Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
It has probably been a few months since Lin Shiyi last saw Qiao Anhao, even though they were barely acquainted, the other was deeply etched in her mind.
Lin Shiyi has been in the entertainment industry for a very long time and had fought with many actresses before, not every battle was victorious but it always ended in just a small defeat. Yet with Qiao Anhao, she had been defeated so brutally that her reputation was in tatters even to this day, people would still leave mean comments on her weibo to scold her.
She was never the first female lead, even the second female lead role was a rare opportunity, but now, she wasn’t even able to get a role with lines. Her manager had forsaken her for a new artist ,and now, she relegated to selling herself to satisfy her material needs. All these was because of Qiao Anhao.
For the past few months, Lin Shiyi would keep an eye on her, but whenever she heard of news, it would be another blow as the news would always be about her new endorsement or her new lead role. There was even once when she had followed an elderly rich man to gamble that she found out that Qiao Anhao was actually the wife of their heir to Xu enterprise.
At that time, she realized the pain of comparison.
For the past few months, she had been dreaming of finding a weakness, heavens must have been touched for she was finally awarded an opportunity.
–
Lu Jinnian got his assistant to leave before he personally drove Qiao Anhao to dinner.
In the meeting, he seemed to have been paying attention to everyone’s critique, but his mind had been actually wandering off. He was thinking of where to bring Qiao Anhao for dinner, and in the end, he decided on “Peppermint Garden”. While he was still in the meeting, he sent them a text to book a table.
“Peppermint Garden” was an open air restaurant in a vintage looking garden.
Lu Jinnian had booked the table beside the pond below the vines. The view was scenic and the company was one he was fond of, bringing a cheery spirit to the both of them.
Qiao Anhao had been to “Peppermint Garden” several times and had a preference for some dishes. Hence, when Lu Jinnian was ordering, she picked an additional two dishes that she preferred.
Lu Jinnian ended his meeting at 6.30 and they reached the restaurant at 8 pm, so Qiao Anhao was already starving. The dishes were served quickly, and the moment they were served, she held up her chopsticks.
Before Lu Jinnian could pick up his chopsticks, his phone rang. It was regarding business matters, so Qiao Anhao ate quietly, not disrupting him.
Lu Jinnian had ordered a set of sweet vinegar prawns, and Qiao Anhao really liked the sweet and strong taste, so initially, she ate with her chopsticks, but in the end, she placed them down to use her fingers. The sauce stained her entire hand, causing her to feel uncomfortable, so she decided to finish the whole lot. When there were only about seven prawns left, she realized that Lu Jinnian hadn’t eaten.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao continued in embarrassment, but instead of eating the prawn, she removed the shells from the remaining ones.
The table was a little big, so when she placed the prawns into his bowl, she had to leave the seat slightly and stretch her hand out.
Even though Lu Jinnian was leaning against his seat while on the phone, his gaze was still focused on Qiao Anhao, especially on her expression while she munched on the prawns.
Just then, he saw her stretch her hand across the table to pass him the prawns. He froze slightly, thinking that she was going to feed him. With an indulgent expression on his face, he leaned forward with his mouth open, biting away the prawn she was about to drop in his bowl.
Qiao Anhao could distinctively feel the heat and moisture of his lips on her fingers. In just an instance, the numbing feeling disappeared together with the prawn in her hands.
She wasn’t going to feed him, she was just about to put it in his bowl…
Qiao Anhao couldn’t help staring at him.
When he sensed her gaze, Lu Jinnian thought that she was looking for an appreciative gesture, so he moved the phone slightly aside before silently forming the words “thank you”.
Was she the type of woman to randomly feed a man food?
Even though Qiao Anhao was misunderstood, she was satisfied!
It was as though a piece of leaf had fallen into the lake in her heart, causing ripples to form and spread.
She lowered her head, her heart bursting. Reaching for the prawns, she continued to remove the shells seriously. When she was finished with on, she stretched her hand out to place it into Lu Jinnian’s bowl, but this time, it was bit away by him once again.
The table was silent with only an occasional sentence from Lu Jinnian to the person on the phone. Towards the end, the person sent him a video, allowing Lu Jinnian to see the contents on his computer. While he monitored his screen, he leaned over to snatch away the food from Qiao Anhao whenever her hand stretched over. Soon, it became a habit, and he didn’t even have to look to know where the prawns would be.
As Qiao Anhao saw his fluid movements, she looked back down in her bowl, at the last prawn, her eyes moving back and forth between his face and the bowl. She looked towards the prawn shell at the side and decided to tease him a little. Reaching out with her hand once more, she passed a shell over.
Out of habit, Lu Jinnian leaned over to nib on the food, but after taking a few chews, he seemed to have realized that something was wrong, and frowning, he spat it out. Lifting his head , he saw Qiao Anhao smiling cheekily back at him, the last prawn dangling between her fingers.
She stretched out her fingers once more, and he lowered his head to get the prawn, his features relax. After another two sentences, he hung up, turning back to look at Qiao Anhao. She was trying to get a tissue out of the packet, but since she only had one clean hand, she couldn’t take it out no matter how hard she tried. Lifting her head to look at Lu Jinnian, she said, “Help me with this.”
Lu Jinnian pulled a wet tissue out, but instead of passing it to her, he naturally reached over to help her wipe the hand clean.
Qiao Anhao lowered her lashes to look as Lu Jinnian wiping her fingers, not rejecting his actions.
Even though she knew that their actions were intimate and ambiguous, she had no clue as to what he was thinking. Even so, she, who had been loving him for the past thirteen years, was satisfied with the intimacy.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
In actual fact, Qiao Anhao wanted to ask Lu Jinnian how a woman should prevent intimacy from happening… like, for a couple in a passionate relationship, is that really a good idea? But she didn’t dare open her mouth to ask.
Everything has been going so well lately, what would happen if she carelessly asked such a question and shattered their wonderful time together? If there were to be a day when they went back to being friends, then they could still keep in contact, if she did not ask her questions now.
There was no doubt in Lu Jinnian’s heart. He felt that Qiao Anhao was relying on him, but relying on what exactly, he didn’t really understand that. As of late, this woman was his own little brother’s wife.
Above everyone else, he knew in his heart that he shouldn’t get close to Qiao Anhao, but he just couldn’t control himself. He and Qiao Anhao were getting along so well right now. Though he didn’t know where exactly they were heading, but honestly speaking, of the thirteen years he’s been in love with her, this was the first time in his life when he felt the slightest bit of sweetness. He really didn’t want to kill his chances.
–
Tonight, Lin Shiyi accompanied someone to the “Peppermint Garden”.
She was once a first-rate female celebrity. In comparison to delicate models and drifters, her looks and the way she carried herself stood out among the crowd. And so, she turned up at the dinner party to especially show face for her big ‘investor’. The happier he was, the more money she got, so she went out of her way to obey him. Whoever he told her to drink to, she would drink to.
