Xia Xuan's icy eyes softened with emotion as she slowly uttered a single word, "Get out!"
19. Dissecting the Heart
Xiao Qiqi met with Li Yue, had dinner, and Li Yue drank a lot of wine and said a lot. Listening, she didn't feel the intense pain she had imagined; perhaps she had already guessed this outcome, and it was merely confirmation; perhaps her heart no longer cared.
Still busy, the construction of Yiran has already begun. Supervising the workers' construction, negotiating prices with suppliers, running around the market one by one, comparing materials and prices, but refusing to go to Huayuan, no matter how much General Manager Wei talks. Stubbornly doing everything according to his own ideas, Chen Yuanxing seems to have become obedient, no longer picking on or making trouble, and not even showing his face.
Xiao Qiqi's relationship with Xia Xuan remained ambiguous and distant. She felt increasingly weary each day, unwilling to continue like this. Her fate seemed adrift, uncertain and uncertain in the face of these powerful men. Occasionally, she would hear rumors about Chen Yuanxing in Huayuan. Each time, she forced herself to remain calm, her heart growing colder with each passing day, yet her smile remained radiant.
Perhaps, it's time for everything to end. Xiao Qiqi gazed at the luxurious villa, each detail weighing heavily on her mind, occasionally breaking into a absent-minded smile. He had once said, "I'll build you the most luxurious and beautiful house, decorated entirely to your liking, and then we'll live there, quietly growing old together." He had done it, building the house of his dreams, but could they truly sit here together, watching the seasons change, growing old together? Had he given up? But why did his heart still ache so much? Was he reaping what he sowed? Was he deceiving himself?
I still often wake up in a fright from my dreams, but there is no longer that warm body beside me, only a thin, cold blanket, and a desolate silence.
To hold on? That would be responsible to him. To give up would be torturing myself.
That day, Xiao Qiqi sat on the roof of Yiran's house, looking at the deep mountains covered with bright red leaves. The dazzling red was like a colorful sunset, with occasional patches of green hiding in the deep red, adding a touch of lightness and beauty.
Light footsteps interrupted Xiao Qiqi's thoughts. She turned around to see a charming figure standing behind her—a light gray sweater, a dark brown skirt, a white hair clip, and white ankle boots. Her youthful face radiated youthful energy no matter how simply she wore it. Su Yan, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Miss Xiao, did I disturb you?"
"Oh, no." Xiao Qiqi stood up, patted the dust off his jeans. Fine dust swirled in the sunlight, and Su Yan wrinkled her nose unconsciously. Xiao Qiqi chuckled, "Sorry, I've been at the construction site the whole time, I'm covered in dust."
Seeing Xiao Qiqi's quick reaction, Su Yan felt embarrassed and said, "No, it's nothing, that's not what I meant."
Xiao Qiqi glanced downstairs and at the familiar car. "Miss Su, did you come alone? The house has just been renovated and is quite messy. I'm afraid the results won't be visible yet."
Su Yan's eyes dimmed as she looked at the neat and capable woman before her. Her eyes were bright, but occasionally they would flicker, just like when she had seen her sitting there, gazing at the distant mountains, an unintentional loneliness filling her eyes, yet she could smile so naturally in the blink of an eye. Wasn't she unhappy too? "I didn't come to look at the house, I... I was just passing by." Su Yan didn't know how to begin. Should she say that she had come to find her on purpose?
Xiao Qiqi looked at Su Yan's plain and beautiful face, as clean as a small lily, but her evasive and suspicious eyes had already revealed her purpose. Was she in trouble? Unfortunately, she was also confused and could not help her. "Miss Su, since you are just passing by, why don't you take a good look at the house? How about I explain some details to you?" Xiao Qiqi lifted her foot and was about to walk towards the stairs.
“No, that’s not it.” Su Yan called out to her as expected. “I came here specifically to see Miss Xiao.”
Xiao Qiqi sighed inwardly. Was it still unavoidable? "Miss Su, is there something you need?" Xiao Qiqi chuckled as she looked at the reserved Su Yan. She simply sat back down on the bare cement floor, gazing at the vibrant red flowers covering the mountain. Perhaps she would relax a bit if she didn't look at her.
"I...I'm here to tell Miss Xiao that Chen Yuanxing and I have broken up." Su Yan said regretfully, as she didn't really want to say it this way.
Xiao Qiqi didn't turn around. "So what?" A mocking smile seemed to unintentionally curl at the corner of her mouth.
