At night, before going to bed, Liu Sufen was combing her hair in front of the mirror and suddenly said to her husband, "Daqing, what do you think about what Lixia and her husband said today?"
"What else is there to think?"
Qin Daqing retorted.
"Oh, you really have no sense, didn't you see they have ulterior motives?"
Although Liu Sufen hadn't said anything during the day, she'd actually noticed something.
"Old Su and Lixia, they don't want our daughter to take the entrance exams for Qinghua or Beida!"
"Oh."
His wife's words didn't seem to stir up much ripple; Qin Daqing listened and remained expressionless.
"Are you deaf? How come you don't have any reaction!"
Liu Sufen was annoyed.
"Haha, I'm just listening to you."
Qin Daqing chuckled and replied casually, "Then why are they doing this?"
"Of course, it's for Zelin, who else could it be for!"
Liu Sufen analyzed, "Old Su and Lixia have always liked our Shiqing very much, they almost wish the girl could be their future daughter-in-law. But since Zelin's grades aren't good, he might only get into a provincial second-tier university. If Shiqing goes to Qinghua or Beida, they probably think there's no hope, so of course they hope she stays in the province!"
"What's your attitude towards this matter?"
Qin Daqing squinted his eyes.
After hesitating for a moment, Liu Sufen finally spoke, "Zelin is a good kid, just a bit of a mess!"
While acknowledging Su Zelin, she expressed the opposite attitude.
Su Zelin is not worthy of our daughter.
It's not that Liu Sufen holds any prejudice or bad impression against Su Zelin. The two families have been friendly neighbors for decades, all old friends. Su Zelin is just a bit mischievous but not bad by nature, Liu Sufen knows this well.
However, when it comes to the lifelong happiness of her only precious daughter, the apple of her eye, Granny Qin naturally set her standards high. She hopes that her daughter's future husband is a fine man as excellent as her daughter, not a rogue like Su Zelin.
Good neighbors and a good son-in-law are not the same.
She's happy to have Su Zelin as a good neighbor, but for him to be promoted to a son-in-law, well, that's a different story.
"You think Zelin is not qualified to match Shiqing, right?"
Qin Daqing decided to speak straightforwardly.
Liu Sufen didn't say anything, but tacitly agreed.
"Let me put it this way, after Zelin graduates, he might do even better than Shiqing, do you believe it?"
Qin Daqing asked.
"No way!"
Without thinking, Liu Sufen shook her head.
"Women have long hair and short sight!"
Qin Daqing snorted, feeling the need to criticize his wife and give her a lesson.
"Zelin is born with a smart mind, no matter what, he understands quickly. His poor academic performance is not due to a lack of talent but simply because he has no interest in studying. If he really put in the effort, being the top of the second school wouldn't leave room for our daughter!"
Liu Sufen hesitated but didn't dare to refute.
Because Su Zelin's intelligence wasn't just average, it was terrifyingly smart; he's essentially a genius!
In elementary school, Su Zelin was the laziest, yet he aced almost every test, something even Qin Shiqing couldn't match. Often when she encountered homework she didn't understand, she would turn to Su Zelin for answers!
It wasn't until middle school, when the subject difficulty increased and there were more subjects, that merely relying on intelligence wasn't enough without effort. So Su Zelin's grades slightly slipped, but he still managed to get into a key high school like the second school.
If someone like him were willing to invest more time and energy in studying, Liu Sufen couldn't imagine the level he would reach!
Not to mention, topping the national exams might even be achievable!
"However, you have to understand, Zelin just isn't passionate about studying, that doesn't mean he's not interested in other things. Actually, as long as it's something he cares about, he always learns faster and plays better than our Shiqing!"
"Take skating, for example; both he and Shiqing love it. They practiced together initially, but Zelin only practiced for less than ten minutes, fell once, and could skate wildly, while our Shiqing fell dozens of times, practiced for a week, yet never reached his level!"
"And then there's skateboarding, guitar, street dance... you name it, things that many young people his age can't do, Zelin is almost proficient in everything; doesn't that say something?"
As Qin Daqing spoke, Liu Sufen felt a bit indignant.
"Zelin is just good at playing, isn't he?"
Qin Daqing disagreed, "Now, Zelin is only interested in playing, but people mature eventually. Zelin will settle down sooner or later, and if he ever wants to make money, he could take over Old Su's business and be very successful!"
"To run a business well, several key qualities are needed. First, a flexible mind, which Zelin already possesses!"
"Second, a smooth talker, who can adapt to every situation. I don't need to say anything more about this!"
"Lastly, a resilient spirit, able to endure hardship! If Zelin sets his mind on something, he has the determination to see it through!"
