Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
“A grandson-in-law?” Grandma thought for a moment. “What about Junxi, Grandma remembers that I’d handed you over to him.”
Ning Qing smiled and answered naturally, “Junxi and Qingqing are just ordinary friends. Grandma, Qingqing has grown up now. Qingqing has the ability to decide who to give herself to. From the moment I married Lu Shaoming, I have given the rest of my life to him.”
As she spoke, Ning Qing slowly extended her small hand and held the man’s big hand which had been lying on her knee. She held her hand, Lu Shaoming’s hand, and Grandma’s hand together. “Grandma, Qingqing likes him, so will you follow Qingqing and like him too?”
Grandma thought with her head tilted and finally tsk-ed. “Alright, seeing as he had played the piano with me, Grandma has decided to like him.”
“Haha, Mom, Shaoming is a good boy. You will like him, and our family will live happily together.” Yue Wanqing also placed her hand on top of theirs.
Ning Qing was filled with warmth. With a life like this, she would have no more regrets.
She looked up at the man quietly. Lu Shaoming was looking down at her too. His narrow eyes were filled with tender emotions, which caused her to feel weak in the knees.
Ning Qing blushed and looked away.
…
After breakfast, Lu Shaoming personally brought Ning Qing to the set.
When she arrived at the set, Ning Qing began to unfasten her seat belt. “Shaoming, I’m going now.”
“Ok,” Lu Shaoming answered with one hand on the steering wheel, but he still looked at her with narrow, obsidian eyes.
Ning Qing’s face was red. She remembered how both of them had tangled together last night. After a quarrel, it was time to be sweet and sensual with each other.
She leaned over, held his handsome face in a small hand, and landed a loud “muah” on his cheek.
“Shaoming, I really have to get on set.” She retreated back to the passenger seat.
“Alright, courtesy goes back and forth.” Suddenly the man went near her, grabbed the back of her head and planted his lips on her red lips. He opened the door for her and said, “Wifey, I’ll miss you.”
Ning Qing jumped out of the car, her small face flushed. She couldn’t stand his sweet words. If she stayed any longer, she would be melted by him.
Knowing that he was watching from behind, Ning Qing jumped up the steps and jogged all the way to the door of the set.
Lu Shaoming watched Ning Qing disappear from his sight, then slowly retracted his gaze, curved his lips, and sped away in the Bentley.
…
As she was about to get on set, Ning Qing’s phone rang. It was Xu Junxi.
“Hello.” She picked up the phone without hesitation.
“Hello, Ning Qing, I have something to tell you. I’m waiting for you at the Java Cafe.” The voice on the other end sounded a little hoarse.
“Alright, I’ll be right there.” Ning Qing hung up the phone and walked back. Even if Xu Junxi doesn’t look for her, she still had to find Xu Junxi for something.
…
At the café
Xu Junxi was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. His hair was messy and his eyes were bloodshot. His entire person looked sloppy and dispirited.
Ning Qing sat opposite him.
Xu Junxi looked at Ning Qing, who was more beautiful than the freshest of roses. He had always known that she was beautiful, but now she was getting more and more beautiful day by day. The 20-year-old girl was just at the age where she was budding.
The waiter served up two cups of coffee. Xu Junxi’s throat felt dry, so he took a sip of coffee before slowly opening his mouth. “Ning Qing, do you remember this cafe? You were about to take the college entrance examination. You were busy with studies. Every afternoon after 5 o’clock, you liked to sit here, have a cup of coffee, and start studying.”
“Yes,” Ning Qing looked around the cafe with a faint and warm smile on her face. “Every time I come to this cafe, no matter how many guests there would usually be in the cafe, this place would always be empty. Later, I learned that you had reserved it for me.”
The hedgehog-like girl who had been on guard in front of him was now much gentler. She bore a bright smile on her face as she thought about her pleasant past.
Xu Junxi’s eyes sparkled brightly. He was elated.
Three years, he hadn’t talked to her like this for three years.
“Ning Qing, we have 20 years of memories between us, but how did you and Lu Shaoming know each other? You’ve known each other for such a short time,” Xu Junxi asked.
Ning Qing mood remained calm, and she was not agitated. She stirred the coffee in her cup with the spoon in her small fair hand. Her mouth curved. “Three months ago, when you were rolling in the sheets with the young and tender model, I went to the bar to drink my sadness away. At that time, someone wanted to harass me. I met Lu Shaoming then. The second time was when I left the Ning family home. There was a hazy drizzle so he brought me back to my dormitory. We haven’t known each other for a long time, but he had always appeared on the right occasion and at the right time. He is like a knight in shining armor, bringing me happiness when I need it most.”