"Miss Xiao, aren't you curious about why we broke up?"
"Not curious." I'm past the age of curiosity. Even if I know he started to play games with life and that it hurt so much when he ruined his relationship, I've become numb to the pain over time.
Su Yan was stunned. She hadn't expected Xiao Qiqi to be so decisive. A woman's intuition finally made her realize that the woman Chen Yuanxing loved might be Xiao Qiqi—this woman who dared to dump Chen Yuanxing and tell him to "go away," this capable and resolute woman, a woman with bright yet world-weary eyes. Su Yan tightly gripped the hem of her clothes. "He helped me find a job, signed a contract with Huatian, but then broke up with me. Because... because he's getting engaged to Miss Xia Rui of the Xia family."
"Really? Congratulations then." Xiao Qiqi continued to smile, omitting even the sarcasm, her expression one of pure joy.
Su Yan was stunned again. Was she really the woman Chen Yuanxing couldn't forget? But why was she so indifferent to his engagement? Was it really because she didn't love him? But she clearly saw disappointment and despair in this woman's occasional forlorn eyes! "Miss Xiao, I think there are some things I don't need to say. I just want to tell you about him... Nothing happened between him and me. He's a good man, always respectful of me, or more deeply, he cherishes his own and others' feelings. If you can, please face your own heart and stop hurting him, okay?" Yes, these were Su Yan's words. Her parents had taught her to be honest since childhood. Even though she was in so much pain because she could love, she knew that her path and future would never lead her to that kind of man, so she let go calmly. Perhaps, as Gu Lian said, women like them who wanted to make it in the film industry couldn't have feelings, so she decided to sever her first love. But she couldn't help herself, couldn't resist taking one last look at the woman the man she loved had fallen in love with. She even hoped they could have happiness and a future, at least that he wouldn't be in so much pain. Perhaps knowing he was happy was enough.
Xiao Qiqi stopped smiling and looked at the girl with a surprised expression. Her honest eyes, as clear as black ink, seemed to pierce through people's hearts. "...Thank you for reminding me, but I broke up with her a long time ago, so long that I almost forgot about her." Xiao Qiqi stood up and smiled, "Let's go back. It's windy here, you'll catch a cold."
Su Yan shook her head. "Miss Xiao, you can fool others, but you can't fool me. You still love him, don't you?"
Xiao Qiqi frowned as she looked at the stubborn girl. "Miss Su, what exactly do you want to know?"
“I don’t want to know anything. I only know that if I love that man and he loves me, I will do everything I can to keep him, no matter how difficult it is. If I love him, I will make him happy and will not force him to do things he doesn’t like, make him sad, or make him despair.”
“Miss Su, you’re talking too much.” Xiao Qiqi finally lost her patience. Su Yan’s youthful impulsiveness was gradually eroding her strong defenses. No one had ever dissected her so bluntly or pressured her like this before. “…Miss Su, you don’t understand. Some things can’t be done just because you want to. So I don’t want to discuss those unfounded things with you anymore. How about this, I’ll call Yuanxing and have him pick you up. You’re too agitated.”
“I’m not agitated. Isn’t it you, Xiao Qiqi, who’s running away?” Su Yan stubbornly raised her head, her delicate chin forming a resolute curve. “If he really got together with another woman, wouldn’t you be angry? Why was your face so pale at the party? Why did you look so angry when you looked at Chen Yuanxing? If he really married Xia Rui for some reason he didn’t want to, could you really still sit here so leisurely watching the mountains and clouds? Would you still be so sincere in decorating his love nest?”
This latest attack left Xiao Qiqi almost completely exposed. For the first time, she felt utterly humiliated. Faced with a twenty-year-old girl like this, Xiao Qiqi couldn't find the right words to retaliate. She felt her inner defenses had almost completely collapsed. She could be indifferent to Chen Yuanxing, and reject Xia Xuan, but she couldn't remain calm in the face of her own wounds. She also felt pain and woke up crying from her dreams, but she never dared to expose herself to the light like this. "Enough, Su Yan! Do you think you know everything? Do you think that just because you've fallen in love with Chen Yuanxing, I'm obligated to help him overcome his inner demons? Do you think you know me well? We've only met twice in haste, how much do you really know?" Xiao Qiqi smiled bitterly. "Don't say anything more, Su Yan. You're still young; there are many things you simply don't understand."
