Chapter 128: It Is Better to Be Clear

"Out of money already? You can't even cough up fifty bucks, yet you have the nerve to call my bag a fake? Have you even seen a real one before?"

Chen Xin looked at her in silence, shook her head, and then turned to the female student collecting the money. "Isn't that a bit low? Even chartering a car would cost more than that, wouldn't it?"

The student collecting the money clearly hadn't expected Chen Xin to say that and paused, stunned. "We aren't planning to charter a car. We're quite close to the station; we can just take the long-distance coach."

So, they hadn't factored in the travel costs? Chen Xin wasn't entirely sure about the cost of living in this area, but fifty bucks for a two-day trip including three meals seemed rather implausible.

She paid the money without hesitation, completely ignoring the girl standing nearby who was looking for a scene.

After they moved on, the roommate of the girl collecting the money pulled her aside to whisper about whether Chen Xin was actually wealthy or not.

"She doesn't seem like the penniless person you guys described. When she handled the money, she was so calm and generous—none of that penny-pinching behavior you'd expect from someone struggling. Did you all misunderstand something?"

The girl collecting the money was also confused. She didn't even know who had started the rumor that Chen Xin was broke. It seemed like someone had brought her up while discussing fashion, and because they knew she was from a small town in the interior, they had just smugly assumed she was a poor student.

"What are you guys doing? I'm going to find out." Being a woman of action, she had previously worked under Professor Cao. After he left, she changed advisors, but she was still on good terms with Senior Brother Han, Professor Cao’s top assistant. She called him right then and there.

"Does Chen Xin have money? Why are you asking that?" Senior Brother Han replied with a guarded tone. "Are you guys going on a trip? Are you worried she can't cover her share?"

Senior Brother Han burst into laughter. "Are you stupid? Just ask her for the money. Don't worry, she could cover the entire cost of your trip without breaking a sweat. But don't go around telling everyone; she doesn't like being the center of attention."

The girl hung up the phone, stunned. "Rumors really aren't reliable. Hey, do you think that bag she called a fake is actually real or not?"

The two looked at each other, raised their eyebrows, and remained silent.

Chen Xin unlocked her dorm room door and set her materials on the table. Qin Qing and Gou Xiangru, who followed her inside, tossed their snack bags onto another table.

"Xiao Xin, don't mind that girl. She has a grudge against me, which is why she's giving you a hard time. Anyway, you're only staying for half the summer, and she’ll be heading home in a few days. Just try to avoid her."

Chen Xin nodded, not taking the incident to heart.

"Qing, is that fellow townsman of yours really trying to pursue you?" She was curious about the situation between Qin Qing and the man. "I think he seems quite sincere. What do you think?"

"I have nothing going on with him." Qin Qing pulled a bag of potato chips from her stash. "He’s a student at our school, in the Philosophy Department. I'll tell you guys, but don't repeat it: he already has a girlfriend. She's a teacher at our school."

"How is that possible? A student-teacher romance?" Gou Xiangru, who usually didn't care for gossip, was hearing this for the first time.

"Why not?" Qin Qing swung her legs and hummed. "She's twenty-seven, a year older than him, and from a well-off family in our hometown. My fellow townsman just started his PhD; it’s no big deal if he dates a teacher. PhD students aren't forbidden from marrying. It’s just that her family doesn't seem too happy about it; they want her to find someone working in government."

"Then if your fellow townsman is buying you snacks, doesn't his girlfriend get jealous?"

"It's just a cover," Qin Qing said with a light laugh. "They probably want to go away together for the summer but are afraid to make it public, so they're using my name."

"How are they using you? You're staying behind for a project this summer—how could you go with them?"

"They’re using me to call his parents and ask for permission," Qin Qing said with a dismissive shrug. "I already called his mom yesterday. I told her we had planned to go on a trip together, but something came up and I couldn't go. I said the tickets and the room were already booked and it would be a huge loss to cancel, so I told him to go with his classmate instead. I just made up some nonsense to get through it."

"Aren't you worried it will all fall apart later?"

Chen Xin could understand. When children reached twenty-five or twenty-six, their parents’ biggest concern was always their marriage, especially since people often said that the higher one's degree, the harder it was to find a partner. The guy was studying philosophy, which looked like a dead-end career path to many, so his parents must have been worried. When they heard about a girl from his hometown who they knew everything about, they would naturally jump at the chance.

"If it falls apart, so be it. I’ve only eaten a few of his snacks; I haven't taken anything else. Whatever his family thinks has nothing to do with me."

"How can you say it has nothing to do with you?" Chen Xin said, feeling worried. "You've already made it official with his family. Whether you two are really together or not, they think you're a couple. If something goes wrong, how will you prove it wasn't you?"

"He seems like such an honest guy, surely not."

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. I think you should be clear with him. At the very least, stop agreeing to things like this."

Gou Xiangru, having just learned about this, agreed with Chen Xin. "Just call him and tell him. And these snacks—I'll go buy a bag to replace them, and you should give them back."

"I... how am I supposed to say that to him?"

"Just say you've started seeing someone else and you're worried your partner might misunderstand, so you want to clear things up. It would be best if you recorded your conversation with him. Honestly, don't blame me for overthinking it, but the whole thing feels strange. Think about it: his dating someone is a good thing. Even if it is a student-teacher romance, by the PhD level, things are different. For instance, if Senior Sister Wei were to stay on as a teaching assistant after her master's and pursue a PhD, and she dated a classmate, would you call that a student-teacher romance? Using that as an excuse to make you a shield feels a bit off."

Chen Xin didn't push the issue further after saying her piece. After all, they had only known each other for a few days. She only spoke up because she thought Qin Qing was a good, loyal person; she wouldn't have bothered with anyone else.

Qin Qing frowned in silence. She had been helping with this for nearly a year without any issues, but since Chen Xin meant well, she felt conflicted. She wondered if she should just wait until next time.

Gou Xiangru broke the tension, suggesting they all head to the City God Temple to grab some snacks.

"You've been here for nearly a week and haven't been to our most famous City God Temple snack street yet? Let me tell you, the night market food is cheap, but if you really want to understand the most famous local dishes, you have to go to the City God Temple. Our group's project was submitted today, and we don't have new assignments until tomorrow. Why don't we go today?"

"Let's go then. Invite the others too; it'll be more fun with a crowd."