Xia Xiaolan was about to lose her mind.

Why couldn’t the Ji family keep their mentally unstable members in check?

Were they all dim-witted in the Ji family, truly believing Tang Hong’en was just joking with them? Did they think the words of a deputy leader of a Special Economic Zone carried no weight?

Xia Xiaolan knew very well that Tang Hong’en had been staying in Beijing these past few days, meeting with various friends.

The Ji family just couldn’t contain themselves, rushing to make a move. If they had directly confronted Tang Hong’en, Xia Xiaolan would have at least respected their consistency and courage.

Unable to find Tang Hong’en, or perhaps too afraid to confront him, they chose to pick on her, the easy target.

Being cornered at the school gate, Xia Xiaolan was fuming.

She had been caught alone, having just returned from the Shichahai area. Like an ant moving house, Xia Xiaolan had been slowly furnishing her new home. After buying the courtyard, money was tight, so she planned to save up before completely renovating it, making do for now.

Anyone who heard her describe such a spacious courtyard, without shared occupants, as “making do” would want to punch her.

Perhaps heaven itself was annoyed by Xia Xiaolan’s privileged attitude, as she encountered Ji Ya on her way back to school.

Madam Ji Ya maintained her usual graceful demeanor, but today was different – she was accompanied by a foreign gentleman as her escort.

Before Xia Xiaolan could comprehend why Ji Ya had suddenly appeared, they presented her with an unexpected proposition.

Ji Ya wasn’t trying to separate her from Ji Jiangyuan anymore; instead, she wanted Xia Xiaolan to go abroad with him!

This suggestion was suffocating. Hadn’t they said earlier that Ning Xue would go abroad with Ji Jiangyuan? Weren’t they convinced that Ning Xue and Ji Jiangyuan were perfect for each other, with both families expecting them to end up together? Were those all empty words? In just a few days, Ji Ya wanted to change partners.

If Ji Ya was going mad, Xia Xiaolan had no intention of joining her delusion. Going abroad with Ji Jiangyuan wasn’t just one wrong thought – it was an entire mindset gone haywire!

Ji Ya’s logic was truly unique.

If Tang Hong’en wouldn’t let her leave the country now, she thought bringing Xia Xiaolan along would guarantee their departure!

Ji Ya reasoned that since Tang Hong’en was protecting Xia Xiaolan, taking her along would ensure their success in going abroad! Once Xia Xiaolan was overseas, she wouldn’t be in control anymore, and Tang Hong’en’s influence wouldn’t reach that far. Ji Ya’s primary goal was to break through Tang Hong’en’s blockade. In 1984, studying abroad held immense appeal for Chinese university students, and Ji Ya was using this as a bargaining chip. To add credibility to her proposal, she had brought George along today.

A foreigner’s offer to arrange overseas study seemed more credible than a Chinese person’s.

Ji Ya had always acted without regard for others’ opinions, accustomed to doing as she pleased, and others were used to indulging her. Though the Ji family surely disapproved of her actions, George would help her unconditionally. George even found it romantic that Ji Jiangyuan didn’t want to return to America immediately for love’s sake, believing this shouldn’t be criticized.

After all, he had the financial means – if Ji Jiangyuan’s girlfriend wanted to study abroad, he could cover her tuition and living expenses.

He saw it as a charity, helping to cultivate talent for backward China. George believed he was doing something noble.

Cornered at the gate, Xia Xiaolan wanted to drag these two across rough ground repeatedly!

Yes, not on smooth tile floors – it had to be rough cement ground so they’d feel the pain and stop harassing her. Ji Ya was beyond reasoning – Xia Xiaolan’s rejections and explanations were futile as Ji Ya insisted on following her ideas.

The foreigner too, with his benevolent expression, made Xia Xiaolan want to curse.

But Ji Ya and George’s appearances were deceptively misleading. One look at them showed they weren’t ordinary deceivers – Ji Ya exuded class, and George was refined and gentle. Here were two such people, begging Xia Xiaolan to let them send her abroad, and she was refusing?

