Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The aeroplane landed at the airport and Changqing received a message from Song Chuyi the moment she switched her phone on: “Give me a call when you’ve reached the airport—I’m waiting for you there.”
At that moment, it seemed as though all her uneasiness had been enveloped by a strong sense of warmth.
Changqing admitted that she was very narrow-minded and was very mysophobic when it came to relationships. She wasn’t confident in herself and preferred her other half to be simple. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t a CEO or investor; she would prefer a simple doctor who treated patients and cured people every day.
She didn’t want a husband was once a playboy and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to embrace and love this side of him.
Of course, when she saw that message, Changqing thought it was very sweet.
She wanted to see him.
She went to Singapore for only three days, but it seemed that she thought about him often: when she slept at night; when she was shopping; when she saw a certain shirt, a certain tie, or a certain pair of shoes, she would imagine how he would look wearing them.
In the past, she had never felt this way before.
Especially during the last two days after Xin Ziao appeared, she kept imagining what it would’ve been like if Song Chuyi was by her side.
She subconsciously quickened her pace and when she saw Song Chuyi standing at the exit, she wanted to fly over like a bird returning to its nest. However, her steps slowed down inexplicably. She pushed her luggage over slowly and stopped before him, pouting her little mouth. She said coquettishly, “My things are so heavy; I’m so tired.”
Xin Ziao, who was following behind, happened to hear that and glanced at the two large luggage and the bunch of shopping bags in his hands and felt speechless. It seemed that from the moment they left the hotel, to boarding the plane, and then to getting off the plane, he was always the one who was responsible for moving the luggage and Changqing only pushed her 20-inch suitcase. How tiring could it be? She was walking so quickly that she could fly while carrying more than ten shopping bags back in Singapore.
This woman was indeed pretentious.
Ruan Yang, who was listening by the side, found it funny. If Changqing wasn’t like that, she wouldn’t be Changqing.
Sometimes, she was really envious of Changqing for being like that.
“Pass me your things.” Song Chuyi took the luggage and gave it a pull. He looked at Changqing with despise. “How heavy could it be? It’s very light.”
“You’re a man, I’m a woman. Is our strength the same?” Changqing pretended to be exhausted and massaged her arms. “Anyway, I feel like I have no more strength.”
Song Chuyi couldn’t be bothered with her and turned towards Xin Ziao. “Which others belong to her?”
Xin Ziao gave two laughs and pushed the whole lot over.
Song Chuyi: “…”
He seemed to have completely underestimated his wife’s ability to shop.
Ruan Yang spread her hands out. “I bought fewer things and they’re basically all Changqing’s.”
Changqing’s amorous eyes glanced to the side with guilt and pretended to have heard nothing.
Actually, she didn’t plan on buying so much, but after hearing Xin Ziao say those words, the anger transformed her into a shopping maniac.
“Looks like it’s been hard on you throughout this trip.” Song Chuyi said as he accepted the things from Xin Ziao’s hands lightly.
“If you really think so, you should just treat me to a meal next time.” Xin Ziao gave an apparent smile. “Come to think of it—we haven’t eaten together for years, ever since the day she left.”
Gloom flashed through the depths of Song Chuyi’s pupils. He frowned and replied expressionlessly, “I don’t think we’ve ever been on good terms. There’s no need for a meal; it’s a waste of money.”
Xin Ziao was stumped and exchanged gazes with him with increasing intent.
Changqing, who was listening at the side, almost applauded Song Chuchu.
Meanwhile, Ruan Yang’s gaze lingered on the pair, seemingly in deep thought.
“Alright, but I think we would still have the opportunity to have a meal together.” Xin Ziao’s lips curled slightly and he took Ruan Yang’s things, saying gently, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back.”
“Changqing, see you next time.” Ruan Yang nodded to Song Chuyi again as a form of greeting before taking the elevator with Xin Ziao down to the carpark.
After getting into the car, she asked, “Who is the ‘she’ that you were talking about just now?”
Upon hearing that, Xin Ziao grazed his finger across her beautiful face quietly and smiled. “An old friend.”
“A mutual friend?”
“… Mm.”
Ruan Yang tilted her head and smiled slightly. “The things you said last time were all true, right? Song Chuyi often changed girlfriends when he was still studying. You don’t usually joke like this.”
Xin Ziao used the tips of his fingers to comb through her silky long hair. “So what if it’s true and so what if it’s not?”
“Changqing is my friend.”
Xin Ziao lowered his head and was silent for a while before he started. “I don’t understand how you became friends with her.”
Upon hearing that, Ruan Yang laughed again.
When the expensive car drove out of the carpark, she said quietly, “Stop the car.”
Xin Ziao’s pupils constricted.
The driver in front was caught off guard and didn’t know what to do. “Miss Ruan, I cannot stop here.”
Ruan Yang said again, “I don’t care. Stop the car.”
“Yangyang, cut it out. Let’s not make a fuss.” Xin Ziao grabbed her hand.
“I’m not making a fuss.” Ruan Yang pulled her hand back and opened the door straight away.
The driver had no choice but to perform an emergency brake.
Ruan Yang quickly stepped out.