However, regardless of how well she could take her alcohol, after taking endless shots she couldn’t take it anymore. She found an excuse and trotted away from the dinner table in her high heels. After she stumbled towards the restroom, she vomited into the sink, completely emptying her stomach from all the alcohol, which made her feel a little better. Then she turned on the tap and wiped her mouth with water. She fixed up her make-up to keep up appearances, and went back to the dinner.
“Peppermint Garden” was a Chinese garden with winding paths that all looked similar to one another, and so on her way back, Lin Shiyi got lost. She wanted to ask a waiter how to get back to table 08, but she never bumped into anyone. Instead, she saw Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao sitting at a table by the lake.
Lu Jinnian looked like he was on the phone. Half his face was hidden in the shadows, so it was difficult to read his expression. Sitting in front of him was Qiao Anhao, who lowered her head as she ate a shrimp. Though the two of them never interacted, the atmosphere between them seemed warm.
Actually, at first, Lin Shiyi didn’t pay too much attention to it. After all, they were just two actors who had previously worked together sharing a meal. But just as she was about to turn away after staring for quite some time, she saw Qiao Anhao feeding Lu Jinnian shrimps.
Wasn’t Qiao Anhao, Xu Jiamu’s wife? Why would she get so close to Lu Jinnian?
Unless… there was trouble in their marriage? Lu Jinnian was the third wheel?
As those words flashed across Lin Shiyi’s mind, the blood in her body began to boil.
If anyone were to see this, how big of an uproar would there be?
Nevertheless, the entertainment circle and the media had such a close relationship, not to mention, after all these years, Lu Jinnian has never been tangled up in any scandals… Even if there were a lot of reporters, it would never be exposed.
However! If she couldn’t get the netizens’ attention, she could get the news round to her ‘investors’ and let it spread across the business network in Beijing. By that time, as someone’s wife, Qiao Anhao… would definitely be the butt of jokes!
At that thought, a cold smile lifted the corners of Lin Shiyi’s lips. Then, she pulled out her phone, and snapped a few shots of Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Lately, Lin Shiyi had had her eye on a new Audi. Yesterday, she spent the night with a rich man she recently got to know and intentionally put the idea out there as she got out the magazine cover with the car and sweetly told him that she wanted it.
At the time, the man had gotten excited and started perversely staring at her breasts. Without even a glance at the car on the cover, he nodded in agreement and pushed her onto the bed.
The next day, Lin Shiyi reminded him what he agreed to last night, and he really did take her to the new 4S shop. She circled the car she saw yesterday and shamelessly told him to buy it with insurance, to which he replied that he will in a few days’ time
Lin Shiyi knew that she probably had no hope in a few days’ times, and so she continued to sweetly ask two more times. In the end, the man looked like he had no intention of buying it, so she found an excuse to leave the waiting room to go to the restroom.
After she finished, she stood in front of the sink to touch up her make-up. Through the mirror, she saw her delicately beautiful good looks and felt a little wronged deep down. If she had wanted a car when she was famous, she wouldn’t even bat an eyelid when men practically brought money to her door…
As soon as she thought back to the old days, Lin Shiyi started to remember her hate for Qiao Anhao. She thought back to a few days ago, when she had sent reporters the photo she’d taken, but in the end, there was no sign of a scandal, which started to get her irritated again.
She clapped her compact foundation shut, then turned around and out of the restroom. As she was about to re-enter the waiting room, she saw the 4S store manager, attentively walking next to a gracefully poised middle-aged woman that was circling around the Audi Lin Shiyi had been looking at.
Then, with a snooty expression, that woman said something, to which the 4S manager nodded and bowed, leading her to the VIP seats. After offering her a seat, the manager ordered the sales assistant to pour her a cup of coffee, and then he ran over to the front desk to get the bill.
At first, Lin Shiyi only noticed the middle-aged woman because she bought the car that was on her mind, like something on a grocery list. However, when Lin Shiyi finished admiring others and was about to go back into the waiting room, she heard the manager ask in a low voice, “Madam Xu, are you buying this car for yourself?”
“No, it’s for my son.”
“Then should I put it under Mr. Xu Jiamu’s name?”
The middle-aged woman arrogantly nodded, sipping her coffee without a word.
–
Mr. Xu Jiamu… Again, those words peaked Lin Shiyi’s interest. She stared from the side and whispered to the smiling sales assistant, “Who is that lady?”
“It’s Mrs. Han Ruchu, the deputy director of the Xu enterprise.”
–
Han Ruchu waited in the 4S store until the paperwork was finalized, then left Xu Jiamu’s address for them to directly deliver it to him. Finished, she picked her bag and slowly walked out with her assistant.
The assistant ran first, next to the car, and pulled open the door. Han Ruchu bent down and was ready to get into the car when she heard someone calling for her.
“Madam Xu.”
Han Ruchu stopped, then she and her assistant turned their heads. They saw a woman who was dressed in an alluring way standing at the door of the 4S shop with a smile on her face, staring at them.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Han Ruchu dealt with important business everyday and the people she knew were prestigious. When she saw the unfamiliar young face, she didn’t quite remember who it was, so she flicked her brows and stood there without saying a word.
Lin Shiyi walked elegantly over to her in high heels, maintaining a wide smile on her face. She reached her hand out to introduce herself. “Madam Xu, my name is Lin Shiyi.”
Han Ruchu glanced at Lin Shiyi’s outstretched hand without any intention of shaking it.
Han Ruchu’s assistant politely said, “Pardon me Miss, is there something you want?”
Though it was the assistant who asked, Lin Shiyi took it as Han Ruchu’s inquiry. She looked the woman in the eyes and said, “Madam Xu, Qiao Anhao is your daughter-in-law and Mr. Xu Jiamu’s wife, am I correct? The reason I called your name was to tell you something about Qiao Anhao.”
After mingling in the business scene for so many years, Han Ruchu had long trained herself to not react to certain matters. Even if she was curious deep down inside, she would always maintain a calm composure.
Seeing as Han Ruchu wore an arrogant expression and wasn’t angry, Lin Shiyi pulled a few photos out of her bag and handed them over to her.
Han Ruchu’s assistant stretched his hand out to take the photo, then passed it over. With a single glance, Han Ruchu’s expression immediately froze. Then, she finally spoke her first words to Lin Shiyi. “Where did you get these photographs?”
This was the reaction Lin Shiyi was looking for. If Qiao Anhao’s mother-in-law was pissed, then Qiao Anhao’s days would be insufferable. A hint of joy flashed across her heart, but her composure remained calm when she lied.
“I got these from a friend awhile ago. Madam Xu, didn’t you know? Many people in Beijing’s business network know about this. Everyone’s saying in private that the Xu family’s daughter-in-law and the CEO of Huan Ying Entertainment got together during filming…”
Before Lin Shiyi could finish, Han Ruchu interrupted her, “Enough!”
The sheer force of Han Ruchu’s ferocity left Lin Shiyi a little dumbstruck.
Han Ruchu only glanced at Lin Shiyi, and snatched the photos from the assistant’s hands. Without saying a single word, she got into the car.
The assistant instinctively knew to get in as well. They started up the car and left.
