Chapter 623: Chapter 621: The Reason

"You..." Bai Minyun started to say more.

Su Qing stopped Bai Minyun. "It’s fine. Don’t waste your time on people like her. Let’s go back to our room and get some rest."

Su Qing paid no mind to someone like Wu Qiao Ping. She didn’t know the woman, and whatever reason she had for being hostile was not Su Qing’s concern. Su Qing never wasted energy on people she didn’t care about. Even if the other woman tried to pull some petty tricks, it would be a futile effort.

Su Qing might not have cared, but Bai Minyun did. She considered Su Qing a good friend. Su Qing was about to lead them into the mountains to gather herbs; why should she have to put in all that effort just to be targeted for no reason?

So, Bai Minyun turned directly to Cao Zhengming and said, "Dean Cao, Su Qing hasn’t done anything to provoke anyone. There’s no reason for her to be targeted like this out of the blue. If this Wu Qiao Ping keeps it up, I suggest she stay behind. We wouldn’t want her to feel like she’s ’swallowing her pride’ just to be around my Su Qing, whom she clearly can’t stand."

Cao Zhengming had witnessed the exchange. He hadn’t realized Wu Qiao Ping had an issue with Su Qing. From the looks of it, Su Qing clearly didn’t even know her.

While Wu Qiao Ping’s family might have some connections, Su Qing was the old commander’s granddaughter. More importantly, they needed Su Qing’s help right now. He couldn’t let her be mistreated under any circumstances. After a moment’s thought, Cao Zhengming looked at Wu Qiao Ping and said, "Xiao Wu, if you’re not willing to go into the mountains, you can wait for us here at the guest house. We’ll come and get you after we’ve gathered the herbs and come back down."

Wu Qiao Ping immediately felt incredibly wronged, and her eyes reddened. "Dean, why should I be the one to stay behind? I just glanced at her a few times; I didn’t do anything to her! Are you all siding with her and wronging me just because she has a powerful background?"

Su Qing turned to face Wu Qiao Ping, her voice cold. "They’re siding with me not because my background is better than yours, but because my character is stronger, my skills are greater, and you are inferior to me in every way."

"You..." Su Qing’s words made Wu Qiao Ping’s eyes turn even redder.

Su Qing continued, "I don’t care why you’re targeting me, and I can’t be bothered to ask. However, if you want to come into the mountains, you’d better behave and not provoke me. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to teach you a lesson. I’ve said my piece. Think it over carefully."

As Su Qing spoke, her expression was glacial, and a chilling aura emanated from her, making everyone nearby shiver involuntarily. Though they couldn’t understand why a young woman like her possessed such an intimidating presence, no one dared to speak. They could only look back and forth between Su Qing and Wu Qiao Ping.

Wu Qiao Ping was also frightened by Su Qing’s icy demeanor. Since Su Qing’s words were directed straight at her, the effect was even more pronounced. She felt not only timid but also found her legs trembling. If she hadn’t been holding onto a nearby table for support, she felt she might have collapsed to the floor.

"I... You..." Wu Qiao Ping was too scared to form a coherent sentence.

Su Qing ignored Wu Qiao Ping and pulled Bai Minyun upstairs. Bai Minyun’s face was full of admiration. "Su Qing, you’re so amazing! I have to learn from you. Just a few words and you stunned her into silence..."

As Su Qing and Bai Minyun left, Bai Minyun’s voice faded. Only then did the few people remaining on the first floor snap back to their senses.

A young intern patted his chest lightly. "Man, I think I was actually scared just now."

"Ahem..." Cao Zhengming coughed twice, refusing to admit that he, too, had been intimidated by Su Qing’s presence. He addressed the young doctors, "All right, everyone back to your rooms to rest. We have to head into the mountains early tomorrow. Get some sleep and recharge so you’re not out of energy for the climb."

After speaking, Cao Zhengming looked at Wu Qiao Ping again. "Xiao Wu, are you staying at the guest house or coming with us into the mountains?"

’I came all this way,’ Wu Qiao Ping thought, feeling incredibly wronged. ’So what would be the point of staying behind?’

"I’m going with you into the mountains," Wu Qiao Ping said, pressing her lips together.

"Fine." Cao Zhengming was actually relieved; he wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving Wu Qiao Ping alone in the county town, where she was a stranger and didn’t speak the language. He warned her, "Since you’ve decided to come, you’d better keep yourself in check. If you cause any trouble and end up paying the price, don’t say I didn’t help you. Su Qing never provoked you. I hope you can get a clear picture of the situation."

His words were harsh, but Cao Zhengming meant them for Wu Qiao Ping’s own good. After all, Su Qing was incredibly skilled. Just her ability to subdue that crazed horse was enough to prove that not a single person here was a match for her. If Wu Qiao Ping refused to see reason, she would only be asking for trouble.

"I know." Wu Qiao Ping felt like everyone around her was laughing at her. Unable to bear the humiliation, she quickly ran to her room.

Back in her room, Wu Qiao Ping sat on her bed and furiously pounded the mattress frame. Her heart seethed with rage toward Su Qing. The image of a handsome boy flashed in her mind, and her cheeks flushed slightly. But when she remembered that Su Qing was the one he liked, she wished she could just slap Su Qing across the face.

’So what if her family is better off? So what if she’s prettier?’ Wu Qiao Ping fumed. ’The boy I like is into her, and I wasn’t even going to hold that against her. But what right does she have to reject him time and time again? What right does she have to stomp all over his dignity?’

At this thought, an unstoppable wave of anger washed over Wu Qiao Ping. But then, she remembered Su Qing’s icy expression, and she inexplicably felt a twinge of fear. For a moment, she was completely twisted up inside.

The girl sharing the room with Wu Qiao Ping returned just then. Seeing Wu Qiao Ping sitting on the edge of her bed, she thought for a moment before offering some advice. "Su Qing seems like a nice person. I think you should try to make peace with her."

"None of your business," Wu Qiao Ping snapped instinctively, her heart full of irritation.

The girl’s name was Zhao Ying. She had only meant well, but after being snapped at by Wu Qiao Ping, she felt a bit upset. So, she said nothing more, got her things ready, and lay down on her own bed with her back to Wu Qiao Ping.

It was summertime, and the sun rose early. So, Su Qing’s group got up at the crack of dawn, had breakfast, and then followed Su Qing toward Xiqing Mountain while the morning was still cool.

The distance from Maqu County to the nearest foot of Xiqing Mountain was not short. Cao Zhengming had already made arrangements with the guest house the day before, paying a fee for them to contact two oxcarts to take the group to the base of Xiqing Mountain today.

"We’re here." The man driving the oxcart spoke some Mandarin. He pointed to the nearby peaks and said to Cao Zhengming, "You can enter the mountain from here. But if you’re gathering herbs, you should try to stay out of the deep mountains. It’s too dangerous."

"Thank you, we’ll be careful." Cao Zhengming chuckled as he paid the man and thanked him again. Then, under Su Qing’s lead, he, Bai Qingyuan, and the students headed into Xiqing Mountain.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.