Chapter 221

A bright yellow sports car was parked at the equestrian club.

It perfectly matched Xiao Yu's T-shirt color today, with a bright yellow stripe in the middle of his white tee.

He usually didn't wear T-shirts, but today he decided to wear one, thinking it might make him appear younger.

After all, he was Xiao Shengzhou's uncle, and the generation gap between them was quite significant. He often felt like an old man, and that young girl didn't pay any attention to him.

When he saw Xiao Bao'er giving gifts the other day, he felt foolish for not giving presents to girls, especially to the ones he liked.

But when it came to what gifts to give, like bags, necklaces, or jewelry, he felt that even if he gave them, she wouldn't accept them.

That day, his nephew suddenly warned him not to mess around, and he was taken aback, thinking that his nephew might also have developed romantic feelings. He felt embarrassed about it.

As it turned out, his nephew mentioned the girl's donation.

Xiao Yu fell silent.

Several days passed without any movement.

It was mainly because of this young girl that Xiao Yu was at a loss. She seemed a bit different from the girls around him, the ones who were motivated by romantic interests, self-interest, give and take, and came and went easily.

In the face of such a girl who worked hard and donated her bonuses without hesitation, he really couldn't understand what kind of upbringing would cultivate such a girl.

But he also didn't impulsively suggest exchanging contact information through WeChat or anything like that.

However, just giving up like this made him feel unwilling.

Truly, after all these years, from when he was in school, it was so difficult to suddenly see a girl who made his heart beat faster, to feel something different. This feeling was very exciting, and he thought that if he didn't seize the opportunity, he would regret it for a lifetime.

Life is always greasy.

Suddenly, there was a burst of sunlight, a trace of fresh breeze, breaking through that greasiness.

He didn't want to give up.

But instead of thinking about buying jewelry or bags, he put in some effort and specifically found an equestrian coach, a very experienced one who was originally overseas. He spent a large sum of money to bring him over. He felt that the little girl loved horseback riding very much. When she was riding, she had no guard up and would laugh heartily. She truly appeared sunny and happy.

When it comes to giving gifts, of course, it should be something she likes. So, despite the difficulties, Xiao Yu still managed to invite the coach.

However, today in the afternoon, the little girl didn't show up. Xiao Yu: ...

After bothering his nephew for a while, Xiao Shengzhou finally said, "She went to the calligraphy and painting society. She told me in advance that she wouldn't come in the afternoon."

Xiao Yu: ...

"Why did you bring the equestrian coach here without telling me you wanted to meet that little girl? Why did you tell me in advance?" Xiao Shengzhou genuinely didn't want his uncle to have any crooked thoughts.

He knew what Su Xiaoqi was doing in the afternoon. He was the president of the Student Union and was quite familiar with the leaders of school clubs. He also knew Li Luanliang, the president of the calligraphy and painting society, who was an outstanding junior. Unexpectedly, during their last conversation, Li Luanliang mentioned that he had high hopes for a new student, who was being considered as a candidate for the president of the calligraphy and painting society, and it turned out to be Su Xiaoqi.

Li Luanliang planned to recommend the girl to the City Calligraphy Association and have her become a member of the association.

Xiao Shengzhou thought he had good taste, so they chatted for a while.

It seemed that Su Xiaoqi had asked for leave because of this matter.

He believed in the saying that heaven helps those who help themselves, and a hardworking girl like Su Xiaoqi, if he happened to be in a position to help, he would be willing to lend a hand.

Regarding the equestrian coach incident, although Uncle Xiao had extended his help, he had done so tacitly.

He wondered what would happen if he gave her a bigger stage?

Su Xiaoqi was completely unaware of what others were thinking. Just as she walked out of the Student Union building and reached the playground, she unexpectedly ran into Du Xinyan, the president of the Music Society.

After the Top Ten Singers competition, they had added each other as contacts on WeChat but hadn't really talked before.

Seeing Du Xinyan walking over, dressed in a white suit jacket and white high heels, wearing a chiffon skirt underneath, she looked like a professional white-collar worker from a TV drama, very attractive. She also had a radiant presence at Enhua, and she had put on makeup.

Her hair wasn't very long, just reaching her shoulders, but it looked very neat and tidy.

Speaking of her facial features, they weren't particularly stunning, but watching her approach, one couldn't help but feel her strong aura, attracting attention and exuding a confident and imposing vibe.

In comparison, Han Wei, the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Society, felt somewhat lacking. Perhaps they belonged to the same category of people, but Han Wei had only scratched the surface, while Du Xinyan had substance.

Su Xiaoqi felt that this was one of the benefits of going to college, broadening her horizons and meeting more people.

It expanded her perspective and broadened her thinking.

"Senior Du, hello," Su Xiaoqi greeted first.

