after a week of investigation, Old Liu had finally cleared up Michelle's situation.

Looking at several of the photos, Qin Hao couldn't help but sneer. "She plays quite dirty."

Old Liu chuckled. "These days, many women who look pure on the surface have a completely different face behind the scenes. But it's not surprising; the old man in these photos is an executive at her company. With one word from him, Michelle could easily secure a permanent position. Workplace unspoken rules—it's quite normal."

Qin Hao nodded and transferred fifty thousand yuan to Old Liu.

Old Liu joyfully accepted the payment and then asked eagerly, "What do you plan to do? Are you going to make her suffer a social death like that kid named Bai last time?"

Qin Hao shot him a glance. "You seem quite excited about this."

Old Liu gave a sheepish laugh. "Professional habit, professional habit."

Qin Hao beckoned him, and Old Liu understood, leaning his ear closer.

(End of Chapter)