Chapter 25: A Long-Awaited Embrace

After Qiao Wanwan was taken away by the police, the banquet continued. Fu Yanchen, Jiang Zeyu, and Shen Mengxia found a quiet corner to chat.

"Xiaxia, there were several script paths you could have chosen for your life. Why did you pick the one that was the most time-consuming and had the slowest results?" Jiang Zeyu asked, voicing his confusion.

"You were the one who said I needed to become stronger. Naturally, I wanted to win back my life on my own merits, rather than relying on the prestige and wealth of the Fu family. I gave it my all, though I never expected to actually be accepted," Shen Mengxia explained.

This sentiment filled both Fu Yanchen and Jiang Zeyu with profound respect.

"Xiaxia, you’ve truly grown up and become even more outstanding. You’re almost dazzling now," Fu Yanchen said, looking at the young woman before him with immense admiration.

"I’m in awe of you myself. I don't think I could have done it or possessed such persistence. Are you going back?" Jiang Zeyu joked, turning on the charm.

"No comment! It's classified. But please, do keep going—don't stop. Your flattery is quite pleasant," Shen Mengxia said with a playful smile.

*“Did the female lead just get accepted into a top-secret national research project?”*

*“The female lead is a beast; straight-A students are just built differently.”*

*“To the person above, what exactly is a ‘national secret research project’?”*

*“The lead is in her second year of graduate school now; she’s not just a regular college student anymore. She’s qualified to join research teams.”*

*“National secret research projects generally include: 1. Military bases, 2. Nuclear power plants, 3. Prisons, 4. Research laboratories, 5. State-classified units, 6. Silicon Valley tech.”*

*“Thanks for the info.”*

*“Why do I feel like I’m the only one worthy of a woman like her? Hahaha.”*

The barrage of comments appeared again, causing trouble. Although Shen Mengxia was accustomed to them, she still found the way these messages popped up out of nowhere quite eerie.

In truth, she longed to share her experiences in the research group with Fu Yanchen and Jiang Zeyu, but she had signed a non-disclosure agreement so strict that she was careful even when talking in her sleep, terrified of letting anything slip.

She had returned before her contract term was up; if not for the school selecting her to represent the country in the World Collegiate Programming Contest, she probably wouldn't have been able to come back for quite some time.

Just then, a chaotic commotion erupted outside. The group hurried out to investigate.

Upon reaching the entrance, they saw several security guards struggling to hold back a group of burly men. "I knew he would come," Fu Yanchen remarked, sounding entirely unsurprised.

"Big Brother, who are they?" Shen Mengxia asked, looking at the brawny men with confusion.

"You're so clever, can't you guess?" He gestured for the security guards to stand down and let them in.

"Could they be family of that... Qiao whatever-her-name-is, the one who was just dragged away?" Jiang Zeyu guessed, noting the menacing posture of the men.

"Really? Her family? They don't look the part. None of them look like wealthy businessmen. No wonder they raised a daughter like Qiao Wanwan," Shen Mengxia concluded, attributing the situation to bad family genetics.

Just as she was about to follow, someone caught her wrist. "Brother is better at handling these things, don't worry." She turned to see Ye Huaiting, with Shen Mengqing standing beside him.

Shen Mengxia reflexively looked for Jiang Zeyu, but only caught a glimpse of his back as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Xiaxia, I haven't formally introduced you yet. This is your sister, Shen Mengqing." Ye Huaiting wore a rare, serious expression as he bridged the gap between them.

Shen Mengqing opened her arms and stepped forward, calling out, "Little sister!" The two sisters embraced tightly.