“That’s great, that’s perfect,” Mrs. Qiao said hastily.
After speaking, she cast a cautious glance at Old Master Qiao. How she longed for him to say he’d give Qiao Yitong one percent of the Qiao Group’s shares or something similar, but she knew he would never do such a thing.
Grandpa Qiao was a very traditional man; once a daughter was married off, she was as good as gone. He wasn’t even that generous with his own daughter, let alone his granddaughter.
Just as Mrs. Qiao had suspected, Grandpa Qiao didn’t mention giving Qiao Yitong any shares in the Qiao Group.
“Xiaotong is engaged to Yuchen. Once they’re married and have children, these shares will go to their children,” Old Master Qiao said.
Therefore, it was impossible for Old Master Qiao to give Qiao Yitong shares in the Qiao Group. If he gave away shares in his own company, it would be tantamount to giving them to the Murong family—those shares would not remain within the Qiao family. Old Master Qiao believed that Old Master Murong was being very shrewd; no matter what he said about giving them to Qiao Yitong, they would ultimately end up in the hands of the Murong family.
“The shares are in Xiaotong’s name; she can make the decisions,” said Old Master Murong. At least while Qiao Yitong was alive, as long as the Murong Group remained stable, she would continue to receive dividends.
The marriage between Qiao Yitong and Murong Yuchen was considered settled; the two were first to be engaged. The two families had lunch together and agreed to find a time to announce the news to the public—and that time was set for tomorrow.
Since Qiao Xudong was still unconscious, the two families decided not to hold an engagement banquet for the time being; a simple meal together would suffice, and they would host a grand wedding banquet at a later date. During the meal, the doctor joined them; he served as a witness of sorts.
By the time Qiao Xunan woke up, it was already afternoon. No one had come to wake him up for lunch; the Murong family had already left, and no one had spoken to him at length.
Old Master Qiao and Qiao’s eldest uncle were both deeply disappointed in Qiao Xunan—how could he have gotten so completely drunk at a time like this? Qiao’s eldest uncle and the others were all hoping that Qiao Xudong would wake up. Given Qiao Xunan’s current state, if he were to become the head of the Qiao family, they feared he would only look out for himself and pay no attention to anyone else. Qiao Xunan lacked a sense of the bigger picture and didn’t care enough about his family; he was a bit too cold-hearted.
If Qiao Xunan knew about this, he would surely claim that no one had told him in advance.
But everyone had only encountered these events yesterday; Qiao Xunan should have realized on his own that with Qiao Xudong in a coma, there would be plenty of matters to handle at home. Yet Qiao Xunan was still preoccupied with his own romantic entanglements and had absolutely no understanding of the need to look out for the family.
The eldest Aunt Qiao had intended to speak with Qiao Xunan, but he completely ignored her.
“Mom, I’ve got things to do. I’m heading out.” Qiao Xunan grabbed his jacket and rushed out.
“……” Qiao’s eldest aunt had wanted to mention Qiao Yitong, but she didn’t even have time to say anything. “Sigh.”
Aunt Qiao let out a deep sigh. Did Qiao Xunan really have to rush out so urgently at a time like this?
Qiao Xunan had received a call saying that Shi Zhuojing was at a gathering with someone at the club, so he hurried over. He wanted to see how Shi Zhuojing was doing and seize the opportunity to appear before her.
Zhu Shanshan noticed Aunt Qiao’s sigh but said nothing. It was still uncertain how things would turn out between her and Qiao Xudong. If things went well, she could say something; if not, then so be it. Zhu Shanshan knew she should keep a low profile rather than meddle in everything—she simply couldn’t handle so many matters at once.
Qiao Yitong didn’t count on Qiao Xunan—which was one of the reasons she’d chosen Murong Yuchen. You can’t rely on others for a lifetime; in the end, you have to rely on yourself. Qiao Yitong had to make a good choice; she couldn’t keep thinking about going back to her parents’ home for help when the time came. How much more could these people really do for her?
Qiao Xudong was somewhat reasonable, but Qiao Xunan and Qiao Xuxi were even more love-struck. Qiao Xunan was still pining for his “white moonlight,” and even after Qiao Yitong tried to reason with him, he still clung to his belief in her.
When Qiao Yitong was the author, she didn’t think there was anything particularly wrong with Qiao Xunan’s behavior; as the male lead in a deeply tragic romance, it was perfectly normal for him to act that way. But when Qiao Yitong found herself transported into the story, she wanted to slap Qiao Xunan across the face twice.