"I may not understand, but I see things much more clearly than you who think you do. I know what I want, and I'll fight for what I love!"
"Then why don't you fight for Chen Yuanxing if you love him?"
"Well, because he doesn't love me, I... I don't deserve him either, I'm afraid I can't bear it."
"By the way, weren't you just speaking so confidently? Why are you hesitating now?" Xiao Qiqi sneered. "Su Yan, you can't judge things by appearances. Let's go home, it's getting dark, and there are no taxis around." With that, she ignored Su Yan and called Chen Yuanxing. Chen Yuanxing agreed immediately without asking any questions.
Xiao Qiqi hung up the phone. "Su Yan, you're still so young, you have the right to be so excited and even impulsive. So talk to Chen Yuanxing properly. A man like him will never easily compromise on some kind of arranged marriage. You're a good girl, maybe you still have a future. Don't come looking for me again, and don't say those so-called 'vows of love.' When you reach my age and have experienced some things, you'll understand that what you said today isn't as simple as you think." After Xiao Qiqi finished speaking, she turned and went downstairs.
Su Yan looked at Xiao Qiqi's thin back, bit her lip, and suddenly rushed to the stairs and shouted: "Xiao Qiqi, you don't deserve Chen Yuanxing's love!"
Xiao Qiqi stood up straight, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the stairs, but she didn't turn back and slowly walked down.
Watching the workers busy at work, Xiao Qiqi lit a cigarette. The foreman came over and said, "Sister Xiao, smoking is not allowed here."
Xiao Qiqi quickly stubbed out her cigarette. After so many years in the renovation business, she had made a mistake herself. "Old Li, is everything alright?"
"It's alright. Let's first reposition the main facilities according to the blueprints, and then we can start the detailed installation."
"I'll be going now. Call me if you need anything." Xiao Qiqi stood up and saw Su Yan slowly walking down the stairs. She checked her watch and saw that Chen Yuanxing would be arriving soon. "Miss Su, please wait a moment. Yuanxing will be here soon. You can take a look at the house when he arrives. The blueprints are all here. If you have any complaints, just tell Lao Li. I'll be going now."
Su Yan remained silent, but followed Xiao Qiqi out of the house to the bare courtyard. "Xiao Qiqi, you have a really cold heart."
Xiao Qiqi smiled wryly. Why was this kid so awkward? "I'm not heartless. Would you be happy if you watched me and Chen Yuanxing live happily ever after?"
Su Yan was speechless, clearly not expecting Xiao Qiqi to say that. Xiao Qiqi smiled bitterly again, looked at the familiar silver BMW that had turned into the road in the distance, unlocked the car door, and got in. "Su Yan, seize the opportunity. His marriage with Xia Rui will definitely not work out. You have to have confidence in yourself." He started the car and drove past the BMW that had driven in.
The tortoise can never outrun the hare, Xiao Qiqi thought with a heavy heart. She simply stopped the car, slumped over the steering wheel, and pretended to doze off. "Go ahead and honk the horn all you want! Weren't you ignoring me? Weren't you getting engaged? Weren't you always seen with other women?" Xiao Qiqi laughed. "Yuanxing, is this how you always protest?"
Someone knocked on the car door. Xiao Qiqi lazily looked up at the thinly dressed man outside the car window, rolled down the window, and stared at him in silence.
"...She came to see you?"
"Hmm." Xiao Qiqi noticed that his face was a little pale. It must be very cold in the suburbs in late autumn.
"I...I have nothing to do with her..." Chen Yuanxing avoided Xiao Qiqi's gaze. How many days had it been since they last met? Why was he still so impulsive? "Besides, we broke up."
"I know. You should reconsider. She's a very kind girl." Xiao Qiqi smiled. Although it was against his will, such a kind girl, if he couldn't be with her for life, wouldn't she be a good choice? Just based on what she said to him today, Xiao Qiqi had already fallen for this girl.
Ten years have passed, and I'm still incredibly cowardly and selfish, even now, from the first time I was moved by love.
"I was considering it," Chen Yuanxing said with a wry smile. "I'm getting engaged."
"With Xia Rui?" Xiao Qiqi thought of the mischievous and lively third young lady of the Xia family, "A very cute girl."
"Yes, but it's just a child." Chen Yuanxing circled his hand on the car window. "The company has run into some problems."
Xiao Qiqi was somewhat worried. If something hadn't gone wrong, would he have compromised like this? "With the help of the Xia family, we can overcome any difficulty."
