Chapter 180: Jiang City (Part 2)

Shen Qing walked over to take a look, retrieved a sheet of rice paper from the cabinet, and fell into deep contemplation for nearly half an hour before finally beginning to grind the ink.

**

Early the next morning, Granny Zhong knocked on Shen Qing's bedroom door.

"Qingqing, come over to my place for breakfast. I've made eight-treasure porridge today."

Shen Qing rubbed her eyes, leaning lazily against the door frame. "Alright, I'll be over in a moment. Go ahead and eat first."

"Okay, remember to come."

Shen Qing closed the door and checked her phone. Mrs. Lin had sent her a message inviting her over for dinner to celebrate the Lesser New Year. After replying to Mrs. Lin, Shen Qing changed her clothes and went out for breakfast, making sure to bring along the couplets for Granny Zhong before leaving.

As soon as she finished breakfast, Shen Qing bought a bag of joss paper at a small shop downstairs and took a cab to the cemetery.

Hardly anyone ever visited the cemetery at this hour. Shen Qing knelt and kowcowed before three side-by-side headstones, then burned the joss paper one by one. She stayed in the cemetery for the entire morning before finally walking out.

"Oh, Boss!" Shortly after leaving, Shen Qing heard a familiar voice. She turned her head and spotted a few boys with multi-colored dyed hair standing not far away.

Shen Qing's brows furrowed slightly. The boy who had called out to her was already walking over.

"Boss, you're finally back!" Jia Wei greeted her with an excited expression.

"Yeah." Shen Qing gave a faint nod. She had met Jia Wei back in middle school. He used to be a rather well-behaved student, but his grades had slipped after entering high school.

The boys standing behind Jia Wei's back lit up when they saw Shen Qing, unable to resist making casual jokes.

"Brother Wei, is this your sweetheart?"

"Bro, this catch of yours is gorgeous!"

"Jia Wei, you're being too unneighborly! Why didn't you introduce such a pretty babe to us?"

Hearing his buddies' teasing remarks and glancing at Shen Qing's increasingly gloomy face, Jia Wei hurriedly stepped in to explain, "Stop talking nonsense! Bo—Boss, these guys are uncultured and ignorant, please don't hold it against them."

Shen Qing glanced at him. Jia Wei's body stiffened, and he forced a smile. "Boss, let me treat you to a meal to make amends?"

"No need. What you treat people to tastes terrible."

"Boss, are you leaving just like that?" Jia Wei asked, chasing after her as she turned to go.

"Yeah, my flight is this afternoon."

"Alright, have a safe trip, Boss."

"Thanks." Shen Qing spared him a glance. "Your hairstyle is hideous."

Left standing in place, Jia Wei stared blankly upon being told he looked ugly. He actually thought it looked pretty cool and vibrant.

"Hey? Jia Wei, who is she?" another "vibrant" boy walked over and asked, his gaze still lingering on Shen Qing's departing back. He had never heard of any high school in Jiang City having such a stunning girl.

Jia Wei cast a gloomy look at him. "Don't tell me you've fallen for my boss?"

The boy smiled sheepishly. "Well, she's not your girlfriend anyway."

"Brother Wei, could you be nursing a secret crush and can't bear to let her go?" The other boys trailing behind also came forward, bantering with Jia Wei.

Gazing at these wishful-thinking "toads wanting to eat swan meat," Jia Wei let out a cold laugh. "With looks like yours, my boss wouldn't even deign to glance at you."

"Oh-ho, you never know. There's no fortress in this world that this brother here cannot conquer."

"Ah, by the way, my boss's name is Shen Qing," Jia Wei glanced at him and said indifferently.

"Sh—Shen Qing?" The "vibrant" boy who had spoken first felt his legs turn to jelly, and he nearly took a tumble. "Is she that Shen Qing from Railway Middle School who transferred away last semester?"

Jia Wei nodded.

"Crap! Bro, she's not going to come after us, is she?"

Shen Qing possessed a fearsome reputation in Jiang City—she was the legendary figure rumored to have single-handedly taken on a hundred people!

Jia Wei shook his head. "Probably not. She's leaving immediately, so she shouldn't have the time."

"Phew—" The others breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Jia Wei stride away, they quickly hurried after him. "Bro, where are you going?"

"To get a haircut. This hairstyle is way too ugly."

"What's wrong with it? Isn't it super cool?"

Jia Wei stopped and glared at them. "The boss said looking at this hairstyle puts her in a terrible mood."

The group stiffened. "Now that you mention it, it really does look kind of ugly."

They had just offended Shen Qing today; if she happened to remember it someday, maybe she wouldn't recognize them if they changed their hairstyles.