When Qiao Xunan arrived at the club, he straightened his clothes and slowed his pace, walking at a more normal, leisurely speed.
The attendant opened the door, and Qiao Xunan stepped inside.
Everyone turned to look at Qiao Xunan, and his friends quickly smiled and said,
“Come on in, Xunan. We’ve been waiting just for you,” someone joked.
Qiao Xunan saw Shi Zhuojing, and Shi Zhuojing saw Qiao Xunan. When their eyes met, Qiao Xunan quickly looked away. He didn’t want others to think he was staring at Shi Zhuojing; he didn’t want to appear too eager, nor did he want Shi Zhuojing to think he couldn’t live without her.
Qiao Xunan’s friend urged him to sit next to Shi Zhuojing, and Qiao Xunan sat down.
It wasn’t that Shi Zhuojing didn’t want to wait for Qiao Xunan to speak—it was that he hadn’t even shown up to pick her up at the airport. She was afraid he might keep holding back and never say a word. Shi Zhuojing needed to make up with Qiao Xunan as soon as possible; the Shi family was in dire straits, and everyone at home was counting on the Qiao family to inject capital.
“Long time no see,” Shi Zhuojing said, breaking the silence.
“It’s been a long time,” Qiao Xunan replied, surprised that Shi Zhuojing had taken the initiative to speak. Then, he fell silent again.
“Don’t you want to talk to me anymore?” Shi Zhuojing had hoped Qiao Xunan would be a little more proactive, but unfortunately, he wasn’t.
With Qiao Xudong in a vegetative state, Qiao Xunan was highly likely to become the future head of the Qiao Group. With so many people watching him, Shi Zhuojing couldn’t just keep waiting for him to make the first move. The Shi family feared she might miss her chance, and Shi Zhuojing herself was afraid of missing it too—sometimes, once an opportunity is missed, it’s lost forever.
In the past, Shi Zhuojing hadn’t cared much about Qiao Xunan; otherwise, she wouldn’t have chosen to break up with him back then. After spending several years abroad, she did come to realize that Qiao Xunan was her best choice—no one else could compare to him. When her family urged her to return to Hong Kong to be with Qiao Xunan, Shi Zhuojing didn’t think they were wrong; she simply felt she hadn’t been mature enough back then.
“Do you have a girlfriend now?” Shi Zhuojing asked.
“No,” Qiao Xunan replied. Having a mistress didn’t count—a mistress wasn’t a girlfriend. Besides, he’d already broken up with her.
“As it happens, I don’t have a boyfriend either,” Shi Zhuojing said with a soft laugh. “Is there still a chance for us?”
Shi Zhuojing took the initiative instead of waiting for Qiao Xunan to pursue her. Men care about saving face. It had been Shi Zhuojing who’d initiated the breakup all those years ago, and with no other leverage to play with, she couldn’t afford to wait for someone else to go after Qiao Xunan.
Qiao Xunan hadn’t expected Shi Zhuojing to say it so directly. When he heard her words, Jiang Wan’er’s face flashed through his mind. Qiao Xunan shook his head sharply. Why was he thinking about Jiang Wan’er?
“Is there no chance?” Shi Zhuojing’s smile froze on her face.
“No.” Qiao Xunan snapped back to reality. “My… my older brother is still in a coma… …”
Qiao Xunan had originally wanted to say, “We still have a chance; we can get back together right now.” But in the end, he didn’t say that. He had indeed thought of Jiang Wan’er just now, and the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he changed his mind at the last moment. Qiao Xunan used Qiao Xudong as an excuse; he felt that if Shi Zhuojing could break up with him one moment and get back together the next, it would make him look rather foolish.
“Sorry, I just got too excited when I saw you,” Shi Zhuojing said sheepishly. “Speaking of which, has your older brother’s condition improved?”
It was precisely because Qiao Xudong was in a coma that Shi Zhuojing and the rest of the Shi family were so worried. Shi Zhuojing had thought she’d have him wrapped around her finger; she hadn’t expected Qiao Xunan to say that.
“He’s still the same,” Qiao Xunan said.
“He’ll be fine,” Shi Zhuojing said, though deep down she hoped Qiao Xudong would remain unconscious forever. As long as he didn’t wake up, Qiao Xunan could take control of the Qiao Group.
The next day, the Qiao Group and the Murong Group—the two major conglomerates—publicly announced the engagement of Qiao Yitong and Murong Yuchen. Representatives from both sides held a joint press conference to announce not only the engagement but also a partnership between the two families.
