Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 744 - 745 Freeloading Man 30_1

Chapter 744: Chapter 745 Freeloading Man 30_1

Chiang Yi did not expect that by relaxing a bit in a corner, he would actually overhear the exchange between Song Lei and Xia Yuanji.

His complexion was rather unsightly. He had guessed before that they were going to study abroad, but once the news was confirmed, his mood turned sour.

Not to mention they were going to attend the same university abroad, their families had even bought houses there to ensure they could live comfortably. Not only that, but they had also arranged for a maid to go with them to take care of their needs.

In contrast, his own family couldn’t even manage to send him abroad for studies, let alone buy a house overseas and arrange for a maid to look after them.

This wasn’t just about being wealthy; this was exactly what Yuanji meant when he said that Chiang Yi simply wasn’t good enough for Song Lei.

Chiang Yi remembered that time Yuanji came to him and spoke those words. He had thought to himself that Yuanji lacked confidence; otherwise, why would he come to him and ramble on.

The more Chiang Yi thought about it, the more he felt like a huge joke. "How could I have had the audacity to say those words to Xia Yuanji?"

"They are the ones truly meant for each other."

Even though Chiang Yi was reluctant to admit it, he had to acknowledge that his relationship with Song Lei consisted of her continuous efforts, while he never responded, leaving her nothing but embarrassment.

Sometimes, he would even join his friends in belittling her. "I regret it, I truly regret it."

If he could go back in time, he would tell his once confident self to treat Song Lei well, or else he’d never find a better girl in the future.

Even if one day he forgot this relationship and started anew with another girl, she definitely wouldn’t treat him as well as Song Lei did.

Chiang Yi was grateful he was in a bad mood today and left later than usual, so no one saw his embarrassed state. Otherwise, if word got out, his reputation would be further tarnished.

Chiang Yi didn’t know whether it was crying that washed away the thoughts in his head, or the realization that there was no longer any possibility between him and Song Lei.

In the following days, he became even more diligent. Previously, he would go out to play basketball during breaks, but now, apart from the occasional restroom visit and brief hallway stroll, the rest of his time was spent studying intently.

The homeroom teacher certainly noticed Chiang Yi’s earnest approach to his studies and initially thought the boy was just going through a passing phase.

If only he had started studying seriously sooner, he could have made it into the top class. Just look at Song Lei—who didn’t know that she was a hopeless romantic, with grades to weep over?

Yet, once they broke up, her grades soared, and she had become a model student in the science class.

If Chiang Yi had begun studying earlier, there would definitely be one more student with good grades in the class.

While the homeroom teacher was a bit unhappy, he was pleased to see a student become motivated and steadily improving. He changed his previous dismissive attitude toward Chiang Yi and continued to criticize him where he fell short.

Having been subjected to neglect, Chiang Yi now patiently accepted the homeroom teacher’s admonitions, which indicated that his hard work was being recognized.

With his improvements, Chiang Yi was truly devoted to his studies. His mind was filled with the thought that, in terms of family background, he was already far behind the Song and Xia families.

He couldn’t afford to fall too far behind academically either. He genuinely hoped that one day he could reappear before Song Lei with a whole new identity.

Song Lei originally thought that Chiang Yi’s progress was temporary at best and certainly wouldn’t last long. To her surprise, he was as if infused with a tonic, consistently improving his grades.

Could this be the legendary male lead script? My God, he won’t become a successful entrepreneur later, will he?

But now without her sycophantic support, who will be the next benevolent person to help him?

Regardless, it was all irrelevant to her now. Even if Chiang Yi did become a successful entrepreneur, the chances of his company reaching the scale of the Song or Xia families were slim.

Occasionally during her breaks, Song Lei would remember these issues. During the day, she was either discussing studies or planning the new house’s decorations with Xia Yuanji.

During the winter break, they had flown to meet with the renovation company and discussed the desired outcomes.

However well they planned, the delivery of results depended on the renovation team’s abilities.

Although most of the renovation followed her specifications, certain details didn’t meet her expectations, leaving them to have continuous online meetings with the designers and workers.

Song Lei considered herself somewhat experienced in home renovations, having done it several times, but this particular renovation project proved to be full of mishaps.

It wasn’t about this issue or that; expecting the foreigners to work overtime was unlikely, but even on regular workdays, their progress felt painstakingly slow.

With their afternoon tea breaks and rest periods equal to work times, the so-called eight-hour workdays, when tallied up, might not even equate to five hours of actual work.

"I’m worried whether the house will be ready by the time we arrive in August." They had initially thought seven months in advance for a renovation that wasn’t a major overhaul would suffice.

Now, she felt a little naive, "I think we should have hired the Mexican renovation company."

They offered the most favorable quote and were willing to work overtime since they were all Mexicans. The only issue was their craftsmanship, which Song Lei felt was lacking when they visited the site.

Now she truly regretted it. Even if the quality of the renovation was slightly inferior, it didn’t matter as long as it was sturdy and habitable. Most importantly, they would ensure timely completion.

Before, Xia Yuanji thought that no matter how much the foreigners procrastinated, the renovation could be completed within the generous timeline given.

The situation progressed far beyond his expectations. After considering the options, he suggested, "Should we change the contractor?"

Even if the renovation materials were eco-friendly and met all the regulations, Xia Yuanji saw issues that required extensive ventilation.

"I had planned for the house to be finished by June, then we could have someone open the windows daily."

"Our plan was to go furniture shopping, then take a trip. When we return, the furniture would be in place, and the house would be well-ventilated."

"Now..." Xia Yuanji indicated that things had surpassed his expectations.

"But if we change contractors, will the new one be able to pick up where the last one left off?" Song Lei knew that Xia Yuanji could bear the losses.

"They should be able to manage," Xia Yuanji thought for a moment, "I remember a friend knows some compatriots who run a renovation team over there."

"Let them have a look." Xia Yuanji took out his phone and contacted his friend.

Having reached out to his friend, Xia Yuanji quickly got in touch with the new contractor, and not long after, the renovation team for their new house was replaced.

Song Lei didn’t ask about the financial losses; as long as the house was ready by the time they went to study, it was fine.

With the recent focus on sorting out this matter, many classmates came to know that they would be studying abroad after high school graduation.