After Han Ruchu got into the car, she stared gloomily at the photos. Her eyes were practically spewing fire, and after a while, it was like her body could no longer suppress her anger. She threw the photos at the car seat and leaned back, out of breath. She stared outside the window for a while, and then said, “Don’t go back to Xu enterprises. Head straight for the Qiao family estate!”
–
That morning, Chen Yang had flown to France to take part on the runway, so Qiao Anxia picked up her parents after work and went home together with them.
Compared to the past, they got back today rather early. When they arrived home, servants hadn’t made dinner yet.
Qiao Anxia took a shower and brewed a pot of Bi Luo Chun green tea, then brought a cup for her parents, who were reading a newspaper in the living room.
Her father took a sip of tea. With work on his mind, he casually asked Qiao Anxia something.
“Dad, when you’re at home, could you not always be busy with work?” she complained, which also prompted her mother to chime in. Then, the doorbell rang.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anxia stood up to open the door. When she saw Han Ruchu, she smiled. “Auntie Xu.”
Han Ruchu ignored her. Without changing her shoes, she stomped into the house.
When both Qiao Anxia’s mother and father saw her expression, they knew that something was wrong. They glanced at each other and mother Qiao stood up with a smile on her face. “Ruchu, what happened? Why are you so angry?”
Han Ruchu remained silent, tossing the photos onto the coffee table.
Both Qiao Anxia’s parents froze, then reached to pick a photo each. The moment they took in their contents, their faces paled instantly.
After a moment, father Qiao said, ” Ruchu, there could be a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? I hope it’s a misunderstanding, but the photos are out, so how can you call this a misunderstanding? Now, the entire Beijing business circle is aware of this scandal, your precious niece cuckolded my son! I’m sure they’re all laughing at my Jiamu right now!”
Since Han Ruchu was infuriated, her words became especially mean and crude.
Mother Qiao tried to salvage the situation. “Ruchu, I don’t think you should be so agitated, you should know that Qiao Qiao and Xia Xia were both Xu Jiamu and Lu Jinnian’s classmates, this could just be a meal…”
“JUST A MEAL? Besides, who eats like this?” Han Ruchu bent down, pointing at the photos aggressively.
Since they were at the wrong, the Qiao parents smiled while instructing Qiao Anxia, “Xia Xia, get auntie Xu some tea.”
Father Qiao then turned to mother Qiao. “Get Qiao Qiao here right now.”
Father Qiao stood up, tapping onto Han Ruchu’s shoulder. “Ruchu, calm down, we’ll ask Qiao Qiao when she gets back.”
After Qiao Anxia poured Han Ruchu a cup of tea, she picked a photo up to take a look. Inside, Lu Jinnian and Qiao Anhao were sitting at a table beside a lake while having a meal.
Lu Jinnian was tenderly using a wet tissue to help Qiao Anhao clean her hands. Qiao Anhao, in the meantime, had her face lowered, her gaze focused on the hand that Lu Jinnian was wiping, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
After staring for a few moments, Qiao Anxia lifted her head to look at Han Ruchu’s infuriated expression then back at her disappointed parents. Fury erupted in her chest, and grabbing the photos, she left the house.
Just then, the maid outside, who was watering the plants, greeted her, “Miss Qiao.”
Qiao Anxia ignored her, entering her car. Without even fastening her seat belt, she stomped on the accelerator.
–
For the past few days, Qiao Anhao had been having dinner with Lu Jinnian, but this afternoon, he had informed her that he had to work overtime. So when it was 6 pm, she called for takeaway.
Since she hadn’t been alone for dinner these last few days, she didn’t have much of an appetite today. She didn’t touch the takeaway that she had bought. Leaning against the sofa, she stared at the television for a while when her phone vibrated. Looking down, she saw that Lu Jinnian had just replied to the text she had sent half an hour ago.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
[Have you had dinner?]
Qiao Anhao looked at the takeaway on the table. [No, I’m not hungry.]
This time, Lu Jinnian replied instantly. [Do you want to eat supper tonight?]
With hesitation, she replied, [Yep.]
[I’ll contact you when I’m done.]
Before she could reply, her phone suddenly rang —it was a call from Qiao family. Without hesitation, Qiao Anhao picked up, and the moment she did, her aunt’s urgent voice came through. “Qiao Qiao, do you have time now? Come back right away.”
“Now?”
“Yes, right now.”
Qiao Qiao could hear the seriousness from her aunt’s voice. It sounded as if something serious had happened, so she replied with a faint “yea” before adding, ” I understand, I’ll come over now.”
–
Huan Ying had several new projects recently, causing Lu Jinnian to be unusually busy. The entire company was working overtime just to get things done.
Expressionless, Lu Jinnian listened to the ideas from the project manager. He glanced over at his phone. When he realized that Qiao Anhao hadn’t replied to his text, he locked his phone, placing his focus back on the screen.
Just then, the meeting room door was pushed open and a secretary that hadn’t knocked off came in. She signaled towards Lu Jinnian’s assistant. He stopped typing, and without interfering with anyone else, he silently left the room. After a while, he silently returned back to his chair. Turning to Lu Jinnian, he whispered in his ear, “Mr. Lu, the elder Miss Qiao is here, she wants to see you.”
Curiosity flitted past his gaze, before his expression turned calm once more.
His assistant added softly, “I told to the secretary to bring her to the lounge.”
Lu Jinnian nodded faintly. He glanced at his phone before returning his attention to the meeting.
After about an hour, the meeting ended; it was currently 8.10 pm. Lu Jinnian packed the documents on his table and left the room. When he was outside, he saw an impatient Qiao Anxia. Seeing him, she immediately walked forward, and in an imprudent tone, she said, “Lu Jinnian, lets have a talk.”
Lu Jinnian remained emotionless. Without even glancing at her, he brushed past and walked towards his office.
The assistant smiled politely at Qiao Anxia. “Miss Qiao, if there is anything, you can speak to Mr. Lu in his office.”
Qiao Anxia glared at the assistant, then, turning, stomped behind Lu Jinnian.
Lu Jinnian pushed open his office door, walking straight to his chair. Ever since early in the morning, he had only casually taken a small snack in the afternoon. He spent the rest of the day immersed in his work, so he felt extremely tired. With raised hands, he massaged his temples.
His assistant escorted Qiao Anxia into the office, and after personally making two cups of coffee, he placed them on the table before leaving the office.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Once the room was left with just the two of them, Qiao Anxia walked to the front of Lu Jinnian’s office to toss the photos onto his table violently.
Lu Jinnian frowned, but his eyes remained shut as he massaged his temples.
Seeing his nonchalant expression, she remembered how he had always treated her. Infuriated, she said, “You better take a look at what it is!”
Lu Jinnian’s face darkened, seemingly annoyed by Qiao Anxia’s words. After pausing for a while, he removed his hands from his temples and straightened to sweep a glance past the photos on they table; they were of him and Qiao Anhao. Without much change in his expression, he continued to sip his coffee.
“How did you get them?”
