Shao Qile naturally had a mission in mind when she came to T City this time. The redevelopment of the old city had been underway for over a year, and some of the main structural frameworks were already in place. He Jianguo then assigned her some tasks.
So, the next morning, Shao Qile got up very early again. Seeing that the late-night snack she had prepared the night before had been used, she quickly started preparing breakfast. When she heard the noise, she saw Shao Qibin, who was dressed in a suit and tie and showed no signs of having stayed up all night, already getting ready to leave.
"Good morning, brother. I've prepared your favorite food."
"You were tired after a long day yesterday, so you don't need to get up early."
"Brother, look at what you're saying, how could I be tired? Come on, sit down and have breakfast. I heard from Secretary He yesterday that your diet has been irregular for the past six months. If Mom and Dad knew that you weren't taking care of your health, they would probably worry."
Although Shao Qibin genuinely felt sorry for Shao Qile, who had gotten up so early to work, the feeling of being so well taken care of and cherished was always something he longed for. This was especially true for Shao Qibin, who was struggling alone far from home without anyone to care for him. Even with an international superstar as his girlfriend, and no matter how outstanding Hong Xinran was, their relationship couldn't possibly be the ordinary, warm, and mundane everyday kind of relationship. Even though Hong Xinran's cooking skills were actually quite good, spending too much time in the kitchen for health reasons wasn't ideal. And what if she got burned or injured?
"Go back to sleep after you finish eating. I have a meeting this morning, so I'll go to work first," Shao Qibin said to Shao Qile after finishing his breakfast.
Shao Qile nodded obediently, but didn't actually go to sleep. She first contacted He Jianguo, then spent the morning wandering around the old town. At lunchtime, she ran into Wu Xinyu, causing Shao Qile to half-close her eyes. She had never seen the man accompanying Wu Xinyu before, dressed casually yet with an upright posture and every movement exuding the bearing of a soldier. She was certain it wasn't one of Wu Xinyu's brothers.
That's interesting. She knew that for the past six months, Wu Xinyu seemed to have given up on her obsession and stopped focusing all her attention on Shao Qibin. But she never expected that a beautiful peach blossom would bloom beside Wu Xinyu!
Author's Note: Thank you Ding Xiaoqi for the landmine! The first landmine in this story is finally not empty anymore. I'm so happy! Hugs and kisses!
Well, to express my excitement, in addition to this update, I will try my best to write another chapter tonight, aiming for a double update today!
48 Simplicity is a blessing
Chapter 47: Simplicity is a Blessing
"Sister Xiaoyu, long time no see. You've become more and more beautiful and elegant." Shao Qile stepped forward to greet Wu Xinyu, her gaze sweeping over the tall, refined-looking man standing beside her with his glasses. A slight smile curved her lips. "Sister Xiaoyu, is this your boyfriend?"
“Lele, this is my senior, Fang Hanwei. We came out together to prepare Teacher's Day gifts.” Wu Xinyu was somewhat surprised to see Shao Qile. Of the three women who had gathered in T City for Shao Qibin, one had gone abroad, and another had returned to Beijing. She didn't believe there wasn't something going on. Perhaps having vaguely noticed this, and confirming that Shao Qibin was now taken, she simply decided to gradually fade out of Shao Qibin's social circle.
The initial obsession with winning back Shao Qibin that she had when she was reborn gradually faded with time. Sometimes, she even wondered what the purpose was of all the sacrifices, waiting, and even the scheming and backstabbing between her, Shao Qile, and Li Jianmei.
To say she truly understood Shao Qibin wouldn't be entirely accurate. Her infatuation had been so overwhelming that her first thought upon being reborn was whether she could openly stand by Shao Qibin's side in this life. But when she discovered she wasn't the most special one, and saw the even more fervent love in Li Jianmei's eyes and everything she had done to become Mrs. Shao, Wu Xinyu felt a pang of unease.
Why bother? Why do they have to do this?
Even if some of the obsession fades, some of the affection, having once burned every cell in the body and boiled every drop of blood, has become a habit. Changing a habit is not a simple matter. Therefore, giving up this affection is not so easy either.
From a certain perspective, Wu Xinyu is actually a rather pure person. Her liking for Shao Qibin is simply that—liking. And since someone else still lingers in her heart, she naturally wouldn't be sentimental enough to accept another man. Perhaps the best way to forget a relationship or a man is to quickly jump into another one. But that's definitely not something Wu Xinyu would do.
Just as she yearns for the most beautiful and purest love, hoping that the person she likes can like her wholeheartedly, she will naturally give the other person the purest and simplest response.
Shao Qile noticed that when Wu Xinyu said this, although the man beside her still wore a refined smile, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. This man liked Wu Xinyu.
"Senior, Lele and I haven't seen each other for a long time. The gift for the teacher is almost ready. I remember you have a lecture to attend tonight, so I won't bother you any longer." Wu Xinyu noticed that Shao Qile had something to say to her, so she politely said goodbye to Fang Hanwei.
The two went into a teahouse, ordered tea and snacks, and once everything was served, Shao Qile teased, "Sister Xiaoyu, you really hurt that senior's feelings just now. He's clearly your type, so why did you keep him at arm's length?"
"You know, I like your brother!" Wu Xinyu suddenly said, breaking Shao Qile's teasing. "Even what Li Jianmei told me, that you like Shao Qibin, isn't entirely untrue. It's just that I'm still a little confused about whether you actually like Shao Qibin or not. Sometimes I think you do, but other times I think what you do is strange. Even the way you talk about Shao Qibin is a bit off."