Xin Ziao followed her, his face ashen. “Why must we always fight over somebody else? It’s very dangerous here. Can we get back into the car?”
“Changqing isn’t somebody else. She’s my good friend.” Ruan Yang’s long hair was slightly messed up by the evening breeze. Her quiet pair of eyes glimmered under the moonlight. “I saw despise in your eyes just now. These two days, you’ve tried very hard to cover it up, but I could feel that you don’t like Changqing. Ziao, I’m not certain about love and I’m uncertain if I can grab a hold of it now. However, I’m very certain about friendship. Yes, these years, you’ve been by my side through all the hardships and you’ve used your own way to support me when I was helpless. I’m very touched, but when I met my friends, you were still somewhere else. We not only went through hardships together, but we’ve also been through happy times too. The only thing I know is that you’re only my boyfriend right now. However, before my boyfriend becomes my husband, everything else is unknown. You’re important, but I won’t allow anybody to despise or look down on my friends. Looking down on her would be equivalent to looking down on me.”
Xin Ziao’s face sank. “What you mean now is I’m not comparable to this friend of yours in your heart?”
“Let’s just say for example…” Ruan Yang closed her eyes. “Both of you are like an investment. However, right now, I get more long-term benefits from my friends. As for you, because there are too many unknown factors, it’s too risky, so I would definitely choose the former.”
“I’m not even asking you to stop hanging out with Yan Changqing right now.” Xin Ziao was furious. “If I was really like that, would I have accompanied the two of you in Singapore?”
“You’re right. That’s why I was touched the past two days, but accepting me means accepting the friends around me. At least when I interacted with Song Chuyi, he never acted like you.” Ruan Yang said, “He knew you had a fiance, but he didn’t look down on me.”
“Really? So I’m worse off than Song Chuyi.” Xin Ziao laughed coldly. “Do you know Song Chuyi? Do you think that by marrying Yan Changqing, he really likes her? He will always have another woman in his heart and nobody can enter…”
Ruan Yang was astonished.
At that moment, a black Audi pulled over slowly behind their car. Changqing came out and looked at them in shock. “Ruan Yang, what are you two standing here for? Are you fighting?”
“Changqing, I’ll take your car.” Ruan Yang walked to the side of Xin Ziao’s trunk and said to the driver, “Open the trunk.”
The driver appeared to be in a difficult position. Xin Ziao stared viciously at her as his facial muscles twitched without saying a word.
Song Chuyi also got out of the car and said cooly, “Let her take her luggage out first. This place isn’t fit for fighting. It would be worse if the police came over later and the situation blew up, attracting reporters.”
Xin Ziao waved his hand and the driver opened the trunk.
Ruan Yang took her luggage out.
Song Chuyi helped her put her luggage in his trunk and when they got into the car, Xin Ziao called out to him, “I’ll have to trouble you to take Ruan Yang home.”
“… No problem.” Song Chuyi took another look at him before getting in and driving off.
In the backseat, Changqing sat with Ruan Yang, worried about her. “What’s the matter with the two of you? Weren’t you two still fine a while ago?”
“It’s nothing…”Ruan Yang looked at her with a complicated expression and held her hand, then Ruan Yang looked at Song Chuyi, who was in front.
Chuyi thought Ruan Yang was holding back because Song Chuyi was around and Ruan Yang didn’t feel comfortable sharing, so she didn’t press the matter.
When they reached Ruan Yang’s apartment, Changqing got out proactively and said to Song Chuyi, “I’ll help Ruan Yang with her things. Wait here for me.”
She wanted to take this opportunity to find out specifically what happened. Who knew that Ruan Yang would shake her head and say, “No need for that. My things are heavy; you won’t be able to lift them. Let Song Chuyi help me.”
She looked at Song Chuyi while saying that.
Changqing felt a little bewildered. “But…”
“Watch the car and wait for me here.” Song Chuyi stroked her head before carrying Ruan Yang’s suitcase with one hand and walking into the building.
When they entered the lift, he glanced slightly at the woman beside him. “Speak. What do you have to say to me?”
“Mr. Song is indeed smart.” Ruan Yang’s lips curled into a smile. “Therefore, it must be very easy for you to understand a woman, right?”
Song Chuyi frowned. Ruan Yang lowered her voice. “Actually, you didn’t like Guan Ying at all, right? When she betrayed you, you only felt that it bruised your ego, so when Guan Ying was hospitalized, you helped her and her mother. Since you didn’t like her, there wasn’t much hatred.”
The lift chimed as they reached her floor. Song Chuyi pulled the suitcase out before he asked indifferently, “Did Xin Ziao say something to you?”
“Mr. Song, you have someone in your heart, right?” Ruan Yang’s glamorous lips trembled. “Guan Ying and Changqing are both my good friends. Guan Ying might be a little unscrupulous in her ways, but her nature is good. She remembers the people who are nice to her and Changqing actually isn’t stupid either. She just doesn’t use her brains a lot and easily becomes dependent on others. Or perhaps I should say that she always sees people too kindly. Because of you, these two women turned into enemies just like that. It doesn’t matter to you anyway. However, you have to understand this—be it a man or a woman, in the face of love or friendship, these are very fragile things.”