The two conglomerates had already engaged in some collaboration, though previously it had been limited to minor projects; this time, however, the partnership involved a much more significant venture.
The news spread like wildfire. Yun Ruozhu had originally believed that his relationship with Qiao Yitong was a done deal; he never imagined that Qiao Yitong would actually become engaged to Murong Yuchen.
When a friend called to tell Yun Ruozhu the news, he initially thought it was a hoax.
“Impossible. This can’t be true,” Yun Ruozhu said, refusing to believe it.
“They’ve even held a press conference—how could this be a hoax?” his friend replied. “I really never expected the two of them to get engaged.”
“Impossible. Absolutely impossible,” Yun Ruozhu insisted.
Yun Ruozhu decided to go find Qiao Yitong; he wanted to ask her about it. He didn’t go look for Murong Yuchen—he’d always felt that people like them had little reason to interact with Murong Yuchen, and they rarely crossed paths anyway.
Murong Yuchen and Qiao Yitong both appeared at the press conference. After the press conference ended, Qiao Yitong left with Murong Yuchen.
Murong Yuchen and Qiao Yitong had lunch out, and only then did Murong Yuchen drive Qiao Yitong back.
Yun Ruozhu saw Qiao Yitong get out of Murong Yuchen’s car, and the sight was unbearable to him. Yun Ruozhu felt that Qiao Yitong certainly wasn’t doing this of her own free will; there was no way she’d willingly marry Murong Yuchen, since she’d always disliked him.
Yun Ruozhu didn’t rush over immediately; he planned to wait until Murong Yuchen had left before asking Qiao Yitong about it.
At the front gate, Qiao Yitong looked at Murong Yuchen while hugging a large stuffed animal he’d bought for her.
“You should go back to work,” Qiao Yitong said.
Murong Yuchen stood there motionless, staring at Qiao Yitong.
“Go on,” Qiao Yitong said, puzzled. “Or do you want me to leave first?”
Just as Qiao Yitong was about to walk away, Murong Yuchen suddenly pulled her into his arms.
“I’m your fiancé now,” Murong Yuchen reminded Qiao Yitong.
“Yeah,” Qiao Yitong tilted her head. “I didn’t say I wasn’t.”
Murong Yuchen planted a kiss on Qiao Yitong’s cheek. He looked at her once more, still holding her close, as if his eyes were saying: It’s your turn.
The secondary personality had said it: since the bond between them wasn’t deep enough, they needed to make a bigger deal out of it—things like a farewell kiss had to be arranged. As a man, he had to take the initiative. Qiao Yitong had said it, the secondary personality had said it, so the primary personality naturally had to follow through.
Qiao Yitong understood. She stood on tiptoe and kissed Murong Yuchen’s cheek, letting out a soft hum. “You got off easy.”
The corners of Murong Yuchen’s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile.
“We’re officially together,” Murong Yuchen said.
“Okay, okay, okay,” Qiao Yitong nodded. “I have to head back. I’ve been busy for so long—I’m exhausted.”
“Goodbye, then,,” Murong Yuchen said.
“Mm, I’m going to rest. You go back to work,” Qiao Yitong waved at Murong Yuchen.
Murong Yuchen watched Qiao Yitong’s retreating figure until she was out of sight. Then he turned his head and glanced at a car not far away. If he wasn’t mistaken, that car belonged to the Yun family.
Murong Yuchen didn’t usually bother memorizing other people’s license plates, but since Yun Ruozhu and Qiao Yitong were often together, he’d committed it to memory. Although Yun Ruozhu and Qiao Yitong hadn’t attended the same university, they’d hung out during school breaks, and Yun Ruozhu had even flown overseas to visit Qiao Yitong once.
With so much time and so many opportunities, Yun Ruozhu chose not to confess his feelings to Qiao Yitong, but instead brought his own mother to the Qiao family home to force a marriage. To put it bluntly, Yun Ruozhu and Mrs. Yun were doing Qiao Yitong a favor; Yun Ruozhu simply didn’t love Qiao Yitong enough.
Murong Yuchen knew that while others might have a chance, Yun Ruozhu didn’t. Unless he himself gave up on Qiao Yitong—and Qiao Yitong had no better options—she might choose Yun Ruozhu. But as long as there was even a slightly better option, Qiao Yitong would never choose Yun Ruozhu—and there were plenty of slightly better options out there.
It wasn’t that Murong Yuchen didn’t want to stay; he desperately wanted to stay and see what would happen, but he had to control himself. Murong Yuchen had just become engaged to Qiao Yitong, so he couldn’t afford to overreact at a time like this.