“Isn’t studying architecture abroad wonderful? If you don’t like America, you can choose England!”

The weather was so cold that their breath formed white clouds, creating a misty veil over their faces. With frozen cheeks, Xia Xiaolan had no patience to continue this standoff: “I’m sorry, but I’m really not interested, and I’ll say it again – I have no relationship with your son… If you continue harassing me, I’ll have to call campus security. Even if this goes to the principal, my stance won’t change. Yes, I’m dating someone, and I’ll accept any disciplinary action from the school, but my boyfriend is not your son!”

Though Tsinghua hadn’t explicitly forbidden students from dating, they didn’t openly support it either.

It was natural for male and female students to develop feelings for each other, and the administration’s official stance was to turn a blind eye.

If such a minor issue had to be escalated to the school authorities, they couldn’t maintain their lenient attitude, and Xia Xiaolan would surely face consequences.

But Xia Xiaolan didn’t care!

Guan Huie hadn’t met Ji Ya before – they had no previous interactions. But after hearing a few words, she understood Ji Ya’s identity. Today, Guan Huie witnessed it firsthand – not only was Ji Ya personally involved, but she’d brought a foreigner to bully Xia Xiaolan.

Being a foreign guest wasn’t so impressive; while others might be intimidated by his status, Guan Huie wasn’t afraid.

Just as she was about to step forward, someone pushed her aside:

“Excuse me, let us through.”

“Coming through, please make way.”

“Xiaolan, what’s going on?”

“Little Six, don’t be scared, we’re here!”

When the residents of Dorm 307 heard that Xia Xiaolan was being cornered at the school gate, they dropped everything and rushed over. Only two who weren’t in the dorm were absent; everyone else had rushed to the gate.

Yang Yonghong, relying on her physical strength, led the Dorm 307 group through the crowd.

“Xiaolan, are you okay? What’s happening!”

Yang Yonghong pulled Xia Xiaolan behind her, staring bewilderedly at Ji Ya and George.

Su Jing also shouted, “What’s wrong with all of you, just standing around watching? They’re bullying someone right at Tsinghua’s gate! If you stay silent while watching Xia Xiaolan being bullied today, who will stand up for you when you’re bullied tomorrow?”

Everyone had been confused about the situation, but after Su Jing’s outburst, they felt rather embarrassed.

Now they understood that Ji Ya was insisting on taking Xia Xiaolan abroad because her son was supposedly dating Xia Xiaolan. As a mother, she had compromised and come to apologize for her previous opposition.

But Xia Xiaolan firmly denied everything, stating she neither dated Ji Ya’s son nor wanted to go abroad.

Su Jing found it terrifying – this was Ji Jiangyuan’s mother… She had previously thought Ji Jiangyuan was handsome and warm-hearted, but now it seemed horrifying to have such an obsessive mother.

“Auntie, let Ji Jiangyuan come out and speak for himself. We all know Xiaolan has a boyfriend, but it’s not Ji Jiangyuan. If you and your son have disagreements, solve them behind closed doors at home, don’t drag Xiaolan into this, okay? Your behavior has seriously disrupted our studies and daily life!”

Su Jing was bold, speaking in her Beijing accent, causing Ji Ya to give her a second look.

Of course, it was just a glance – Ji Ya typically didn’t take anyone seriously.

“Young lady, you’re vouching for her, but do you know what she does in private…”

“Enough! At your age, shouldn’t you be ashamed of harassing female students with such nonsense?”

Guan Huie couldn’t stand watching this farce anymore and interrupted Ji Ya’s rambling.

Ji Ya looked up, noting that Guan Huie seemed different from ordinary people. “Who are you? What right do you have to interfere in this matter!”

Guan Huie couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. If she had no right to intervene, who did? Taking advantage of Zhou Cheng’s absence from Beijing to bully his girlfriend – did they think the Zhou family was powerless?