As a junior, it was proper etiquette to greet first.

Du Xinyan, seeing Su Xiaoqi wearing a T-shirt and jeans, warmly responded, "Xiaoqi, I was just thinking of looking for you. I didn't expect to run into you here. Do you have time? Let's chat for a while."

Su Xiaoqi was a bit bewildered by Du Xinyan's enthusiasm. She always thought that only foreign teachers would be so enthusiastic and unrestrained, and that Chinese people were generally reserved. Moreover, she wasn't familiar with Du Xinyan, and they hadn't really chatted on WeChat. She had originally just wanted to say hello, thinking that the other party might not even remember her, but the other party called her name so warmly, as if they were very familiar.

As they walked together on the playground, Su Xiaoqi was still a bit dazed.

Du Xinyan took off her high heels, holding them in her hand while walking barefoot, and they chatted along the way.

Su Xiaoqi noticed that the back of her heels were blistered... indeed, beauty sometimes came at a price.

"Do you want to join the Music Society? You sing very well, and you have a good appearance. Our Music Society has collaborations with many film and entertainment companies, offering many opportunities," Du Xinyan spoke in a manner that matched her appearance, both passionate and straightforward. Su Xiaoqi was momentarily stunned, but she didn't hesitate or feel conflicted, she simply shook her head.

"Thank you for your recognition, Senior. When I initially participated in the Top Ten Singers, I was only going for the prize money. I didn't really think beyond that, and there are so many people who sing better than me, and in terms of appearance as well, there are countless beautiful people. Winning first place this time can only be considered relatively lucky. I have a lot of schoolwork to do and not much free time."

Du Xinyan found Su Xiaoqi to be quite peculiar. Although the young girl seemed to have a clear understanding, possessing good singing skills and a pleasing appearance, in the entertainment industry, she was just ordinary. To truly become a star, it wasn't as simple as being good-looking or having good singing abilities.

There were many hidden complexities behind the scenes.

That industry was particularly intricate. Even the simplest person entering it would be like jumping into a big dye vat, losing themselves in the process.

Du Xinyan still admired Su Xiaoqi, who sang on the rooftop that day. She had a unique spirit and was pure, a feeling that was lacking in that industry.

"With your talent, if you're willing, singing a song would earn you more than twenty thousand yuan," Du Xinyan said.

In reality, after that evening event ended, two other judges approached her, inquiring about Su Xiaoqi. However, she had some matters to attend to during those days, so she politely declined.

Today, she happened to encounter Su Xiaoqi, and Du Xinyan wanted to have a conversation with the young girl, to see what she thought.

With one song earning twenty thousand yuan, singing one song a day for 365 days would amount to seven million yuan. Yet, even with seven million yuan, she still couldn't afford a car like the one owned by Li Weijin's staff.

For some reason, Su Xiaoqi's mind immediately equated those calculations. But just as quickly, she came to her senses.

She shook her head.

It was impossible for her to sing every day, let alone earn twenty thousand yuan each time. Her goal was clear—to focus on her studies and improve herself.

"Thank you, Senior Du. Singing is just my hobby. If it becomes a profession, I think it wouldn't be as enjoyable," Su Xiaoqi expressed.

Du Xinyan nodded in agreement. Indeed, there was a difference between a hobby and a profession.

Although it was just a few sentences, Du Xinyan gained some understanding of the young girl before her. She wasn't the type of girl who desperately sought fame and vanity but had a clear sense of self-awareness.

In fact, after the end of the event, the third-place contestant had actively approached her. Unlike the girl in front of her, Wu Xinyue was ambitious and eager to become famous. Du Xinyan had agreed to let her join the music club but had doubts about her potential.

She had also approached the second-place contestant, Zhou Chanxin, but that junior seemed even more laid-back. However, considering his affluent background, he didn't care about the money, so Du Xinyan didn't try to persuade him further.

It was Su Xiaoqi in front of her who she initially thought would be the most suitable. She had looked into her student records and background and found her to be simple and pure, with an ideal canvas to mold.

She never expected to be straightforwardly rejected.

"If there are any school activities in the future, Senior can call me to help out. I'm sure I can be of assistance," Du Xinyan said with a smile.

Having rejected her earlier, Su Xiaoqi nodded, still finding Senior Du impressive.

Du Xinyan patted Su Xiaoqi's shoulder and said, "You're still too reserved. Be livelier in the future. Senior won't bite."

After bidding farewell to Du Xinyan, Su Xiaoqi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked up and noticed that the sky was turning dark.

Watching Senior put on her high heels again, looking like a warrior as she walked away with determination and confidence, Su Xiaoqi realized she would probably never experience that kind of feeling.

At this moment, Xiaoqi simply had an intense desire to go for a run, to joyfully sprint a few laps.