Chapter 8: Good Impressions, Bad Impressions—Aren't They All Impressions?

"Xueyao, do you consider me as a brother because you want a share of my family's fortune?"

This question is quite malicious, essentially accusing Qi Xueyao of harboring ulterior motives for being involved with Qi Lin's family.

In reality, Qi Xueyao had just graduated and was searching for a job. She was still rather naive and had no designs on Qi Lin's family wealth.

Her later cynicism was shaped by the harsh lessons she learned after entering society.

"Qi Lin, that was uncalled for. When your parents return, I'll let them know about your accusations." Qi Xueyao felt her appetite wane, her chest heaving with emotion as she shot a disgruntled look at Qi Lin.

"No problem. It's your freedom to tell whoever you want. I can't stop you."

"By the way, my parents won't be back until the weekend. Will it be too late to discuss this by then?"

"Here, take my phone. Why not call them now?"

"Let me kindly remind you that if you discuss this with my father, he may not scold me as you anticipate. In fact, he might even commend me for growing up and no longer being the naive son of a wealthy family."

Qi Lin handed her his phone, his lips curling into a sly grin.

His words turned Qi Xueyao's ears bright red, her irritation reaching a breaking point.

How had she never noticed before? This guy was not just a lazy heir to a fortune; he was also a thoroughly reprehensible individual.

"I know you look down on me, a spoiled second-generation rich kid. But that's okay. I appreciate you. After all, you're my dear sister Xueyao and quite a looker, too."

Qi Lin's eyes roamed over Qi Xueyao, who was dressed in a stylish suit and skirt, accompanied by dark stockings.

"Qi Lin, you're disgusting!"

Qi Xueyao could take no more. Her eyes reddened as she fought back tears.

After chastising Qi Lin, she stood up and retreated to her room, presumably to cry in private.

"Heh, heh." Watching the aftermath, Qi Lin chuckled coldly, taking no pleasure in her distress.

Irritating Qi Xueyao was merely an appetizer; the real drama was yet to unfold.

"Little Lin, I see that you're fond of Xueyao. Why—" Aunt Chen had quietly approached Qi Lin, hesitating to complete her sentence.

Qi Lin understood perfectly well what Aunt Chen wanted to say; his recent behavior was excessive by any standard.

"Aunt Chen, to make a girl remember you, you have to make an impression—be it good or bad. Don't you agree?" Qi Lin offered a faint smile, uttering a thought-provoking statement.

To an outsider, his words would likely be shocking.

However, Aunt Chen had watched Qi Lin grow up and he trusted that she would ultimately side with him.

"Of course, Aunt Chen hopes both of you could end up together."

Qi Lin had his own thoughts; she was just a housekeeper.

Even though she treated Qi Lin as her own son, she didn't want to interfere in his affairs.

Aunt Chen gave a warm smile before picking up the dishes and leaving the dining room.

After finishing his meal, Qi Lin made his way back to his room, following the familiar spiral staircase.

Along the way, he fondly touched the surrounding railings, walls, artwork, and plants.

In the past life, his home of over two decades, filled with memories, had been seized by the court.

At that time, Qi Lin had been lost, consumed by despair.

Now, back in his familiar sanctuary, Qi Lin felt an emotional surge, almost moved to tears.

…

Date Entry: September 28, 2002, Friday

Lying on his plush king-size bed, Qi Lin finally opened Lan Yuxi's diary.

To be well-prepared is to arm oneself with knowledge.

If he planned to gain an advantage over Wang Cheng's girlfriend, it was essential to unearth her innermost secrets.

"Today is the 27th, which means this is an entry for Lan Yuxi's tomorrow..."

"Interesting. Knowing Lan Yuxi's secrets in advance could give me the upper hand."

Qi Lin smiled faintly, then continued reading.

"After morning study session, I intended to head to the teacher's office to submit my homework. Perhaps due to a staff meeting, the office was surprisingly empty."

"As I placed my homework on the desk, preparing to leave, my eyes inadvertently fell upon an answer sheet."

"My God, this was the answer key for the imminent grade-wide exam!"

"It must be that the teacher was hastily called to a meeting and forgot to put it away. It was left out on the desk."

"At that moment, I had every intention of leaving, but my heart started pounding uncontrollably."

"I've been studying so hard lately, but my exam ranking never improves. I can't break into the top ten."

"As a class leader, I can't afford to lose face in front of everyone, can I?"

"Just this once, I swear, only this once."

"As long as I don't touch the answer key itself, and just jot down the answers on a separate sheet, the teacher will never find out."

"..."

"Phew, the exam is finally over. I can't leave yet, though; it would be disastrous if someone discovered my cheating."

"I'll wait until everyone has left, then go to the restroom to shred the copied answers and flush them away. That way, no one will ever know I cheated."

The diary entry ended here.