Chapter 131: You Are Certainly Carefree

Qiao Jiu could still laugh. She leaned back lazily. “What is it? Are you angry?”

Even her eyes curved with amusement. “What is there to be angry about? I only had a meal with Young Master Liang.”

“Do you need to put your arm around him just to have dinner together?” Lu Fengzhou’s voice was soft. If the words had been changed to sweet nothings, that tone would have suited them perfectly.

There had been no putting arms around shoulders. She had merely linked her arm through Liang Xiucheng’s.

Qiao Jiu raised her hand and slapped away the fingers gripping her chin, then sat cross-legged on the sofa. “What nonsense. Whose shoulder did I put my arm around? Whose back did I lean against?”

Seeing that she was deliberately being difficult, Lu Fengzhou straightened, slipped both hands into his pockets, and looked down at her.

The smell of alcohol on him was fairly strong. He must have had quite a lot to drink at dinner that evening.

Qiao Jiu shifted into a more comfortable position. “You still haven’t answered my question. Did a driver bring you here, or did you hire a designated driver?”

Lu Fengzhou’s expression remained tense. He had come because of their encounter outside the restaurant that night, while she seemed not to have taken it seriously at all.

Qiao Jiu was still smiling brightly.

It was as though he had punched a wad of cotton; all his force vanished at once.

Lu Fengzhou turned and sat down on the sofa. “What is going on between you and Liang Xiucheng?”

“What do you mean, what is going on?” Qiao Jiu leaned toward him, wrapped her arms around his, and rested her head on his shoulder. “I already told you. We only had dinner together.”

Then she exclaimed twice, “Oh, come on. Don’t let your imagination run wild. Like you said yourself, given my circumstances now, how could the Liang family possibly allow me through their doors? Liang Xiucheng and I could never happen.”

Lu Fengzhou turned to look at her, his gaze deep and shadowed. “Didn’t you used to say that as long as Liang Xiucheng remained steadfast, nothing could keep the two of you apart?”

“I’ve said plenty of things.” Qiao Jiu laughed dryly. “Why don’t you remember something else?”

She turned her head and rested her chin on Lu Fengzhou’s shoulder. “I also once said I wanted to grow old with you. Have you forgotten?”

She had said things like that often in the past, back when they were still married and she loved him more than anything.

Qiao Jiu had always been willful and shameless. She had never been stingy about expressing her feelings.

Even when Lu Fengzhou treated her coldly, it never stopped her from telling him that she loved him.

Lu Fengzhou stared at her for a long while before leaning closer and kissing the corner of her lips.

“Stay away from Liang Xiucheng.”

Qiao Jiu raised her brows and leaned back slightly. “That won’t do. He’s my superior, practically the one who provides my food and clothing. I have to cling to the leg of my provider.”

Before Lu Fengzhou could speak, she added, “You know me. I’m not capable of stepping on two boats at once. If I ever change my mind one day, I’ll certainly let you know in advance. So don’t worry.”

Lu Fengzhou’s expression froze. Only after a long pause did he say, “You certainly are carefree.”

Carefree?

Perhaps she was, to some extent. Once those mind-numbing entanglements of emotion were gone, a person really could live with far greater ease.

Qiao Jiu gave a dry laugh and did not answer.

The two of them sat there for a while before Lu Fengzhou’s phone rang. He took it out and glanced at the screen.

Qiao Jiu’s eyes swept over it, and she saw the caller display: a string of numbers, not saved in his contacts.

Lu Fengzhou seemed to know who it was. After a moment’s hesitation, he hung up.

Then he stood. “It’s getting late. I’ll be going.”

Qiao Jiu rose with him, her tone lacking any real sincerity. “You’re not staying? I thought you came over this late because you planned to spend the night here.”

Lu Fengzhou walked toward the door. He had heard her, but offered no response.

He was probably still angry.

Qiao Jiu escorted him to the elevator and waved at him with a broad smile. “Don’t drive yourself. You should know that one drink for the driver means two lines of tears for the family.”

Lu Fengzhou gave her a dark look, then turned his gaze away.

Once the elevator descended, Qiao Jiu went back inside. She had never realized that life could be so comfortable when one simply stopped caring.

…

Early the next morning, Qiao Jiu received a call from Guan Wei. She had just finished getting ready to leave, and asked as she walked out, “What’s so urgent that you’re calling this early?”

Guan Wei said, “Yesterday I had someone look into the Jiang family’s situation, and I actually found out what caused their clash this time.”

Jiang Qingchen’s mother was named Ruan Wen, and she truly had once harbored improper ambitions, dreaming of flying up the social ladder and becoming a phoenix.

She had flattered Mr. Jiang so thoroughly that he happily allowed her to give birth to the child.

But as it turned out, a man’s promises were sometimes nothing but hot air. When the crucial moment came, they could not be counted on.

Once the affair became public, Mr. Jiang had chosen without hesitation to return to his family. He had even refused to acknowledge Jiang Qingchen.

Ruan Wen was unwilling to accept that. She had remained in Yuncheng with Jiang Qingchen, waiting for an opportunity to act.

That night, Ruan Wen somehow heard that the Jiang family patriarch was gravely ill and preparing to make his will.

She naturally had no intention of missing such an opportunity, so she went straight to the Jiang family’s old residence and caused a scene.

The Jiang family still resented her for the scandal she had caused in the past, which had ruined their reputation. The moment they saw her, they wanted nothing more than to beat her. Naturally, they showed her no kindness.

Ruan Wen refused to back down. She charged inside, shouting and cursing, and eventually ended up wrestling with members of the Jiang family.

Qiao Jiu frowned slightly as she listened. When she had seen Ruan Wen that day, the woman had been unconscious. Perhaps because her face had looked so aged, Qiao Jiu had instinctively cast her in the role of a tragic figure.

A tragic person could not possibly be someone who screamed, caused a commotion, and immediately came to blows with others. A tragic person could only swallow her bitterness in silence.

“So the knife wound she suffered that day happened while she was making trouble at the Jiang residence?” she asked. “And what was the Jiang family’s attitude afterward?”

Guan Wei shook her head. “They had no attitude at all. The Jiang family hates her to death. Even Mr. Jiang gritted his teeth and said he wished she would die as soon as possible.”

Qiao Jiu ran her tongue over her lips. “Jiang Qingchen is rather pitiful too.”

“Exactly,” Guan Wei said. “Oh, and there’s something important I need to tell you. I’ve arranged for him to work at my father’s company. He probably won’t be working at the bar anymore.”

Qiao Jiu was surprised and stopped walking. “You got him into your father’s company?”

Guan Wei sighed. “To be honest, I’m reluctant. He brought in so many customers for me. Putting him in an ordinary company feels like wasting that face of his.”

Qiao Jiu laughed. “I think he’s probably capable too. He might actually earn your family more money at the company.”

“I hope so.” Guan Wei sounded faintly moved.

They chatted for a few more moments before Qiao Jiu had to hail a taxi, and then the call ended.

Standing at the entrance to the residential compound, Qiao Jiu felt as though she had finally let out a long breath.

Jiang Qingchen had treated her well. During the difficult period of her life, he had shown her kindness for no reason at all, and Qiao Jiu was willing to remember him for it.

Now that he had found a new path, she was naturally happy for him.

She took a taxi to the company. The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Liang Xiucheng.

He was walking toward the office while talking on the phone and did not notice Qiao Jiu.

She had intended to greet him, but as she drew closer, she heard him say, “You saw her yesterday. I’ve kept her in my heart for many years.”