Gu Yan had no intention of engaging with her and immediately quickened her pace.
But the owner of the voice had no plans to let her off, rushing directly to her side. “Xiao Yan, it’s me. Why are you ignoring me?”
Gu Yan rolled her eyes—precisely because it was you that I didn’t want to acknowledge.
“Spit it out. What nonsense are you going to spout now?”
Qin Yao was momentarily stunned, completely unprepared for Gu Yan’s bluntness. The question left her bewildered.
“Xiao Yan, did someone say something to you? You’ve misunderstood my relationship with Xu Tao. You have to believe us—we truly haven’t betrayed you.”
Gu Yan crossed her arms, looking at her with a mocking expression. “Qin Yao, if I were you, I’d cover up those blue and purple marks on your neck with foundation.”
Qin Yao instinctively reached to cover her neck. “Xiao Yan, you’ve really misunderstood.”
Gu Yan genuinely couldn’t be bothered with her and tried to step into the coffee shop.
Unwilling to give up, Qin Yao grabbed her hand. “Xiao Yan, Xu Tao is over there with some friends. Let me take you to him so he can explain everything clearly.”
Gu Yan tried to shake off her grip but found it impossible to break free.
With a cold expression, she said, “Qin Yao, let go of me right now. I don’t have time to play house with you.”
Instead of releasing her, Qin Yao softened her voice. “Xiao Yan, couples shouldn’t let grievances linger overnight. You should clear things up as soon as possible.”
Hearing this, Gu Yan nearly laughed out loud.
Look at her—acting like such a thoughtful and understanding best friend. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was the perfect confidante.
As Qin Yao pulled her further away, Gu Yan violently shook off her hand. “Go play your games by yourselves. I have absolutely no interest in joining you.”
But after taking just two steps, another voice called out from behind her. “Xiao Yan, where are you going?”
Gu Yan had truly reached her limit. She turned to face Xu Tao and the group of his dubious friends trailing behind him.
Impatiently, she retorted, “Since when do I need to report my whereabouts to you? Who do you think you are?”
Hearing the murmurs from the onlookers, Xu Tao’s face darkened completely, but he still approached her with a gentle tone.
“Xiao Yan, who made you so angry? Tell me, and I’ll make them pay.”
Just seeing his affectionate act now made Gu Yan feel nauseous.
But after a moment’s thought, she pointed at Qin Yao beside her. “Qin Yao said you’ve just been using me all along—that you’ve already slept with her behind my back. She told me to stop bothering you from now on.”
“She also said my family has gone bankrupt, so there’s no way you’d ever be interested in me. That you were only pretending to be with me to take down Qu Xiao.”
As she spoke, she sniffled pitifully, putting on an extremely wronged expression.
Xu Tao’s face turned uglier than if he’d eaten dirt. He immediately stepped forward and shoved the petrified Qin Yao aside.
“Xiao Yan, don’t listen to her nonsense. You’re the only one in my heart. How could I possibly sleep with her? You have to believe me—my heart and body belong only to you.”
Gu Yan sighed, pushing his hand away with a somewhat affected tone, “Xu Tao, we’re bankrupt. A down-and-out young lady like me isn’t worthy of you anymore. Since Yao Yao likes you so much, you should be good to her. Don’t let down such a wonderful girl. We… let’s just pretend we never met.”
After speaking, she cast a pained glance at them before turning and running off.
She hadn’t gone far when she heard Qin Yao call out Xu Tao’s name, followed immediately by the sound of a slap.
Simultaneously, Qin Yao’s scream echoed, “Xu Tao, have you gone mad? How dare you hit me!”
Hearing the commotion behind her, Gu Yan didn’t pause her steps but instead quickened her pace.
She suddenly changed her mind—letting them off so easily was too lenient. They needed to pay some price.
Straightening her clothes, she entered a café.
After searching inside for a moment, she spotted a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses sitting in a corner.
Noticing Gu Yan, the man adjusted his glasses and said, “Gu Yan, you’re late again.”
Gu Yan smiled apologetically, “Teacher Tang, I ran into some trouble on the way here.”
Tang Qingru took a sip of his coffee and nodded, “I saw the drama near you when I arrived. Would you like a coffee?”
Gu Yan shook her head. Teacher Tang remained as gentle and courteous as ever, not probing about her earlier entanglement with them.
Tang Qingru had been her high school Chinese teacher and also the tutor for Qi Yan, who was three years her senior.
Looking at him, she suddenly thought of her sister who had suffered terribly because of this man and sighed softly.
Putting down his coffee, Tang Qingru frowned slightly, “Why the sudden sigh?”
Gu Yan shook her head, “It’s nothing.”
He looked up at her, studying her outfit, and asked with a frown, “Your attire doesn’t look like you came from school. Don’t tell me you dropped out because the company went bankrupt.”