Yun Ruozhu simply wanted to ask Qiao Yitong about the engagement—so let her go ahead and ask.
If Yun Ruozhu couldn’t ask today, there was always tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, the day after that…
Murong Yuchen couldn’t keep stopping Yun Ruozhu forever, but he still couldn’t control his steps—he walked toward Yun Ruozhu’s car.
Murong Yuchen tapped lightly on the car window, and Yun Ruozhu finally rolled it down. Yun Ruozhu hadn’t expected Murong Yuchen to actually walk over; she’d thought he’d just get in the car and drive away.
“Qiao Yitong—Tongtong—she’s my fiancée.”
“You’ve crossed the line. You should know by now that you and Tongtong aren’t meant to be friends.”
“If you truly love someone, you should wish her well.”
……
Murong Yuchen’s primary personality was still relatively restrained; if it had been his secondary personality, he would have kicked the car with his foot—and whether or not it would hurt wasn’t something the secondary personality would have cared about.
“This is between me and Yitong. You two aren’t even married yet,” Yun Ruozhu replied.
“Is a man who doesn’t even dare to get out of the car worthy of her??” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality burst forth. He couldn’t stand seeing his primary personality dither like that; when dealing with a shameless person like Yun Ruozhu, there was no need to be overly polite.
Hah, you cowardly, weak, and incompetent dog of a man!
Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality snorted disdainfully and turned away. There was no need for small talk with such a useless man—a few words were enough.
Yun Ruozhu didn’t roll up the car window; he watched Murong Yuchen’s receding figure. Why had Murong Yuchen come over to his side to say that? Was he gloating? Or was he staking his claim?
Just as Murong Yuchen got into his car to leave, Yun Ruozhu got out of his own.
No matter what Murong Yuchen had said, Yun Ruozhu still wanted to ask Qiao Yitong about it.
Ever since Yun Ruozhu learned that the Qiao and Murong families had held a press conference announcing Murong Yuchen and Qiao Yitong’s engagement, he had rushed straight to the Qiao residence. Yun Ruozhu knew Qiao Yitong wasn’t home, but he was determined to wait there until she returned—he had to speak with her.
As soon as Murong Yuchen left, Yun Ruozhu went to ring the doorbell; he wanted to see Qiao Yitong.
In the past, the maid might have let Yun Ruozhu in to wait for Qiao Yitong, but this time, she didn’t let him in right away.
Yun Ruozhu tried to go straight inside, but the maid refused him.
“Yitong just returned, didn’t she?” Yun Ruozhu frowned. “I saw her.”
“Please wait a moment,” the maid replied.
The maid was going to check with Qiao Yitong. Hearing this, Yun Ruozhu felt a pang of unease. It seemed to Yun Ruozhu that, overnight, so many things had changed.
Qiao Yitong had originally planned to take a nap, but when she learned that Yun Ruozhu had arrived, she wasn’t particularly eager to see him. After thinking it over, however, she decided to go see him anyway. If she didn’t see him now, they’d have to meet eventually anyway, so it was better to get things out in the open right from the start.
Yun Ruozhu entered the Qiao residence, and a servant led him to a lawn furnished with a table and chairs, where the servant also brought drinks and snacks.
“Yitong,” Yun Ruozhu said, looking at Qiao Yitong with a mixture of heartache and anxiety. “Was it your grandfather who forced you, or was it your parents?”
“It wasn’t them who forced me—it was my own choice,” Qiao Yitong said.
“My mom and I did go to your house, and…”
“I know—I know all of it. Grandpa told me.” ” Qiao Yitong interrupted Yun Ruozhu. “You didn’t tell me that when the marriage proposal was made, you and your mom came straight to my house. Yun Ruozhu, in your eyes, doesn’t my own opinion matter at all?”
“No, that’s not it. I was just thinking… thinking… that day at the banquet, when you… I was just a little anxious, afraid someone would snatch you away.” Yun Ruozhu said.
“You weren’t afraid I’d be snatched away—you just thought I wasn’t capable enough,” Qiao Yitong said. “It’s true that I, Qiao Yitong, like to have fun. My family is wealthy, so I don’t have to work hard or do a lot of other useless things. Do you all still think that my dad and I just know how to ride on other people’s coattails? That’s just how our branch of the family is.”
“No, I…”
“That’s no fun. If it’s true, say so; if it’s not, say it isn’t. There’s no point in beating around the bush,” Qiao Yitong said.