“You already know about the existence of the photos?” Qiao Anhao heard the meaning behind his words. Unclear about his intentions, she asked, “Right, it’s no wonder the photos didn’t come out on tabloids. You must have already stopped it from spreading, but Lu Jinnian, even if you can stop it from going onto entertainment news, that doesn’t mean you have stopped it from spreading privately.”
Lu Jinnian lowered his lashes, blowing on the steaming cup of coffee as he continued to sip slowly.
Qiao Anxia clenched her fists before continuing, “You don’t know where Qiao Qiao is right now?”
The moment her words fell, she distinctly heard Lu Jinnian stop drinking his coffee. At that moment, she felt confused by her own feelings. She hesitated momentarily before stating, “Qiao Qiao was summoned back home, she’s back home right now because of the photos.”
The cup fell, spilling onto the back of Lu Jinnian’s hand, scalding it, leaving a red bruise. Even though there wasn’t much change in his expression, there was still a hint of worry in his gaze.
“Lu Jinnian, the entire business circle has seen the photos. They already know that Qiao Anhao has cuckolded Xu Jiamu, and auntie Xu is furious. An hour ago, she personally stomped over to my house to find my parents. Do you know the expression my parents had when they saw the photos?” Qiao Anxia paused, staring straight at Lu Jinnian. “Do you still remember what you told me a few months ago?”
Just then, she repeated the words she had said to him in the past. ” Remember, I said, if you really love her, stop harassing her, let her go. You’re going to ruin her at this rate!
“Now, what I want to say is that you have already ruined her!”
“Now, everyone knows that she had an affair. Auntie Xu is her mother in law, and because of this incident she hates her, and when Xu Jiamu finds out, he’s going to scold her, and my parents are visibly disappointed with her. If Qiao Qiao and Xu Jiamu divorce because of this, my parents and the entire Qiao enterprise board will blame her!”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
“Lu Jinnian, most often, the woman is blamed, not the man. You are wrong as well, but nobody will blame you, everyone will point fingers at Qiao Qiao.
“You said you love her, but is this your love?
“You ruined her reputation, how is she going to live in Beijing like this?”
Due to Qiao Anxia’s agitation, her words turned sharp and ruthless.
She paused, and her voice next was calmer than before. “Besides, Lu Jinnian, her parents died young, the only kin she has left are me and my parents. Do you really want her to be left alone by herself?”
Lu Jinnian clenched the coffee cup.
Silence enveloped the office.
Qiao Anxia stood in front of his table, staring at him for a long while before saying, “I have said my piece, the rest is up to you. Good bye!”
She paused for a bit, then turned and left.
Outside, Lu Jinnian’s assistant politely greeted her when she left, “Miss Qiao.”
Ignoring him, she headed straight for the elevator.
–
On the way to Qiao house, Qiao Anhao kept wondering what could have happened, she even thought that it was because of her aunt and uncle’s health. The more she thought, the more worried she became. After enduring the entire ride back, without care, she hurriedly ran into the house.
The housekeeper was the one who opened the door. When she saw Qiao Anhao, she spoke in a low voice. “Mister, Missus, Miss Qiao is back.”
After changing her shoes, Qiao Anhao walked inside in a daze. The atmosphere in the living room was tense, and Han Ruchu was there as well. She studied the three of them before greeting them. “Aunt, Uncle, Auntie Xu.”
Han Ruchu remained distant, ignoring Qiao Anhao. Her uncle nodded and her aunt stood up with a stack of photos. “Qiao Qiao, come with me.”
Qiao Anhao nodded her head in confusion, following her aunt up to the second floor.
“Aunt, what’s wrong?”
Faced with Qiao Anhao’s question, her aunt passed the photos over.
Qiao Anhao reached over and saw that it was photos of her and Lu Jinnian eating. She froze, but before she could speak, her aunt spoke up. “Qiao Qiao, even though I don’t know what exactly happened between you and Xu family’s illegitimate son, but I believe you, yet that doesn’t mean that auntie Xu believes you.
“Now that you are married to Jiamu, you should be more wary of your actions and should keep a distance from other guys, else it’ll bring shame to Xu family.
“Besides, the Qiao and Xu families have deep ties. I don’t want to mention anything, but deep inside, you should know what to do.” After a slight pause, she continued, “Qiao Qiao, you should know that Lu Jinnian has always been a thorn in auntie Xu’s heart. You should keep your distance.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao had wanted to explain herself, that in just a few days she would divorce Xu Jiamu, so by then, she would be able to date Lu Jinnian if she wanted.
But she was still considered Xu Jiamu’s wife. If she were to continue interacting with Lu Jinnian now, she wouldn’t be able to clarify herself.
Qiao Anhao decided to steer clear of problems and nodded her head compliantly. “I understand, I was wrong. Me and Lu Jinnian are just classmates, there’s nothing between us.”
Mother Qiao finally calmed her heavy heart after hearing the reassurances. She chatted with Qiao Anhao for a bit more, mostly emphasizing on how to be a good wife. Then Qiao Anhao followed mother Qiao down to apologize to Han Ruchu, promising that such an incident would not happen again.
Since the Qiao and Xu families had close business ties, Han Ruchu forgave her even if she still felt unhappy.
The atmosphere cleared slightly, and in order to further clear the mood, father Qiao called Xu Jiamu back for a family gathering over dinner.
–
After the meal, Xu Jiamu and his father had some alcohol. When they were about to leave, he called for the driver.
When they left Qiao family house, Xu Jiamu’s driver hadn’t arrived yet, so they decided to take a stroll. After just a short walk, Qiao Anhao’s feet started to hurt so they found a bench to rest.
The bench faced a small park filled with children ice skating.
Qiao Anhao looked straight ahead, imagining herself when she was young. Back then, she, Qiao Anxia, and Xu Jiamu would often play just like that. “Brother Jiamu, do you remember teaching me ice skating here?”
“But till today, you still can’t skate independently. I guess I wasn’t a good teacher, huh.”
Qiao Anhao smiled. Lifting her head, she gazed at the street lamp before saying softly, “Brother Jiamu, I’m sorry about the photos, I made you a laughing stock.”
“It’s fine, what’s there to apologize about? My mother was just making a mountain out of a molehill. Since brother was asked to act as me, and he was your husband for eight long months, in such a time, even strangers would become close. Besides, it was just a meal, there’s nothing to make a fuss about, right? I hope you won’t take it personally, my mother just takes her pride too seriously. After our divorce, you’ll be free.”
Qiao Anhao’s lips curled into a smile. Looking up at the sky, she asked, “Brother Jiamu, what do you intend to do after our divorce? Are you going to marry for profit once more?”
Before the car accident, if someone would have asked Xu Jiamu this question, he would have definitely agreed without hesitation.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Every man has a dream and that is to be successful in the business world, and Xu Jiamu was no exception. Ever since he was young, he knew that marrying was the best deal in the world.
A business marriage would bring benefit to both parties, so only a fool would miss out on it.
But now that Qiao Anhao had asked him the question, he paused, not understanding his own hesitation. Deep inside, he felt guilty though, since Song Xiangsi’s face floated into his mind. After about five seconds, he shook his head, chasing her face out of his mind.
