The younger generation, starting from where the wind blows...

Chapter 351 A Decision Against One's Conscience
A windy courtyard.

After finishing the phone call, Xia Fenghua ran back to room number 2 like a gust of wind.

"Siyi, something terrible has happened!"

Ma Siyi, who was sitting at her desk, put down her pen and looked up in confusion.

Xia Fenghua didn't immediately say what had happened, but instead picked up her phone and dialed someone's number.

"Siyi, I'll call Haikuo, and you can use your phone to call Xie Wanghe."

Ma Siyi frowned.

You should be calling Xie Wanghe, and I should be calling Zhou Haikuo.

However, seeing Xia Fenghua's anxious expression, Ma Siyi still did as she was told.

The calls were connected at roughly the same time.

"Siyi, is there something you need?"

"Dahua, what's wrong now?"

Xie Wanghe and Zhou Haikuo's voices rang out simultaneously.

Xia Fenghua put both phones on speakerphone and placed them in front of herself and Ma Siyi.

Can you two hear each other?

"I can hear you, what's wrong?"

Xie Wanghe spoke first.

Xia Fenghua brought her mouth close to the two phones: "This afternoon, I went to the Fairfield Hotel."

Xie Wanghe's voice followed: "Has something happened to Xingchi?"

"Yes, Xingchi is in a relationship," Xia Fenghua said, revealing the "big news."

Ma Siyi on the other end of the line, as well as Xie Wanghe and Zhou Haikuo on the other end of the phone, were all stunned.

Xia Fenghua called both of them at the same time, which made everyone think that something extraordinary had happened.

Is this the result?

"Dahua, aren't you being a bit too dramatic?" Zhou Haikuo's voice rang out.

He's a little worried now that after he told Xia Fenghua yesterday that he was in a relationship, would Xia Fenghua also call Xie Wanghe and Shao Xingchi together for a "phone call" like she is now?

Xie Wanghe immediately chimed in, "Xingchi is already an adult, isn't it normal for him to be in a relationship?"

Ma Siyi's thoughts were similar to those of Xie Wanghe and Zhou Haikuo, but she didn't say it outright.

Xia Fenghua hurriedly defended herself: "I didn't say Xingchi can't be in a relationship, but do you know who Xingchi's boyfriend is?"

"Who?"

“One of their hotel’s housekeeping staff.”

Xie Wanghe and Zhou Haikuo on the other end of the phone were both speechless.

If Zhou Haikuo's romantic partner were someone like a hotel receptionist or lobby staff member, they might be quite surprised.

They might even envy Shao Xingchi for his good fortune with women.

After all, girls who work as receptionists and customer service staff in high-end hotels are usually quite attractive.

You told us that Shao Xingchi had gotten together with a housekeeper.

To put it bluntly, isn't a hotel doorman and a housekeeping girl a perfect match?

It was a very ordinary thing, but Xia Fenghua made it sound like something major had happened.

"You've all misunderstood me. I'm worried that Xingchi might be doing this to get revenge on Uncle Shao."

This peculiar "brainstorm" left Xie Wanghe and Zhou Haikuo completely bewildered.

Zhou Haikuo couldn't help but ask, "Dahua, aren't you overthinking this?"

Xia Fenghua, holding the two phones, argued vehemently: "Think about it, Xingchi discovered he wasn't Uncle Shao's biological son. Isn't his current feeling towards Uncle Shao a mixture of hatred and guilt?"

Hearing this, Xie Wanghe's voice was already getting impatient: "What does this have to do with Xingchi finding a girlfriend?"

"Of course it's related. If Uncle Shao knew that Xingchi was working as a doorman in Yanjing and had a housekeeping girl as his girlfriend, what do you think Uncle Shao's reaction would be?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Wanghe and Zhou Haikuo on the other end of the phone fell silent.

Shao Bingyi considers himself a cultured man and is very concerned about his image.

Some people even think that Shao Bingyi's choice to hide the truth, even though he knew Shao Xingchi was not his biological son, was also related to his pride.

I'm worried about embarrassing myself and being laughed at by my neighbors and colleagues.

Shao Bingyi had always hoped that Shao Xingchi would become successful, but his son ended up working as a "gatekeeper" in Yanjing and even got together with a "bedsheet maker".

If this news gets back to Flower Street, Shao Bingyi will lose all face.

Who dares to say this isn't a different kind of revenge?

After several seconds, Xie Wanghe finally managed to speak with difficulty: "In the short term... Xingchi probably won't contact his family on his own initiative, right?"

Xia Fenghua immediately understood Xie Wanghe's meaning.

As long as they don't tell their families about it, no one in Flower Street will know about it.

However, this method can only deceive people temporarily, not forever.

"Hey!"

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Haikuo sighed.

"That's all we can do for now."