“But Ning Qing, Lu Shaoming always appears when you need help. That’s ingratiation, not love.”
Ning Qing put down her spoon and raised her head slowly. “When I can’t see him, I miss him. When I see him, I blush and my heart pounds. I am infatuated with his scent. I even daydream about his sideburns. I would feel unhappy if he were to look at other women. Since meeting him, my eyes are always filled with him. Xu Junxi, you tell me: If this is not love, then what is it?”
Xu Junxi’s joyful face turned pale in an instant. He had wanted to seduce her, but he hadn’t expected her to be so straightforward.
“Hah, Ning Qing, you’ve given him your love. What am I then? Our past 20 years cannot beat your three months?”
“Maybe we don’t love each other anymore.For example, this place is no longer my favorite. When I first came to this cafe, my favorite place had been taken, so I made do and chose this place. You knew this cup of coffee in my hand used to be my favorite, but I’m sorry, after three years of not drinking coffee, I can no longer taste the goodness.”
“No, Ning Qing,” Xu Junxi sorrowfully replied. Holding onto Ning Qing’s small hand, his eyes were filled with pain and paranoia. “Let’s forget the past and start afresh? I’ve been in pain for the past three years. Ning Yao cut her forehead for me. I only felt guilty towards her. The person I love is you. Ning Qing, we can compensate Ning Yao somehow; let’s be together.”
“Ha!” Ning Qing pulled back her hand with some effort. The mockery in her eyes was very light, but it still hurt Xu Junxi. “Xu Junxi, what right do you have to ask me to compensate Ning Yao with you? Three years ago, Ning Yao had injured her forehead while saving you, you felt guilty towards her but the way to compensate her was not only to give yourself to her. Medicine is so advanced now. The scar on her forehead would vanish without a trace with just a minor surgery. You’ve turned this debt into a debt of love. When you were indulging in her gentleness, you lost the right to say you love me.”
“Ha…haha…” Xu Junxi’s stubborn expression was somewhat menacing. “After saying so much, it’s clear that you’ve met someone better than me. You would naturally not choose me since you have Lu Shaoming. You place your hand to your heart and ask yourself how you feel about him. You said you love him just after three months. I don’t believe it.”
Ning Qing’s eyes showed pity and sympathy for Xu Junxi. “For some people, a person will never know who they truly are even though they have known each other for 20 years, like you. For others, even though we’d just met each other once, it felt like we had known each other for a lifetime, like with Lu Shaoming. It’s easy for a woman to fall in love with a man, we just need a heart-pounding moment.”
Regarding Lu Shaoming, Ning Qing always felt that they had met each other before. He had a gravitational pull; she’d always be attracted to him.
“Ning Qing, I don’t want to hear that. Ning Yao and I have already set the date for our wedding. I’ll just ask you, do you want to be with me?”
“I won’t let you get married.” Ning Qing didn’t answer him.
“Ha, Ning Qing, you said you don’t love me, but you don’t want me to marry Ning Yao, you…”
“Xu Junxi, I don’t want you to get married. It’s not because I still love you, but because I don’t hate you for your mistakes. Still, I will never forgive you. Maybe I know that you’ll be more unfortunate if you get married than if you don’t, but you two don’t deserve to get married in front of me.”
“You!”
Ning Qing stood up slowly. “Xu Junxi, I have already made everything clear, take this as the best explanation for our acquaintance. Please don’t make any rude moves on me, let alone be self-indulgent. In front of me, keep a little dignity for yourself.”
Ning Qing turned and left.
…
After Ning Qing left, a handsome figure appeared behind Xu Junxi. The man was in a black woolen overcoat and looked prestigious.
“President Xu, what did you want to get out of asking me here? Did you want me to listen to Ning Qing’s confession of love for me?” Lu Shaoming asked, his sharp brows raised.
Xu Junxi stood up in despair. “Are you pleased? You’ve finally snatched Ning Qing from me!”
Lu Shaoming looked through the window at the beautiful figure of the girl. His eyes were full of tenderness. “No, it’s not that I snatched Ning Qing, but that you lost her.”
Lu Shaoming lifted his feet and left.
Lost her?
Xu Junxi laughed. Yes, he admitted that he had lost her.
Last night, he had come to understand that she had fallen in love with Lu Shaoming. He was just unresigned today. He had asked Lu Shaoming to come and listen. He thought that as long as there was a trace of nostalgia for him in her words, he would get Ning Qing and break up with Ning Yao.
But there wasn’t.