“Yitong, we’ve been friends for so many years—don’t you understand me yet?” Yun Ruozhu frowned, clearly upset.
“Of course I do,” Qiao Yitong said. “Yun Ruozhu, you don’t like hanging out with my friends. You’ve even told me to spend less time with them, saying they’re only interested in my family background. Yes, they’re interested in my family background—but aren’t I interested in theirs, too? People of the same social standing hang out together without expecting others to give me money, and I certainly wouldn’t give them any either. They know it, and I know it. Yun Ruozhu, you look down on people like us.”
Qiao Yitong saw it clearly. She had never forced Yun Ruozhu to hang out with them; Yun Ruozhu had his own friends, which was perfectly normal. Qiao Yitong wanted to have her own friends, too—just because she was friends with Yun Ruozhu didn’t mean she couldn’t have her own.
“No!” Yun Ruozhu was taken aback. “I was just…”
“You just look down on my friends. You don’t want me to hang out with them, do you?” Qiao Yitong sneered. “You look down on them—isn’t that the same as looking down on me? I’m actually more like them!”
Qiao Yitong looked at Yun Ruozhu. She saw the panic in Yun Ruozhu’s eyes, but she continued, “If I’m with you, I’ll have to change the way you want me to. I’ll have to stay away from my friends. I’ll have to do so many things I don’t like. I’ll have to change myself so I’m good enough for you, right?”
Yun Ruozhu felt a pang of guilt; he had indeed thought that way. His mom didn’t like Qiao Yitong the way she was, and if Qiao Yitong changed just a little, everyone would be happy. Yun Ruozhu didn’t dare suggest that his mom change—she was his mom, his biological mother, and his elder, whom he had to respect.
“We’re not right for each other,” Qiao Yitong said.
“It’s not like that. Is it because Murong Yuchen is the head of the Murong family?” Yun Ruozhu asked.
“Yes!” Qiao Yitong admitted. “That’s the most important point. And there’s another thing: he likes me. Of course, compared to the fact that he’s the head of the Murong family, the fact that he likes me takes a back seat.”
Qiao Yitong and Yun Ruozhu had been friends for many years; she wasn’t afraid to admit this, nor was she afraid that Yun Ruozhu would tell Murong Yuchen—and Murong Yuchen knew this as well.
“I’ve regarded Murong Yuchen as my arch-rival for so many years—how could I possibly start liking him all of a sudden? How could I possibly be thinking about marrying him right now?” Qiao Yitong said. “Of course, it’s because he has enough leverage to win me over. He gave me a 2 percent stake in the Murong Group—could you do that? How many shares do you even hold in your own company?”
If Yun Ruozhu hadn’t been sitting in his chair, he would have stumbled back a few steps. Yun Ruozhu had long known that Qiao Yitong was attracted to people with power, influence, and wealth; she had even spoken quite bluntly about it on occasion. He had always believed he was the best match for her, but he never expected a rival to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
“What if Murong Yuchen weren’t in the picture?” Yun Ruozhu felt a pang of pain. “Would you marry me if I became the head of our family?”
“By then, Murong Yuchen and I will already be married—we might even have children by then.” ” Qiao Yitong said, “Who knows how powerful Murong Yuchen will be by then—could you even compete with him? Or do you plan to defeat Murong Yuchen to prove you’re strong enough? By the time that happens, you won’t love me anymore. If I stood before you, you’d only feel disgusted. I’m nothing more than a wicked woman who loves money and power—someone who can share in the good times but not the hard ones.”
“……” Yun Ruozhu’s eyes widened.
“If you really go head-to-head with him, will you still be able to stay true to your original intentions?” Qiao Yitong said. “And how long do you think you can stay true to them? It’s true that I’ve just graduated from school and entered the workforce, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely brainless. Once a man rises to the top, how many of them don’t abandon their first love? Even a former first love eventually loses its appeal.”
Qiao Yitong wasn’t naively waiting for Yun Ruozhu to fight for the Yun family’s company. Nor did she imagine that Yun Ruozhu would one day become powerful, much less that a powerful Yun Ruozhu would come looking for her.
“By then, I’ll be the one who caused your brothers to turn against each other. I’ll be the one who drove a wedge between you and your parents. I’ll be a sinner—someone who can never atone for her sins.” ” Qiao Yitong said, “My very existence is original sin. And you? You’re nothing more than someone I’ve led astray.”
“No, that won’t happen,” Yun Ruozhu said, his heart racing. For a moment, he felt that what Qiao Yitong said made perfect sense. He hurried to explain, “I’m not that kind of person.”