Even after hanging up the phone, Xia Fenghua's brow remained furrowed.

"Siyi, do you think I should ask Xingchi what's going on?"

Ma Siyi put down her pen and thought about it seriously.

"You can ask, but the key question is, in what capacity do you ask?"

Xia Fenghua answered without hesitation, "Of course, as good friends."

"But as a good friend, if you know that Xingchi is in a relationship, shouldn't you be happy for her and offer your blessings?"

As Xia Fenghua froze, Ma Siyi's voice continued to ring out.

"If you're not a good friend, then what gives you the right to pry into Xingchi's private affairs?"

Xia Fenghua finally understood.

Ma Siyi was subtly implying that she was actually "meddling in other people's business."

Fearing that Xia Fenghua might misunderstand, Ma Siyi immediately explained, "I know you meant well, but aren't there plenty of examples in this world of good intentions gone wrong?"

Xia Fenghua looked troubled: "What should I do now?"

Ma Siyi shrugged: "You don't need to do anything. Just pretend you don't know anything about it. Wait until Xingchi takes the initiative to announce it to everyone, and then you can openly ask him about it. I think that's the best way to handle it."

As soon as the words fell——

"Boom boom boom!"

There was a knock on the door.

Before Xia Fenghua could go to open the door, Lin Kesong's voice rang out from outside.

"Sister Fenghua, are you inside?"

"exist."

Xia Fenghua responded and went over to open the door, where she found Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang standing outside.

"You... need something?"

Sun Xiang peeked into the room and saw Ma Siyi sitting at her desk studying by lamplight. He deliberately lowered his voice:
"Sister Fenghua, can we talk outside? We're afraid of disturbing Sister Siyi's studying."

Xia Fenghua nodded, gently closed the door, and followed Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang into the courtyard.

Whether it was intentional or coincidental, the door to room number 1 also opened.

Hu Youyu came out. "Fenghua, I asked them to go and call you," he explained.

Xia Fenghua looked at the three of them curiously.

"What's going on?"

"Is such that--"

Hu Youyu glanced at Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang: "They came to me just now to ask about going to Shenzhen to watch the New Year's Eve party on New Year's Day. I just asked them casually, mainly to find out if you and Siyi are going."

"Go for it! The company covers food, lodging, airfare, and entrance fees. Why not go?"

Hu Youyu shrugged: "That's what I said too, but they didn't believe me and insisted on having you confirm it in person."

Xia Fenghua had already realized what was going on and turned to look at Sun Xiang and Lin Kesong, who looked guilty.

"Tell me honestly, what exactly happened? You even asked Teacher Hu to cover for you two."

Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang exchanged a glance, then stepped forward and each took Xia Fenghua's hands, one on each side.

“Sister Fenghua, yesterday you, my sister, and Brother Xiaoyu were talking in the courtyard. Sun Xiang and I actually heard you talking. I just wanted to ask you, is there any way to buy tickets? I don’t mind paying a little more money.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Fenghua pulled her hands out of her bosom.

“You also want to go to Shenzhen to watch the New Year’s Eve gala. You only have six months left until the college entrance examination. Going there and back will take up at least a whole day.”

"Sister Fenghua, why are you only talking about us? Isn't Sister Siyi going too?"

Sun Xiang's question stumped Xia Fenghua.

You can't say that because Ma Siyi has good grades, it doesn't matter if she misses a day, right?

Everyone knows that learning requires a balance of work and rest; sharpening your axe won't delay your work.

Left with no other choice, Xia Fenghua had to resort to her trump card.

"Siyi was sent there by the company. Will your family agree to it?"

“I should be fine on my end, my parents are easy to talk to,” Lin Kesong said first.

When it was Sun Xiang's turn, he got stuck.

She knew very well that apart from her father, who didn't care about anything, her mother and her sister Sun Xin would never agree.

Especially Sun Xin.

Lin Kesong hurriedly said, "Sister Fenghua, Sun Xiang already has a ticket, now I'm the only one who doesn't have one."

Xia Fenghua was taken aback after hearing this.

"No, Sun Xiang, where did you get the tickets? You're not looking for Chu—"

Sun shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

"It wasn't Brother Xiaoyu, I didn't even dare to tell him about this."

If Chu Xiaoyu finds out, it's the same as Sun Xin finding out.

Sun Xiang isn't that stupid.

Lin Kesong's voice followed: "Sister Fenghua, here's what happened. There's a classmate of mine who's very close to me named Song Xiaoyu. Her brother bought two tickets, but something came up and he can't go now. He's worried about Xiaoyu going alone, so Xiaoyu asked Sun Xiang to go with her."

Sun Xiang nodded repeatedly from the side.

“If I can’t go with Xiaoyu, her brother will have to resell those two tickets.”

These are Song Xiaoyu's original words.