“No, actually it’s not that big.” Chen Yuanxing continued drawing circles. “Huayuan’s foundation isn’t that easy to shake, it’s just that at home… you know, it’s just like that.”
"So you really have to break up with Su Yan? It's a pity she's such a good girl."
"Yes, I... I will make it up to her."
"Compensation?" Xiao Qiqi turned to look at the distant, layered mountains. "Can a lost heart be compensated with money and material things? You rich people..." Xiao Qiqi chuckled, and the image of the 5 million green check suddenly popped into her mind. Even without Xia Rui's appearance, even if Su Yan and Chen Yuanxing could take things further, would Su Yan also receive a check? No way, after all, she was so innocent, while what about herself?
Chen Yuanxing's slightly dark eyes deepened as he looked at Xiao Qiqi's disappointed face. "Qiqi, are you hiding something from me?"
Xiao Qiqi didn't hear Chen Yuanxing's words. Instead, her thoughts drifted back to that spring, to the beautiful day and the lovely peach blossoms, only to see petals scattered and fall to the mud, leaving behind a trail of wounds. Looking up at that face she couldn't get enough of, she said, "Live your life well, no matter who you're with. Remember... never measure feelings with money, that would be cruel." She rolled up the car window, put on sunglasses, and concealed the pain in her eyes.
Chen Yuanxing watched the yellow QQ car slowly disappear at the end of the road, lost in thought.
20. Abuse of Pure
In a luxury villa in the eastern suburbs, Xia Rui shook Xia Xuan's arm, protesting for the hundredth time: "Big brother, I don't want to get engaged to that gorilla! I'm still young, I haven't had enough fun yet!"
“You can still have fun even after you’re engaged.” Xia Xuan looked at the documents in her hand, her eyes behind her glasses never leaving Yi Miao. “Continue with school, play, anything is fine.”
"But I treat him like a brother, and there's no heartbeat, that's not love!" Xia Rui stubbornly continued to shake her head. "Big brother, tell Dad, why do we need a marriage alliance? Our Xia family isn't afraid of the Chen family, we're already powerful enough!"
As Xu Chunzheng came down the stairs, she gave him a sweet smile from afar, "Xiao Rui, your older brother is busy, so don't bother him."
Xia Rui's expression darkened upon seeing Xu Chun. She gave her a cold look, turned her face away, and uttered two words that froze Xu Chun's smile: "Bitch!"
Xia Xuan heard it clearly, but still showed no expression. She simply said, "Xiao Rui, if you're really bored, go ask Chen Yuanxing to take you out to play. Don't bother me."
Xia Rui was naturally displeased to see Xu Chun still standing there. She snorted and got up, saying, "I'm going to play with my classmate Cui Xiao." After saying that, she affectionately kissed Xia Xuan on the forehead, stood up with a smile, and when her gaze swept over Xu Chun, she smiled sarcastically and mouthed "shameless."
"Go after lunch." Xia Xuan's voice was gentle but firm. Xia Rui stuck out her tongue and ran into the restaurant.
Xu Chun was so angry that her face turned green. Watching Xia Rui skip away, she couldn't help but complain, "Xuan, Xia Rui went too far. You just watched her insult me like that?"
"A person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear from criticism." Xia Xuan said casually, without even looking up, her indifference causing Xu Chun's face to turn purple again. "Is there anything else?"
Xu Chun held back, "Lunch is ready, let's go eat."
Xia Xuan finally put down the documents in his hand, rubbed his arm that was sore from Xia Rui's massage, leaned back on the sofa and sighed. Acquiring Huayuan wasn't an easy task. Even though China's real estate industry was currently in a slump, Huayuan's foundation in the Chinese real estate market was clearly not as easily shaken as imagined. If it weren't for the marriage alliance he suddenly thought of after seeing Xia Rui and Chen Yuanxing that day, perhaps this boast of entering the mainland real estate market would have remained just empty talk. It was a win-win situation, so why not? The Xia family was very satisfied with the marriage alliance with the Chen family, and Chen Yijian was also very satisfied with the outcome of this power struggle. Perhaps only the parties involved were dissatisfied. But in a family like theirs, what was so strange about this kind of marriage? Just like Xia Rui's mother and Xia Yexin, weren't they also sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams? But that was a marriage alliance; they could only seek their own pleasures. Status and wealth are terrifying things. If it weren't for her mother's power, Xia Rui wouldn't have dared to openly insult Xu Chun like that. Chen Yuanxing, thinking that this name would soon be associated with Xia Rui, while he would drift further and further away from that woman, made Xia Xuan feel very good.