She was right. After Ning Yao had saved him three years ago, he had tens of millions of ways to compensate her, but he had chosen to date Ning Yao instead and had lost himself in Ning Yao’s gentleness.
But Ning Qing, you would never understand, because Ning Yao was your sister. In comparison to you, she is so close, yet so far.
So be it. He should keep a little dignity for himself. She had cut off his retreat.
Just then, his cell phone rang. His mother was calling.
“Hello, Junxi, why aren’t you answering Ning Yao’s calls? Do you not want to marry her anymore? Just now, Li Meiling called me and said Ning Yao had attempted suicide at home. Fortunately, she was discovered in time. Junxi, your wedding date has already been finalized. What are you doing now?”
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll go and see Ning Yao.”
…
Xu Junxi came to Ning Yao’s house. He went into Ning Yao’s room and heard the mother-daughter duo crying while hugging each other. “Yaoyao, why are you so foolish? You’ve almost cut your wrist. What happened to you and Junxi? I don’t believe that Junxi doesn’t want you anymore. It’s been three years since your relationship with Junxi first started. Junxi won’t be so cruel.”
“Mom, I can’t live without Junxi. If he doesn’t want me, I’ll die. I don’t want to live. Wahh…”
Xu Junxi saw a sharp pair of scissors on the bedside cabinet, probably the evidence of Ning Yao’s attempted suicide.
“Yaoyao.” Xu Junxi went in.
“Junxi, you’re here.” Ning Yao saw him and jumped out of bed quickly. She threw herself into Xu Junxi’s arms and cried, “Junxi, you have come at last. I thought you didn’t want me. Last night you really misunderstood me. I’ve loved you for so many years. I even gave you my first time, I really can’t live without you.”
Xu Junxi’s expression was calm. He helped Ning Yao back into the bed and slowly squatted down. He raised his head and brushed away her bangs. He looked at the pink scar and said. “Yaoyao, the wedding will still go on. So don’t do any more silly things. You’ll be my Mrs. Xu soon. I’ll treat you with tender love and care.”
“Really?” Ning Yao hadn’t expected Xu Junxi to be so easily persuaded. Although his expression was flat and tired, she had achieved her goal. “Junxi, you are so good to me. Let’s go and try on the wedding dress in the afternoon. Mother said that in three days, it will be the auspicious day of the zodiac. We’ll get married then, I want to be your wife soon.”
“Alright.” Xu Junxi nodded.
Today, he had finally realized how much life could hurt him when Ning Qing was removed from his heart; it was so painful that he would never have the courage to love again.
At present, this Ning Yao was his choice, then he would stick to his choice to the end.
Anyway, if it’s not Ning Qing, anybody would do.
…
So this afternoon, Ning Qing saw the latest entertainment headlines. Xu Junxi’s mother had personally issued a statement saying that she was very satisfied with her daughter-in-law Ning Yao. She refuted all the gossip and false reports. In addition, Xu Junxi and Ning Yao will be married in three days. It’s supposed to be the wedding of the century.
Three days?
Ning Qing’s heart thumped. It was too rushed. She wondered if she could expose Li Meiling before that and stop the wedding banquet.
Then the phone rang. It was Zhu Rui.
“Hello, Madam. This morning, Li Meiling dialed a foreign telephone number. It’s suspicious. I’ve already checked this number and confirmed that it’s Xiao Cui’s home number.”
“Really? What did they talk about?” Ning Qing was very excited.
“We found Xiao Cui’s home by this phone. Unfortunately, Xiao Cui had already died three years ago. The hospital records showed that she had advanced cancer.”
Ning Qing could not get back to her senses for a long time. She hadn’t expected the outcome to be like this. Xiao Cui had died unexpectedly.
The clue with Xiao Cui had been completely cut off. One phone call from Li Meiling could not expose her. She could just explain that she was showing concern for her former servant.
“Madam, Doctor Aaron has gotten Grandma’s blood test report, but it couldn’t determine which drugs Grandma had taken three years ago.”
Ning Qing’s heart sank, so both clues had escaped her.
Grandma had blood clots in her brain. The surgery couldn’t be done in these three days. Besides, even if Grandma were to recover her memory, Grandma probably doesn’t know about Li Meiling’s plot.
What should she do now?
Ning Qing stayed on set until three o’clock in the afternoon, during which she did not allow anyone to disturb her. She took out a pen and paper and drew something on it. Finally, she stood up and left.
Ning Qing got on the long-distance bus. She went to Xiao Cui’s house according to the address that Zhu Rui had sent her.
She was going to look for the truth.
Comments