But in reality, Song Xiaoyu overheard Yang Guang's conversation with his mother quite by chance.

That's when they found out that Yang Guang had secretly bought two tickets.

Song Xiaoyu didn't want to go to the New Year's Eve gala with Yang Guang, so she lied to Sun Xiang and said that Yang Guang had something come up and couldn't go.

When Yang Guang finally reveals his true colors, Song Xiaoyu can use Sun Xiang as a shield, saying that Sun Xiang really wanted to go but couldn't get a ticket.

Given Yang Guang's kind-hearted nature, he would most likely give his vote to Sun Xiang.

Lin Kesong can get another ticket, and the three of them can go to Shenzhen to watch the New Year's Eve gala together.

"Sister Fenghua, although I can get tickets through connections, I definitely can't get tickets that are next to each other. That's why I wanted you to help me find Brother Xiaoyu and ask him to inquire with ticket scalpers to see if he can get tickets that are next to your two seats."

If they can buy them, Lin Kesong can exchange the two tickets in Song Xiaoyu's hands for the two tickets in Xia Fenghua's hands.

This way, Song Xiaoyu, Lin Kesong, and Sun Xiang can sit together when watching the New Year's Eve gala.

The plan was perfect, the only problem was that Chu Xiaoyu couldn't be aroused.

Otherwise, once this matter reaches Sun Xin's ears, all the plans will fall through.

Xia Fenghua finally gave in to Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang's persistent pleas and agreed to call Chu Xiaoyu to ask.

The phone was answered after only one ring.

"Fenghua, is something the matter?"

"Brother Xiaoyu, it's like this, my situation has changed a bit, and I'd like to buy another ticket, preferably one that's next to the two tickets in front of me. Could you ask around for me?"

"Oh, okay, I'll ask around for you."

Chu Xiaoyu was very efficient; just a few minutes later, she called Xia Fenghua back.

"Fenghua, I've asked around for you. The other party doesn't have those two tickets with seats together, but he has three tickets with seats together. If you want them, you can use the two tickets you have plus 1,000 yuan to exchange for those three tickets from him. Is that okay?"

Xia Fenghua's phone was on speakerphone, and Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang, who were standing nearby, heard what she said.

Seeing Lin Kesong nodding vigorously at her, Xia Fenghua agreed to Chu Xiaoyu's proposed ticket exchange plan.

After the call ended, Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang excitedly hugged Xia Fenghua's arms and cheered.

Xia Fenghua immediately poured cold water on the two of them.

"You two shouldn't be so happy yet. First, think about how to get past Sister Sun Xiang!"

Suddenly, Hu Youyu's voice rang out from the side.

"That's easy, just buy another ticket and let Sun Xin go too, isn't that enough?"

Incisive and to the point.

Sun Xin wasn't the kind of stubborn old man who was stuck in the past; a day really wouldn't take up much time.

Those who actually get into university don't care about missing out on one day of study time.

The key issue is that Sun Xin can only control Sun Xiang at most, not Lin Kesong and Song Xiaoyu.

It's easy to imagine how disappointed Sun Xiang must have been, since his two best friends had gone and he couldn't go.

It's not worth it to let such a small matter affect Sun Xiang's enthusiasm for studying and taking the college entrance exam.

Once the tickets are bought in advance and the die is cast, Sun Xin will naturally no longer object.

Upon hearing Hu Youyu's suggestion, Lin Kesong and Sun Xiang's eyes lit up, and they immediately pestered Xia Fenghua to call Chu Xiaoyu again to buy an extra ticket.

Xia Fenghua was truly caught in a dilemma.

The two tickets in her hand were because Sun Xin refused Chu Xiaoyu's offer to stay and accompany Sun Xiang to study, which is why Chu Xiaoyu decided to resell the tickets.

Now they're asking Chu Xiaoyu to help them buy tickets, and the tickets are for Sun Xin.

Not telling Chu Xiaoyu the truth would be too cruel for her.

They treat him like a normal person.

But if I tell Chu Xiaoyu the truth, I'll feel bad for Sun Xin.

Xia Fenghua could tell that Sun Xin wasn't particularly fond of Chu Xiaoyu.

Even without the pretext of accompanying Sun Xiang to study, Sun Xin would probably have found another reason to refuse to go to Shenzhen to watch the New Year's Eve gala with Chu Xiaoyu.

If Chu Xiaoyu knew about Sun Xiang and the others' plan, she would definitely keep it from Sun Xin and get a ticket for herself so that her seat would be right next to the four girls.

We'll pretend it was a chance encounter then.

Even if Sun Xin guessed the truth of the matter, he could only swallow this bitter pill.

After much deliberation, Xia Fenghua made a decision that went against her conscience.

She was going to "tattling" to both Sun Xin and Chu Xiaoyu at the same time!
(End of this chapter)