Chapter 127: Flirting with Glances

Xu Yi laughed enough before saying, "Miss Guan, you two haven't been together for long. No matter how deep your feelings are, they can't possibly run that deep..."

She raised her hand, rubbing her thumb and forefinger together in a pinching motion. "Believe it or not, your relationship can't even withstand a gesture as small as this. A little squeeze, and it will shatter."

It wasn't that Guan Wei didn't believe her, but no matter how much panic she felt inside, she wouldn't let it show on her face. "Since you understand him so well, Miss Xu, why did you choose to get into another man's bed back then? Did you think he would forgive you?"

At the mention of the past, Xu Yi’s expression tightened. She lowered her hand and lifted her chin slightly. "I was foolish back then. I failed him, but I will do everything in my power to make it up to him in the future."

Guan Wei curled the corner of her lips. "Mrs. Liang came by last night. Judging by her attitude, even if Liang Xiujin doesn't end up with me, it certainly wouldn't be you."

Xu Yi’s expression faltered; she was likely thinking of how Mrs. Liang had treated her the previous night. She took a noticeably deep breath. "I'm not trying to be with her. As long as Ajin is firm, his family won't be an obstacle."

Guan Wei nodded. "You certainly have a lot of confidence in him."

Xu Yi let out a soft scoff. "Naturally, you wouldn't understand. I was with him for three years. I know him better than he knows himself." Her posture relaxed, and her expression took on a reminiscent tone. "I may not have been his first girlfriend, but I was definitely the one he gave the most to. You don't know how sweet we were together. He seems cold, but he was incredibly gentle with me—a side of him none of you have ever seen."

She turned to look at Guan Wei. "To be honest, even if we don't end up together, I will always hold the most important place in his heart. It’s a position no one else can replace."

Guan Wei lowered her eyes. Though she hadn't seen it, she believed that everything Xu Yi said was true. She waited a moment before asking, "Then why did you cheat? Did you think he was too good to you?"

The conversation circled back to the infidelity, and Xu Yi was clearly resistant. "That was a mistake. Men make mistakes, and women do too. What’s the matter? If a man makes a mistake and wants to return to his family, he gets forgiven, but a woman can't?"

Guan Wei wasn't particularly well-versed in Liang Xiujin's past. "Did he ever betray you? Even just playing around counts."

Xu Yi stared at Guan Wei for a moment, scoffed, and turned her head toward the window. Her reaction was proof enough that Liang Xiujin had kept himself clean—at least, he hadn't done anything to wrong her while they were together.

Guan Wei said, "So, your logic regarding forgiveness doesn't apply to him. He never did anything to wrong you, so he has every right to choose not to forgive."

Xu Yi stiffened. "But he ended up with you, didn't he? Even if it wasn't cheating, it’s practically the same thing. I could choose not to hold that against him."

Guan Wei was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "Miss Xu, you really are... I suddenly realize your behavior last night wasn't so ridiculous after all. This is simply the kind of person you are."

It was impossible to tell what kind of logic she was operating on.

Xu Yi knew Guan Wei was mocking her, but she didn't take it to heart. "Go ahead and laugh. Suit yourself. We shall see—let’s wait and see who gets the last laugh."

Guan Wei leaned back into the sofa, crossing her legs with the same air of authority she had used when interviewing male escorts a while back. She was suddenly curious. "Why did you and that man break up? Was it really because you couldn't let go of Liang Xiujin?"

Xu Yi’s expression grew complicated at the question. "Him and me? I’m not afraid to tell you the truth: we were just playing around. From the very beginning, we both knew we wouldn't end up together."

However, the fact that the man had dumped her and immediately found a new lover—not a seamless transition, but likely a long-standing affair—still made her feel quite humiliated.

Guan Wei shook her head. "I really don't understand what you people are thinking."

Turning their backs on a stable relationship to play games, only to regret it later—what was the point?

...

Qiao Jiu woke up in the afternoon to find that Lu Fengzhou had already left. She vaguely remembered him saying goodbye, but she had been so exhausted and sound asleep that she had nearly lost her temper when he woke her.

After sitting up for a while to collect herself, she went to the bathroom. Lu Fengzhou had seemed perfectly normal when he left, so he likely hadn't discovered anything.

After showering, she cooked a bowl of noodles and sat at the dining table, scrolling through her phone while she ate. She happened to come across news about the Jiang family again. After a moment of hesitation, she got up, rummaged through her bag, and found the business card the waiter had given her.

She dialed the number on the card. It was answered quickly, and Jiang Qinchen’s somewhat weary voice came through: "Qiao Jiu."

It seemed he already had her number saved.

Qiao Jiu asked, "How is your mother doing?"

"She woke up today," Jiang Qinchen replied. "Her condition is stable, but since internal organs were damaged, she’ll have to stay in the hospital for a while."

Qiao Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as there's no danger. You’ll have to be more careful from now on."

Jiang Qinchen seemed to chuckle, repeating her words vaguely. "Yes, we must be careful." There was a subtext to his words that Qiao Jiu could guess at, but it wasn't convenient to ask. They exchanged a few more polite words before he hung up, apparently because a doctor had arrived.

Qiao Jiu licked her lips. An illegitimate child of the Jiang family—that was unexpected. When the scandal had died down, she had assumed the mistress and the illegitimate child had left. She hadn't realized they were still in the city. The doctor had said yesterday that Jiang Qinchen's mother had been stabbed; judging by Jiang Qinchen's reaction, it was definitely linked to the Jiang family.

She felt no sympathy for that woman, but she did find Jiang Qinchen rather pitiful. He hadn't chosen his birth; he had entered this world saddled with the sins of the previous generation. He was quite innocent.

After finishing her meal, she sat on the sofa and called Guan Wei. The call was hung up on the first ring, which meant Guan Wei was busy with something important. That woman would usually answer calls even while "exercising" in bed, so this must be more important than that.

Nearly twenty minutes later, Guan Wei called back. There was a faint sound of wind on her end. Qiao Jiu asked, "Are you outside?"

"At the hospital," Guan Wei said. "I just went to see Xu Yi."

Qiao Jiu sat up straight. "By yourself? Or with Liang Xiujin?"

"By myself," Guan Wei said. "Ajin had business today; otherwise, I would have dragged him along."

On second thought, if Liang Xiujin were present, Xu Yi probably wouldn't have been able to speak so candidly; she would have definitely put on her "innocent flower" act.

Guan Wei then asked, "Are you at home? Is it convenient? I'm coming over."

Qiao Jiu laughed. "Why wouldn't it be convenient for me to be alone?"

Guan Wei asked casually, "You're home alone, and Lu Fengzhou hasn't come to see you?"

Qiao Jiu let out an 'ah.' "Why would he come to see me?"

Guan Wei scoffed. "Spare me the act. Do you think I can't tell that there's something going on between you two? You’re always making eyes at each other. I want to ask you—are you two planning on getting back together or what? It’s getting to the point where I can’t even understand what’s happening anymore."