Sensing that Shao Qile seemed to have something to say, Wu Xinyu made a gesture to interrupt Shao Qile. If she didn't finish what she wanted to say, it might just be left unsaid.
"A lot has happened during this time, and I've thought about it a lot. Given Li Jianmei's personality, what exactly happened that made her choose to go abroad when she was completely devoted to Shao Qibin? I don't believe there wasn't Shao Qibin's interference. Shao Qibin is genuinely good to those he protects. And throughout his life, the woman by Shao Qibin's side has been Hong Xinran. Considering the turmoil surrounding Hong Xinran at the beginning of the year, and then Li Jianmei leaving the country, I can guess the general idea. Even the fact that you've been holed up in Beijing for more than half a year without coming to T City is probably also part of Shao Qibin's doing. Sometimes, I wonder, what have I come back for in this life? Li Jianmei has already proven that all her scheming ultimately came to nothing, so what am I supposed to prove by staying in T City?"
"Sometimes I don't even know what I want right now, but one thing I'm sure of is that I still like Shao Qibin. It's just that this liking has lost its initial fervor and recklessness. I've started to think and analyze things rationally. Maybe, one day, I'll slowly let go of these feelings."
"Lele, listen to Xiaoyu's advice. Whether you really like Shao Qibin or not, I just hope you protect yourself. You need to understand that if Li Jianmei and I can't win Shao Qibin's love, then you, as his sister, have absolutely no chance."
"In the past six months, I have read a lot of books and traveled to various places. I have found that it is not a big deal to be missing a man in life. In fact, I can live a comfortable and easy life on my own."
Shao Qile was inwardly turbulent, and the mask she always wore was showing signs of cracking. In truth, if she could, why would she bother getting involved in this mess? However, Wu Xinyu could choose to retreat gracefully, and in fact, such a choice was clearly better for her. Wu Xinyu had her own home to rely on, family members to protect her, and even, from what she could see now, suitable protectors by her side.
But no matter how long she stayed in this world, she could never truly integrate into it. She knew perfectly well that as long as she tried, she could go home; she had no way out! Moreover, according to the system, as long as she didn't complete the game, she would be trapped in this repetitive task, and she had long since grown weary. Perhaps it was because this world was merely a newly outlined novel world, containing too many fantastical and fictional elements, that Shao Qile felt so uneasy.
"Xiaoyu, I'll take good care of myself. I also hope you can let go of this soon. I thought that senior was a nice guy. If you ever get a boyfriend, Xiaoyu, you must let me know."
Looking at the determination and stubbornness in Shao Qile's eyes, Wu Xinyu knew that he hadn't listened to her words, and she sighed inwardly. Many things simply can't be truly resolved by a few words of advice from others.
When Shao Qile returned home, he still felt uneasy about Wu Xinyu's behavior that afternoon, so he contacted Zhang Mengxin.
Upon learning that Shao Qile's plan was for her to have a chance encounter with a woman who harbored feelings for Shao Qibin and to briefly reveal her own situation so that the woman would give up on him, Zhang Mengxin held her phone in silence for a long time before finally uttering a sentence: "Should I be glad that I'm on your side now? It's a waste of your intelligence to only use it to suppress your love rival."
Knowing that Zhang Mengxin had misunderstood, Shao Qile didn't try to defend herself. In fact, it was better for Zhang Mengxin to misunderstand; their relationship was based on mutual benefit. This was different from her friendship with Wu Xinyu. By using Zhang Mengxin as a pawn, she could be even more ruthless.
She offered enough leverage to contribute her hard-earned influence to the development of Qingkou County, while Zhang Mengxin merely made a brief appearance before Wu Xinyu and incidentally ended a potential romantic interest in Shao Qibin. It was a very profitable deal.
Zhang Mengxin hung up the phone. At dinner, she heard her husband beaming as he told her that the fundraising problem for the county's orphanage had been solved. The man was clearly in his thirties, but he laughed like a big boy. Zhang Mengxin couldn't help but smile heartily as well. Taking advantage of her husband's good mood, Zhang Mengxin casually mentioned that she would be going to the city on behalf of the school to purchase some welfare items for the teachers for Teachers' Day.
Liu Chang'an told Zhang Mengxin not to overwork herself. Aside from frowning slightly at the beginning because they were going to the city, he nodded without saying anything else: "Don't rush back. I'll make dinner. You can also buy some clothes and shoes in the city. Don't be too frugal."
“I have enough clothes and shoes. Besides, I’m going to take care of some things at the school this time. If I really need to buy something, I’ll go by myself on the weekend,” Zhang Mengxin said with a sweet smile, placing a piece of food in her husband’s and the baby’s bowls.
Perhaps, during the time she spent with Shao Qibin, she was briefly blinded by the allure of wealth and luxury. But a bloody lesson shattered her illusion.
She is very happy and content with her life now!
"Mommy, you eat too." Seeing her little one, who was only three years old this year, diligently scooping a spoonful of his favorite steamed egg custard for himself, and her husband also putting a piece of food into her bowl, Zhang Mengxin smiled even more happily.
Isn't this the wish you made when you were a child, curled up on a small wooden bed, listening to the rising and falling breaths of other children on the same bed?
I do not seek wealth or power, but only wish for my family's health and happiness!
Author's Note: Double update delivered!
49 Dreams Shattered
Chapter 48: Shattered Dreams
As Wu Xinyu walked out of the teaching building, she saw a figure in a white dress with long hair tied in a ponytail flash by.