“So many people say they aren’t that kind of person, yet in the end, they become exactly that,” Qiao Yitong said. “First love is meant to be cherished, a memorial to youth now gone. But when there are too many, first love ceases to be a symbol of beauty and becomes a flower of sin.”
Qiao Yitong had read so many novels and written so many herself—how could she not know this? So many first loves have become fish on a cutting board, their flesh sliced off piece by piece. The person holding the knife wipes the blood off the fish with a piece of paper, as if the fish hadn’t bled at all—look, the flesh is so white and tender.
“If you do that, we won’t even be able to stay friends,” Qiao Yitong said.
When Yun Ruozhu heard what Qiao Yitong said, he thought back to what Murong Yuchen had told him.
“Are we not even friends anymore?” Yun Ruozhu couldn’t understand. “I just wanted us to get engaged as soon as possible, to be together as soon as possible, for us to…”
“You could have confessed your feelings to me,” Qiao Yitong rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you didn’t have a choice. But you didn’t make that choice. After you and your mom came to our house, you never contacted me afterward. Did you really think I’d happily agree and reach out to you?”
“……” Yun Ruozhu fell silent for a moment, tacitly acknowledging her point.
“Was that your decision, or your mom’s?” Qiao Yitong said, “No matter whose idea it was, you and I aren’t a good match—not at all. If we were really together, I’d have to keep changing myself for you. People in our family like to climb the social ladder, but we’re not masochists.”
Qiao’s parents and Qiao Xubei—none of them expected her to completely transform herself, and neither did Qiao Yitong.
“You still don’t understand me well enough,” Qiao Yitong said. “You don’t like me—you like the version of me that exists only in your imagination.”
Qiao Yitong stood up; she didn’t think it was necessary to say anything more to Yun Ruozhu.
“Let’s at least preserve some dignity between us.” Qiao Yitong had never been one to drag things out; she and Yun Ruozhu had never been in a romantic relationship, and she harbored no romantic feelings for her.
“Yitong,” Yun Ruozhu stood up as well. “You once said that people like us don’t need to try too hard, and we don’t have to marry someone chosen for an arranged marriage. You also said that with so many potential marriage partners, if we have the chance to choose for ourselves, we should do so. Yitong, Qiao Yitong, there’s no way you could possibly like Murong Yuchen.”
“Who says I can’t like Murong Yuchen?” Qiao Yitong turned to look at Yun Ruozhu. “People’s feelings change.”
“Aren’t you changing too, by forcing yourself to like Murong Yuchen?” Yun Ruozhu asked.
“You still don’t get it.” Qiao Yitong stopped talking to Yun Ruozhu; since Yun Ruozhu didn’t understand, it was pointless for Qiao Yitong to say anything more.
Qiao Yitong didn’t like changing her habits or altering other aspects of her life, let alone her feelings. She wouldn’t truly force herself to like someone; she’d give it a try, but if she couldn’t bring herself to like him, it just meant she wasn’t the type to fall for men in the first place.
From childhood onward, Qiao Yitong had never thought of sacrificing anything for a man. It wasn’t that she despised men; rather, she knew that many of them were scumbags. Some men who appeared glamorous on the surface—who knows what they’d done behind closed doors.
Don’t be fooled by how close Uncle Qiao and Aunt Qiao are—you have to understand that Uncle Qiao made mistakes when he was younger. He had other women, and when Qiao Yitong was little, she’d seen women come to the house looking for him.
Uncle Qiao has certainly improved a lot now; he’s nothing like he was in his youth, and he holds Aunt Qiao in high regard. But that doesn’t change what he did in the past. Qiao’s mother once told Qiao Yitong not to trust men too much.
Yun Ruozhu left the Qiao residence, got into his car, and drove away.
After Yun Ruozhu’s car had driven off, Murong Yuchen’s driver glanced ahead. Murong Yuchen had just instructed the driver to pull over briefly at another spot; he wanted to see how long Yun Ruozhu would stay there.
Sure enough, Yun Ruozhu didn’t leave right away—he was still going to seek out someone else’s fiancée.
“What a scumbag,” Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality sneered. “A stray dog.”
The driver started the car. Murong Yuchen’s secondary personality had no intention of returning to the Qiao family’s residence—he wanted to go, but he knew his primary personality definitely didn’t want to go at this moment. If they went now and the Qiao family found out he had a split personality, things would get very complicated.