He got up and went to the restaurant, where Xia Rui was already waiting. When she saw Xia Xuan come in, she quickly pulled out a chair for him and smiled ingratiatingly. Xia Xuan sighed inwardly. In fact, he liked this younger sister very much. He knew her current thoughts and her refusal to get engaged to Chen Yuanxing. Little did he know that her identity had already destined her to go through this sooner or later.
Four dishes and a soup. The chicken soup, which was simmered to a rich broth, smelled delicious. "Big brother, have some soup," Xia Rui said attentively as she served soup to Xia Xuan.
The aroma made Xu Chun feel nauseous for no reason. She tried to suppress it, but when she saw Xia Rui push the soup bowl in front of her to Xia Xuan's side, she could no longer hold back the urge to vomit. She covered her mouth and rushed out.
Xia Rui watched her retreating figure and muttered, "Ugh, so rude, eating like that! I'm not eating anymore, just thinking about it makes me nauseous."
Xia Xuan also put down her chopsticks, gazing thoughtfully at Xu Chun's departing figure.
Xu Chun ultimately didn't eat. She locked herself in her room, restless and afraid to go out, lest she meet Xia Xuan's cold gaze. And just as she feared, Xia Xuan's emotionless voice rang out from outside the door: "Xu Chun, open the door!" It was flat, yet commanding.
Xu Chun hesitated, forcing herself to remain calm, and opened the door. The mental defenses she had just built up crumbled again when she saw the person behind Xia Xuan.
"Xu Chun, I noticed you weren't feeling well, so I specially invited Dr. Feng here."
"Huh? Doctor? Oh, it's Dr. Feng, hello, hello." Xu Chun smiled nonchalantly at Xia Xuan and Dr. Feng, "I'm fine, I just had an upset stomach, so... I felt a little uncomfortable, but I'm better now."
Dr. Feng, Xia Xuan's personal physician, said politely, "Miss Xu doesn't look well; it would be best if you took a look."
Xu Chun, who had been holding onto the door, quickly shook her head. "No, it's alright, I'm really fine. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Dr. Feng, with this was a wasted trip."
Xia Xuan's smile widened. Leaning against the doorframe, she smiled faintly, her voice, devoid of any discernible expression, struck Xu Chun's ears like a thunderclap, "Really, we don't need to look anymore?"
"Really, it's not necessary, Xuan. Thank you for your concern."
Xia Xuan nodded, straightened up and said to Dr. Feng, "Then I'm sorry to have troubled you to come all this way."
Dr. Feng didn't mind at all. She picked up her medicine box and said, "It's alright, it's my duty." Then she went downstairs.
Xia Xuan continued to look at Xu Chun calmly, and finally said only two words, "Very good," before gracefully going downstairs.
Xu Chun's heart leaped and then sank, leaving her feeling empty and adrift. She closed the door and leaned weakly against it, touching her still-flat stomach. She knew what Xia Yexin's reaction would be. Would he laugh indifferently and tell her to go to the hospital herself? Or would he frown disdainfully and ignore her?
It's always been like this, hasn't it? Over the years, Xia Yexin has been quite doting on her, perhaps because she's his eldest son's fiancée, and he feels a sense of guilt towards her, while simultaneously using her to monitor Xia Xuan. Xia Xuan is the same; if it weren't for Xia Yexin, would he have gotten engaged to her? He might even have killed her! Yet he also tacitly accepts her surveillance, while using her to continue numbing his father. Is this the kind of loving father-son relationship in this family? Is there such distrust between father and son simply because the patriarch favors his eldest grandson? Xu Chun wanted to cry, but couldn't. She had chosen this path herself. She often recalled the day she left H City, when Xia Xuan said meaningfully, "Just remember, your world will definitely be wonderful." Yes, she never imagined that a woman like her, with only beauty and cunning, would have such a wonderful world!
Xu Chun quietly opened the door, peeked into the study on the third floor where the light was on, and silently walked down the stairs. The cleaning lady was about to greet her when she was interrupted softly: "I'm going out for a bit. If the master asks later, just say I went shopping."
Xia Xuan, arms crossed, hid behind the study curtains, watching Xu Chun start the blue Bentley. A cold smile crept across her face as she dialed a number. "Get ready to go."