Engagement?
A wave of sourness rose in Lin Qiqi’s chest.
This was her first time meeting the two people in front of her.
Yet her body reacted so strongly—it was likely because the news of Meng Ziping and Hao Yajie’s engagement had stirred the lingering obsession left behind by the original host.
The original host must have really liked Meng Ziping.
After all, they were childhood sweethearts, growing up together without a care in the world.
When they were young, the Meng and Lin families were neighbors, their doors facing each other.
Meng Ziping had no mother since childhood, and his father was no good either.
As a child, he grew up relying on food from different households.
Sometimes he had meals, sometimes he didn’t, often going hungry alone at home.
Jiang Yunling pitied him and would always cook an extra portion for him.
Over time, the two children became close.
Meng Ziping was in the same grade as the original host, though three years older.
He accompanied her like that, going in and out together, from elementary school all the way to high school.
Although nothing had ever been explicitly said, people around them often remarked, “Qiqi and Ziping will definitely become a family in the future.”
Every time the original host heard this, she would feel both shy and sweet.
Those years of growing up together had made her deeply look forward to a future with Meng Ziping.
But in just a few days, the person who had always been by her side had changed?
Heh.
Lin Qiqi sneered inwardly—he sure switched tracks quickly.
The moment something happened to the original host’s family, Meng Ziping immediately became the fiancé of her best friend, Hao Yajie.
Hao Yajie wasn’t particularly pretty, and her academic performance was average, but her family background was excellent.
Her father was the director of Jiangcheng’s No. 2 State Guesthouse, with extensive connections and considerable influence.
Looking at the situation now, Hao Yajie’s initiative in befriending the original host likely hadn’t been pure from the start.
She must have had her eyes on Meng Ziping for a long time.
“Ding-ling-ling~”
The crisp ringing of a bicycle bell came from the alley entrance.
School had only a half-day today, but the factories were still operating.
It was already 5 p.m., and workers returning from their shifts began to fill the alley, walking home in small groups.
This was the exact timing Hao Yajie had carefully chosen.
Most of the neighbors in this alley believed Lin Qiqi and Meng Ziping were a couple.
Previously, Meng Ziping had hesitated to get engaged to her partly because he cared about the opinions of these old neighbors.
He valued his reputation above all else, afraid of gossip behind his back.
But now that he was already engaged to her, Hao Yajie naturally wanted everyone to know.
Meng Ziping had abandoned Lin Qiqi.
He was now her fiancé—Hao Yajie’s.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed nosy neighbors already glancing their way, some even stopping nearby.
Hao Yajie grabbed Meng Ziping’s arm and handed the items they brought to Lin Qiqi.
It was a small bag of fruit candies and a few eggs.
“Qiqi, I know things are tough for your family right now.”
“Ziping and I specially bought some scarce fruit candies and eggs. You probably can’t get these anymore, so take them to nourish Auntie.”
Hao Yajie’s acting was mediocre. Her face showed sympathy, but her tone carried unmistakable pride and condescension.
Lin Qiqi glanced down.
There were about a dozen fruit candies in the bag, wrapped in colorful glass paper—the cheapest kind from the department store.
Nowadays, these candies didn’t even require ration coupons; they weren’t scarce at all.
There were also five or six eggs of varying sizes and colors.
They didn’t look like they came from a supply store—more like they’d been casually taken from someone’s chicken coop.
Compared to the brand-new Seagull mechanical watch on Meng Ziping’s wrist, these items looked pitifully shabby.
Yet Hao Yajie spoke as if they had brought something extraordinarily valuable.
Leaning against Meng Ziping, smiling brightly, her posture intimate—
This wasn’t a visit of concern. It was clearly meant to humiliate Lin Qiqi and assert dominance.
More and more familiar faces gathered around.
“Hey, isn’t that Xiao Meng? Qiqi’s boyfriend—why’s he hugging another girl?”
“That girl looks familiar… doesn’t she resemble Old Hao from the state guesthouse?”
“Of course! That’s Director Hao’s daughter—same square face!”
“So Xiao Meng and Qiqi broke up? That boy’s afraid of trouble, no conscience!”
“Well, Meng’s a top student. Teachers say he’ll get into university for sure. With Qiqi’s family like this now… she dropped out and has a disabled mother… sigh, it’s understandable.”
Hao Yajie felt especially pleased hearing this.
In everyone’s eyes, Lin Qiqi was no longer worthy of Meng Ziping.
Her mother’s disability had come at just the right time.
Hao Yajie even wanted to step inside and personally say thank you.
“If you hadn’t become disabled, how would I have had the chance to win Meng Ziping?”
Back then, watching Lin Qiqi and Meng Ziping together had filled her with bitterness and pain.
Now she could return it to Lin Qiqi tenfold, a hundredfold.
Based on her understanding of Lin Qiqi, she would definitely refuse the items.
Then she would tearfully look at Meng Ziping, saying nothing, waiting for him to comfort her.
That’s why Hao Yajie had deliberately chosen eggs—when Lin Qiqi refused, she would “accidentally” loosen her grip, letting them fall and shatter.
That would complete the scene.
Meng Ziping hated waste and was especially annoyed by Lin Qiqi’s constant crying.
He had complained about it more than once in front of Hao Yajie.
So Hao Yajie eagerly anticipated Lin Qiqi’s tears—and Meng Ziping finally losing all feelings for her.
To achieve the scene she had long dreamed of with just a bag of candy and a few eggs—
Hao Yajie thought it was more than worth it.
She pushed the items closer to Lin Qiqi.
“Qiqi, why aren’t you taking them? Maybe your family had these before, but now that things are like this, you still look down on them?”
Looking at the shameless pair in front of her, Lin Qiqi did feel anger.
Mostly on behalf of the original host.
But the candies and eggs were innocent—why refuse free things?
Before Hao Yajie could react, Lin Qiqi snatched them into her hands and even placed them further inside the courtyard—
Just in case things escalated later and the pair tried to take them back.
Her heart suddenly ached sharply. Covering her chest, Lin Qiqi asked the question the original host most wanted answered.
“Meng Ziping, Hao Yajie says you two are engaged. Then tell me—what exactly is your relationship with me?”
Her almond-shaped eyes, which used to gaze gently at him, now burned with fierce anger.
So bright that Meng Ziping didn’t dare meet them.
In his impression, Lin Qiqi was weak, timid, and obedient.
She rarely got angry, often cried.
And when she cried, she said nothing—just looked at him with watery eyes.
At first, he found her like that cute, but over time, he grew tired of it.
Having to comfort her constantly had become annoying.
With what had happened to the Lin family, someone as soft as Lin Qiqi must have been crying every day.
If not for Hao Yajie insisting, Meng Ziping wouldn’t have stepped into this alley at all.
He didn’t want to face Lin Qiqi’s tears, nor Jiang Yunling’s—he only wanted to avoid them.
But now, Lin Qiqi had not shed a single tear.
Those fiery almond eyes—
They were truly beautiful.
Meng Ziping was unexpectedly struck with admiration.