Mrs. Qiao went to Qiao Yitong’s room. She had previously thought it wouldn’t be so bad for Qiao Yitong to be with Yun Ruozhu—but that was only when there were no better options. If there were better options, who would settle for something less than ideal?
“Did you make things clear?” Mrs. Qiao asked.
“I did.” ” Qiao Yitong nodded. “Whether he can come to terms with it is his own business.”
“As long as you’ve said it, that’s enough,” Qiao’s mother said. “You already have a fiancé, so it’s best not to get involved in a murky relationship with another man—it’s easy for people to get the wrong idea.”
“I know, Mom. I’m not that stupid,” Qiao Yitong replied.
Qiao Xunan had originally thought the Qiao Group’s press conference was to discuss Qiao Xudong’s situation, or perhaps to announce that Qiao Xunan would be temporarily taking over Qiao Xudong’s position. He hadn’t expected it to be about Murong Yuchen and Qiao Yitong’s engagement. He looked completely bewildered—he’d thought he was about to take the helm.
Qiao Xunan sat in his office for quite a while before finally going to see his father.
When his father saw Qiao Xunan, he was still deeply disappointed.
“Dad,” Qiao Xunan began.
There was no one else in his father office, so Qiao Xunan felt free to ask whatever was on his mind.
“Is there a problem with the Qiao Group?” Qiao Xunan asked. He didn’t think the Qiao Group was in such dire straits that it required Qiao Yitong and Murong Yuchen to get engaged.
“You’re asking this at a time like this?” Uncle Qiao said.
“I…” Qiao Xunan didn’t know what to say. “Does my little sister like Murong Yuchen?”
“Does it matter if she likes him?” Uncle Qiao said. “Didn’t you just ask if something was wrong with the Qiao Group? Do you think there wouldn’t be a problem if something happened to the future head of the Qiao Group?”
“Dad. ” Qiao Xunan sensed his great-uncle’s displeasure.
“Think carefully about what you’re going to do from now on. You’re not even a tenth as capable as your older brother,” his Dad said.
Hearing this, Qiao Xunan felt even worse inside. Ever since he was a child, people had always liked to compare him to his older brother. He knew he couldn’t measure up to his older brother, but he had already tried his very best.
“We don’t know when my older brother will wake up,” Qiao Xunan said. “Whatever my older brother can do, I can do too.”
“You can’t,” Uncle Qiao said. “When your older brother wakes up, he won’t be in the dark about everything—he’ll find out everything at the press conference.”
“This was an accident,” Qiao Xunan said. “None of you told me…”
Uncle Qiao didn’t like hearing Qiao Xunan say that. “In business, you can’t always wait for others to tell you things. If you really wait until someone tells you, it’s over—it’s all over!”
Uncle Qiao waved his hand, telling Qiao Xunan to get lost. Qiao Xunan only cared about romantic entanglements; he was useless.
So Qiao Xunan had no choice but to leave his great-uncle’s office for the time being. He couldn’t go confront Qiao Yitong about why she hadn’t told him, nor could he ask why his father and the others hadn’t told him either. For the past few days, Qiao Xunan had been preoccupied with thoughts of his ex-girlfriend—he simply hadn’t had time to consider anything else.
All Qiao Xunan could think about was getting back together with Shi Zhuojing—and, while he was at it, wondering if she might look at him more favorably if he became the future head of the Qiao Group. Qiao Xunan’s mind was consumed by romantic entanglements; he rarely gave the company’s affairs a second thought.
Yun Ruozhu returned to the Yun family home in a daze. Not only had Yun Ruozhu not expected Qiao Yitong to get engaged to Murong Yuchen, but Mrs. Yun hadn’t seen it coming either.
Mrs. Yun had always assumed that Qiao Yitong’s engagement to Yun Ruozhu was a done deal—something that could never change. She believed that with her son’s exceptional qualities, if Qiao Yitong wasn’t with Yun Ruozhu, who else could she possibly be with?
“Ruozhu,” Mrs. Yun said, seeing how heartbroken Yun Ruozhu looked. Instead of speaking well of Qiao Yitong, she continued, “I think this is a good thing. If Qiao Yitong really were to marry into our family, she wouldn’t be able to help you anyway. Heaven doesn’t want you two to be together—Heaven…”
“Mom!” Yun Ruozhu cut Mrs. Yun off before she could continue, recalling what Qiao Yitong had said. “Please don’t speak ill of Yitong—she understands everything!”