“Of course, I’ll definitely find a girl with a suitable background to marry.”
Xu Jiamu’s words were resolute, as if they were trying to convince him as well.
Just then, his phone rang—it was from his driver. Xu Jiamu stood up and looked at Qiao Anhao. “Let’s go, the driver is here.”
Qiao Anhao grabbed her bag, following behind Xu Jiamu out of the area.
Not far from the bench they had sat, in a spot they didn’t notice, stood Qiao Anxia. Her face was pale, her expression dazed.
She stood stationary for a long while before her senses returned.
The originally crowded park quietened as all the children left for home. When there was barely anyone left, she moved her stiff body, walking towards the bench that they had sat on, the conversation between Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu floating in her mind.
The Xu Jiamu with the bandaged face was actually Lu Jinnian, which meant that before Xu Jiamu’s face recovered, Qiao Anhao had been the wife of Lu Jinnian and not Xu Jiamu.
It was no wonder Qiao Anhao had a photo of herself and Lu Jinnian sleeping together.
Just a moment ago, Qiao Anhao had been discussing her divorce with Xu Jiamu… This meant that Xu Jiamu never liked Qiao Anhao and she never liked him….
When Qiao Anxia was young, in order to escape the marriage with Xu Jiamu, she had misled Han Ruchu into thinking that Xu Jiamu liked Qiao Anhao, causing her to choose Qiao Anhao as the marriage candidate. She had been guilty for many years until she saw them happily married…
She thought that Qiao Qiao had been confused and so had even given Lu Jinnian the voice recorder, even disrupting him several times to leave Qiao Anhao alone.
But she had been wrong all along.
But why didn’t Qiao Qiao tell her such a big secret?
And if she hadn’t harmed Qiao Qiao all those years ago, would she have been the one to act as Lu Jinnian’s wife?
In the end, she had been the one who gave away the opportunity to be with Lu Jinnian…
–
Lu Jinnian’s assistant waited outside his office for a long while, but his superior remained inside, so he glanced at the time and knocked on the door. The room remained silent, and after a moment of hesitation, he pushed the door open.
Lu Jinnian sat on his chair with a cup of coffee in his hands, seemingly in deep thought. He didn’t seem to have noticed his assistant enter the room at all.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
The assistant stood for a while before calling out, “Mr. Lu.”
After about five seconds, Lu Jinnian turned his head slowly. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s almost ten, are you going to leave?”
Lu Jinnian sipped the coffee out of habit, realizing that it had long gone cold. Placing the cup down, he wiped his face with a palm, replying, “Okay.”
He stood up to grab his jacket before leaving the office.
His assistant glanced at the computer that was still switched on and the wallet next to it. He reminded, “Mr. Lu, your computer is still on.”
Lu Jinnian turned. “Oh,” he murmured, returning to his desk to hurriedly switch the computer off.
The assistant wondered, what exactly did Miss Qiao Anxia say to Mr. Lu? He didn’t seem to be in the right state of mind… He pondered it for a bit before picking the wallet, not bothering to remind Lu Jinnian.
–
Once they were out of the car park, the assistant looked at Lu Jinnian through the rear view mirror. He recalled that they had been going to Mian Xiu Garden for the past few nights, so he asked, “Mr. Lu, are you heading to Mian Xiu Garden?”
Lu Jinnian stared out at the window, replying with a faint “Yea”,
The lights from the street lamp spilled across his face, blurring his expression.
After a while, the assistant passed the wallet over. “Mr. Lu, you forgot about your wallet.”
Lu Jinnian paused, reached over, and stuffed it into his pocket before returning to gaze outside.
The car stayed silent. After about ten minutes, Lu Jinnian suddenly asked, “If you found out that your wife had a close male friend, what would you do?”
The assistant wanted to reply with ‘My wife wouldn’t be close to another man’ but once he saw Lu Jinnian’s serious expression, he decided to reconsider his response. After wrecking his brain with the question, he replied with an exaggerated expression, “I would be angry, then upset.”
“Then.. would you quarrel with her?”
“Not initially, but I would find her for a talk.” The assistant paused before adding, “But if my wife continued to find the man after our talk, I would quarrel and worse, I would divorce her.”
“Oh,” Lu Jinnian replied. He then asked, “If you parents knew about it, how would they react?”
First he wanted him to think of his wife having an affair and now he wanted him to think of how his parents would react? The assistant was at a loss, but he still replied instantly.
“Well, the older generation would definitely make a fuss about it. If they liked her, it would be easier, but if they didn’t like her, the situation would become tense and complicated.”
“Oh,” Lu Jinnian muttered, and then stayed silent.
The assistant was confused by Lu Jinnian’s questions, why would he suddenly ask about his family matters?
Through the rear mirror, he glanced over and asked, “Mr. Lu, what made you so curious?”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Lu Jinnian remained silent.
His assistant spoke again. “Mr. Lu, are you going to invest in a family drama?”
Lu Jinnian continued to stay silent.
This time, his assistant remained silent as well, glancing at him through the rear mirror occasionally.
Lu Jinnian frowned, his expression not moody but with a hint of dilemma instead… What exactly did Miss Qiao Anxia say to Mr. Lu?
The assistant started feeling curious, but just as he was wrecking his brain for an answer, Lu Jinnian suddenly asked, “Is there a deal in Hong Kong the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes, Mr. Lu.” The topic changed so fast the assistant could barely catch up .After a short pause, he added, “Mr. Wang is going to Hong Kong tonight regarding the contract.”
In a faint voice, Lu Jinnian said, “Inform him that he doesn’t need to go.”
“Huh?” the assistant asked.
Just then, Lu Jinnian added, “Book two tickets to Hong Kong, we’ll go to settle the deal.”
Lu Jinnian was meant to go for the deal, but yesterday afternoon, he had forced it on Mr. Wang. Now, out of a sudden, when Mr. Wang was already in the airport, he suddenly changed his mind…
The assistant called Mr Wang uncertainly.
After hanging up the call, he booked the flight tickets. “It’s at 11 pm, we’ll make it if we head to the airport now. I’ll get the hotel in Hong Kong to settle our clothes.”
Lu Jinnian replied with a light “Yea”. Just then, his phone rang, and he looked into the screen out of habit, realizing that it was a message from Qiao Anhao. [Still working?]
Lu Jinnian unlocked his phone. He was about to reply but then hesitated slightly; he deleted the response and placed the phone face down beside him.
–
When Qiao Anhao returned back to Mian Xiu Garden, it was already 10 pm. She was supposed to have supper with Lu Jinnian, but he hadn’t contacted her. She looked at her phone and sent a text over, [Still working?]
After about a minute, Lu Jinnian still hadn’t replied. This was the first time that he hadn’t replied to her. Before, even when he was at his busiest, he would still reply instantly when night fell, so Qiao Anhao sincerely believed that he was just busy. After removing her clothes, she entered the bathroom.
When she was out, she headed straight for her phone, but Lu Jinnian still hadn’t replied. Placing it back down, she headed towards the vanity table to blow dry her hair.