"By the way, do you remember when Shiqing sprained her ankle as a child and had to rest for a week before she could walk? We were still working at the factory at that time and couldn't pick her up, so Zelin volunteered to carry her home for the whole week, such a long distance, and he was just a seven-year-old kid then. You've seen any kid with such willpower!"
"So you see, don't underestimate Zelin. After Shiqing graduates, at most, she'll have a good, stable job in a unit or big company, but Zelin might be someone who can call the shots!"
Qin Daqing concluded his speech earnestly.
He understood everything so clearly, after all, having been in the business world for so many years, his insight was indisputable.
Su Zelin possessed qualities very similar to many big bosses he had met, perhaps even surpassing many in certain areas!
Liu Sufen was also swayed.
Her husband's words indeed made a lot of sense.
If Su Zelin were to become a big boss in the future, their daughter might really not have any superiority in front of him.
"So what do you suggest we do?"
"Let it be, neither deliberately match them nor deliberately obstruct them, it's already the 21st century, we should also respect the children's wishes on such matters. You think Zelin is not a match for our daughter, but he may not even be interested in Shiqing!"
Liu Sufen realized this was true.
Their daughter was so beautiful and outstanding, yet Su Zelin seemed to have considered her purely as a neighbor and friend all these years.
In fact, in the afternoon, he suggested to Shiqing several times to apply to Qinghua or Beijing University.
In other words, he never intended to pursue your daughter!
It was just her overthinking things!
...
The next morning.
After breakfast, Su Zelin went to the Qin family.
Upon entering the neighbor's yard, he saw Qin Shiqing.
She was standing next to the fence, watering the roses she had planted herself.
It was the blooming season, with the roses in the courtyard all in full bloom, clusters and clusters, layers upon layers, densely packed, with bees buzzing in and out among the multicolored petals, and butterflies fluttering around.
Roses are not famous or exquisite flowers, they don't possess the nobility of peonies, the flamboyance of roses, or the purity of plum blossoms. Yet, roses have a strong vitality, requiring little care, thriving with just sunlight and dew, and inadvertently sprawling across the entire fence, their fragrance filling the courtyard and the whole house, enchanting everyone.
They are so beautiful yet understated, much like the childhood friend Qin Shiqing, pretty but not unattainably high up, right there beside you, within reach.
Looking back to yesterday, she was still the innocent little girl with pigtails, and unknowingly she had grown into a graceful young lady ready to blossom.
Su Zelin looked at her delicate figure, lost in thought for a moment.
With such a beautiful flower, anyone would want to transplant it into their own yard, right?
However, Su Zelin couldn't do so, because he knew that what he liked might not be just roses, but also other flowers like daffodils, hibiscus, peonies…
This isn't the flower meant for me; I just happened to pass by when it was in bloom.
So, let it stay where it belongs and grow freely and happily.
With this thought, Su Zelin couldn't help but sigh.
The girl, hearing the sigh, turned her head, her form bathed in the bright morning light, casting a faint golden glow.
"Zelin, when did you get here?"
"Just a moment ago!"
Su Zelin quickly put on a smile, not wanting his childhood friend to perceive his inner thoughts.
"Zelin, have you had breakfast? Uncle Qin and I made some meat congee. Why don't you come and have some with us?"
Liu Sufen came out from the house, smiling as she spoke.
After the conversation with her husband last night, her attitude towards the future relationship between her daughter and Su Zelin had subtly changed.
"Haha, I've already eaten, thank you, Auntie!"
Su Zelin casually asked, "I'm just curious, about the college application, what have you and Uncle Qin discussed with Shiqing?"
The couple had gone out early in the morning, unable to stop him, so Su Zelin came over to gauge the situation, hoping to offer some advice.
"We haven't decided yet, but our daughter has grown up, we respect her decision, let her choose for herself. Zelin, do you have any good suggestions?"
Liu Sufen asked, with a hint of intentionality.
"Tsinghua or Beijing University would be ideal, Shiqing will undoubtedly make it!"
Su Zelin confidently replied.
Liu Sufen: "…"
Alright, Daqing was right.
This kid Zelin, wasn't even thinking about being with Shiqing.
"Do you really want me to go to Tsinghua or Beijing University that much?"
Qin Shiqing frowned slightly, her bright eyes staring deeply at him.
Su Zelin awkwardly averted his gaze, coughed lightly, and pulled out the old excuse again: "How great would it be to have a neighbor going to Tsinghua or Beijing University!"
"Got it!"
Qin Shiqing no longer paid him attention and continued watering the roses.
Su Zelin couldn't figure out what she was thinking and dared not ask further.