Truthfully, Gu Yan was somewhat afraid of him—or rather, she held him in awe.
She shook her head, “I’m still attending. I just took leave recently because of a severe fever.”
Tang Qingru nodded and asked again, “So what urgent matter did you want to discuss with me today?”
Gu Yan grew nervous, and when nervous, she couldn’t help fidgeting with her fingers.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke, “Teacher Tang, I got married.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Tang Qingru’s eyes, though it lasted only a moment. “A marriage alliance, I suppose. Well, someone of your status would be expected to enter one.”
He wasn’t sure whether those last words were meant for Gu Yan or himself.
Adjusting his glasses again, he looked at her puzzled, “But why are you telling me this?”
Gritting her teeth, Gu Yan said, “Teacher Tang, I married Qu Xiao. Do you know him? Actually, he’s been wanting to meet you.”
Tang Qingru stared at Gu Yan, then stood up without hesitation. “Gu Yan, we can’t continue this conversation. I’ve already paid for the coffee. Goodbye.”
Anxiously, Gu Yan called out, “Teacher Tang, don’t you want to know how Yan Yan has been these years?”
Tang Qingru’s footsteps faltered but still didn’t stop.
Gu Yan gritted her teeth and added, “Teacher Tang, don’t you want to meet your twin brother?”
This time, Tang Qingru’s footsteps halted. He turned to look at Gu Yan, seeming to struggle for a long moment before sitting back down.
“What do you know?”
Gu Yan sighed. Actually, she had learned these things during an escape attempt in her previous life.
She was also surprised that her high school teacher was actually Qu Xiao’s biological brother. In her previous life, Qu Xiao had always wanted to meet him, but Tang Qingru refused to see him no matter what.
In the end, he was shot dead by Qu Xiao’s enemies, plunging Qu Xiao into deep sorrow.
And Qi Yan—she ultimately jumped into a river to follow him in death.
She didn’t want to see these tragedies repeat, so this time she came to find him early, determined to persuade him to meet Qu Xiao no matter what.
Looking at his gentle and refined demeanor despite his displeasure, Gu Yan sighed softly. “Teacher Tang, I know you dislike the Qu Family, but Qu Xiao is innocent too. He was sent overseas to fend for himself before he was even seven years old. He…”
Tang Qingru interrupted her, “I know he’s had it hard. But the business he’s involved in means we’re destined to walk different paths. As an educator, I must set an example for my students. So I won’t meet him unless he turns himself in.”
Gu Yan sighed, “But he’ll die this way. If he isn’t strong enough, the Qu Family will move against him immediately.”
Gu Yan told him many more things, even describing how Qu Xiao had returned to the Qu Family that day. “Teacher Tang, this is the environment he lives in. All his business operations are overseas—he hasn’t expanded domestically, and he doesn’t even sell to Chinese people abroad.”
Seeing Tang Qingru remain silent, Gu Yan sighed again. “I don’t know how he survived those over ten years. I only saw a three-inch scar on his lower back—clearly from childhood. Not just his back, but his thighs and chest are covered with scars large and small. These scars look like centipedes, obviously stitched by themselves without even anesthesia.”
At this point, Gu Yan choked up. She spoke this way because she had personally witnessed Qu Xiao stitching his own wounds in her previous life.
That time, he wanted to take her on a honeymoon but was betrayed. To protect her, he was slashed with a knife.
They hid in a farmer’s house, and she watched him use sewing needle and thread to stitch the wound.
If Yu Yang hadn’t arrived with help in time to take him to the hospital, he would have died from infection.
Seeing Gu Yan crying breathlessly, Tang Qingru pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.
Gu Yan took the tissue, wiped her tears, and looked at him. “Teacher Tang, will you please come with me to see him?”
In his heart, he was also unwilling to associate with those powerful and influential families. After all, he clearly understood his own position—even though he was born into such a family, they remained unrelated.
He had heard about his origins from his grandmother. When his mother was pregnant with twins and gave birth to them brothers in the hospital, she had his grandmother take one away, insisting one must be kept no matter what. Fortunately, he was the one who was taken away.
He knew he had a twin brother, but he was unwilling to have any connection with the Qu Family.
When his grandmother died, he had promised her that he would never associate with the Qu Family in this lifetime.
He had investigated back then and found out that his mother had been driven to her death by the Qu Family—how could he ever return to them?
But Qu Xiao…
Tang Qingru hesitated for a moment but still nodded. “Stop crying. I’ll go with you to see him.”
Gu Yan’s face lit up with joy, and she immediately stopped sobbing.
Gu Yan led him to the car, planning to take him straight back to Rose Garden. That way, as soon as Qu Xiao returned, he could see him, and they could even share a meal together.
In the car.
After a long silence, Tang Qingru couldn’t help but ask, “Has she been doing well these past few years?”