It was nearing 11 pm, so even if he was working, he should be done soon, so she ran back to the changing room to stare at the large row of clothes before settling on a pastel yellow sling dress. She circled in front of the mirror, and once satisfied, she hurried out of the changing room back to her phone, but Lu Jinnian still hadn’t replied. She sent a question mark over.
–
When Lu Jinnian and his assistant were going through the security checks, Lu Jinnian emptied his pockets, placing everything necessary in the provided basket.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
When Lu Jinnian was about to pass the security gates, he heard his phone ring. His steps paused slightly, but in the end, he ignored it, passing though the gates.
After the security checks, Lu Jinnian stuffed the items he had emptied back into his pockets, deliberately leaving his phone the last. Originally, he hadn’t wanted to look, but in the end, he couldn’t keep it in and glanced at the screen. Indeed, there was an unread text, Qiao Anhao had sent him a question mark.
Lu Jinnian stared at the screen, his throat tightening. He lowered his lashes, shielding the emotions that flickered past his eyes. Tensing his jaw, he placed the phone back into his pocket.
When they reached the airport, they only had about half an hour before the take off time, so the air stewardess led them towards the VIP path.
When the plane played the safety video, Lu Jinnian was already seated with his seat belt fastened.
While his assistant switched off his phone, he turned to look at Lu Jinnian who remained stationary. He reminded, “Mr. Lu, you need to switch off your phone.”
Silently, Lu Jinnian reached for his phone, but just before he switched it off, he once more saw the text that Qiao Anhao had sent over.
The head air stewardess walked over over with the menu. Smiling politely, she asked, “Hello sirs, would you like any drinks later?”
The assistant replied, “Two cups of coffee, thank you.”
“Sure.” The woman recorded the order, but just then, she saw the light from Lu Jinnian’s phone. “Sir, please switch off your phone, thank you.”
Lu Jinnian fingers caressed the phone screen slightly before switching it off decisively.
–
Qiao Anhao curled up on the sofa, watching the television as she waited for Lu Jinnian’s phone call.
As time trickled by, she started to feel impatient. She glanced up at the clock—it was about midnight but Lu Jinnian hadn’t replied to her yet. Frustrated, she dialed his number, wanting to ask how he was doing.
When the call went through, an automated voice answered her. “I’m sorry, the person you have called has switched off his phone.”
Switched off?
Qiao Anhao frowned, did Lu Jinnian’s phone ran out of battery?
She dialed his assistant’s number instead.
Both their phones ran out of battery?
What a coincidence…
She called the office number, and yet, no one picked up.
Qiao Anhao drummed her cheeks before tossing her phone on the sofa. She stared at the television while her thoughts ran wild.
After a seemingly long time, she fell asleep on the sofa.
But since she was curled up, she wasn’t able to sleep well. Halfway through the night, she woke up to look at the time on her phone. It was already 2 am, but there were still no new notifications on her phone; he hadn’t called her or replied to her text.
Qiao Anhao stared at the phone screen in a daze, her heart empty. She rose to head to the toilet.
When she was out, as she was washing her hands, she gazed at the beautiful dress that she had deliberately worn for Lu Jinnian. Her mood fell while her fatigue disappeared.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
Qiao Anhao pulled a tissue to wipe her hands before heading to the bedroom with her phone in her hands. She laid on the bed, staring intently at the conversation she had had with Lu Jinnian. As she read every word, her heart started to ache, tears clouding her vision.
Lu Jinnian had treated her coldly in the past, but back then she wasn’t as sad as she was right now.. Didn’t he just miss out on a dinner? Was it necessary to be so upset?
The more she thought about it, the harder the tears streamed down.
–
When the hotel came into view, it was already 2 am. After showering, Lu Jinnian laid down on the bed, the image of Qiao Anhao surfacing in his mind. He couldn’t help reaching for his phone to stare at the messages she had sent and the call that he had missed, his mood declining.
He tossed his phone to the side and shut his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to fall asleep. As he tossed and turned on the wide bed, he ended up reaching for his phone to stare at the two unanswered messages. He fell into a daze, then reached for his cigarettes to light a stick.
–
Lu Jinnian’s assistant’s phone had been out of battery the night before and once he reached the hotel, he fell into deep sleep. The next day, when he was awakened by the hotel staff, he started to wash up while switching on his phone. A few notifications came in, and he clicked onto the screen, seeing a call from Qiao Anhao.
Hurriedly, he returned her call. After a few seconds, her familiar voice came through. “Hello?”
He spat the foam out before greeting her. “Miss Qiao, give me a second.”
He quickly rinsed his mouth and wiped his lips, then spoke politely as usual. “Miss Qiao, you called yesterday night?”
Qiao Anhao slept late the night before and was awakened early in the morning by the phone call. The lack of sleep caused her head to ache, and she hadn’t been able to see who the caller was before picking up. Now that she heard Lu Jinnian’s assistant’s voice, she came to her senses instantly. She straightened up and grabbed her hair.
Just then, the man’s polite inquiry came in, ” Miss Qiao, you called yesterday night?”
“I called Lu Jinnian but he didn’t answer his phone.”
“He could have been on the plane when you called.”
“Plane?” she asked.
“Yes, we flew over to Hong Kong last night for a business deal.” The assistant paused before asking, “Miss Qiao, you didn’t know?”
“He didn’t mention it.”
When the assistant detected the disappointment in her voice, he hurriedly explained, “He might not have had the time to mention it since he ended very late last night and directly after work we headed straight for the airport. He was only able to rest at about 3 am, so he could have been too tired.”
He paused for a while before asking, “Miss Qiao, are you looking for Mr. Lu now? I can go to his room and get him, but I’m not sure if he’s awake.”
After Qiao Anhao heard about the schedule of the previous night and that he had slept only at 3 am, her heart started to ache. Hurriedly, she said, “It’s okay, let him rest.”
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
“Okay.” After the assistant replied, he added thoughtfully, “Miss Qiao, when Mr. Lu wakes up, I’ll get him to call you.”
“Thank you.”
After making himself presentable, the assistant headed to Lu Jinnian’s room.
The night before, he had gotten a spare room key to Lu Jinnian’s room. After knocking on the door, he waited for a while, and when he was sure that there wasn’t any movements in the room, he swiped the card and entered.
The living room was empty. When he pushed open the bedroom door, the strong cigarette smell came flooding out, irritating his nose, causing him to sneeze twice.
The bed was a mess, but Lu Jinnian was no longer in it. The bathroom doors were shut and the sound of running water could be heard. The assistant pressed his nose while walking towards the coffee table, the entirety of which was filled with cigarette butts of every length. He opened all the windows to air the room before taking a deep breath. Just then, he heard the bathroom door open.
When the assistant first started working as Lu Jinnian’s manager, he had nagged him about his eating choices and lifestyle, and even till today, the habit remained.
“Mr. Lu, why did you smoke so much yesterday? How many times have I told you that smoking is bad for health. Even if you can’t quit, how could you have smoked so much?”