When Qiao Yitong spoke with Yun Ruozhu, she hadn’t said much about Mrs. Yun; Yun Ruozhu would blame Mrs. Yun on her own. Mrs. Yun wouldn’t let Yun Ruozhu contact Qiao Yitong, and she kept insisting that Qiao Yitong needed to change, saying she wasn’t good enough. What else was there for Yun Ruozhu not to understand? Qiao Yitong knew the Yun family all too well.
“Yitong isn’t with me—she didn’t choose me—because of you, and because of me,” Yun Ruozhu said painfully. “She doesn’t want to change. She…”
“She doesn’t want to change for you. She doesn’t love you at all,” Mrs. Yun said, seeing no fault in herself. “She chose Murong Yuchen because he’s the head of the Murong family. If Murong Yuchen weren’t the head of the Murong family, do you think she’d still choose him? What’s so great about someone like that?”
Mrs. Yun would never think her son was inadequate, nor did she believe Yun Ruozhu was unworthy of Qiao Yitong; it was Qiao Yitong who was trying to climb the social ladder.
“She’s just like her father and mother,” Mrs. Yun said. “Just forget about Qiao Yitong. Qiao Yitong chose Murong Yuchen, and she’ll have a hard time of it later on. The Murong family isn’t so easy to fool. Someone like her—could she really be a good matriarch of the household?”
“Mom, Yitong is a great person. Why are you talking about her like that?” Yun Ruozhu said.
Yun Ruozhu really didn’t understand why his mother disliked Qiao Yitong so much; when he was friends with her, his mother hadn’t acted this way.
“I just don’t like her!” Mrs. Yun admitted.
Qiao Yitong was so beautiful that whenever she stood there, she was the first thing people noticed. She was young and beautiful, and she had attended a top-tier university abroad.
Most importantly, even though Yun Ruozhu hadn’t yet become engaged to or married Qiao Yitong, he was always taking her side.
Mrs. Yun didn’t want her son to always side with his future daughter-in-law; she didn’t want him to be controlled by her. Mrs. Yun preferred that her son and daughter-in-law treat each other with mutual respect—the kind of polite, formal respect typical of an arranged marriage, without needing to like each other too much.
“You like her, but she doesn’t like you at all,” Mrs. Yun said. “You’re always thinking of her—does she ever think of you? You’ve done so much for her—has she ever done anything for you? How many gifts have you bought her?”
Mrs. Yun only saw her son’s sacrifices; she didn’t see the sacrifices Qiao Yitong made for her friends. Qiao Yitong had given Yun Ruozhu gifts—it wasn’t as if she hadn’t. Qiao Yitong hadn’t caused much trouble outside the home either; she was sometimes a bit spoiled and willful, but that depended on who she was with.
Qiao Yitong lived life on her own terms—a life Mrs. Yun longed for but could never have. This made Mrs. Yun even more reluctant to let Qiao Yitong marry into the family; she couldn’t bear to see another woman living so happily.
“She’ll only wear down your will to succeed,” Mrs. Yun said.
“But I have my older brother…”
“Your older brother is your older brother, and you are you,” Mrs. Yun said. “You can rely on your older brother now, but do you want your future children to rely on him too? Just like Qiao Yitong’s parents—all they do is leech off their older brother, waiting for their share of the dividends. They just coast through life—do you want to be like that? Do you want others to look down on you?”
Yun Ruozhu was in agony, and yet her mother had to say things like this.
“Just look at who she’s hanging out with—she’s always with the good-for-nothings from other families,” Mrs. Yun said. “Those people know nothing but eating and drinking; they don’t have a shred of ambition. If you hang out with them, it will only corrupt your soul.”
Mrs. Yun was furious. She had said all this to Yun Ruozhu because she believed that if Yun Ruozhu didn’t end up with Qiao Yitong, it wouldn’t be a loss for the Yun family—it would be a loss for Qiao Yitong.
“Yun Ruozhu, you’re not a three-year-old child. You should know what to do,” Mrs. Yun said coldly. “Don’t wait for me, your mother, to tell you.”
At the Shi family residence, Shi Zhuojing had originally hoped to reconcile with Qiao Xunan quickly so they could get engaged sooner. However, once the Shi family learned that Qiao Yitong and Murong Yuchen were engaged, they realized it would be impossible for Qiao Xunan and Shi Zhuojing to get engaged so soon.
If the Qiao family were to have their children get engaged one after another in such a short time, people would really start to suspect that something was seriously wrong at the Qiao Group.
“If only you’d come back a few days earlier,” Mrs. Shi said. “When will you and Qiao Xunan get back together? Can you talk to him sooner about the partnership between our two families?”