Although Xingyuan found it difficult to make time, she still found various ways to give Yan Xiyue gifts. Flowers, jewelry, clothes – on holidays or anniversaries, no matter how busy she was, she would set aside time to be with her.
The company was only truly troublesome in the first year. After overcoming the difficult period, Xingyuan only needed to find a management team she trusted enough, bind them to the company through profit sharing and other means, and then control the general direction herself.
Professional academic knowledge was not difficult for her. She had divine sense. Although its use was limited, her memory was still much stronger than that of ordinary people.
Therefore, she spent most of her time on racing. Different cars had subtle differences in feel. For others, this was insignificant, but for a racer, even a slight difference in the car could affect their final race results.
Yan Xiyue was also very busy. By the midpoint of her first semester, she was noticed by a professor and became his student.
This professor was very famous in the country, a historical research expert. Whenever a major ancient tomb was excavated in China or an artifact of uncertain dynasty was found, he would be invited to appraise it.
He had retired from the frontline for two years but was a restless person, so he was invited by Qingquan University to serve as a professional mentor.
His classes were hard to get into, with many auditors standing outside the door every time. Yan Xiyue, by a stroke of luck, was chosen and was determined to perform well.
She knew her own strengths. Although she was considered intelligent, Qingquan University always had a wealth of talent, and there were no shortage of people smarter than her. Her mentor saw her passion for history and literature.
So, when Xingyuan was finally less busy in her second year, Yan Xiyue joined an archaeological team for research.
Xingyuan did not hinder Yan Xiyue's pursuit of her dreams. She also focused her energy on the racing competitions at hand. Apart from regular phone calls every so often, to outsiders, there was no sign of a relationship between them.
Thus, their relationship remained well hidden. Apart from a few close friends, only their roommates knew a little about the inside story.
However, they were often not at school, so they had no time to cultivate relationships with their classmates. Therefore, their roommates had no need to express any opinions online about it. Consequently, with one being aloof and the other soft and cute, they surprisingly had many admirers at school.
One day, Xingyuan encountered one of them.
She looked coldly at the man in front of her, holding roses and dressed like a peacock, and said indifferently, "I'm sorry, I already have a girlfriend."
The man was taken aback, then likely assumed this was Xingyuan's way of rejecting him. Unwilling to give up, he said, "How is that possible? I've been observing you for a while, and I've never seen you be intimate with anyone else."
Xingyuan said coldly, "Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I have no reason to lie to you."
This man's words seemed to remind her of how thoughtless she had been in the past. If she had known that inheriting the family business would be so troublesome, leaving her no time for even a relationship, she wouldn't have agreed to it.
But no matter how much Xingyuan regretted it, she couldn't change the fact that she was "alone in her empty room." Even though she knew very well that even if she didn't accept these things, Yan Xiyue would still follow her mentor to pursue her lifelong dream if she stayed at school.
The man threw the flowers and turned away indignantly. Of course, he knew Xingyuan wouldn't lie to him, but being rejected so directly still made him lose face!
This was not the first person Xingyuan had rejected. Her time was very tight, and she didn't want to waste it on people who were irrelevant to her. Besides, they wouldn't cause her any trouble. And since she rarely came to school, she was merely repeating the process of listening to confessions and then rejecting them.
She was direct in telling others she was already taken, but since they hadn't seen the actual person, they remained persistent, even harboring thoughts of poaching.
Xingyuan ignored them and further reduced her time at school, spending her days at the CX training base.
She had applied for early graduation from school. However, the earliest she could take an exam set by professionals and graduate early was in her second year. Although this was an opportunity she gained after her investment, her current freedom was no different from having already graduated.
Before the Lunar New Year, Yan Xiyue finally returned, looking travel-worn.
She had become much tanner, but her eyes were bright, which made Xingyuan pause for a moment. Upon seeing her, the words of concern she had prepared turned into a simple, "Welcome back!"
"Mmm," Yan Xiyue stepped forward and hugged her.
She murmured, "I missed you so much!"
This sentence instantly shattered the slight sense of unfamiliarity between them.
Xingyuan smiled brightly and said softly, "Me too!"
Yan Xiyue's current research was not yet finished. Artifacts were still being continuously unearthed from the ancient tomb. She had specifically taken leave to come home for the New Year.
Although Xingyuan wanted to stay up with Yan Xiyue on New Year's Eve, Yan Xiyue's parents were waiting at home. Xingyuan couldn't possibly disrupt their family reunion!
So, when they parted, Xingyuan lowered her head, her hand tightly gripping Yan Xiyue's, unwilling to let her go. After finally meeting, was she going to leave so soon?
Seeing Xingyuan's pitiful appearance, Yan Xiyue's heart softened. She said gently, "Do you have any plans this year?"
"No," Xingyuan's voice was muffled, sounding very unhappy.
Her parents had already gone abroad. Not only could they not spend the New Year with her, but she couldn't even find a trace of them.
Her existence felt like her parents had only been responsible for the biological act, not the upbringing. Xingyuan felt indignant. If they didn't want her, why give birth to her!
"Then, do you want to come home with me for the New Year?"
The moment Yan Xiyue said this, in Xingyuan's eyes, she seemed to radiate light, like an angel descending to save her.
Xingyuan's eyes welled up with emotion, but she held back. She gently kissed Yan Xiyue's lips.
This kiss was not romantic, but filled with her gratitude towards Yan Xiyue.
"Let's go!" Yan Xiyue smiled gently, looking at Xingyuan, who was almost clinging to her, with a hint of helplessness.
"Mhm. I'll rent a car right away," Xingyuan said, opening her ride-hailing app.