Lu Jinnian remained nonchalant towards his assistant’s nagging. With his dripping wet hair, he picked his clothes up, draped them over himself, and started buttoning the buttons.
The assistant continued to nag, but just then, he remember the phone call with Qiao Anhao, so he stopped nagging and said, “Mr. Lu, if you have time, you should give Miss Qiao a call.”
Lu Jinnian paused, not making a sound.
His assistant started explaining the details, “Miss Qiao tried to contact you yesterday but since she couldn’t reach you, she came to find me instead. I returned her call this morning when I saw her missed call.”
Lu Jinnian acknowledged his words with a brief “yea” while putting on his suit jacket. Grabbing the documents at the side, he left the room.
His assistant followed after him in a hurry.
–
Qiao Anhao’s mood was lifted instantly by the call. She laid on her bed, happily returning back to sleep.
When she woke up once again, it was already noon. The night before, she had left the television running. When she glance over, she actually found Lu Jinnian, dressed in formal clothes, on the screen.
Qiao Anhao flipped and stared at the screen unwaveringly.
Lu Jinnian was tall and had outstanding looks. Even if the broadcast was about a new business cooperation, the camera was focused on Lu Jinnian. The screen never once left him, it was either zoomed in straight on his face or zoomed out for a wide angle view.
Lu Jinnian sat on the first row, a laptop in front of him. As the different speakers came on stage, he would occasionally tap his keypad before glancing towards his phone. Several times, he even swiped open his phone.
Qiao Anhao stared at Lu Jinnian’s actions, a small smile spreading across her face, and a giggle escaped her lips.
Lu Jinnian was actually spacing out…
The memory of the past, of a physical education lesson came floating in her mind. At that time, her period came, so she left for classroom earlier than usual.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
When Qiao Anhao passed Lu Jinnian’s classroom, she was used to glancing through the window and at him sitting with a white shirt at his desk.
At the time, he was in physics. All the students carefully listened to the teacher talking behind the desk at the front. Most were taking notes, all apart from Lu Jinnian, who had his head lowered, a pencil in hand. He was sketching something on a white piece of paper on the desk, sometimes using a rubber.
His classmate who shared his desk noticed he was absent minded in class and tried to peer over at what he was sketching. Who knew that Lu Jinnian’s reactions would be so fast, he took a book and covered his paper.
Their actions suddenly alarmed the teacher, who was giving the class. The teacher called their names out and asked them a question.
The classmate who shared the desk stammered at the question, but Lu Jinnian blinked for a second and then clearly and accurately answered.
The teacher then punished that classmate to stand in front of the blackboard. Lu Jinnian, who had sat down, removed the textbook from his sheet of paper and continued to concentrate on his sketch.
Lu Jinnian back then was far from his mature self that he was now. His youthful features and inexperienced self were full of absent-mindedness back then, but in her heart, she had come to idolize that young image of him. No wonder he was the man she had fallen in love with, even when he was absent-minded, he was so freaking good looking!
–
Qiao Anhao waited until the show was over before getting out of bed. She washed her face and then called for takeout. She then went over to charge her phone that was almost out of battery.
The assistant had told her that Lu Jinnian would call her.
Qiao Anhao waited during the day all the way until seven in the evening.
Waiting could really wear down a person’s willpower. Qiao Anhao was so afraid of going crazy from waiting that she started to tidy up the room.
She re-folded all her clothes, then washed some of those that she’d only worn once, and carried them to the balcony to dry one after another. When there were only two pieces left to to dry, her phone finally rang.
Qiao Anhao impatiently ran back into the bedroom. Because she was in such a hurry, she accidentally bumped her leg into the clothes drying rack. She bumped her knees on it so hard, tears came rushing out.
However, Qiao Anhao was not in the mood to check her wound and directly ran over to the sofa. She grabbed her phone, but in the end, it turned out that the call came from Qiao Anxia, not Lu Jinnian.
Qiao Anhao instantly felt glum. She answered the call, greeting “Sis.” She then heard the ear-splitting sound of someone singing. She creased her brows and asked, “Sis, where are you?”
“Qiao Qiao? Come out and find me, hurry…” she said in a barely understandable language. She then screamed, straining her voice as she sang, “Do you even love me, do you love me…”
Qiao Anhao held her phone a little further away from her ear, and screamed loudly back, “Who are you with? How much did you have to drink?”
“Just me. I’m with you, Qiao Qiao. That’s not right, just me alone.” Qiao Anxia was so drunk, her words weren’t very clear. She even hiccuped when she finished speaking, then continued, “Just me, on my own, at the Royal Palace.”
Then, without even hanging up, she continued to sing. This time, no matter how Qiao Anhao tried to ask any questions, she didn’t get a reply.
Translator: Kingbao Editor: DarkGem
After Qiao Anhao hung up the call, the image of Qiao Anxia singing alone in Royal Palace filled her mind. The more she thought, the more worried she got. After she changed, she took her bag and left.
When she reached the front desk of Royal Palace, she asked for Qiao Anxia and was escorted by a waiter to the room that she was in. The moment she reached the door of the room, she could hear Qiao Anxia’s heartbroken voice piercing through the air.
She pushed the door open, and the sight of Qiao Anxia standing on the table with her head raised high, screaming into the microphone, came into sight. Her surroundings was filled empty beer bottles.
Qiao Anhao closed the door before rushing to her sister. She lifted her hand to pull her down from the table. “Qiao Anxia, are you crazy?”
She glanced at Qiao Anhao, continuing to sing. As she sang, tears streamed down her face. In the end, she knelt down with the microphone in her arms and started sobbing uncontrollably.
Qiao Anxia didn’t shut her microphone, and her sobs echoed through the entire room.
This was probably the first time that Qiao Anhao had seen Qiao Anxia cry so helplessly. Frantically, she walked towards the computer to switch off the microphone before pulling Qiao Anxia up to the sofa and ordering a cup of hot tea.
Qiao Anhao held the hot cup of tea, feeding Qiao Anxia slowly. She reached out to arrange her messy hair while pulling out a tissue to wipe her tears dry.
Qiao Anxia had indeed drunk too much, but ever since she was young, she had been training her limits with Xu Jiamu, garnering a high tolerance towards alcohol. With just a few sips of hot tea, her mind cleared and Qiao Anhao’s concerned face came into sight, the image stirring a fresh set of tears.
“Sis, what exactly happened to you?” Qiao Anhao asked with concern.
Qiao Anxia’s tears fell furiously and she shook her head. She reached out to engulf Qiao Anhao in her arms, burying her head in her shoulder as she continued to sob quietly.
Qiao Anhao returned the embrace silently, occasionally patting her back to reassure her.
After a long time, Qiao Anxia seemingly calmed down. She took a deep breath before calling out, “Qiao Qiao.”
“Yea?”
When Qiao Anxia heard the tender and soothing reply, her words froze in her throat, unable to come out.
She had wanted to apologize but couldn’t muster enough courage to do so.
This was about when she was still young and ignorant. At that time, a moment of folly had caused so many complications.
