Pampered by My Billionaire Childhood Sweetheart-Chapter 7: The Child May Be Taught.

Until the beloved young woman, accompanied by the glow of the rainbow, slowly walked into the picturesque university campus and completely disappeared from sight, the man reluctantly withdrew his enamored gaze. His thin lips curved into a faint smile, his handsome face tinged with a trace of bitterness, and his slightly coarse fingers adjusted the position of the steering wheel. At this moment,

"Don't worry, I'll be faster. Because she's my lifelong happiness. I've waited for so many years already; just a few more days, and I'll repay you double." The man awkwardly shifted his long legs, his lips curling slightly into a mischievous smirk, though the bitter smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.

He then turned around to take one last lingering glance in the direction of the young woman within the campus before reluctantly starting the car.

Meanwhile, Shang Xixia was walking toward the dormitory in the campus. The rainbow after the rain did nothing to improve her mood. Her thoughts fixated on the fleeting glimpse she'd just had of Li Chengxi, and her heartbreak grew increasingly severe. Her clear, bright eyes began to turn warm and teary.

"Xixia, why are you only getting back now? Come on, let's go eat together! Oh, my cousin just called earlier—tomorrow we can go work at the KTV doing some short-term gigs! I already told Xingyan, and we're all going together!"

Since Yu Tingting had chosen a different elective from Xixia, she and Zhou Xingyan had just finished class. Walking down the path by the dorm, the two girls coincidentally ran into Shang Xixia. Yu Tingting quickly extended her fair, delicate hand and clasped Xixia's soft fingers. Her face, as radiant as the blooming lotus, lit up with a gleeful smile as they headed toward the cafeteria together.

"Xixia, do you know who I saw today? I saw Qu Yanyan! My goodness, she's so different now! When she used to hang out with your brother Shang Pinhao, she would suck up to you like crazy, acting all ingratiating whenever she saw us, terrified that Pinhao would leave her. But now? She signed up for the same class as us today, looked right at us like she owned the place, and even snorted! So disgusting. Honestly, I feel like Pinhao utterly wasted his time on her,"

Yu Tingting complained indignantly as they walked, recounting the incident in detail.

"And that's not even the worst of it! Do you know what Li Chengjing has been doing since her mother latched onto your father? Her spending habits have taken a leap—three levels up! The entire university bulletin board is plastered with announcements about tomorrow's bonfire party, and she's footing the bill for everything. She claims it's to enrich academic life on campus, but really, it's just her trying to network with wealthy people so she can marry into some luxury family. It's classic rags-to-riches behavior. And seriously, Xixia, when your family was doing well, you were never this flashy. You were so humble and low-profile. But now? Qu Yanyan and Li Chengjing have totally hit it off, like birds of a feather! Li Chengjing, huh—her name sure fits. Get even a little power and she starts showing off. She really is turning into a monster."

Zhou Xingyan snorted in disgust. The mere thought of Li Chengjing made her want to gag.

"I swear, those two women are strutting around like their noses are in the clouds, thinking they've got all of Yun City beneath their feet. The only families they show even a hint of respect for now are the Xie Family and Gu Family—the two top-tier powerhouses. Everyone else? They don't even bother pretending to care."

Yu Tingting pouted her soft pink lips as she continued her rant.

"Xixia, let me tell you: stop obsessing over that scumbag Li Chengxi already. If you've got the guts, why not hook up with any one of the six Gu or Xie brothers from the two great families? It doesn't matter which one! Do you realize those families are practically treated like gods in Yun City? Everyone has to show them respect. If you can actually manage that, not only can your brother's problems be dealt with, your mom can get proper treatment for her illness, and Qu Yanyan and Li Chengjing might just drop dead from sheer rage. Especially Qu Yanyan—her face is all surgically done up, and rumor has it that if she gets agitated, her face might actually deform. I can't even imagine what she'd look like if that happened!"

More and more enraged, Zhou Xingyan began indulging in some far-fetched fantasies.

"Xingyan, knock it off already. Our Xixia here doesn't have what it takes for something like that. Honestly, yesterday when she ran into Gu Family's eldest and third sons, she bolted like she'd seen the plague. Took off running! I was so confused until I caught up with her afterward and got the story. Turns out it was Gu Family's eldest and third sons! My god, I wanted to cry in regret when I realized. You should've seen how handsome they are. If I'd known we'd run into them, I would've gone for it myself instead of Xixia squandering the opportunity!"

Recalling the incident, Yu Tingting's small face was comically animated, practically ready to hit herself out of sheer regret.

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"Give me a break, Yu Tingting! You're all bark and no bite—always acting tough around us, but when you actually meet someone like that, you turn into the shyest thing on the planet. You stammer, blush until you're red as a lobster, and can't even manage a single coherent sentence, let alone chase after them! Save it, would you? We've been besties for four years now. You know me, I know you; let's not kid ourselves, okay?"

Zhou Xingyan was undoubtedly sharp-tongued, cutting straight to the heart without mercy.

"Fine, alright!" Yu Tingting widened her clear, expressive eyes, her cherry-like lips softly curling into a pout as she cast a mock glare at Zhou Xingyan. She felt a bit sheepish; that's just how true friendships are. You know each other too well—even a boast would be immediately exposed. It was infuriating, yet endearing.

"Still, there's one thing we definitely agree on: Xixia, stop thinking about that jerk. There are endless paths in life, and light everywhere you turn!"

Yu Tingting and Zhou Xingyan struck exaggerated forward march poses, looking at their dear friend with earnest expressions.

"Alright." Shang Xixia's flawless, delicate face curved into a faint smile as she silently ignored the piercing ache spreading through her chest. She nodded in agreement, knowing full well that no matter how much she liked him, no matter how deep her obsession ran, her relationship with Li Chengxi was no longer possible. Family grievances compounded with romantic heartbreak made it near impossible to even remain ordinary friends.

"That's good then." Yu Tingting and Zhou Xingyan let out long, simultaneous sighs of relief. They exchanged glances, clearly grateful that Xixia hadn't lost her sanity. "There's hope! She's still salvageable!"

Meanwhile, in the city center of Yun City's most luxurious villa district, within the grand Gu Mansion...