Chapter 138: Zhou Hao's Assistance

Qin Qing’s mother is a middle school biology teacher who carries herself with a quiet, refined grace. She speaks in soft, gentle tones—a complete contrast to Qin Qing’s personality. Her father is a businessman; he used to run a restaurant, but now operates a resort and dabbles in various other ventures.

The Qin family is not wealthy, but they are comfortably well-off; otherwise, they could not have raised a daughter with such a carefree and boisterous spirit.

"We have more or less grasped the situation," Qin’s mother said, pulling an envelope from her bag. "Classmate Xiang Ru told us that you tried to advise Xiao Qing. I must thank you. If it weren't for you, Xiao Qing's situation might be even worse. This is just a small token of gratitude from her father and me. We don't know how else to thank you for all the help you've provided these past few days, so please forgive this rather mundane gesture."

Chen Xin firmly declined, but after a long back-and-forth, she eventually accepted a two-hundred-yuan shopping card for the city's largest mall. To the Qin family, it was a negligible amount, and for Chen Xin, it didn't feel like an overwhelming obligation. If she had refused everything, it would only have left the couple feeling more distressed.

"Auntie, please don't worry. Truth will always come to light. I have a friend who has agreed to help find another way to approach this. If he’s willing, we can discuss it together. I am truly sorry that I haven't been able to provide more help to Qin Qing."

"We are already so grateful to you," Qin’s mother said, clearly fond of Chen Xin. "Regardless of anything else, I trust my daughter. If she says she didn't do it, then she didn't. No matter what the school or the police decide, in my heart, she is innocent."

"Your aunt and I have already discussed it," Qin’s father added bluntly. "If it really comes to that, we’ll just have her withdraw from school. I refuse to believe that in such a vast country, there isn't a place that can guarantee a student's safety. Even if the worst happens, while we aren't rich, we aren't destitute either. Xiao Qing already has her undergraduate degree, so it won't be hard for her to find a job back home. In any case, we don't need her to support the family."

Her father’s straightforward attitude made her mother sigh with a smile. "Don't mind your uncle; he’s a direct man. But I feel the same way. Teacher Jin has been very kind. Ever since we arrived, she has provided us with help, including arranging our accommodation. She has also made her stance clear to us. I won't let Qin Qing give up easily unless it's a last resort, but I also won't let her be left with no path forward."

Chen Xin felt a pang of envy; such a family was something she could only dream of. Because of this, she reached out to Zhou Hao immediately afterward.

"I’m at the residential complex across from the east gate of Jin University. Could you come over and help me tidy up a bit? I have to meet someone—the helper I mentioned to you."

After confirming her work for the afternoon, Chen Xin informed Senior Sister Wei and headed to Zhou Hao’s place with her documents.

The complex where Zhou Hao lived was built several years ago. It consisted of standard multi-story buildings, but his top-floor unit was a duplex with a large terrace. With the added outdoor space, it was nearly two hundred square meters—certainly a small luxury apartment, nothing like the "dilapidated apartment" Zhou Hao had described.

In addition to the duplex, there was a basement storage room for residents to keep miscellaneous items. It was about five or six square meters and wasn't fully subterranean; there were ventilation louvers about fifty centimeters above ground level. Because of this design, the first floor was actually half a level higher than a standard ground floor, a feature specifically intended to prevent dampness.

Not long after, Zhou Hao returned with a young man. The man was lean, wearing a baseball cap, and looked entirely unremarkable—the type of person you would lose sight of the moment they entered a crowd.

"Hey, sister-in-law!" the young man said, rubbing his hands together. "The boss didn't even give me a heads-up. I came empty-handed, I’m so embarrassed."

Chen Xin’s face turned bright red. She stood there awkwardly, still holding a cleaning rag.

"What are you spouting nonsense for?" Zhou Hao followed him in and tapped the man on the head. "This is Chen Xin. Her brother-in-law was a martyr. She’s currently doing advanced studies at Jin University, and the student involved in the incident is her classmate."

He then turned to introduce the man to Chen Xin. His name was Tian Xiaobao, a former soldier currently working as a mid-level captain at a security firm.

"Xiaobao is off today. I figured that since he works in this field and deals with all sorts of people, he might have some ideas," Zhou Hao explained. He had also bought drinks, snacks, and fruit on his way up. "You go ahead with your cleaning. I’m going to chat with Xiaobao, and we'll go out for dinner later."

Chen Xin nodded. Just as she was about to head to the study upstairs, Zhou Hao’s phone rang. It was his two cousins, who had heard he was staying there and insisted on coming over for dinner.

"You two are supposed to be at your summer camp, why are you always running out?" Zhou Hao frowned, his tone stern.

He listened to the other side for a moment, still frowning, but eventually gave in.

"Forget it, we won't go out. I’ll go buy some noodles later and we'll just make do. We can go out for a proper drink in a couple of days."

"In that case, why don't I go buy some groceries and cook something simple tonight? I saw a small vegetable market nearby when I came over, they should still be open."

Zhou Hao thought for a moment and agreed, pulling out his wallet to give her money.

"No need. You and Brother Tian are here to help me; I should be the one treating you." Chen Xin picked up her bag and left. Zhou Hao didn't insist; he knew Chen Xin wasn't short on money.

The market downstairs wasn't large, but it had all the basics. She had asked earlier, and since Tian Xiaobao wasn't a local and preferred southwestern flavors, Chen Xin bought chicken, sweet peppers, tomatoes, a piece of beef tenderloin, and an onion.

The apartment hadn't been lived in for a while, so there was no rice, flour, or oil. She bought a full set of basic seasonings at a grocery store at the complex entrance and asked the owner to deliver them upstairs. Because she bought so much, the owner was happy to oblige and even threw in a small portable shopping cart as a gift.

After filling the cart, she also bought some fresh noodles. She wasn't sure if Zhou Hao could cook, but boiling noodles shouldn't be difficult. She could pre-make some sauce, so he could just boil the noodles and blanch some greens for a quick meal.

As she looked at her full cart, she realized she might have bought too much. How would she get it all up?

Just as she was debating whether to call Zhou Hao for help, two teenage boys with backpacks ran over. They greeted her with a sickly sweet "Big Sister," giving Chen Xin goosebumps.

*When people are overly solicitous for no reason, they are either up to no good or looking for a favor.* Chen Xin narrowed her eyes, said nothing, and simply had the two boys help carry the cart upstairs.