She was afraid that the moment she spoke, she would see hatred in Qiao Anhao’s eyes, and that she would no longer treat her as before.
She opened her mouth but did not dare to tell the truth even now. Silently, she continued to hug Qiao Anhao tightly.
Right now, she was confused and upset.
She was afraid that Qiao Anhao wouldn’t forgive her and heartbroken by losing the only opportunity to get close to Lu Jinnian.
She knew that Lu Jinnian liked Qiao Anhao and not her. After two failed confessions, she had coolly found herself another guy, but right now, when she found out that she had lost the opportunity to get close to him by herself, she couldn’t help feeling a kind of heartache that she had never felt before.
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
With great difficulty, Lu Jinnian found a little spare time for himself from ten in the morning till five in the afternoon. He found a secluded place for some air and lit up a cigarette.
Halfway through his cigarette, he pulled out his phone and looked at it for a while. He clicked open Qiao Anhao’s WeChat, wanting to send a message…
But Qiao Anxia was right. The more frequently he and Qiao Anhao got together, the more romantic they became, and the more Qiao Anhao got hurt.
He was too selfish by wanting to get closer to her when it brought her so much trouble.
Last time, her child died in her womb, and this time, would her entire reputation be in ruins?
He couldn’t hurt her time and time again in the name of love.
With that thought, in the end, Lu Jinnian put his phone away and took a deep drag. Before he blew the smoke out, his assistant appeared and reminded him, “Mr. Lu, we should head out. Dinner is about to start.”
There were quite a few of Beijing’s business partners at the dinner party. Everyone knew each other and sat at the same table.
On a normal day, Lu Jinnian never spoke much and tonight he was no different. Since everyone sat down, they drank one glass after another, but he never spoke more than ten words.
The men and women were all the same – they all had a hint of nosiness in their bones.
After having one glass too many, people started talking about all sorts of things.
Lu Jinnian also caught wind of the person on everyone’s lips but remained impartial and acted like he didn’t care until the very end.
At last, he didn’t know who started the topic, but the conversation fell on the Xu family enterprise.
“Han Ruchu, the vice president of Xu enterprises recently pooled several billions in funds. It seems to be an investment.”
“That woman has always been full of courage. She stabilized a large majority of the Xu enterprise’s finances.”
“I’ve worked with her once or twice. She seems to be really knowledgeable and a visionary. She’s brilliant.”
On the topic of Han Ruchu, some complimented her, whilst others slammed her. In the end, who knew who said it first, but another gossip came to the front.
“Ah right! As we’re on the topic of Han Ruchu, I just remembered an incident. Have you all heard? Recently, the young master Xu and the daughter of the Qiao family are talking about divorce?”
Lu Jinnian, who originally seemed like he didn’t care, suddenly was all ears when he heard those words.
His heart jumped for a moment. Could it be – was Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu going to get a divorce because of him?”
“Seriously? When was this?”
“I heard about this around a week ago.”
A week ago… Back then, there hadn’t been any photos taken secretly of him and Qiao Anhao, so it had nothing to do with him?
Lu Jinnian’s mood slightly relaxed.
“Why did they talk about divorce? The business relationship between Qiao and Xu families has been extremely close…”
“It was because of a woman – the granddaughter of Lin Sun. She’s currently studying in university. I don’t know how she and young master Xu got to know each other, but then the two of them kind of…” Mid-speech, that person shrugged his shoulders and hinted, “Well, you all know. Young master Xu must’ve fell for her and wants to marry her. Now they’re thinking of how to get a divorce from the Qiao family.”
Lu Jinnian, who never spoke suddenly asked, “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. My sister is classmates with Lin Sun’s granddaughter. She saw young master Xu going to her school a few times, otherwise, how would I know about it.”
“Lin Sun’s granddaughter… They’re truly a family with three generations worth of government officials. Indeed, a better match than the Qiao family. No wonder they’re in talks of divorce.”
Translator: Paperplane Editor: DarkGem
Lu Jinnian sat in his seat, listening attentively to every word of the discussion. His expression seemed just as distant and cold as usual, but his heart was wreathing.
“That lady from the Qiao family is ever so pitiful.”
When Lu Jinnian heard this, a myriad of images crossed his mind.
The image of him listening to Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu’s confession through Qiao Anxia’s earphones… And Qiao Anhao’s happy and tearful face when Xu Jiamu woke up… In the end, the image transformed into Qiao Anhao’s distraught, crying face.
Suddenly, it felt like someone had brutally punched his heart. In an instant, the chopsticks in his hand crashed onto the table, making a “Pa!” sound. All eyes at the table were suddenly on Lu Jinnian. Even people from the other tables nearby turned at the loud sound. Everyone looked over with confusion at Lu Jinnian, who had stood up.
Lu Jinnian said “Excuse me” with a somber expression, then picked up his jacket. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he kicked his chair behind him and strode out.
His assistant blanked out for a second, then got up. He smiled and apologized to everyone, hurriedly following Lu Jinnian out.
Lu Jinnian walked so quickly that his assistant had to practically jog to catch up with him.
In all the years, Lu Jinnian had heard it all at the dinner table; who had gone off the rails, who was financing a celebrity on the side, or who’s wife killed themselves because they were abandoned. Whenever people started to talk about these topics, others would sigh along, but not him. He would remain calm and give them no reaction at all.
So much so that even he would start to think to himself, ‘ah that’s so normal. Don’t all wealthy men like to play around like this? Or else, how would I exist in the first place?’
No matter what he thought to himself or how he didn’t react in the past, he’d never suddenly erupt in anger when he heard Xu Jiamu was messing around with another woman. But right now, he was so angry that he felt like he was Qiao Anhao, the person abandoned.
Yet Qiao Anhao had once told Xu Jiamu something like “In my whole life, I will only love you.”.
She grew up with Xu Jiamu and now was his wife, but he actually wanted to marry another woman.
Lu Jinnian was never as cruel as to imagine a day when Qiao Anhao and Xu Jiamu would break up and he might have a chance with her. However, now that it came true, he was far from happy and excited, unlike what he imagined he would be; he felt an unspeakable pain in his heart.
“Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu!”
When Lu Jinnian heard the calls from behind, he stopped walking and turned his head to find his assistant panting. He said, “Book me a flight, I’m going back to Beijing, NOW!”
The assistant dazed out for a moment, then said, “But Mr. Lu, you still have a meeting to attend tomorrow. You might have to sign a contract… You can’t go back!”
“Either arrange for someone else to deal with these matters, or just cancel the signing all together!” Lu Jinnian didn’t even think twice about it, and reiterated, “I’m going to back to Beijing tonight!”
“Mr. Lu …” His assistant still had more to say. He wanted to talk Lu Jinnian out of it, but in the end, the other had already grabbed for his phone and called to book tickets.
Lu Jinnian got off the phone and then ignored his assistant’s cries of “Mr. Lu”. He raised his hand to hail a taxi, got in, and left his assistant with the words, “Check out of the hotel and pack up everything in the room”. Then he said to the taxi driver, “To the airport.”
